Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Psalm 124:2-3, 6 If the LORD had not been on our side 
when men attacked us, when their anger flared against us, they would have swallowed us alive ... Praise be to the LORD, who has not let us be torn by their teeth.
PRAISE THE LORD, YOUR ALMIGHTY DEFENDER
This psalm is said to have been penned by David upon the occasion of some great deliverance God worked for His people, in a time of grave danger. It fits well into the Songs of Ascents collection. As the Israelites journeyed to Jerusalem for worship it would be natural for them to recall instances from the past when the Lord showed them His love by coming to their rescue "just in the nick of time." (A few examples: the Israelites' deliverance from Pharaoh's army at the Red Sea, their rescue from Assyrian forces in the days of Hezekiah, their release from captivity in Babylon.) How often the God of grace enabled His people to come out victorious against all odds, when it seemed there was no way they could win! It was out of gratitude for His tender mercies that the Jewish pilgrims joined their hearts together in exclaiming: "Praise be to the LORD, who has not let us be torn by their teeth."
Like the Israelites of old we have reason to thank our Lord. Many are the foes we face in the enemy territory that is this wicked world. At the head of the list: the devil, the world, and our flesh. His promise to us in every temptation and trial is that the gates of hell won't prevail against us. We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. Were we to rely on our own strength we wouldn't stand a chance. The assurance this psalm gives is that the Lord in whom we trust will defend us by His superior strength so we win in the end and keep the victory.
The Church shall never perish. Her dear Lord, to defend,
To guide, sustain, and cherish, Is with her to the end.
Though there be those that hate her And strive to see her fail,
Against both foe and traitor She ever shall prevail.
(Christian Worship, 538:3)
