Psalm 124: When the journey becomes dangerous

Psalm 124 continues with the theme of the previous psalm: looking to God for help.

At the heart of Psalm 124 we have this wonderful promise:

There is a battle raging all around us but God promises to be for us every step of our journey.

Three realities:

God is for us in our helplessness.

Psalm 124:1-5 “1 If it had not been the Lord who was on our side— let Israel now say— 2 if it had not been the Lord who was on our side when people rose up against us, 3 then they would have swallowed us up alive, when their anger was kindled against us; 4 then the flood would have swept us away, the torrent would have gone over us; 5 then over us would have gone the raging waters.”

In v.2,3 David reveals the occasion for writing this psalm: “when people rose up against us, when their anger was kindled against us.” These people wanted to put an end to David’s throne and his descendents.

David then ponders and asks, “what if?” What would have happened if God had not intervened on behalf of his people? The answer is defeat and death.

Implications: No Messiah, no Jesus, no salvation, and no hope.

2 images of a powerful enemy against a helpless opponent.

A fierce large animal swallowing its prey alive (v.3)

Whale swallowing up sardines

Frog swallowing up a fly

A powerful flash flood. (vv. 4,5)

"The flood would have swept us away”

The torrent and the raging waters would have drowned us.” The word torrent is a dry valley in which water runs during the rainy season (wadi). (Vine’s)

Show picture of torrent in Israel

When the rain falls on the dry mountains, it quickly runs runs off and collects into wadis, where it can rise to dangerous heights in just a few minutes. (Boice)

Matthew 7:27 “And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.””

As you can see, a torrent is a powerful flash flood. It sweeps away everything on its path.

Have you ever experienced the feeling of seeing your life being swept away and there is nothing you can do about it? I think most, if not all of us can relate to the feeling of helplessness.

I got good news for you this morning, the Lord says to his people, “I will be with you in your helplessness for I am on your side

Our helplessness is a strategic moment for us to see God working on our behalf.

Powerful prayer: 2 Chronicles 20:12 “For we are powerless against this mighty army that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”

I’m helpless , I don’t know what to do, help me God!

First step, lay down your self-sufficiency. You need to repent from your self-sufficiency and trust Christ for salvation.

God is for us as our deliverer

David is no longer wondering what would have happened if the Lord had not been on our side. Instead he declares “Blessed be the Lord who delivered us.”

Vv.6,7 offers two more images of a powerful enemy against a helpless opponent.

(1)An animal slowly tearing and grinding its prey: vivid picture of slow, ruthless painful defeat and death.

Psalm 124:6 “Blessed be the Lord, who has not given us as prey to their teeth!”

(2)A bird entangled in a trap. David declares, “Blessed be the Lord who delivered us.”

Psalm 124:7 “We have escaped like a bird from the snare of the fowlers; the snare is broken, and we have escaped!”

God is with us as our deliverer! Bless be the Lord!

How can finite creatures bless bless their everlasting Creator? By declaring his greatness through praise and thanksgiving.

Psalm 34:1-4 “1 I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. 2 My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble hear and be glad. 3 Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together! 4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.”

In Psalm 124 David blesses God because of what he has done in his life.

How have you seen at work as your deliverer?

Ephesians 2:1, 4-5 “1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins” “4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—”

Look back how God has come through in your life. Think of a time when you felt trapped and God provided a way out.

God is for us as our deliverer.

There is a battle raging all around us but God promises to be for us every step of our journey.

God is for us as our ultimate hope

Psalm 124:8 “Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.”

We see vv.1-7 portraying a graphic picture of life out of control, but v.8 offers hope. V.8 is an invitation to come and rest in the hands of the one who made heaven and earth.

That means that God the Creator is sovereign. He is in complete control.

Isaiah 40:26 “26 Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these? He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name; by the greatness of his might and because he is strong in power, not one is missing.”

Astronomers now estimate, however, that there are more than 400 billion stars in the Milky Way galaxy, and that there are 125 billion galaxies in the universe. The total number of stars is estimated at 1x1022 or 10 billion trillions. (ESVSB)

God is our ultimate hope. Don’t be afraid to trust your future in the hands of the one who has Genesis 1:1 in his resume.

God is our ultimate hope. Our help and our hope is in the name of the Lord.

Psalm 20:7 “7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.”

Our hope for the future is in the name of the Lord.

The word LORD is capitalized in your English Bibles every time it appears in vv. 1, 2, 6 & 8. It’s the Hebrew word YHWH. This is his personal name (Ex. 3:14)

Gods name is closely connected to his character. Therefore, to trust in the name of the Lord is to trust in who he says he is and his promises.

His personal name is associated with God’s covenant with his people.

There is power in the name of Jesus who has made a new covenant with his people.

There is a battle raging all around us but God promises to be for us every step of our journey.

Conclusion: Think of a phrase that you would have to speak to yourself in order to bring calm and perspective whenever you felt overwhelmed and anxious.

God is with me

The Lord is my Shepherd

The Lord is my refuge

God is on my side - God IS FOR ME! (Romans 8)

Romans 8:31-32 “31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?”

Let the bread and the cup be a reminder that God is for you.