Psalm 124 is a psalm to be sung with tears in theeyes and a heart overflowing with gratitude for the LORD’s deliverance. David,no doubt, wrote this psalm in the spirit of Christ, after the Lord delivered Israel from agreat calamity.

We think of the occasion when Absalom rose inrebellion against David with a huge army. They would have overwhelmed David andthe faithful men with him had the Lord not intervened. David could have writtenthis psalm to celebrate the LORD’s deliverance when he was restored to thepalace and after the sadness over the death of his son had been dealt with.

This psalm is suitable for use by God’s people toexpress gratitude and thanksgiving whenever the Lord delivers us from conquestor calamity. We may entitle it: “The Pilgrims’ Praise for Triumph in the LORD.”It is a well-beloved Psalm which God’s people would have had many occasions touse.

We think of the occasion when the Assyrian Army laidsiege against Jerusalemduring the reign of Hezekiah. As the siege wore on, food became scarce in Jerusalem and theAssyrians would have overwhelmed her had it not been for the Lord’sintervention. God’s people would have found this psalm to be a most fittingexpression of their gratitude to God.

Or think of the days of persecution in the earlychurch before Emperor Constantine.  Orthink of the persecution against the Protestant cause after the 16^thcentury Reformation. Remember the Marian Persecution (1555-1558) in England; or theKilling Time (1680-1688) in Scotland;or the Persecution of Huguenots (1724-1760s) in France. Persecution has never beenable to put out the fire of the Reformation completely. And each time the LORDbegan to rekindle the fire, God’s people has risen to sing this psalm!

We think of the story of John Durie, a minister ofthe Gospel in Edinburghwho was sent to exile in May 1582 because he preached a sermon that offendedone of the dukes. When he returned the following year in September, he was metat the port by 200 men singing Psalm 124. They continued singing as they walkedwith him to the cathedral at St Giles. As they walked and sang, more and morepeople joined in so that the choir of saints numbered two thousand by the timethey reached the church building! The duke, apparently, saw what happened, toreoff his beard in anger and left the city in shame.

Psalm 124 is a well-beloved psalm.

It has two mainparts. In the first part, verses 1-5, we confess that the LORD is the only reason for our deliverance from totaldestruction. In the second part, verses 6-8, we bless the Lord for showing pityupon us.

1. The LORD was on Our Side (v. 1-5)

God’s people throughout the ages must through muchtribulation enter into the kingdom of God. This is becauseGod had declared war against Satan. Until it is completely destroyed, the seedof the serpent will always be at enmity against the seed of the woman, which isChrist and those united with Him.

God’s people can therefore expect many battles justbecause they are the people of Christ. We have already mentioned some of thesebattles.

Thus the apostle Peter says:

“Beloved, think it notstrange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strangething happened unto you…” (1 Pet 4: 12)

What Peter says is true for the saints throughoutthe ages, for as “partakers of Christ’s suffering” (1 Pet 4:13), we can expect trials and attempts bythe wicked one to overwhelm us.

And there will be times when wewill feel completely helpless; and we will be tempted to think that thesituation is hopeless. But the Lord has promised that the gates of hell shallnot prevail against His church (Mt 16:18).Thus we can be sure of having many opportunities to sing this psalm.

Our fathers in the faith would have sung this psalm many times. Had theLORD not been on their side, they would have been crushed by the enemies of theLord who rose against them (v. 1-2). Had the LORD not been on their side, theywould have been swallowed up like how the earth swallowed up Korah and hiscompany (Num 16:32). Againhad the Lord not been on their side to shield them, they would have beenoverwhelmed like the way that a tsunami or a massive rush of floodwateroverwhelms and destroys an entire city (v. 4). Proud waters would have sweptover them, and they would have perished in great humiliation (v. 5).

But thanks be to God, the LORD was on their side.One with the LORD shall chase a thousand and two shall put ten thousand toflight (Dt 32:30).

Beloved brethren and children, we and our fathers inthe faith are one in Christ. As they acknowledge the Lord’s deliverance throughall the trials, so we must do the same because we are one with them. Had it notbeen that the LORD was on our side, our fathers would have been destroyed andwe would not be here today.

Therefore, let us sing these words gratefully whenthe Lord grants deliverance in our lifetime. But let us also sing the samewords with grateful hearts as we think of all that our Lord has done for us asthe church of the Lord Jesus Christ throughout the ages. Let us sing thesewords that our faith may be fortified with the assurance that the gates of hellwill not prevail against us as we march on with Christ as the captain of oursalvation.

Indeed, Christ the captain of our salvation wouldhave used this psalm to fortify his own faith even as he suffered for us.Remember how the Lord Jesus reflected on the experiences of the fathers when hewas on the cross. “Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didstdeliver them” he says in Psalm 22 (Ps 22:4). No doubt, Psalm 124 would havebeen part of our Lord’s reflection on the deliverance that the Father has givento His people.

So let us singthis psalm in union with Christ our Lord. And let us sing it to bless the Lord.

2. The LORD did not Give Us Up (v. 6-8)

This is the emphasis of the second part of thispsalm.

⁶ Blessed be the LORD, who hath not given us as a prey to their teeth. ⁷Our soul is escaped as a bird…

In the first part of this psalm, the battles we faceare pictured in geologic terms. In this second part of the psalm they arepictured in zoological terms. The enemy is likened to a predator such as a lionready to devour us (v. 6); or like snares set by bird trappers (v. 7).

Had it not been for the Lord’s mercy, we would havebeen devoured by the prowling lion. The lion was upon us. We felt the blast ofits breath as it roared in our ears. We were too frightened and too weak torun. It looked like the end for us. But blessed be the LORD, He appeared! Heyanked the lion away and broke its great teeth so that it could do us no harm.Praise be to the LORD!

Again had it not been for the Lord’s pity, we wouldhave been caught by the fowler. Yeah, we were already caught in the net. Westruggled to get free, but we were helpless to save ourselves, for the more westruggled, the more we got entangled. But thanks be to the Lord, He came to ourrescue. He tore the net. He untangled us. He set us free. Blessed be the LORD!

When did we experience these things? We experiencedit in our fathers in all the deliverances that the LORD has granted them. Weexperience it in our lives individually and corporately if we have everexperienced persecution for our faith and then been delivered by the LORD.

But do we not experience what is described in thispsalm also in our conversion and struggle against sin? Again, do we notexperience what is described when the Lord lifts us out of moments of gloom anddepression in our Christian walk?

Is it not true that the devil would have devoured ushad the Lord not intervened? Is it not true that we would have gotten ourselvesmore and more entangled in sin and the pains and sorrows resulting from sin hadthe Lord not rescued us?

Therefore, beloved brethren and children, let ussing these words with hearts filled with thanksgiving. Thank God that we arenot alone in our struggles in this world. Thank God that our helper is themaker of the heaven and the earth (v. 8).

Thank God for deliverance in Christ! Thank God thatwe are more than conquerors in Christ who loves us and laid his life down forus.

Conclusion

Beloved brethren and children, this is what Psalm124 is about. It is a psalm we must learn well and love.

As you can see, it is a psalm that we can sing at specific occasions ofdeliverance from the enemies of the LORD. But it is also a psalm that we cansing in union with our fathers in the faith and with Christ so that our lovefor the LORD may be deepened, our faith may be strengthened, and our hope offinal deliverance established. Amen. Ω