Tuesday, November 12, 2024
“If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, when men rose up against us: Then they had swallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled against us:…” (Psalm 124:2,3 KJV).
Where is true victory for Israel?
Everyone enjoys winning, yet, here is what we must remember. Whether a political election, a sports competition, or a war, someone has to lose at some point. Victory is most gratifying after an extended, hard-fought battle—especially when it looked so grim or hopeless because of a history of failure (loss, disappointment, misfortune). In today’s Scripture, the nation Israel actually finds itself in a similar predicament.
King David writes Psalm 124 as follows: “A Song of degrees of David. [1] If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, now may Israel say; [2] If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, when men rose up against us: [3] Then they had swallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled against us: [4] Then the waters had overwhelmed us, the stream had gone over our soul: [5] Then the proud waters had gone over our soul. [6] Blessed be the LORD, who hath not given us as a prey to their teeth. [7] Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers: the snare is broken, and we are escaped. [8] Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.”
Observe how the Psalm starts with parallelism: “If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, now may Israel say; If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, when men rose up against us.” This repetition of today’s Scripture underscores or emphasizes where Israel’s triumph resides. Read Psalm 124 again and notice the rephrasing: “Blessed be the LORD, who hath not given us as a prey to their teeth…. Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.” The only means whereby we recognize the significance of these comments is to search the Scriptures to see how Israel had to learn this “the hard way….”
333 Words of Grace 