To discover:
As you read consider the
benefits of God being on the side of his people.
To ponder:
Psalm 124 is
another psalm stressing one’s need of God, acknowledging that if he hadn’t been
on Israel ’s
side when attacked by enemies, they would have been destroyed and swept away.
It therefore praises God for not letting his people be metaphorically ripped
apart like prey torn by the teeth of the predator; but instead enabling them to
escape like the bird from the bird-hunter’s snare. Once again, then, David can
declare the people’s help is in “the name of the LORD,” ie. in his authority
and character. And because he is the Maker of heaven and earth, there is no
limit to the help he might give. This psalm raises obvious questions as we see
Christians suffer terribly under persecution today. But it is not a promise
that we will always escape such things. Consider how Christ, James and Stephen
were all martyred. Rather, it is a celebration for times when God does provide
such escape, and as such, celebrates our final rescue from all evil in the
gospel.
Psalm 125 ties trust in God to Jerusalem ,
as it is because of God’s covenant promises to David, which centre on the city,
that he acts for the people. So those of faith are unshakeable and protected
like Mount Zion Jerusalem did fall
to Babylon . But that was because of
Israel ’s sin,
and so down to God fulfilling the warnings of his covenants, not to any
inability in him to grant what he promises in this psalm. Indeed, the psalm
itself acknowledges that the sceptre (rule) of the wicked will at times
dominate Israel ’s
land. But it affirms God will not allow it to “remain” and so lead the
righteous to do evil. And so again and again in Israel ’s
history he restored a more godly rule, and after exile brought his people home.
The psalm ends praying for the Lord to do good to the upright, in context, by
granting them peace and protection from evil in the land. It also affirms that
any who do turn to “crooked ways” during any times the wicked rule, will share
the fate of evildoers. It therefore warns us that whilst we live in a world
under the temporary rule of Satan and those who follow him (Jn 12v31, Eph
2v1-3), we must not be drawn into their ways, but wait patiently for when Jesus
returns to establish his kingdom enabling the meek to inherit the earth.
Psalm 126 remembers the return from
exile in Babylon to Zion .
It describes how the returnees felt like they were dreaming, and were filled
with laughter and joyful praise. Even the watching nations (presumably those in
and around the land) acknowledged the great things God had done for Israel .
All this suggests the psalm was written by one of the exiles. And he recognizes
that although God had fulfilled his promise through the prophets to bring his
people back, much of what they spoke was not yet a reality. He therefore prays
God would restore the fortunes of the people like streams that transform desert
into vegetation. And he pictures God’s people “sowing” the seed that is to grow
– a picture perhaps of their rebuilding the temple to restore true worship, or
of the people seeking to shape their lives and society on God’s law. They do it
with tears, no doubt at the spiritual barrenness of Jerusalem
(as in Ezra 3v12), just as a farmer might sow in tears after his crop had been
destroyed. Yet they do it confident too, that there will be a joyful harvest.
In all this, the psalm therefore looks to the ultimate fulfilment of God’s
promises in Christ. We look back to the wonder not just of the return from
exile, but the life, death and resurrection of Christ. Yet we still pray for
the full restoration of God’s people, sharing the gospel and living in
godliness as we weep over the devastation of the world and even church; yet
confident of the joyful harvest when all God’s people will be gathered into his
perfect kingdom.
Psalm 127 is placed carefully to
keep the people relying on God not themselves as they seek the restoration of
the kingdom. As a psalm of Solomon, the “house” it refers to being built is most
likely that of the temple (as in 2 Samuel 7v11-13). The three other elements to
the promise were a secure land, a prosperous people and an everlasting dynasty.
Reflecting this, the psalm affirms that even though the people should seek to build
up the temple, stand guard over the city, and work for food, it is only by the
LORD’s doing that the the temple be built, the city remain secure, and
sufficient food grow so that the worker can sleep (127v1-2). For us, the psalm
therefore affirms faith and patience in God’s promises now fulfilled in Christ.
Indeed, as we seek to work at the different aspects of their fulfilment by building
the church, protecting God’s people against sin and falsehood, and going about
our daily work, we are reminded our efforts are futile without prayerful
reliance on him.
The psalm goes on to affirm that
children are not a given, but a gift from God (the sense of heritage and
reward). The description of them as like “arrows” enabling a man not to be
shamed when contending with his enemies at the gate (127v3-5) shows that the
promise of an everlasting dynasty is now in mind. In giving sons to Israel ’s
king, God gives princes who the king can deploy like a warrior his arrows, so
they can fight with him against Israel ’s
enemies. Christ is just such a son to God, deployed in the incarnation to
defeat evil on his behalf. And our children are a gift, to be raised in
godliness to fight the good fight alongside us.
Praying it
home:
Praise God for
being on the side of his people with all that means for our present and future.
Pray that you would prayerfully rely on him in all things, and particularly in
raising your children.
Thinking
further:
None
today.
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