If God was not on our side …
[Psalms 124]
What do you think when you look back on the past? When we look back on the past, we often say 'I still liked that time... ' and miss the past. This longing seems to have been more especially when we now are in a difficult and hard situation. If we are living a peaceful life now, what do we think as we look back on the past? Will we be grateful for remembering the grace God has given us in the past? If we can remember the abundant grace that God has given us in the past, we can look to God's help in our present suffering and hardship. But we live in too many times forgetting the abundant grace that God has already given us. As a result, there are times when we cannot see the Lord amidst the adversities we face in our lives today and cannot get out of that difficult environment. Then, after a while, we look at the Lord again and cry out, thinking about the grace God gave us at that time. We once again go up to the Lord's temple and long for God's grace, seeking His help. And while we pray, we wait humbly and in faith for God to deliver us from the painful circumstances we face. As we wait, God answers our prayers and delivers us quickly and reveals His glory. We must think about this at least once after we experience this saving grace of God. In other words, we must think about ‘What if God didn't show me His abundant grace at that time, what would I be like now…?’, ‘What would have happened to me if God didn't help me at that time... ' etc..
In Psalms 124:1-2, the psalmist urged the Israelites to ask this question as they go up to the temple. The question was, “Had it not been the Lord who was on our side ….” He encouraged them to remember the grace that God had saved them in the past by being on the side of the Israelites when they were unjustly oppressed. Often, we people think that it is our habit to be ungrateful even when we receive the help of God in danger (Park). When I think about why we have this ungrateful habit, I think the cause is because of our unthankful heart that too quickly forgets the abundant grace that God has given us. Of course, when we are delivered from hard and difficult adversity by God, we give thanks to Him thinking “God has answered my prayers”. But the problem is that our grateful heart doesn’t last long. We must continue to live our lives with heart of gratitude to God. But when other hardships and difficulties arise, we seem to seek God in the heart of wanting to escape from that difficult and hard situation rather than give thanks to God. There seems to be too many times when we cannot expect by faith that there is God's grace in it.
The psalmist exhorts us to ask the same question that the Israelites did: “Had it not been the LORD who was on our side” (vv.1, 2). What would have happened if God wasn’t on the side of the Israelites at the time of danger? (v.2) That is, if God had not been with the Israelites when the enemies of Israel rose up against them, what would happen to the Israelites? Look at Psalms 124:3-5: “Then they would have swallowed us alive, When their anger was kindled against us; Then the waters would have engulfed us, The stream would have swept over our soul; Then the raging waters would have swept over our soul.” He said, ‘If God had not been with the Israelites, then their enemies would have swallowed them alive (v. 3), the waters would have engulfed them (v. 4) and the stream would have swept over their souls (vv. 4, 5). These words all show that the Israelites were in their very incompetent situation in the extreme tribulation (Park). In other words, the psalmist urged them to remember that when the Israelites in the past cried out to God in a situation where they felt their incompetence in extreme tribulation, God was on their side and helped them.
These words apply to the church. The reason is because the church is truly Israel. Since the Lord, who is the head of the church, is on the side of the church, no matter what kind of tribulation and persecution the church faces, the church is saved (delivered) with the help of the Lord. The Lord is on the side of the church that is the body of the Lord and protects and preserves the church. So what should we do when we consider the grace of the Lord Immanuel who is always on our side? We should give thanks to God. And we should praise God. Look at Psalms 124:6 – “Praise be to the LORD, who has not let us be torn by their teeth.” Why did the psalmist exhort the Israelites to praise God? This is what the psalmist said: “We have escaped like a bird out of the fowler's snare; the snare has been broken, and we have escaped. He urged the Israelites to praise God because God delivered them from their cruel enemies and gave them freedom. We have the reason to praise God forever. The reason is that God redeemed us by making Jesus His only begotten Son who is the propitiation for our sins (Isa. 43:1; 1 Jn. 2:2). And God has given us eternal freedom (free from sin). When we think of this grace, we have no choice but to praise the greatness of the Lord as much as possible until we die.
In Psalms 124:8, the psalmist conclusively confessed “Our help is in the name of the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.” The God on our side is the God who helps us. The God who helps us is the God of salvation who delivered us, His church, from the enemy, the devil and his power. Jesus Christ was crucified on the cross for our salvation and eternal freedom, as if our souls are escaped like a bird out of the fowler’s snare (v. 7). Therefore, we must praise God. Until we die, we should praise the greatness of the Lord as much as possible.
Remembering those who praised the greatness of the Lord and the love of God until they died,
James Kim
(With the help of the Lord, Immanuel and Ebenezer, who is on our side)