Utter Dependence

Psalm 124
1If it had not been the Lord who was on our side—let Israel now say—
2if it had not been the Lord who was on our side when people rose up against us,
3then they would have swallowed us up alive, when their anger was kindled against us;
4then the flood would have swept us away, the torrent would have gone over us;
5then over us would have gone the raging waters.
6Blessed be the Lord, who has not given us as prey to their teeth!
7We have escaped like a bird from the snare of the fowlers; the snare is broken, and we have escaped!
8Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

Our ability to look back over our lives is a gift, for in that backward observation, we are able to see the hand of God at work for us personally. David is the author of this prayer and he certainly had much for which to give God credit. He was spared time and again from death and danger. While I’ve never been threatened by a giant or a murderous king, I am fully aware that God has been constant in His protection and provision for me. And if you take but a moment to review your life, you will find the same to be true of your life as well.

As a nation, Israel had much for which to be thankful. They had been formed by God Himself as His people and protected quite often despite their own ignorance and idolatry. Now David takes a moment to remind himself and everyone else that their mere existence as a people must be credited to the God who created them. We are no different, for we are their descendants.

In my wanderings through these words today, I learned that the phrase “had been on our side” (hāyāh lānû) is the past tense of Immanuel (“God is with us”). Thus, the community confesses that God has been with them in their past history – since their beginning. That is a powerful confession and assurance of future protection. The last verse of this prayer says it all, ”Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth”. He who formed us from the dust of the ground and breathed into us our very existence remains today as our Protector and Provider.

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