The LORD Was on Our Side

124:1 “If the Lord had not been on our side” – let Israel say this! – 124:2 if the Lord had not been on our side, when men attacked us, 124:3 they would have swallowed us alive, when their anger raged against us. 124:4 The water would have overpowered us; the current would have overwhelmed us. 124:5 The raging water would have overwhelmed us. 124:6 The Lord deserves praise, for he did not hand us over as prey to their teeth. 124:7 We escaped with our lives, like a bird from a hunter’s snare. The snare broke, and we escaped. 124:8 Our deliverer is the Lord, the Creator of heaven and earth. Psalm 125 A song of ascents.

Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NET) are from the NET Bible®, copyright ©1996, 2019 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

Psalm 124 is a song of thanksgiving. Israel says that if the LORD had not been on their side, they would have been destroyed by enemies, swept away like floodwater, or caught in a trap. But the LORD rescued them, so they bless him as their helper and Maker of heaven and earth.

Psalm 124 is a public confession of rescue. It begins with the repeated statement, “If the LORD had not been on our side.” This is Israel speaking together, not just one person.

The psalm describes danger with strong pictures. Hostile people are like predators. Rising water is like a flood that would have covered everything. A snare is like a trap that catches a bird. These pictures show that the danger was real and too great for Israel to escape on its own.

The turning point comes in praise: “Blessed be the LORD.” He did not let his people become prey. He broke the snare and gave them life when destruction seemed certain.

The last verse gives the reason for trust. The LORD is their helper, and he is the Maker of heaven and earth. The one who created all things is also able to save his people. So the proper response is gratitude, worship, and renewed trust.

• Israel’s survival depended on the LORD’s help.
• The psalm uses poetic images of enemies, floodwater, and a snare to show real danger.
• The right response to deliverance is to bless the LORD.
• The LORD is not only Israel’s helper; he is the Maker of heaven and earth.
• God’s rescue shows his sovereign power over every threat.

• Warning: do not think Israel could have saved itself.
• Warning: the psalm does not deny danger; it faces danger honestly.
• Promise: the LORD is able to deliver his people.
• Command: let Israel say, “If the LORD had not been on our side.”
• Command: bless the LORD for rescue.
• Encouragement: remember God’s help and let it strengthen present trust.

Psalm 124 fits Israel’s life under God’s covenant care. It remembers that the LORD preserved his people and kept them from destruction. The psalm repeats a key truth in the Bible’s story: Israel lives because the LORD remains faithful to save and preserve. In the wider Bible, this pattern highlights God’s power to rescue his people.

When God rescues us, the right response is thanksgiving, not pride. This psalm teaches us to be honest about trouble while still trusting the LORD’s power. It also encourages us to remember God’s past help and let that strengthen present faith.

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