Psalm 124 – Deliverance by God

David wrote this psalm to describe a God-given deliverance provided at some stage in his reign over Israel. The deliverance was given in unlikely circumstances because the military superiority of the enemy seemed so great and their intention to destroy Israel was very strong (as we can see from the illustrations David uses of them – they were like wild animals devouring prey or a river in flood removing all in its path). But the Lord was with his people, and he rescued them (vv. 1-5).

Therefore, David wrote this psalm to celebrate God-given deliverance. Yet he also indicates that the deliverance came at the last minute. They could see the teeth of the attackers and they were in the snare of the trappers (vv. 6-7). The Lord had waited until then to rescue them in order for all to see that he alone had done it.

His deliverance was a reminder of his covenant faithfulness as David points out when he says that their help is in the name or character of the Lord. He does not change, which is why his people were not consumed. Although he allowed trouble to come for a variety of reasons, he eventually delivered them. And his deliverance is in line with the power that he possesses as the Creator of the universe.

The travellers to Zion who used this collection of psalms lived centuries after David. Indeed, they were aware of greater deliverances that the Lord had provided from more powerful enemies than David had. Military methods had moved on and godless regimes had more sophisticated methods. But a visit to Jerusalem reminded the pilgrims that their God was still in charge and knew when to deliver his people.

This reality is even greater for us. We know the history of the church and how it has often been in great trouble. But eventually the Lord has rescued his cause, and since he is the almighty covenant God, we can expect him to do so repeatedly until Jesus returns. 

Psalm 123 – Prayer for help

In this psalm there are two prayers: that of the individual in verse 1 and that of others in the remaining verses. We can see from verses 3 and 4 that the author lived in a difficult time when God’s people were mocked by others.

The petitioner in verse 1 looks up to the sovereign God who reigns over the world. He knows that the only One who can help them is the Lord. God cannot be removed from his position and nothing on earth can change that reality. It is good to be reminded that we have a sovereign God who can help his people in their difficulties.

The petitioners in verses 2-4 also confess the sovereignty of God. They also say that they are his servants, ever ready to do what he wills, even as slaves in a household would be alert for instructions from their masters and mistresses who would use hand signs to convey their requirements.

The author takes this imagery and says that what God’s humble servants desire is God’s mercy. It is not so much mercy for their sins, although believers often ask for mercy in this sense. Rather they wanted mercy to be shown by the removal of the sources of contempt. They want God’s hands to move in the direction of dealing with those concerns.

Their prayers were simultaneously persistent and patient. This is how we show we are putting God first – we bring the matter to him and plead humbly and expectedly with him until he answers. The Lord is full of pity towards us, and he will listen sympathetically to such a cry. Eventually he will answer if we persist in our prayers.

Psalm 122 – Enjoying peace in the city of peace

Psalm 122 describes a visit by David to the house of the Lord (v. 1), to the tabernacle (the temple of Solomon was not yet built, although when the psalm was used by the returned exiles, it would be the smaller second temple that was there). What mattered was not its size, but the fact that the Lord was present in it in a special manner as the holy One who pardoned sinners through an atonement.

It was an amazing experience for God’s people to be in Jerusalem (v.2). They observed its layout, its buildings and its capability to host the people of Israel when they came at the appointed times to worship the Lord and thank him for the many blessings he had given them. The presence of the royal family was also a reminder of God’s purposes – he had chosen David as king and made a covenant with him (vv. 3-5).

How should worshippers respond to what they saw? Verses 6 and 7 tell us that they were reminded to pray for peace in the city of peace, that the residents would know security from inward and outward attacks. Clearly, there was the possibility of attack by enemies. In David’s time, the city was strong, but prayer was still needed. In the period after the exile, the city was weak, but prayer was still the expression of dependence on God.

Verses 8 and 9 detail the response of David as an individual and also as an example. Since the people of Israel were both his family and his friends on the journey of life, his words would be ones of peace. So, too, would be his actions, as he dedicated himself to promote the worship of God that was led by those who worked in his house. David himself did that by making preparations for its future development, even although he himself would not be involved in the temple of Solomon when it was built.

Today, the house of God and the city of Jerusalem are very different. Zion is a heavenly city with inhabitants in heaven and on earth. Those on earth don’t travel to the city because they are resident in it wherever they are (Heb. 12:22-24). Yet they must pray for its ongoing peace and they each must resolve to promote what makes for peace in Zion.

Psalm 121 - Travelling together

There are at least two speakers in this psalm. One person speaks in verses 1 and 2, and he hears a response from one or more people in the remaining verses. The picture is of travellers conversing together, or to put it another way they are having fellowship together as they walk to Zion for the annual feasts.

As they walk along, one of them comments about the hills and does so in a manner that causes him to want the Lord's help. Two reasons were behind this concern. One is that bandits could hide on the hills and suddenly attack the travellers. Another is that pagan temples and other signs of idolatry could be seen on the hills, a reminder to the travellers that they were going through enemy country.

The speaker is thankful that he can tell his companions that he knows that the almighty God can help them. He has revealed his power in his creation, and if such a God is for them, what does it matter who or what is against them?

As we can see from the pronouns, he receives a response in verses 3-8. Travellers would worry about the condition of the roads - there could potholes or snakes to avoid. Those going to Zion have a Companion who is concerned about their feet, and who constantly watches each footstep. 

Their Companion also is their guard from enemies - usually a band of travellers would post a guard at nightfall, but sometimes he would fall asleep. The Lord is not like that - he does not slumber but is always protecting his people. 

In addition, the Lord functions as a shade for the travellers whether from the heat at noonday or from the cold at night. The obvious conclusion to be drawn from the faithfulness of the Lord is that he will guide, guard and shield his people as they journey through life.

That was a good conversation for travellers to have. Now, what will we speak about today?

Psalm 120 - Isolation

Psalms 120 to 134 were written by different psalmists at various times. The psalms were arranged as a set suitable for travellers to use as they attended the annual feasts in Israel after the return from the exile in Babylon. 

Psalm 120 is the thoughts of a psalmist concerned by the society in which he lives. The attitudes that he sees around him are marked by lying and aggression (vv. 2, 6). He longs to be delivered from them, but he knows that such deliverance could only be provided by a powerful Warrior (vv. 3-4), which is his way of describing his great God.

The psalmist pictures himself as living in two places, each of which was far from Jerusalem (Meshech was in modern-day Turkey and Kedar was in the south of Arabia). Obviously, the psalmist could not be in both places simultaneously, but the double reference adds intensity to the feeling of isolation and unease that gripped him.

His desire was for peace, and the place where that peace would be found was the city of peace, Jerusalem. He looked forward to experiencing what was symbolised there in the sacrifices and other activities taking place in the temple. They pictured reconciliation with God and fellowship with likeminded people. 

The psalmist had prayed earnestly about the matter and the Lord had helped him with the difficulties that he encountered. But he also realised that he would be helped more if he could find another location, even if only for a brief time, such as attending one of the great gatherings in Jerusalem. Meditation on this psalm would help him anticipate the blessings found there.

Psalm 119:169-76 – Closing thoughts

In verses 169 and 170, the psalmist wants his desire to come before the Lord. He regards God as a king dealing with important matters. An earthly king would have to give a lot of time to consider his response to such things. With some of them he would recognise that he was unable to solve the matters because he did not have the resources or the power to deal with them. But the psalmist knew that God would never have such a dilemma.

The psalmist is concerned about two matters – ongoing instruction and deliverance from his enemies. Those two concerns have appeared frequently throughout the psalm, a reminder that some prayer requests are repetitive. The contents of God’s Word were the answer to both his concerns. He knew that the Lord would act according to his Word in both areas.

The outcome of understanding God’s Word for the psalmist would be torrents of praise to his God. He would discover wonderful truths about the Lord and be led regarding how to find the best quality of life in conformity to his Word. His response will be one of intense gratitude to the Lord for providing him with such blessings (vv. 171-72).

Nevertheless, he knew that he needed divine help even to perform what he had freely chosen to do. So he prayed that the Lord’s hand would always be ready to help him obey God’s precepts. The Lord’s hand is a wonderful picture of how he helps his people obey him – personal, powerful, and persistent (v. 173).

Although he had endured prolonged opposition, the psalmist was determined to follow God’s requirements. Yet he also longed for the time when such hindrances to his spiritual enjoyments would no longer be a problem (v. 174). He wanted spiritual life within him, pouring out glad praise, and one feature of such an experience was ongoing guidance found in God’s rules (v. 175).

In the last verse of the psalm, the author likens himself to two needy positions. First, he was prone to wander like a lost sheep leaving the good pastures of God’s Word. Second, he was a dependent servant, always needing divine help. Despite his wanderings, he still retained a commitment to God’s requirements, but he knew that only the Lord could ensure his progress in the spiritual life. So he prayed for divine help.

Psalm 119:161-68 - Life in the presence of God

God’s people can be opposed by all kinds of people, some of whom are powerful and can speak with authority. Usually, their words are obeyed. But those who were opposing the psalmist did not cause much effect on him because he was aware of an infinitely higher Power who had spoken in his Word. God is the ultimate sovereign, and his word is that of the King. He is not only to be obeyed, but the authority and content of his Word is to be recognised as extraordinary (v. 161).

The psalmist likens God’s Word to a location with substantial amounts of spoil in it. He had come into a palace in which were found all kinds of pleasures and treasures (v. 162). Since he did not want anything to spoil his enjoyment of God’s Word, he hated all untruths since they are the opposite of his Word. His affection for God’s law showed itself also by what he despised (v. 163).

In a previous section, he had mentioned how he prayed at evening and in the morning. Now he says that he had arranged for seven daily periods in which he would draw near to God and praise him for his Word. The frequency revealed the intensity of his gratitude (v. 164).

His experience had been that great peace had been enjoyed when he obeyed God’s commandments. He had known the peace like a river that Isaiah had said would be given to those who listened to those commandments. Another blessing that he had experienced from such a way of life was protection from stumbling (v. 165). And he knew that this would be the experience of all who did the same.

The psalmist refers to his inner commitment to the Lord. He trusted in God for deliverance, and he showed his gratitude by obeying God’s commandments. He kept those commandments from his heart because he loved them deeply (vv. 166-67). He did so because he recognised that he was living in the presence of God (v. 168). That was a great privilege, but such access also had responsibilities.