Psalm 124: The Name of the Lord

Today’s reading is Psalm 124.

Blessed by the Lord

Earlier in the Songs of Ascents, we read, “My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth” (Psalm 121:2, ESV). I understand that. How about you? The Lord helps me. That makes sense. The Lord is powerful, strong, and gracious. He helps His people. He helps pilgrims seeking Him.

Psalm 124, however, says something different. “Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth” (vs. 8, ESV). What does that even mean? How does the Lord’s name help anyone?

Let’s recall three powerful passages.

In Exodus 3:13-17, the Lord appeared to Moses in a burning bush, calling him to return to Egypt and free the Israelites. Moses objected, asking, “What if they ask me Your name, what do I say to them?” The Lord revealed His name, saying, “I AM WHO I AM … Say this to the people of Israel: I AM has sent me to you” (vs. 14, ESV). The one, true, living God is the I AM, the non-contingent, self-existing God. Nothing can add to or take away from His existence. When He helps, His name reveals He has no ulterior motives.

In Exodus 34:6-7, the Lord explained His name to Moses saying, “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation” (ESV). Recognizing God’s powerful self-existence is one thing; learning how God applies that power is a whole new ball game. The Lord’s name is not simply YHWH. It is not simply the letters which make up the word with which we would address Him or refer to Him in conversation. His name is His character. Our help lies there. In His mercy, grace, love, faithfulness, patience. Because of this character He guides the pilgrim safely to Jerusalem.

Finally, in Numbers 6:22-27, the Lord taught Moses a blessing Aaron and his sons were to speak over the children of Israel: “The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you; the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace” (ESV). Notice how he LORD follows up this blessing. He says, by speaking this blessing on Israel and Israelites, they “put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them” (ESV).

In each of the Ascent Songs thus far, we’ve recognized a connection back to that Aaronic blessing. Psalm 120 and 122 both call to mind the peace of God’s blessing. Psalm 121 talked about God as the one who keeps Israel. Psalm 123 brings to mind the mercy or graciousness of the Lord. Now, Psalm 124 draws in the Lord’s name. When the Lord’s name is on His people, then the Lord blesses them. Their help is in the Lord’s name.

The Aaronic blessing is fantastic. Now the Israelites are singing meditations on that blessing. They are meditating on the Lord’s name. In so doing, they become the very people God blesses, the very people God helps.

Let us remember, our help is in the name of the Lord. Let us wear His name. Let us meditate upon it. Let us glory in it. Let us praise it.

Praise the Lord!

Tomorrow’s reading is Psalm 124.

PODCAST!!!

Click here to take about 15 minutes to listen to the Text Talk conversation between Andrew Roberts and Edwin Crozier.

PATHS:
Discuss Today’s Meditation with Your Family

How does Psalm 124 prompt or improve your hope in God?

Psalm 124: Flooded, But Not Swept Away

Today’s reading is Psalm 124.

It Wasn’t a Walk through a Park

Don’t read Psalm 124 with rose-colored glasses. The pilgrim is not providing a tourist-trap advertisement. You know the kind: promising luxury and fun, but delivering disappointment and boredom.

Yet, if we are not careful we will misread Psalm 124, thinking God has promised a primrose path, when He hasn’t. No doubt, God helped the pilgrim all along the way. He made it to Jerusalem because the LORD was His help. He didn’t die, drown, or get dragged to a dungeon by the enemies. But don’t miss, people rose against him. The anger of the Kedarians and Meshechians came rushing at him. He faced a floods. He took on torrents. The waters raged around him. He spent time in the fowler’s snare.

The psalmist’s pilgrimage was a dangerous trek across hard terrain in the face of nature’s forces and man’s attacks. At times, he was held back in the traps of the enemy. But, by the Lord’s help, strength, and grace, he overcame it all and made it to Jerusalem.

I recall Paul’s description of his own ministry as an example for all of us:

We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.
2 Corinthians 4:8-11 (ESV)

The psalmist was shaken, but not swallowed alive (see Numbers 16:32-33 to understand this metaphor); flooded, but not swept away; attacked, but not conquered; ensnared, but not overcome. This is life as a pilgrim. Be warned. Be prepared.

But know, God will walk with you the entire way. He will not keep you out of danger, but if you always look to Him, He will rescue you from all danger and bringing you safely into His heavenly kingdom (see 2 Timothy 4:18).

Praise the Lord!

Tomorrow’s reading is Psalm 124.

PODCAST!!!

Click here to take about 15 minutes to listen to the Text Talk conversation between Andrew Roberts and Edwin Crozier.

PATHS:
Discuss Today’s Meditation with Your Family

How does Psalm 124 admonish you?

Psalm 124: If the Lord is For Us

Today’s reading is Psalm 124.

How Did WE Get Here?

We’ve followed the pilgrim on his journey one step at a time. One psalm at a time. He began in Meshech and Kedar. More significantly, he began among warmongers. When he was for peace, they were for war. Over the hills he traveled into the city. Even still the taunts of enemies chased him. In Psalm 124, he stopped to consider, “How did I get here?” His answer?

The LORD.

If not for the Lord, the Kedarians and Meshechians, the warmongers who hate peace, would have swallowed him alive. They would have conquered and crushed him. But the Lord was on His side. The Lord was for him.

The Psalms repeatedly express trust in the Lord’s aid.

In God, whose word I praise,
in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.
What can flesh do to me?
…
In God, whose word I praise,
in the LORD, whose word I praise,
in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.
What can man do to me?
Psalm 56:4, 10-11 (ESV)

The LORD is on my side; I will not fear.
What can man do to me?
The LORD is on my side as my helper;
I shall look in triumph on those who hate me.
Psalm 118:6-7 (ESV)

And already in the Songs of Ascents:

From where does my help come?
My help comes from the LORD,
who made heaven and earth.
Psalm 121:1b-2 (ESV)

Paul takes up this same theme for us in Romans 8:31:

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? (ESV)

Paul asks what can separate us from God and His love? Can tribulation? Distress? Persecution? Famine? Nakedness? Danger? Sword? Nope! “In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”

We travel alongside the pilgrim. Each step of the way, both we and the pilgrim hold on to the hand of our Helper. No matter what we face, He will carry us through.

Praise the Lord!

Tomorrow’s reading is Psalm 124.

PODCAST!!!

Click here to take about 15 minutes to listen to the Text Talk conversation between Andrew Roberts and Edwin Crozier.

PATHS:
Discuss Today’s Meditation with Your Family

How does Psalm 124 prompt or improve your praise of God?

Psalm 123: The Ultimate Humility

Today’s reading is Psalm 123.

Do as I say, And As I dO First

Some say familiarity breeds contempt. Perhaps. On a more surprising note, familiarity breeds ignorance. That is, being so familiar with a person, topic, principle, institution leads us to assume we know things we don’t actually know. Familiarity can cause us to cut corners and take shortcuts which make us miss important details and take issues for granted. Psalm 123 provides a good example of the principle.

We who grew up in the Bible, hearing Bible teaching, among Bible believers, see the familiar, comforting term “mercy” in Psalm 123:2, 3. We love that term, believe we understand that term, and quickly jump to discussions of that term. After all, we know of the mercy of Jesus and how important that is.

Folks unfamiliar, however, might get snagged on different terms: servant, slave, master, maidservant, mistress. Those familiar with the Bible grow accustomed to those terms and read past them without thinking of their significance. When unbelievers bring them up, we wish they would look at “mercy” instead.

But let’s face it. This psalm calls pilgrims slaves. I understand why someone new to the Bible would balk at this. Why travel out of Meshech and Kedar into Jerusalem if doing so leads to slavery? Can you believe God expects us to do anything like that?

Before we get too put out by the notion, let’s notice God is not asking anything of us He hasn’t been willing to do Himself. In fact, in Philippians 2:5-8, we discover God, in the person of Jesus Christ, left the throne of heaven, came into our world, and took the form of a slave. The Son enslaved Himself to the Father, being obedient to the point of death on a cross. At the same time, He enslaved Himself to us, going to the cross because He viewed us and our needs as more significant than His own. He didn’t go to the cross merely to obey the Father, but to save us from our sin.

In other words, God doesn’t command us, “Do as I say, not as I do.” Rather, He encourages us, “Do as I say, and as I did first.” He did first. He sacrificed first. He acted the slave first. He loved first. Then He calls us to follow in His footsteps.

This is the ultimate humility: Jesus living Psalm 123. He left His home. He made a pilgrimage to the world and then into Jerusalem. And there, He placed Himself completely in the Father’s hands, facing the scoffing and contempt of those at ease. And, as a slave, looked to the Father’s hand for mercy. What came first did not seem like mercy. The people He came to save arrested Him, mocked Him, tortured Him, then crucified Him. The Father watched while all that happened and did nothing. Then Jesus was buried. It seemed the Master did not extend mercy. But, on the third day, Jesus rose. Mercy abounded. Now, the Son sits at the Father’s right hand with the name above all names, watching as every knee bows and listening as every tongue confesses Him as Lord.

Yes, Psalm 123 is a big ask. It is also a big promise. Jesus blazed the trail, showing us how to make the journey. May we follow in His humble footsteps.

Praise the Lord!

Next week’s reading is Psalm 124.

PODCAST!!!

Click here to take about 15 minutes to listen to the Text Talk conversation between Andrew Roberts and Edwin Crozier.

PATHS:
Discuss Today’s Meditation with Your Family

What do you want to share with others from Psalm 123?