If the Lord had not been on our side
1 If
the Lord had not been on our side –
let Israel say –
2 if
the Lord had not been on our side
when people attacked us,
3 they would have
swallowed us alive
when their anger flared against us;
4 the flood would
have engulfed us,
the torrent would have swept over us,
5 the raging waters
would have swept us away.6 Praise be to the Lord,
who has not let us be torn by their teeth.
7 We have escaped like
a bird
from the fowler’s snare;
the snare has been broken,
and we have escaped.
8 Our help is in the name
of the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
How many experiences of life can you bring under the umbrella of David’s words, ‘If the Lord had not been on our side…’?
There is probably no greater gift we can pass across the generations than sentences beginning with these words. From parents to their children. From grandparents to their grandchildren. From the older generation of believers to the younger. Just as David passed them down to us across the millennia.
Through this little song of David’s, the pilgrims are invited to look back on the whole journey of their history as God’s people to remember that all the way, in every situation, it has been the hand of Yahweh that has kept them.
It is more than just misty-eyed reflection. It is confidence for today based on the certainties of the past.
The section of the road we are on today might be tough. And there are those for whom fear of the coronavirus is like a dark shadow over them. Many, many things can press in against us like this. It is not abnormal for the road to be rugged and uphill at times.
Neither David personally nor Israel as a whole were wrapped in cotton wool! There were enemies. So strong at times that it felt like floods, raging waters threatening to engulf them. They were attacked. There were times when it seemed a trap was laid for them and they felt vulnerable.
But here they still were. Singing with joy as they walked towards Jerusalem. Songs based on earthy realities. Of hardships touched by the hand of Yahweh.
Have you experienced times when you were attacked by people or even unseen forces? Times when felt like you were facing a flood? Times when you knew that God alone was the one who rescued you from despair or depression or ruin?
This little song gives voice to those experiences for us. It is our song, even if the circumstances David faced differ from ours. The song is not about David, it is about God. Yahweh.
Our help is in the name of the Lord
the Maker of heaven and earth.
You would know that the name ‘Yahweh’ (older versions, Jehovah) —written ‘Lord’ in our English Bibles—is more than just a few syllables to mark him out from the rest of us. It is the name that describes his essential being and character.
Probably best translated ‘I am who I am’—the eternally self-existent one. Eternally the same. Always and forever ‘I am’. And for Israel, ‘Yahweh’ was the name on the dotted line; the signature at the bottom of the covenant.
In Christ, Yahweh is the initiator and guarantor of the New Covenant as well. We are sealed and secure. It is done. He is on our side!
A few kilometres back along the road, we sang ‘My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.’ (Psalm 121) Now the whole company joins in. ‘Our help is in the name of the Lord.’ (Verse 8)
I can imagine the young children in the group singing along with this song and not having much idea what it was about. But that’s when we need to use sentences that begin with words like, ‘Did I ever tell you about the time when…?’ Experiences passed down the generations. And shared among us all, old and young alike. Confidence and certainties given as gifts to each other on the journey. Faith watered by testimony.
SUGGESTION: You could take this Psalm to the family dinner table, to a small group, to a coffee morning (when these things are allowed again) or in the mean time, to a phone or Skype call. Give each other a brief opportunity to complete the sentence with an experience that stands out in their minds. ‘If the Lord had not been on our side when…’
Peace and joy,
Ray Barnett
P.S. A much longer version of David’s joy over God’s deliverance is in his final words recorded in 2 Samuel 22. It’s also repeated as Psalm 18. I like to read it out loud. Try it. And mark the verses that most resonate with your experiences.
