Freed From A Trap – Psalm 124

“A Song of Ascents. Of David.” [1]

“If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, let Israel now say—If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, when men rose up against us, then they would have swallowed us alive, when their wrath was kindled against us. Then the waters would have overwhelmed us. The stream would have gone over our soul. Then the swollen waters would have gone over our soul.” Psalm 124:1-5

The Lord encourages us to look back on how He rescued us in the past both to remind us that He loves us and to assure us that He is able to rescue us today and in the days to come. [2]

We should remember the trials of the past, and praise God that those woes are in our past.

So often, the people of Israel have been one step away from being destroyed, but the Lord intervened for them with perfect timing to rescue them with grace, love and power. [3]

The psalmist wrote, “When rose up against us.” Their enemies bled red like themselves, yet they were determined to destroy them. Satan’s goal is to turn people against one another, and to get us hurt one another. God’s goal is to get us to love one another and heal with one another.

David’s own son, Absalom, turned against him. This was an exceedingly painful experience for him. He wept when he received the news that his son had been killed in a battle.

What caused their enemies to act this way? Their anger and hatred were stirred up against God's people. They allowed their anger to become destructive. [4]

“Their wrath was kindled against us.” Anger is cruel. Uncontrolled rage can lead people to do terrible things. [5] When one group of people becomes convinced that another group of people must die, genocide often happens.

The top ten modern genocides are: I. 6,000,000 Jews (1939-1945); II. 10,000,000 Ukrainians (1932–1933); III. 1,700,000 Cambodians (1975–1979); IV. 1,500,000 Armenians (1915–1923); V. 1,000,000 Rwandans (1994); VI. 1,000,000 Indonesians – mostly ethnic Chinese (1965–1966); VII. 3,000,000 Bengalis (1971); VIII. 110,000 Namibians (1904–1907); IX. 400,000 Sudanese (2003-2018); X. 80,000 Guatemalans (1981–1983). [6]

In Romans 3:10, we read, “There is none righteous, no not one.” In Romans 3:23, it is written, “There is no difference, we all have sinned...” The penalty for sin is death. In Genesis 3:19, after Adam and Eve sinned, God said to them, “Dust you are, and to dust you shall return.” We all deserve to die, and except for divine intervention, we will die. Only Enoch and Elijah were taken by the Lord directly to heaven (See Genesis 5:24, 2 Kings 2:11, Hebrews 11:5).

The good news is that God sent His Son Jesus Christ into the world to die on the cross for our sins. He never sinned, yet He was severely beaten, scourged, mocked and crucified. Three days later, He resurrected from the dead, and He appeared to over 500 witnesses during 40 days. He ate with people and let them touch His wounds from His crucifixion to verify that it was really Him alive from the dead. Jesus testified in John 11:25, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.”

In Psalm 124, the flood “waters” represent the powerful and arrogant attacks of hostile people.

Israel would have been like a helpless lamb attacked by a lion, if it were not for the Lord who was on their side. They would have been swept away like land flooded by a powerful river or like sand covered by a rising tide, but they cried out to the Lord and He intervened for them. The emphasis is on God. “If it had not been the Lord who was on our side...” [7]

“Blessed be the Lord, who has not given us as prey to their teeth. Our soul has escaped as a bird from the snare of the fowlers. The snare is broken, and we have escaped. Our help is in the Name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” Psalm 124:6-8

God’s deliverance fills our hearts with a desire to bless His Name. He deserves all the glory. We fail to give God what He deserves when we receive His blessings but do not thank Him. [8]

The psalmist wrote, “The Lord has not given us as a prey to their teeth.” He compares their escape to a bird being set free from a hunter’s trap. Our enemy, the devil, sets traps to destroy us. When we call upon the Name of the Lord, He rescues us from being consumed.

The greatest trap to be rescued from is hell. Some people behave as though hell does not exist. They do not take God or the Bible seriously. Then, in a moment, the trap is sprung, and it is too late to believe in Jesus Christ and profess Him. They die without a personal relationship with God and hear Him say, “Depart from Me, I never knew you.” They who previously trashed God’s Son Jesus, are trashed into a place of ceaseless pain and torment.

Each soul’s need for salvation is why the Bible says in Hebrews 3:15, “Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.” Proverbs 29:1 – “He who is often rebuked, and hardens his neck, will suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.” 2 Corinthians 6:2 – “Behold, now is the accepted time. Behold, now is the day of salvation.” Listen to God’s Spirit!

The psalmist concludes: “Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” In Psalm 121:1, David wrote, “My help comes from the Lord.” Now. he applies the same truth to the needs of God’s people as a whole: “Our help is in the Name of the Lord.”

The God who created heaven and earth is ready to help us. In Matthew 7:7, Jesus said, “Ask, and it will be given to you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and it will be opened to you.”

“Heavenly Father, please deliver us and our neighbors (the human race) from evil. Please rebuke the devil for us. Replace his darkness with Your light. Please fill us afresh with Your Spirit of peace, power and love. In the Name of Jesus Christ Your Son, I pray. Amen.”


[1] “The Song of Ascents refers to a specific group of fifteen biblical psalms (Psalms 120 through 134), also known as Pilgrim Songs. They are traditionally understood as songs of journey, temple steps, and returning hope.” – GotQuestions.org

[2-5] Material developed, added to and edited from Matthew Henry’s Commentary
[6] https://www.woventeaching.org/timeline-of-modern-genocide
[7-8] Material developed, added to and edited from Matthew Henry’s Commentary