IF IT HAD NOT BEEN THE LORD

"If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, when men rose up against us: then they had swallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled against us: then the waters had overwhelmed us, the stream had gone over our soul: then the proud waters had gone over our soul." (Psalm 124:2-5)

THROUGHOUT HISTORY, men have arisen against the people of God. It all began when Cain rose up against Abel (Gen 4:8). Ishmael mocked Isaac (Gen 21:9). Esau opposed Jacob (Gen 27:41). Joseph's brethren opposed him (Gen 37:4). All of those oppositions came from within the domestic family! But there were also adversaries from without. Goliath opposed David (1 Sam 17:42-43), Sennacherib came against Hezekiah (2 Kgs 19), and Jezebel against Elijah (1 Kgs 19:2). A wicked Jewish council opposed Peter and John (Acts 4:6-7), Ephesian business men opposed Paul (Acts 19:24-27), and Diotrephes, a professed leader in the church, opposed John (3 John 9-10). Let there be no question about it, those who side with God will be opposed by the world. As our Lord said, "If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you" (John 15:18-19).

IN OUR TEXT, the Psalmist assessed the oppositions that arose because of identity with the Lord through faith. He knew very well that, person-to-person, their enemies are generally stronger and more numerous than believers themselves. Some who boast of self strength simply have never knowingly faced a fierce and crafty opponent. Pharaoh opposed Moses, Daniel faced Nebuchadnezzar, John the Baptist confronted Herod, and Paul encountered Nero the despot. In each case, the opponents were stronger from the human point of view. There was no way they could deal with these opponents in the energy of the flesh, or with the human nature.

DAVID KNEW THIS WAS THE CASE, and thus gave glory to God by crediting survival to God being "on our side." The New Covenant way of saying this is, "If God be for us, who can be against us?" (Rom 8:31). One might counter that Cain killed Abel, Herod killed John the Baptist and James, the Jewish council stoned Stephen, and Nero martyred both Peter and Paul. However, as with Pilate against Jesus, they could have had no power at all unless it was given them "from above" (John 19:11). All of these saints had finished their work, and were indestructible until it was accomplished.

OUR TEXT DOES NOT SAY believers will never suffer from their enemies. It DOES say if God was not on our side, they would swallow us up "quickly," or without any delay. If the Lord was not with us, every flare-up among our enemies would result in our harm. They could move against us at will, frustrating our labors and driving us into oblivion. Every flood would overwhelm us if God was not with us, and every opposing stream become a deluge in which we would drown. Every time the waters of circumstance swelled, and things became difficult, we would be overwhelmed – if the Lord was not on our side.

HERE IS A GOOD PLACE TO REASON – to view life from the standpoint of Divine affirmation. If the floods have NOT overwhelmed us – if we have NOT ceased to trust – then God is with us! If our enemies have NOT been able to get rid of us, God is with us. In such a case, our work is not finished, and the Lord will surely sustain us until it IS completed. How blessed to consider God being "with us."

– Given O. Blakely