PSALMS LESSON 134

     We will begin this lesson by giving Psalm 124 in metre.

                   THE PSALMS OF DAVID IN METRE

                             Chapter 124

Verse 1.  "Had not the Lord, may Isr'el say, Had not the Lord
          maintained our side, When men, to make our lives a prey,
          Rose like the swelling of the tide;"
Verse 2.  "The swelling tide had been our grave, so fiercely did the
          waters roll: The waters proud, with wave on wave, Had swept
          above our drowning soul."
Verse 3.  "Blest be the Lord; let praise be given, That we escaped
          from death so nigh; As when the fowler's snare is riven,
          The bird escaping soars on high:"
Verse 4.  "The snare is rent, and we are free, Our grateful souls to
          God arise; For all our help has come from thee, Great maker
          of the earth and skies. "

     We will now begin the verse by verse study of the 124th Psalm.
Psalms 124:1 "{A Song of degrees of David.} If [it had not been] the
LORD who was on our side, now may Israel say;"

     This is certainly not a complete statement, but means so much.
Out of all the peoples of the world, God chose Israel to be His. On
the journey from Egypt to the promised land, God went with them and
helped them. He subdued their enemies, who in many instances were
mightier in battle. The countries around them realized right off that
God was on Israel's side in battle. They were aware of the Red sea
parting for Israel and then drowning the Egyptians. They were not
afraid of Israel, but they were afraid of Israel's God. Israel had not
been trained for war. They had been slaves in Egypt. Only the mighty
hand of God brought them out, and then preserved them in the
wilderness and against their enemies. Had it not been for the LORD,
they would have died.

     Psalms 124:2 "If [it had not been] the LORD who was on our side,
when men rose up against us:"

     You must remember, the land they went into had belonged to
someone else. The countries around Israel hated her. The battle they
did attempt, without God's instruction to fight, left Israel the
loser.

     Psalms 124:3 "Then they had swallowed us up quick, when their
wrath was kindled against us:"

     This one little group of people would have been no match for the
evil countries around them, if God had not stepped in and fought their
battles for them. This is like the church today, if God were not
standing between the world and His church, the church would not be
able to stand. God will even protect and individual who is doing His
will in the midst of all the trouble. If it were not for God, we would
not have a chance.

     Psalms 124:4 Then the waters had overwhelmed us, the stream had
gone over our soul:

     The flood of opposition to the church would be such an
overwhelming flood that it would overcome the church, if it were not
for God. The strangest thing, to me, is that the church seems to grow
the most under the greatest opposition. Always the underground church,
in countries where it was forbidden to have churches, has been very
strong. There were so many enemies of Israel, that if the Lord had
removed His protection, they would have fallen as they did to Babylon.

     Psalms 124:5 "Then the proud waters had gone over our soul."

     In the opposition to the church, the oppressors have not only
classed us as religious fanatics, but they arrogantly proclaim their
contempt for the believers and the church body. It seems to come like
waves on the sea, but then the Lord speaks to the sea, and it calms
down. The devil and his crowd can roar and try to threaten and scare
us, but if we stand against the wiles of the devil, He will flee.

     Psalms 124:6 "Blessed [be] the LORD, who hath not given us [as] a
prey to their teeth."

     The Lord will protect us from such heavy onslaught. They may
rattle their weapons at us, but the Lord has built a hedge of defence
around us. In the 58 chapter of Psalms, you remember, the psalmist
asked the Lord to break out their teeth and render them harmless.
That is just what He does. The devil is defeated. Jesus defeated him
at Calvary. Blessed be the name of the Lord. We can not praise the
Lord enough for the things He has done on our behalf, and is still
doing.

     Psalms 124:7 "Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of
the fowlers: the snare is broken, and we are escaped."

     The snare was the curse. Jesus took the curse, that we might be
set free. Galatians 3:13 "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of
the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed [is]
every one that hangeth on a tree:"  We have escaped from that curse
like the bird who gets out of a trap and flies away. Our soul is free
like the bird that escaped. The psalmist is speaking of being free
from the wicked people who had set a trap to get them. The Lord is our
help and our strength.

     Psalms 124:8 "Our help [is] in the name of the LORD, who made
heaven and earth."

     The name of the Lord for the Christian is Jesus. All believers in
Christ have been given the authority to use that name. You should read
all of chapter 14 of John, but I will give a couple of verses that
show what we can do in that name. John 14:13 "And whatsoever ye shall
ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in
the Son." John 14:14 "If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do
[it]." How much power does the name have and where? Philippians 2:10
"That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of [things] in
heaven, and [things] in earth, and [things] under the earth;"

     We will continue this lesson by giving the 125th Psalm in metre.

                             Chapter 125

Verse 1.  "He that in God confideth, Like Zion Mount shall be, Which
          evermore abideth Unmoved eternally."
Verse 2.  "As mountains, which defend her, Jerusalem surround, His
          saints secure to render, God compasseth around."
Verse 3.  "The sinner's rod shall never on just men's lot abide, Lest
          upright men should ever To sin be turned aside."
Verse 4.  "Thy goodness, Lord, our Saviour, To all the good impart;
          And ever show thy favor To men of upright heart."
Verse 5.  "But those whose choice is rather In crooked ways to go;
          With sinners God shall gather; On Israel peace bestow."

     Psalms 125:1 "{A Song of degrees.} They that trust in the LORD
[shall be] as mount Zion, [which] cannot be removed, [but] abideth for
ever."

     Mount Zion is symbolic of the church. This is not only showing
the steadfastness of the mount, but is showing the steadfastness of
the church, as well. Mount Zion cannot be removed. The gates of hell
shall not prevail against God's church. The church may shake, and
shake out a few of the lukewarm believers, but the true church cannot
be moved. The rain may come, but it will not wash away the foundation
of the church, because it is built on the Rock. Abideth means
continues to abide forever. Who is the church? They that trust in the
Lord are the true church.

     Psalms 125:2 "As the mountains [are] round about Jerusalem, so
the LORD [is] round about his people from henceforth even for ever."

     If you have ever been to the city of Jerusalem, you know that it
is surrounded by small mountains on every side. This is saying, that
the Lord is not just in front of you , but is behind you and on either
side of you. The true church has the Lord dwelling within them and
they are dwelling within Him. He is our strong fortress. We have
spoken before about trust going beyond faith. Trust is when you place
yourself in His hands, and then know that all is well. There is a
steadfastness with God that cannot be moved by the wind, or the storm,
or the shaking. To be established in God is to be like the mountain
here. Whatever comes or goes, our trust is in the Lord. The longer we
know Him the sweeter He grows.

     Psalms 125:3 "For the rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the
lot of the righteous; lest the righteous put forth their hands unto
iniquity."

     There is tribulation for all, and that includes the righteous.
This is saying that God will not allow the tribulation to go on so
long that the Christian will not be able to bear up under it. There is
a breaking point for almost anyone. Mark 13:20 "And except that the
Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the
elect's sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days."  Even
the elect, suffer tribulation, but they will not see the wrath. In the
Scripture above, it says the rod shall not rest on the righteous. It
may come to them, but not continue on them. It seems every day, that
wickedness is increasing in the land. Those who truly love God can
hardly bear to hear the slander on God's good name. It seems those who
promote wickedness are increasing and getting worse and worse. This is
the time for the righteous to stand against these evils.

     Psalms 125:4 "Do good, O LORD, unto [those that be] good, and [to
them that are] upright in their hearts."

     There is only One Good and He is God. Many Christians are upright
in heart. We are what our heart is. If we are to do any good, it must
originate in the heart. The psalmist, here, is asking God to bless
those with an upright heart.

     Psalms 125:5 "As for such as turn aside unto their crooked ways,
the LORD shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity: [but]
peace [shall be] upon Israel."

     These have been on the side of the Lord and have turned away to
crooked ways like the people around them. This does not tell us
whether they turned aside because of hardships, or whether the lust of
their flesh led them astray. The main thing is, that they left their
godly way of life and turn to evil. They are no better than the
workers of iniquity, if they have given up what they had and gone back
into the ways of the world. This is speaking of those who had made a
confession of faith, and then, later on thought the grass was greener
on the side of the wicked. The way of the wicked and the fallen away
is the same. It is the broad way that leads to destruction. Those, who
remain with God, shall inherit peace that only the Lord can bring.

















                             Questions 134

1.  What small nation did God choose out of all the nations to be His?
2.  What miracles, that God did for Israel, influenced the people
    around them?
3.  What were they joining nations afraid of?
4.  What happened in the battle the Israelites fought that God had not
    sent them to?
5.  Quote Psalms chapter 124 verse 3.
6.  What keeps the waters of opposition from overwhelming the church?
7.  When does the church seem to grow the most?
8.  Who did Israel fall to?
9.  What are the proud waters?
10. What must we do to cause the devil to flee?
11. What did the psalmist, in chapter 58, ask the Lord to do?
12. Our soul is escaped as a ______ out of the snare.
13. What was the snare symbolic of?
14. Quote Galations chapter 3 verse 13.
15. Our help is in the _______ of the ______.
16. Quote John chapter 14 verse 13.
17. What is mount Zion symbolic of?
18. Why can the church not be washed away?
19. Who is the church?
20. Where does the true church dwell?
21. Who tastes of tribulation?
22. Quote Mark chapter 13 verse 20.
23. Do good, O Lord, on those that __ ______.
24. Who are upright in heart?
25. Who is verse 5 speaking of, when it says such as turn aside unto
    their crooked ways?