Rev. Don Campbell
Psalms 121, 123-125, 128-130
THOUGHT FOR TODAY, April 20, 2019
“SING ON O JOYFUL PILGRIMS”
Psalms 120-134 are called Songs of Ascents and are often referred to as pilgrim songs. Ten of them are anonymous, but four are attributed to David (122, 124, 131, 133). They were selected as a hymnal to be used by the worshipers as they journeyed to Jerusalem for the three annual feasts—Passover in the spring, Pentecost in early summer, and the Feast of Tabernacles in the fall.
As Psalm 124 is attributed to David, we will focus on it:
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 people rose up against us,
then they would have swallowed us up alive,
when their anger was kindled against us;
then the flood would have swept us away,
the torrent would have gone over us;
then over us would have gone
the raging waters.
Blessed be the Lord,
who has not given us
as prey to their teeth!
We have escaped like 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.
The first thing we note is that the world is hostile to God’s people. Jesus was speaking to the apostles, but his words may apply to God’s people of every generation: “In the world you will have tribulation” (John 16:33).
The second thing, the comforting thing, is that the Lord does not forsake his people. Jesus also said, “But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
We are reminded of the words of the apostle Paul: “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, ‘For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.’ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:31-39).
“Sing on, ye joyful pilgrims,
The time will not be long,
Till in our Father’s kingdom
We swell a nobler song;
Where angels there are waiting
To greet us on the shore,
We’ll meet beyond the river,
Where surges roll no more” (Fanny J. Crosby).
CONNECTIONS
1. If we were to ask many Christians to identify Jude’s theme, many would say “apostasy.” He certainly calls us to contend for the faith, but he is not calling us to go forth debating one another. In his salutation, he addresses those who are called, loved, and kept (v.1, some translations have “preserved”). But “kept” brackets the epistle: We are kept (v.1). He “is able to keep” (v.24). As David said, “the Lord is on our side.” The question is whether we are on the Lord’s side. Jude says “keep yourselves in the love of God. He identifies how we do our part by using five participles (words ending in “ing”). What are those words? (vv.20-23)
2. Some worry that stressing these positives will cause believers to have a cocky self-confidence and become lukewarm. Jude warned of perverting the grace of God into sensuality (v.4). Paul dealt with this problem. What did he say? (Romans 6:1-4)
