Psalm 124 is one of the Songs of Ascent or (goings up). It is one of fifteen psalms going from Psalm 120 to Psalm 134. These songs were probably sung by Hebrew pilgrims while going up to Jerusalem or while the priests were climbing the fifteen steps of the temple during one of the worship festivals. These Songs of Ascent are also known as Pilgrim Songs or Songs of Steps.
Psalm 124 is marked as a Song by David. The psalm is about praise for deliverance and our dependence on the Lord. The psalm begins with: “If the Lord had not been on our side.” The psalm ends with “We have escaped like a bird out of the fowler’s snare” and “Our help is in the name of the Lord.” With our ears ringing with the news of the tumult in the world, we need this time of Advent to take time to remember and anticipate the announcement that “For unto to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.” Also, it is a time to reflect on our faith in Jesus and his command to us to love our neighbors.
As I reflect over what is turning out to be a fairly long life and I think of the many changes that have occurred during my lifetime, what stands out are the changes in our national culture. There are many people who remember the “good old times” and want to bring them back. I believe it is human nature that we remember the good times and forget the bad. Let me remind you of some of the bad of the “good old times.” I was born in 1932, a Depression Baby. Times were hard. Then we had World War II with 50 -56 million people directly killed and approximately 6 million Jews killed in Hitler’s “final solution.” We detained Japanese-Americans on the West Coast. I lived in a segregated world with its evils.
During this Advent season let us anticipate the announcement that Christ is born and remember his command to love our neighbors. Love is not only a feeling, it is a decision. It is a command to act out our love for our neighbors. We don’t need to bring back the (good old times). We need to move forward and make the world better by loving our neighbors.
Frank Davis