Society would have us believe we have made it on our own or that the government or culture has been our help but we the church know different!
The 94th psalm describes a period in Israel’s national life when it had reached a point of giving up completely. They could not get it together. The land of promise was so close but they simply could not make themselves reach out and grab the promise. They constantly fell into faithlessness, sometimes idolatry and wickedness that caused them considerable trouble.
The psalm looks back over the distance traveled and realized that God chastised Israel for its wayward ways but never stopped loving them. uses the word “chastenest” to describe their experience. To be chastised is to be taught a lesson or to be trained. The object of chastisement is that the student will arise, wiser and stronger having learned an important lesson.
In the wilderness, Israel was certainly chastised. They learned through their suffering that they should be obedient to God and trust in him wholly. They also learned that God will not allow those who wronged them to escape without punishment. Psalm 94:13 notes that a pit is being dug for the wicked who troubled God’s people during their chastisement.
The psalm raises the question “Who stood up for me against the wicked? Who took my side against evil workers?”
“If God had not been there for me, I never would have made it.”
Through their faith in him, Israel made it through the wilderness and marched into the Promised Land, stronger, wiser and better than they had been in the wilderness. When they looked back, they concluded, “We never could have made it, without the Lord.”
Looking back we are happy because we know that we did not have the strength to protect ourselves from the devil but God is able. In our time of trouble he was our help. , “Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God.”
God provides divine intervention – supernatural intervention against the raging warfare that is around us
Israel made several foolish decisions in their wilderness journey. Once, they decided to abandon God altogether and build them a golden calf to worship. Yet despite their foolishness God saved from themselves. He’s had to do the same for us today; save us from ourselves.
Grace to keep our sanity! To keep moving daily!
