Psalm 124:6

Psalm 124:6

Torn by their teeth

The picture here is, of course, of a wild animal attacking and devouring its prey. The sole aim of ferocious predators is to capture their quarry, kill and then eat the spoils. In the world of marauding beasts, birds or sea creatures there is no place for mercy or kindness, or polite manners. 

David sees the onslaught of his human enemies in a similar light. They come with one intent, to hunt him down and to hunt down the Israelite forces. They come to murder and to kill their prey. They might not have wanted to eat their quarry, but they certainly intend to carry off the spoils of war, anything from valuable objects and clothing to potential slaves, and the women for self-gratifying pleasure. Any of those outcomes was as bad as being eaten in David’s mind, he saw the consequences of defeat as being “torn by their teeth.” No wonder he praised the Lord who had obstructed the enemy and saved Israel from ignominious destruction. 

Many believers would never conceive of themselves as being in conflicts such as those described here, but we would be naïve to think that our enemy is not just as ferocious, devious and hell-bent on conquest. The reason that we survive is not because of our own wit and defences but because the Lord God cares for us and guards and protects us. The further we advance in our spiritual journey, the more hostile the enemies seem to become, but if we have learned anything it should be that faith overcomes the fiery arrows and the vicious traps that are aimed to destroy us. If our eyes are fixed on the Lord, we cannot and will not be defeated. Hallelujah!

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