The Blessed Rehearsal

"If it had not been the LORD who was on our side," let Israel now say--² "If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, when men rose up against us, ³ then they would have swallowed us alive, when their wrath was kindled against us; ⁴ then the waters would have overwhelmed us, the stream would have gone over our soul; ⁵ then the swollen waters would have gone over our soul." ⁶ Blessed be the LORD, Who has not given us as prey to their teeth."

Psalm 124:1-6

Repetition is a feature of Jewish poetry which is a useful literary device to make strong emphasis.  Psalm 124 caused people to remember and acknowledge the help and deliverance by God in the past.  Passages like this have reminded people in all seasons of life to proclaim the goodness and salvation of God.  In times of peace and prosperity even God's people can forget about Him, so it is profitable to rehearse the many times God has been faithful to protect, provide, and save us.

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 was a mandate to the children of Israel to continually teach their children about God and bring Him to remembrance:  "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one! ⁵ You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. ⁶ "And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. ⁷ You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. ⁸ You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. ⁹ You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates."  God and His righteous ways are to be at the forefront of the minds of those who love Him.  More important than learning a trade or earning a degree was to hold God in honour and high esteem in all aspects of life because He is our life.

A compelling event occurred when Amalek fought against the Hebrews after their deliverance from Egypt.  When Moses held aloft the rod of God the children of Israel prevailed over their enemies, but when his arms dropped Amalek and his people gained the advantage.  Aaron and Hur helped steady the arms of Moses until nightfall while Joshua routed the Amalekites by the power of God.  The victory was not because of the rod of God, the calling of Moses, the quick-thinking and support of Aaron and Hur, or Joshua's skill in battle:  they were victorious because of God alone.  After the battle Exodus 17:14-16 states, "Then the LORD said to Moses, "Write this for a memorial in the book and recount it in the hearing of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven." ¹⁵ And Moses built an altar and called its name, The-LORD-Is-My-Banner; ¹⁶ for he said, "Because the LORD has sworn: the LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation."

The KJV says God told Moses to "rehearse" the memory of this battle in the ears of Joshua, the man God had chosen to lead the people after him.  At a rehearsal of a play lines and scenes are repeated and practiced over and over to gain mastery for a future performance.  Just as parents were to teach their children of God and His deliverance, Moses was to rehearse the victory God had won over Amalek that day--with the knowledge battles with the Amalekites would continue for generations.  In the heat of battle Joshua may not have noticed what Moses, Aaron, and Hur were up to, and a day would come when he would face battle without these men of God.  The victory that day and in every future battle would be won due to Jehovah-Nissi, the LORD who would be Joshua's banner when he looked to Him in faith.

Because the LORD was on the side of His people David concluded his song in Psalm 124:6-8, "Blessed be the LORD, Who has not given us as prey to their teeth. ⁷ Our soul has escaped as a bird from the snare of the fowlers; the snare is broken, and we have escaped. ⁸ Our help is in the name of the LORD, Who made heaven and earth."  We make the mistake of hoping for help from someone rather than placing our hope in the LORD who was a Banner of victory for Moses, Joshua, and David.  Let us rehearse with others what God has done to deliver His people in the past and acknowledge the salvation and victory we have also received by His grace--not only so we will be strengthened and comforted but so the generation to come will know, praise, and hope in the LORD God.  Blessed be the LORD who is our Banner!