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The Dragon And The Flood


If the Lord had not been on our side— let Israel say— if the Lord had not been on our side when people attacked us,  they would have swallowed us alive when their anger flared against us;  the flood would have engulfed us, the torrent would have swept over us, the raging waters would have swept us away. Praise be to the Lord, who has not let us be torn by their teeth. We have escaped like a bird from the fowler’s snare; the snare has been broken, and we have escaped. Our help is in the name of the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. (Psalm 124)
                Two kinds of trouble are presented here. According to Mr. Peterson, the “they would have swallowed us alive” kind of trouble brings to mind being attacked by a dragon, and dragons are, he says, the embodiment of evil and of all that we fear. No one has ever seen a dragon, but the folks singing this song would have understood that they stood no chance in the face of such hatred. It’s the question “Where was God when the terrorists flew the jets into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon?” and the question “Where was God when the mass shooter opened fire?”
          The flood, on the other hand, is the “one moment everything was fine and then wham!” situation. It’s not that evil pounced, but that stuff happens. So this part is the question “Where was God when Katrina hit?”
          In our minds, if God had been there, those things would not have happened, period. That is the only acceptable response on God’s part. He must prevent any harm from befalling anyone we approve of at all times. Yeah, it’s OK if God lets bad things happen to pedophiles or people who put children in suitcases or puppies in plastic bags and throw them away on the side of the road. But for “normal” people, nothing bad should ever be allowed.
          That’s not God being God, that’s use being gods. God called the Israelites to travel through territory were dragons and floods, attacks and disasters were not only possible, but probable. You couldn’t have written a better backdrop for an ambush, whether by attacker or nature. God not only allowed the events, He set up the conditions that made them likely.
          So where was God? How can we say, “The Lord is on our side?” when dragons attack and flood wash away? The first point that comes to mind is the fact that this psalm doesn’t say that if the Lord is on our side, bad things won’t happen. The Lord is on our side when these bad things happen. How can we say God is on our side? He created us. He sent Jesus to die on the cross on our behalf. And given that this psalm is written in the past tense, He is on our side because we have survived. It might have been a tough time. There may have been great losses, but if God weren’t on our side, it could have been so much worse. Yes, the dragon attacked, but God didn’t unleash the plagues of Egypt on you. Yes, the flood washed away so much, but you’re alive. Your life can still be blessed and a blessing, sometimes more so because you’ve faced the dragon and the flood.

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