We’re continuing in Psalm 135, which calls God’s people to praise him for his goodness, for he is far greater than the idols we make for ourselves. Yesterday, we looked at the first reason God is greater than idols: he’s the only one who’s able to provide for his people. Today, we look at the second reason the Psalm offers:

God rescues his people

The second reason God is greater than idols is that he’s the one who rescues his people from oppression and invasion. Again, this is something idols were thought to control in the ancient world: your gods protected you against foreign armies.

And this was very much front of mind in the ancient world, because invading each other was their summer sport. Each spring you’d be like: season’s about to kick off, who’ve we drawn this year? The Philistines? The Assyrians? It’d better not be an away game against Babylon…

Military conquest was an ever-present threat. Young men would be slaughtered and young women taken as the spoils of victory. It was horrific—something we, in Australia, haven’t had to think as much about in our lifetime.

But this Psalm reminds us that God is the one who fights for his people. He’s more powerful than the so-called gods of the nations. He rescued his people from slavery in Egypt:

135:8-9 He struck down the firstborn of Egypt,
the firstborn of people and animals.
He sent his signs and wonders into your midst, Egypt,
against Pharaoh and all his servants.

And what about when they were wandering in the desert, before they got to the promised land?

135:10-12 He struck down many nations
and killed mighty kings—
Sihon king of the Amorites,
Og king of Bashan,
and all the kings of Canaan —
and he gave their land as an inheritance,
an inheritance to his people Israel.

And lots more.  But out of all the battles in which God gave Israel the victory—out of all the kings he defeated, sometimes quite spectacularly—why do those two get mentioned in this Psalm? Sihon and Og: what’s special about them?

Let’s go back to Joshua chapter 2 to find out, when Israel’s was camped near the bank of the Jordan river, about to cross over and take the city of Jericho. Joshua sends two spies into the city to check things out, one thing leads to another, and next minute they’re hiding out in the house of a prostitute named Rahab. The king’s soldiers turn up, looking for the two spies, but Rahab sends them off in the other direction, helping the spies escape. Why?

Why does she betray her own people and help Israel’s spies? This is what she says:

Josh 2:9-12 “I know that the LORD has given you this land and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. We have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed. When we heard of it, our hearts melted in fear and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the LORD your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below. [In other words: our gods don’t stand a chance!] Now then, please swear to me by the LORD that you will show kindness to my family, because I have shown kindness to you.”

Rahab sees how God protects his people. She sees what life is like trusting in the one true God in heaven and earth, rather than trusting in some lame idols. And she wants to be a part of it.

Ps 135:5 For the LORD has chosen… Israel to be his treasured possession.

Why? So that idol-worshippers like Rahab would see the contrast. So they would see the futility of trusting in idols for security, turn to the God who rescues his people, and want to become part of that people. In Joshua chapter 6, after Jericho is destroyed, we read:

Josh 6:25 But Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute, with her family and all who belonged to her… and she lives among the Israelites to this day.

God’s choosing is not élitist. It’s choosing whom he’ll start with in order to gather others into the one people of God. People from all nations, including you and me. We, too, get to belong to the people for whom God fights.

135:13-14 Your name, LORD, endures forever,
your renown, LORD, through all generations.
For the LORD will vindicate his people
and have compassion on his servants.

To think about

For those of my generation living in the Western world, invading foreign armies have probably not been front-of-mind as looming threats. What are the external dangers you are most concerned about? How are you expressing your trust in God for those dangers?

Spend some time praying for our brothers and sisters in contexts for which invasion and oppression are, sadly, front-of-mind.