Psalm 129: A fierce enemy met by a faithful God
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Psalm 129: A song of accents. Unattributed in authorship but all powerful in inspiration.
Sung and practiced by God’s people as they traveled to worship.
Have you ever found yourself in a battle or with an issue that just seems unrelenting?
A chronic battle?
fight after fight?
call after call?
jab after jab?
worry after worry?
illness after illness?
bad news after bad news?
thought after thought?
Issue after issue?
If you could answer “yes” that puts you in the same category as the rest of humanity and more specifically the Children of Israel in Psalm 129
Psalm 129 “A Song of degrees.
1 Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth, May Israel now say: 2 Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth: Yet they have not prevailed against me.
3 The plowers plowed upon my back: They made long their furrows.
4 The Lord is righteous: He hath cut asunder the cords of the wicked. 5 Let them all be confounded and turned back That hate Zion. 6 Let them be as the grass upon the housetops, Which withereth afore it groweth up: 7 Wherewith the mower filleth not his hand; Nor he that bindeth sheaves his bosom.
8 Neither do they which go by say, The blessing of the Lord be upon you: We bless you in the name of the Lord.”
The Fight is Real (1-2)
The Fight is Real (1-2)
The Enemy: “They”, “Many a time”
In this fight the enemy was real and plenteous
In the case of Israel: Egyptians, Canaanites, Philistines, Syrians, Assyrians, Babylon, Edomites
A lot
Realize the reality of the enemy
Yes quite literally for them
Yes for you too
See we too are in a battle
Eph 6:12
Heb 12 4
With plenteous enemies
Sinful World: Jas 4:4
Sinful Will 1 Peter 2:11
Satans Working 1 Peter 5:8
Like Isreal we can say: “I don’t know how many times”, “I don’t know who”
Their Endurance “From my youth”
Israel had literally been attacked from their youth
Egypt Hosea 2 15
Notice the way and manner of attack mentioned here
Youth: A point of vulnerability, weakness, and inexperience (Egypt: A place they went for a break became a place of bondage)
The enemy does not play fair
From: This indicates a length to the battle
A war of attrition
Seeming never ending
The Excruciating pain “afflicted”
War hurts
In this spiritual war theres pain
Sin hurts: Genesis 3
A heavy heart: Proverbs 12:25
In just trying to do right: Hebrews 11:25-26
It is in all of this sadness and struggle the right question of can we even win seems very logical.
The answer is addressed in the latter part of verse 2 “Yet they prevailed not”
The great part about the odds being so against them/us is that giving credit for the victory is made much easier
US Captain Steve Rogers “Weak men know the value of strength”
Where is this victory?
The Faithful One is Righteous (Verse 4)
The Faithful One is Righteous (Verse 4)
The Teacher’s Bible Commentary The Pledge of Israel’s Survival (Psalm 129)
Israel had survived every crisis. There was a single, all sufficient explanation. “The Lord is righteous”
The Ruler “The Lord”
This Title can seem small but is so important!
It’s not just God’s name but its an important aspect of who He is!
Ex 6:2–3
Deliverer
Covenant Keeper
Rest in this title of God!
Psalm 97:9
Psalm 102 12
Victory was from the Lord!
The Righteous
Righteousness and winning wars don’t seem like they'd align too often but it is amazing how God does it
The LORD is righteous: God promised to preserve His covenant people of Israel, and His faithfulness in delivering them is a demonstration of His righteousness. The fact that the LORD is righteous means He has and will keep His promises to Israel.
Since he is a righteous promise keeper thus it means he’ll continue to protect
He is a promise keeper!
Take heart in this!
Phil 1:6
1 Thes 5 24
The Rescuer “He hath cut”
Notice who did it?
He- Not us, Not people, Just God
The deliverance is totally of God!
For Israel that was the Lord bringing Victory
For us it’d be the victory the Lord brings through Jesus
Col 2 15
John 16 33
After this claim and statement the Psalmist issues a foreboding hope. Something they were hoping for and looking to happen to these enemies
The Foreboding Request for the unrepentant (5-8)
The Foreboding Request for the unrepentant (5-8)
Notice that this audience spoken over is: things who are against Zion.
Zion- A location near the Old City of Jerusalem. Comes to signify the city itself and the eschatological hope of God’s dwelling with His people.
God his: worship, will, and dwelling
Is 8:18
Psalm 76:2
Flight “(ashamed) confounded and turned back”
Broken purposes
A prayer that the wickedness and plans of the enemies won’t work
Turn their plans.
Good out of evil
Victory out of defeat
Beauty from ashes
Luke 1:72–74
Fruitlessness
Like Grass will whither so will everything that is agains God
Evil,Sin, Wickedness will be destroyed
The things in our life that are anti-God are fruitless
Famine
The psalmist prayed that these enemies of Israel would not enjoy the blessing of the LORD upon them.
He prayed that the pleasant picture of happy harvest work found in Ruth 2:4 would never be fulfilled for these enemies of Israel.
We bless you in the name of the LORD
The blessing of God is the greatest thing any human life can enjoy, giving goodness to every aspect of life. The psalmist prayed that none of this goodness would be given to those who hated Jerusalem and Israel.
Sin breaks blessing aka a curse
Gal 3:10
Jesus ends and takes that curse for those that turn to him
Ga 3:13–14