PSALM 129
Prevailing over affliction verse 1- 2
Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth
may Israel now say
Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth
YET they have not prevailed against me
Affliction leaves scars verse 3
The plowers plowed upon my back
they made long their furrows
Righteousness delivers from the wicked verse 4
The LORD is righteous
HE has cut asunder the cords of the wicked
Description of consequences
of those who hate Israel verse 5- 8
Let them all be confounded and turned back that hate Zion
let them be as the grass upon the housetops
which withers afore it grows up
wherewith the mower fills not his hand
nor he that binds sheaves his bosom
Neither do they which go by say
The blessing of the LORD be on you
we bless you in the name of the LORD
COMMENTARY
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 2 Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth: yet they have not prevailed against me. (3201 “prevailed” [yakowl] means be able, have power, endure, overcome, or be victorious)
DEVOTION: This life seems to have many areas that can hit us at the same time. If you own a business, you can get hit. If you are in ministry, you can get hit. If you have anything to do with government you can get hit. You can even get hit by your family.
When you try to serve the LORD, the enemy is right on your heel all the time. He wants you to give up or curse God or do something that will show that you are not a believer. He wants to win. He wants the believer to lose. Many do. It is hard to swim upstream every day for a long period of time without feeling the pressure.
However, the Psalmist states that even though you are under the pressure of the enemy the LORD can help you overcome. In our own strength we can’t do it. We can do “ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO GIVES US STRENGTH.” There are days that it seems like that strength is not there but it is ALWAYS there. God never leaves HIS children to the enemy. There is one exception to the never: when we sin but HE is right there during HIS time of chastening to welcome us back. HE will not leave us alone whether in bad times or good.
None of us like the times of affliction but we know that that is part of the growing process. These are times when we have to get on our knees before the LORD with fasting and prayer and ask for deliverance. The enemy can never win the war but he does win some battles but only the ones the LORD allows for our good.
Don’t give in to the affliction. Don’t give up. Allow the LORD to show you a way of escape. It is there every time. Trust HIM. Two verses help us understand the challenge we face: “And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: BUT I have prayed for you, that your faith fail not: and when you are converted, strengthen your brethren.” Luke 22: 31-32.
CHALLENGE: When facing mountains of affliction – turn to the LORD for the strength and courage to climb the mountain. Caleb did it. We can too.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 4 The LORD is righteous: he hath cut asunder the cords of the wicked.
(5688 “cords” [‘abothah] means intwined, a string, wreath, band, rope, chains, that which binds or thick brough)
DEVOTION: The psalmist is telling Israel to say that the enemies have been afflicting them but that they never prevailed. The children of Israel are on their way to a feast to celebrate and on their way to the temple they are singing this psalm. They are singing because they escaped Egypt. They escaped many enemies that have afflicted them in the Promised Land. They have been captured many times but the enemy has never completely won a victory. They have won some battles but the LORD has protected them from being wiped out.
HE has cut the ropes asunder of those enemies. Those enemies are called unrighteous or wicked. The LORD is called RIGHTEOUS. The LORD has released Israel to serve HIM. The nation of Israel is still in existence today. The enemy has tried many times to wipe them off the face of the earth but has failed. The LORD has a future plan for them.
It sometimes seems that the ropes of the evil one have us in their gripe. It seems like we are surrounded by seaweed and we can’t get loose. It seems like we are being pulled down by an unknown source. It seems like something has a hold of us and will not let go. It seems like our marriage is no good. It seems like our family doesn’t love us.
The enemy, the devil, is trying any way he can to get us to forget the LORD. All these thoughts come across our mind when we are tempted to do something that is against our LORD. It sometimes seems irresistible. Yet, we know that the LORD is righteous and we can be righteous with HIS power.
We know we are to do the right thing. The LORD has cut asunder all the strings, by which, the devil has a hold of us. Remember we are HIS children. Our power comes from HIM. He can never will the war. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Praise the LORD!
CHALLENGE: Look for people in your Christian group that are struggling and encourage them in any you can. Some of them might not share what is going on but the LORD will give you discernment.
: 5 Let them all be confounded and turned back that hate Zion. (954 “confounded” [buwsh] means to be or become characterized by feelings of shame, guilt, embarrassment or remorse, to be ashamed, to fail in hope and expectation, to delay, humiliate, or behave shamefully.)
DEVOTION: In the Old Testament either the nation got along with Israel or they didn’t. It doesn’t seem like there was any middle ground.
So here the Psalmist states that those who hate Israel are supposed to be ashamed of their actions or they are acting shamefully. There was no middle ground as far as the Psalmist was concerned.
Today it is the same. There are people who hate those who claim Christ. There are some who think they are following God but they hate Christ in their teaching and we call these individuals and groups wrong and the LORD would like these groups to be humiliated.
As it was in the Old Testament with people who only wanted the nation of Israel to be destroyed it is true today that there are groups of people who would like to end the used of the Bible in their countries as well as states in the United States who would like to see the Bible banded in their locations.
It is sad to say that even today there are people and groups that hate believers. They are trying to do anything they can to cause those who are genuine believers in Jesus Christ to be put in jail because they don’t like the teachings of the Bible.
One state in particular would like to see that the Bible never sees the inside of a classroom in any school. It is sad to see what is happening to the next generation that doesn’t even get introduced to the teachings of the Word of God.
Hate is real today as it was in the days of the children of Israel. It is not new but it is something that we have to fight. We are not to hate those who want nothing to do with our Bible but we are to spread the Good News anywhere it is allowed.
CHALLENGE: God is still on the throne and HE will open doors for those who want to hear the truth of the Word of God.
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 8 “Neither let those who pass by them say, ‘The blessing of the LORD be
upon you; we bless you in the name of the LORD!’” The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982). Blessing -1293 בְּרָכָה [Bârakah /ber·aw·kaw/] n f. From 1288; GK 1388; 69 occurrences; AV translates as “blessing” 61 times, “blessed” three times, “present” three times, “liberal” once, and “pools” once. 1 blessing. 2 (source of) blessing. 3 blessing, prosperity. 4 blessing, praise of God. 5 a gift, present. 6 treaty of peace. James Strong, Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2001).
DEVOTION: In Israel it was customary to greet someone by wishing God’s blessing on them (cf. Ruth 2:4). However the psalmist prayed that Israel’s enemies would receive no such greeting.
Although we are to pray for our enemies and ask the Lord for their souls it seems that it was appropriate to not wish a blessing on the people that were enemies. The psalmist recognized the ways that God looked at people who rejected and mocked His name. Therefore he challenged people to withhold the blessing that would normally be part of the conversation and farewell communication. John also issues a stern warning to individuals in 2 John 10, 11 “…do not receive him into your house nor greet him. For he who greets him shares his evil deeds.” While we are to be loving and kind-hearted we also must be ready to live our faith out at times in uncomfortable ways.
CHALLENGE: If a person does not share our faith and is antagonistic toward you consider be silent and praying for them instead of talking. (Dr. Brian Miller – board member)
DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Prayer against those who hate Israel verse 5- 8
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal) verse 4, 8
Righteous verse 4
Cut asunder the cords of the wicked verse 4
God confounds those who hate Zion verse 5
God turns back those who hate Zion verse 5
Name of the LORD verse 8
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Plowers of believers verse 3
Making furrows in the backs of believers verse 3
Wicked verse 4
Hate verse 5
Let those who wither that hate Israel verse 6
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Affliction verse 1, 2
Enemy has not prevailed verse 2
Blessed verse 8
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Israel verse 1
Zion verse 5
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
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QUOTES regarding passage
129:3–4. The imagery of plowing furrows describes the extreme suffering that the enemies inflicted on Israel (v. 3). It is as if they had plowed … long furrows down their backs.
Deliverance from such suffering is attributed to the righteous Lord (v. 4). He had cut them loose. Perhaps the figure from verse 3 is continued here: God may have broken the plower’s harness so the plowing could not continue. Or the word cords in verse 4 may simply refer to subjugation (cf. 2:3). (Ross, A. P. (1985). Psalms. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 886). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
As you read these verses, you can almost feel the sharp cutting edges of the plow. Their enemies treated Israel like dirt and walked on them! (See Josh. 10:24 and Isa. 51:23.) Some students see in the plowing image a picture of prisoners being whipped, leaving long deep gashes on their backs. If that is a part of the picture, then our Lord endured the same suffering—and yet His stripes bring spiritual healing to those who trust Him! (Isa. 50:6; 53:5). The nation of Israel has been plowed long, deep, and often, but what a harvest of blessing it has brought to the world! The day came when God cut the cords that tied the oxen to the plow, and then Israel was free (see 124:7). The exiles returned to their homes wiser and better people because they had felt the pain of the plow. Instead of blaming God for their suffering, they confessed, “The Lord is righteous.”
The plowing image is a good one for believers today, for it reminds us that there can be a glorious harvest, but it depends on the seeds that we plant. Of itself, suffering does not produce blessing. If we plant seeds of hatred and resentment, then suffering will produce bitterness. But if we plant faith, hope, love, and the precious promises of the Word, then the harvest will bless us and help others, and it will bring glory to God. (See 1 Peter 4:12–19.) God permits people to treat us like dirt, and we must accept it, but we have the privilege of transforming it by the grace of God into character that honors the Lord. (Wiersbe, W. W. (2004). Be exultant (1st ed., p. 169). Colorado Springs, CO: Cook Communications Ministries.)
Ver. 3. The ploughers ploughed upon my back, &c.] Sinners, as the Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, and Arabic versions, render it; such that plough iniquity, and sow wickedness, Job 4:8; Hos. 10:13 which may be understood of their carrying Israel captive, when they put yokes and bonds upon their necks, as upon oxen when they plough, as Arama interprets it; or it may design the destruction of their high places, signified by the back, such as the temple, the royal palace, and houses of their nobles, burnt with fire; yea, it was predicted that Zion should be ploughed as a field, Mic. 3:12 and the Jews say that Turnus Rufus, the Roman general, as they call him, did plough up Jerusalem. The Syriac version is, they whipped their whips or scourges; with which many of the Israelites were scourged in the times of the Maccabees, Heb. 11:36. And the Messiah himself, who gave his back to the smiters, and was buffeted and scourged by them, Isa. 50:6; Matt. 27:26 and many of his apostles and followers, Matt. 10:17; 2 Cor. 11:23–25. The Targum renders it “upon my body;” and Aben Ezra says the phrase is expressive of contempt and humiliation, and compares with it Isa. 51:23. They made long their furrows; which signify afflictions, and the pain their enemies put them to, and the distress they gave them; as no affliction is joyous, but grievous, but like the rending and tearing up the earth with the plough; and also the length and duration of afflictions; such were the afflictions of Israel in Egypt and in Babylon, and of the church of God under Rome Pagan and Papal; but, as the longest furrows have an end, so have the most lasting afflictions. The Syriac version is, they prolonged their humiliation, or affliction; Kimchi says the meaning is, “they would give us no rest from servitude and bondage.” (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 4, pp. 258–259). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
Whereas most nations tend to look back on what they have achieved, Israel reflects here on what she has survived. It could be a disheartening exercise, for Zion still has its ill-wishers. But the singers take courage from the past, facing God with gratitude and their enemies with defiance. (Kidner, D. (1975). Psalms 73–150: An Introduction and Commentary (Vol. 16, p. 480). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.)
Consistent with the agricultural language of the psalm, the people pray that the wicked may wither like “grass on the roof” (v. 6; 2 Kings 19:26; Isa 37:27). Roofs were flat; and during periods of moisture or precipitation, grassy weeds might sprout and grow in the shallow dirt. However, the plants soon withered when deprived of moisture (cf. Matt 13:5–6). The grass may grow, but it is so useless that a reaper need not cut it down with a scythe nor bind it into sheaves (v. 7). It is a wasted growth. So it will be with the wicked. They will no longer hear God’s blessings (v. 8), because they will perish (cf. 1:4–6). (VanGemeren, W. A. (1991). Psalms. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs (Vol. 5, p. 799). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
5, 6. The ill-rooted roof grass, which withers before it grows up and procures for those gathering it no harvest blessing (Ru 2:4), sets forth the utter uselessness and the rejection of the wicked. (Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., & Brown, D. (1997). Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (Vol. 1, p. 386). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.)
5–8 The confidence in the Lord is based on his past acts of deliverance (vv. 1–4). The curse (imprecation) arises out of a dire need and a concern for God’s kingdom, not out of individual pettiness. The enemies who “hate Zion” (v. 5) are those who have no regard for God and his promises. “Zion” denotes here the Lord’s presence among his people, his covenant and blessing, and the hope in the victorious establishment of God’s kingdom (cf. 125:1–2; 132; see appendix to Ps 46: Zion Theology). The enemies of Zion include not only “the wicked” of the world but also the Israelites who do not fear the Lord (cf. 125:5).
The psalmist particularly singles out the godless Israelites who benefited from God’s blessings without showing love for the covenant God. They enjoyed hearing the greetings “The blessing of the Lord be upon you” and “we bless you in the name of the Lord” (v. 8; see appendix to Ps 7: The Name of Yahweh). They even may have casually greeted their fellow-Israelites with the same words (cf. Ruth 2:4), similar to the greeting of “peace” in Israel today. However, their lives were far from the Lord.
Those who “hate Zion” are traitors to man and God. They may feign a certain piety, but in reality they are against God. The imprecation is not filled with personal indignation. The community prays for the sake of the Lord’s Zion, asking for God’s righteous vindication of the godly (cf. v. 4). God’s righteousness demands that the wicked and apostates be “turned back in shame” (v. 5; cf. 9:3; 35:4; 40:14; see appendix to Ps 137: Imprecations in the Psalms).
Consistent with the agricultural language of the psalm, the people pray that the wicked may wither like “grass on the roof” (v. 6; 2 Kings 19:26; Isa 37:27). Roofs were flat; and during periods of moisture or precipitation, grassy weeds might sprout and grow in the shallow dirt. However, the plants soon withered when deprived of moisture (cf. Matt 13:5–6). The grass may grow, but it is so useless that a reaper need not cut it down with a scythe nor bind it into sheaves (v. 7). It is a wasted growth. So it will be with the wicked. They will no longer hear God’s blessings (v. 8), because they will perish (cf. 1:4–6). (VanGemeren, W. A. (1991). Psalms. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs (Vol. 5, pp. 798–799). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
FROM MY READING:
(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)
Bill Johnson writes (MO): Today’s humor:
My brother, the Baptist pastor, put sanitary hot air hand dryers in the rest rooms at his church and after two weeks took them out. I asked him why and he confessed that they worked fine but when he went in there he saw a sign that read:
“For a sample of this week’s sermon, push the button.”
Sol Ibarra writes (Mexico): As in the days of Noah, when the whole world had been corrupt; God calls upon the people to Repent and believe in Him. It offers you to enter the Ark. There they would be safe from the coming trial. He is offering salvation to ALL. Only those who believe and act accordingly are those who are rescued.
Now is the time for Salvation. Not saving us from dying from the virus or the wars that is attacking the whole world. It’s time to put our eternity in perspective. Where will we go if the Lord decides for the virus to take over our physical life?. It’s a very serious matter that needs to be addressed. We know that the Only source of Salvation is the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the one who takes away our sin from us and cleansed us from his righteousness so that we may present ourselves clean and blameless before God. We believe that. Regret having lived your whole life away from Him. Believe Him that He already paid for you and give Him your heart so that He can cleanse you from all evil and receive you as a Son of God. Tomorrow might be too late.
Oh, that we today might be stirred to realize the great need of the whole church of God, so that there would be a mighty cry of entreaty going up to the throne, accompanied by an honest purging ourselves for all known sin, and a true returning to the place of obedience to His Word! (The Continual Burnt Offering by H.A. Ironside)
Take care that your actions do not wound another Christian.
INSIGHT
There is an inseparable link between Christ and the church. In Acts 9:4 Jesus appears to Saul on the road to Damascus and asks, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” Yet Saul had not persecuted Jesus; he had never even seen Jesus. However, because he was persecuting the church, Jesus rebuked Saul for persecuting Him. Again in 1 Corinthians 8 Paul teaches that if we sin against our brothers in Christ-wounding their consciences when they are weak-we sin against Christ. We must be cautious with our words and actions. (Quiet Walk)
THE LOVE OF THE WORLD
Love not the world. 1 John 2:15
What is “the world” is this case? Now I think it is important that we should agree that he is not referring here to creation as such; he is not thinking of the mountains and the valleys and rivers, the streams and the sun and the moon and the stars. He does not mean the physical world. There are people who have even thought that to “love not the world, neither the things that are in the world” means to shut one’s eyes to the glory and beauty of nature.
But it does not mean that; neither does it mean the life of the world in general. It does not mean family relationships, though there are people who have misinterpreted it like that; they have often regarded marriage as sinful. Not once but very often in my ministerial life have I had to deal with nice, sincere Christian people who have solemnly believed, through misinterpreting a text like this, that Christian people should not marry. Their reason is that marriage involves certain relationships that they regard as sinful; they would regard the very gift of sex as being sinful in and of itself.
So “the world” does not mean creation; it does not mean family relationships; it is not the state; it does not mean engaging in business or a profession or all these things that are essential to life; it does not mean governments and authorities and powers, for all these have been ordained by God Himself. There is nothing so grievous as to misinterpret “the world” in some such terms as that.
What, then, does it mean? Clearly the very text and the whole teaching of the Bible shows that it must mean the organization and the mind and the outlook of mankind as it ignores God and does not recognize Him and as it lives a life independent of Him, a life that is based upon this world and this life only. It is the whole outlook upon life that is exclusive of God.
A Thought to Ponder: “The world” ignores God and lives a life independent of Him, a life that is based upon this world and this life only. (From Walking with God, pp. 84-85, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
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Abiding |
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Robert Mueller writes – I don’t know how to act my age
I’ve never been this old before
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