Blessed are the Persevering
#Blessed are the Persevering
PSALM 129
PSALMS OF ASCENT
“They have greatly oppressed me from my youth,”
Let Israel say;
“they have greatly oppressed me from my youth,
but they have not gained the victory over me.
Plowmen have plowed my back
and made their furrows long.
But the LORD is righteous;
He has cut me free from the cords
of the wicked.”
May all who hate Zion
be turned back in shame.
May they be like grass on the
roof,
which withers before it can grow;
a reaper cannot fill his hands
with it,
nor one who gathers fill his arms.
May those who pass by not say to them,
“The blessing of the LORD be on
you;
we bless you in the name of the LORD.”
Welcome back to our series on the 15 Psalms of Ascent! When I realized a couple of years ago, that God expected a deeper level of discipleship from me, I did not know where to start, until I was reminded of Eugene Peterson’s, A Long Obedience in the Same Direction. While I consult many other commentaries in preparation for each month’s devotional, I so enjoy reading through his book again, psalm by psalm, lingering at each topic and thoroughly enjoying his rare take on each.
The last time we talked, it was beginning November as I usually take a break during the December holidays. Therefore, a quick reminder that these 15 psalms follow a three-fold pattern with a psalm of trouble followed by a psalm of trust followed by a psalm of triumph, and then repeating the pattern all over again. In November, we lingered over psalm 128, one of the psalms of triumph – which means that this month we are tackling a psalm of trouble. From the blessing of the ideal family in Psalm 128 where God poured out his blessing on his people, we are confronted by the rough reality of Psalm 129 where we see God withholding his blessing from those who hate his people. It’s theme of persevering through pain is a wonderful reminder that as Christians, we can make it because God is with us. Therefore, whether it is persecution or illness, relational pain or emotional distress you are facing or may face during this year, remember that with Christ we can persevere through pain.
The psalm opens with the psalmist recalling the long years of suffering Israel has experienced, reflecting on what she has survived rather than what she achieved:
- The slavery in Egypt
- The wanderings in the wilderness
- The various battles to inhabit Canaan and then
- The many battles with the Philistines and other nations.
- The exile under the Assyrians and Babylonians
Although not applicable to this psalm that most believe has been written upon the return of the Jews from Babylon, the list of suffering at the hand of her enemies do not stop at the above, for the history of Israel was one conflict after another:
- The Greeks
- The Romans
- The Roman Catholics
- The Kings of Europe
- The Muslims,
- The Czars,
- The Nazis…
And yet they remain! We can indeed agree that the chief accomplishment of the Jewish people has been survival. James Boice, the Bible commentator, called the Jews the longest-enduring distinct ethnic people on the planet. “They have been slandered, hated, persecuted, expelled, pursued, and murdered throughout their long existence, but they have survived intact,” he wrote.
Yet, the image of the plow is also a reference to Christ’s vicarious sufferings on the cross. The Roman soldiers cut deep furrows in his back with their whips and scourging – all foretold by the prophet Isaiah who declared, by his wounds we are healed. Wounds are often translated stipes and may refer to these furrows. Jesus persevered through the pain to pay the penalty for our sins so that we could be saved.
Knowing that God has set a limit on our suffering, likewise, will help us to persevere through the pain in our own lives. Whether we are tempted by sin or tested by pain, we, too, can declare the faithfulness of God. He is indeed a righteous God who will permanently cut the cords of the wicked, setting us free from whatever pain we may be experiencing, and therefore we can persevere.
This brings us to the second part of the psalm, for not only do we have to persevere through the pain, God wants us to pray through the pain, for how else are we going to persevere anyway? And while the first part was about the survival of the righteous, the second part is about the brevity of the wicked. Indeed, what comfort to know that the righteous will endure, but the wicked will not last.
These prayers are directed against the enemies of God, praying that they will not taste success, but like the grass that springs up on the flat rooftops all over Israel, quickly wither away as there was no depth of soil. In the same way, we pray even today, that the plans of the wicked will be fruitless, with nothing to mow or gather.
The blessing of God is the greatest thing any human life can enjoy, bringing goodness, health and prosperity to every aspect of life. Yet, the psalmist prayed that none of this goodness would come upon those who hated Jerusalem and Israel. Similarly, as Christians, while we are commanded to love our enemies, the enemies of God call down, by their actions, a curse on their lives.
At the beginning of a brand-new year, may we indeed take comfort in psalm 129. In this tale of resilience, divine justice, and the vindication of the righteous, believers are offered comfort in the midst of suffering. Indeed, the Lord vindicates his people, punishes evil and cares for the marginalized, yet, He opposes the wicked and will mete out justice for their wickedness.
