Psalms 129
Chuck Smith on Psalms 129
Verse by verse, taught on Sunday nights: the C2000 series, 1979 to 1985. Permission granted by The Word For Today.
Verses 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 (129:1-2).
So here is Israel, and look how many times they are being afflicted. Even still 2,700-800 years later after this psalm was written, still Israel being afflicted. Yet, hey, they have not prevailed against her. She's still there. She's still a nation. She still stands up to the world.
Verses 3–7
The plowers plowed upon my back: they made long their furrows. But the LORD is righteous: he hath cut asunder the cords of the wicked. Let them all be confounded and turned back that hate Zion. Let them be as the grass upon the housetops, which withers before it grows up: Wherewith the mower cannot fill his hand; nor he that bindeth the sheaves of his bosom (129:3-7).
Now on the roof, of course, dust will blow up on the roof and sometimes grass seed, and you'll have little sprouts of grass, but never enough to harvest. So let them be like the grass that just grows up on the roof.
Verse 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 (129:8).
This is in the negative sense. But putting it in a positive sense, how glorious it would be to go by your neighbor and say, "I bless you in the name of the Lord. Blessings be upon thee. I bless you in the name of the Lord." I think it's another good phrase to pick up on.