Psalm Chapter 129 - A Song of degrees

Psalm 129: Afflicted From Youth, Yet Not Overcome

This episode reads Psalm 129, one of the Songs of Degrees, where Israel remembers being afflicted from youth and yet testifies that the enemies did not prevail. The psalm speaks in vivid images of suffering, like plowers cutting long furrows across a back, and then turns to the Lord who cuts apart the cords of the wicked. In its closing prayer, it asks that those who hate Zion be confounded and turned back, becoming like grass on housetops that withers before it can grow, so that no reaper gathers it and no passerby offers a blessing. Historically, these Songs of Degrees were associated with Israel’s worship and pilgrimage, giving God’s people words to carry when they climbed toward His house. Devotionally, Psalm 129 teaches that the faithful may endure long seasons of harm and pressure, yet still stand because the Lord acts to restrain wickedness. It invites listeners to speak honestly about affliction, to remember God’s preserving hand, and to entrust both vindication and blessing to the Lord who does not let hatred have the final word.

00:00 Psalm 129 Introduction — A Song of Degrees
00:07 Afflicted From Youth, Yet Not Defeated
00:18 The Plowers’ Furrows & God Breaks the Wicked’s Cords
00:29 A Prayer Against Those Who Hate Zion
00:34 Like Rooftop Grass — A Withering End for the Wicked
00:40 No Harvest, No Blessing — Closing Declaration