Psalm 129: Lessons For Turning to God to Overcome Your Trials
Introduction: This is the tenth Song of Ascents (Ps. 120–134). This psalm does not identify its context or its author. But the psalmists wrote the Songs of Ascents to encourage the Jews who returned after Babylonian captivity to rebuild the Temple, Jerusalem, and the nation of Israel. During this time, the Jews faced intense opposition. Part of this psalm includes a plea that God prevent one of the Jews’ enemies from claiming the blessings of God’s Covenant. This likely referred to the Jews’ conflict with the Samaritans, a people who practiced a religion that mixed Judaism with pagan belief systems. The Samaritans wanted to participate in the Temple rebuilding to prevent orthodox Judaism from returning to Israel. When the returning Jewish leaders refused, the Samaritans retaliated by trying to thwart the Jews’ rebuilding efforts. The Jews struggled under their enemy’s oppression and opposition. The psalmist wrote this psalm to encourage God’s people to persevere. Here, God reveals seven things that He offers you to overcome your trials. These include His: (1) faithfulness, (2) refinement, (3) deliverance, (4) justice, (5) sovereignty, (6) an exclusive covenant, and (7) the power of prayer in Jesus’ Name.
First, at a time when Israel was under attack, the psalmist encouraged God’s people to remember God’s ongoing faithfulness to protect them. During your trials, God also wants you to trust in His faithfulness. Second, the psalmist lamented that he had endured hardships, just as his fellow Jews did during their time of crisis. Through each trial, God refined His people to draw them closer to Him. During your trials, God also wants you to submit to Him to let Him refine and sanctify you. Third, the psalmist encouraged the Jews that God can sever the bonds of the wicked. During your trials, God wants you to turn to Him for deliverance. Fourth, the psalmist prayed for those who hated “Zion”, the nation of Israel, to be put to shame and turned backwards. The psalmist did not call for the Jews to seek vengeance against their enemies. Instead, He trusted in God’s justice. During your trials, God also wants you to turn to Him for justice. Fifth, the psalmist used an analogy of grass that quickly dies off on an ancient flat roof to pray for God to use His sovereign powers to cause the Jews’ enemies to quickly fade away. During your trials, God also wants you to trust that He is in control, and He has a great plan for all who love Him. Sixth, the psalmist prayed that the Jews’ enemies who practiced a false religion, likely the Samaritans, be denied the blessings of God’s Covenant. During your trials, God offers you through faith in Jesus, the blessings of His exclusive Covenant. Nonbelievers and those who embrace counterfeit faiths are not entitled to these blessings. Finally, the psalmist pleaded that the Jews’ enemies not be allowed to offer blessing in God’s name. Today, Jesus offers all believers the exclusive power to bless others with the power to pray in His Name.
1. Faithfulness: During Your Trials, Trust in God’s Faithfulness. Ps. 129:1-2.
God has been faithful to keep His promises to His people. During a time of crisis, the psalmist encouraged the Jews to remember the countless times throughout history when God had been faithful to His people. “A Song of Ascents. 1 ‘Many times they have attacked me from my youth up,’ Let Israel say, 2 ‘Many times they have attacked me from my youth up; yet they have not prevailed against me.” (Ps. 129:1-2). “The statement is repeated twice for emphasis, and rightfully so. The Egyptians, the Canaanites, the Philistines, the Syrians, the Assyrians, the Babylonians, the Greeks, the Romans, the Roman Catholics, the kings of Europe, the Muslims, the Czars, and the Nazis all have done their best to wipe out the Jews. Yet they remain.” (David Guzik on Ps. 129:1-2).1
When you are under attack, remember God’s faithfulness in your life2
God was faithful to keep His Covenant to protect the Jews. As part of His Covenant with the Jews, God promised to protect them when they acted with faith-led obedience. “The LORD will cause your enemies who rise up against you to be defeated by you; they will go out against you one way and will flee at your presence seven ways.” (Dt. 28:7). Before the Jews were sent into captivity, God sent His prophets to encourage the Jews that He would be faithful to protect them. ‘“And they will fight against you but they will not overcome you, for I am with you to save you,’ declares the LORD.” (Jer. 1:19). “Therefore all who devour you will be devoured; and all your adversaries, every one of them, will go into captivity; and those who plunder you will become plunder, and all who plunder you I will turn into plunder.” (Jer. 30:16). “Behold, all those who are angered at you will be shamed and dishonored; those who contend with you will be as nothing and will perish. You will seek those who quarrel with you, but will not find them, those who war with you will be as nothing and non-existent.” (Is. 41:11-12). The Jews faced many enemies. But God was faithful to create a great nation after taking the Jews out of Egyptian captivity. He was faithful to recreate Israel after Babylonian captivity. He was again faithful to recreate Israel in 1948 after the Jews endured the holocaust. He has again been faithful each time Israel’s modern neighbors have tried in vain to destroy it.
Share your testimony to encourage others. Instead of speaking down to the Jews, the psalmist gave his testimonial. God had been faithful to the psalmist since his youth from the enemy’s attacks, most likely during Babylonian captivity. (Ps. 129:1). He encouraged the Jews to follow his example. You can do the same to encourage others.
Trust in Jesus’ faithfulness when you are under attack. For any believer in Jesus, He is also faithful to keep His promises. “Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will do it.” (1 Thess. 5:24). “But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.” (2 Thess. 3:3). “but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house—whose house we are, if we hold firmly to our confidence and the boast of our hope.” (Heb. 3:6). “Let’s hold firmly to the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful;” (Heb. 10:23). These include His promises of mercy, grace, protection, guidance, provision, protection, and eternal salvation.
With faith and trust, Jesus’ presence will surround you and protect you from evil. In a prior Song of Ascent, the psalmist promised God’s eternal protection for those who trust and have faith in Him. “The LORD will guard your going out and your coming in from this time and forever.” (Ps. 121:8). “You have encircled me behind and in front, and placed Your hand upon me.” (Ps. 139:5). ‘“But I,’ declares the LORD, ‘will be a wall of fire to her on all sides, and I will be the glory in her midst.”’ (Zech. 2:5). These promises are also available to any believer in Jesus. He offers you a hedge of protection.
With faith, Jesus can be your shield against Satan. When you have faith in Jesus and take refuge in Him, He will be your refuge against Satan’s attacks. “For you have made the LORD, my refuge, the Most High, your dwelling place. No evil will happen to you, nor will any plague come near your tent.” (Ps. 91:9-10). “You will pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me, for You are my strength.” (Ps. 31:4). “But whoever listens to me will live securely and will be at ease from the dread of evil.” (Prov. 1:33). “No harm happens to the righteous, but the wicked are filled with trouble.” (Prov. 12:21). ‘“No weapon that is formed against you will succeed; and you will condemn every tongue that accuses you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their vindication is from Me,’ declares the LORD.” (Is. 54:17).
Jesus will always be with His people to protect them. In a similar prior psalm, the psalmist promised God’s presence “from this time and forever.” (Ps. 125:2). God promised that He would never leave or forsake His people. “Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or in dread of them, for the LORD your God is the One who is going with you. He will not desert you or abandon you.” (Dt. 31:6; Heb. 13:5). Jesus came to fulfill the promise of God’s eternal presence and protection. “ teaching them to follow all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matt. 28:20). As a saved believer, Jesus will further ensure that you will never perish, and you will be out of the evil one’s reach. “and I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” (Jo. 10:28-30). Thus, you have many reasons to give thanks for Jesus’ mercy and grace.
2. Refinement: During a Trial, Let God Refine and Sanctify You. Ps. 129:3.
God refines His people to draw them close to Him. As part of his testimony, the psalmist disclosed that he had endured terrible hardships and torture, most likely during his captivity. “3 The plowers plowed upon my back; they lengthened their furrows.” (Ps. 129:3). “The afflicted nation was, as it were, lashed by her adversaries so cruelly that each blow left a long red mark, or perhaps a bleeding wound, upon her back and shoulders, comparable to a furrow which tears up the ground from one end of the field to the other … The true church has in every age had fellowship with her Lord under his cruel flagellations: his sufferings were a prophecy of what she would be called hereafter to endure, and the foreshadowing has been fulfilled.” (Charles Spurgeon on Ps. 129:3).3
God refined Israel with fire and tribulation. Before captivity, the Jews desecrated God’s holy temple with Baal worship and other forms of idolatry. God allowed the Babylonians to burn the Temple to cleanse it. He also allowed the Jews to experience the suffering of 70 years of bondage to cleanse the nation of idolatry. “And he burned the house of the LORD, the king’s house, and all the houses of Jerusalem; even every great house he burned with fire. So all the army of the Chaldeans who were with the captain of the bodyguards tore down the walls around Jerusalem.” (2 Kgs. 25:9-10). “Therefore on account of you, Zion will be plowed like a field, Jerusalem will become a heap of ruins, and the mountain of the temple will become high places of a forest.” (Mich 3:12). “The Lord has destroyed; He has not spared All the settlements of Jacob. In His wrath He has overthrown the strongholds of the daughter of Judah, He has hurled them down to the ground; He has profaned the kingdom and its leaders.” (Lam. 2:2). Although none of the Jews wanted such suffering, idolatry ceased to be part of Judaism after captivity. But that didn’t mean that Satan simply gave up and went away peacefully. He instead used the Samaritans with their hybrid pagan religion to again try to corrupt the Jews’ worship.
Jesus suffered through the fire of refinement for you. Every person has sinned and fallen short of God’s standards of holiness. But Jesus took upon Himself the suffering that each person would suffer if called upon to pay for his or her sins. “But He was pierced for our offenses, He was crushed for our wrongdoings; the punishment for our well-being was laid upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed.” (Is. 53:5). Every believer should both give thanks and then try to live as a living sacrifice to honor His sacrifice (Ro. 12:1).
Let Jesus refine you. Jesus also wants you to establish fellowship with Him. This requires that you submit to His refining fire to burn away the things that are not of Him. Jesus is a “refiner and purifier of silver, and He shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.” (Mal. 3:3). The Holy Spirit also purges sin from us through fire and tribulation (1 Cor. 3:13-15; 1 Pet. 1:7). Jesus further revealed that He is the vine and the vinedresser (John 15:1). When a vinedresser trims a vine, it helps the vine grow. If you are rooted in Jesus, His fire will refine you. But those who are not rooted in Him will be thrown into the fire (John 15:6). Are you welcoming Jesus’ pruning and refinement in your life?
Show your gratitude by living a holy life. No one is comparable to Jesus’ holiness (1 Sam. 2:2). But Jesus still wants you to try to live by His holy example out of gratitude: “Speak to all the congregation of the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.’” (Lev. 19:2; 1 Pet. 1:16; Dt. 18:13). “Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matt. 5:48; Eph. 1:4, 5:1). Is your life a holy testament to your gratitude toward Jesus? Are you an example to others?
3. Deliverance: During Your Trials, Turn to God for Deliverance. Ps. 129:4.
God offers to deliver His people when they turn to Him. The psalmist sought to encourage the Jews to turn to God for deliverance from their oppression. “4 The Lord is righteous; He has cut up the ropes of the wicked.” (Ps. 129:4). Other Songs of Ascent encouraged the Jews to turn to God when they faced resistance upon returning to Israel: “the snare is broken and we have escaped.” (Ps. 124:7b). “3a For the scepter of wickedness will not rest upon the land of the righteous,…” (Ps. 125:3a). Other psalms also encouraged the Jews to turn to God for deliverance: “The afflictions of the righteous are many, but the LORD rescues him from them all.” (Ps. 34:19). “For it is He who rescues you from the net of the trapper and from the deadly plague.” (Ps. 91:3).
Turn to God when you are in bondage or under attack4
Enemies fought back after the Jews refused to allow other faiths in the Temple. When the Jews started the Temple rebuilding process, local Samaritans initially sought to ensure that the future Temple would include both pagan and Jewish worship. They alleged that they had been sacrificing to Yahweh since the “since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria (circa 681 to 669 B.C.), who brought us up here.” (Ezra 4:1-3). They were captured servants from other nations whom the Assyrians brought to Northern Israel after King Sargon II deported most of the ten northern tribes (2 Kgs. 17:34-41). These foreign exiles intermarried with the Jews who remained in Northern Israel. Together, they formed a hybrid religion that worshiped both Yahweh and idols. If the returning Jews had accepted their help, these Samaritans would have demanded the right to include pagan worship in the Temple along with Yahweh worship. In modern terms, they would be celebrated for advocating diversity of worship. The Samaritans would have viewed the returning Jewish pilgrims as extremists who threatened their inclusive religious practices. They used deception to advance their agenda. The returning Jews said no to their help while still trying to live at peace. The Samaritans then responded with conflict.
Continually pray for Jesus to deliver you from evil. Jesus’ model prayer also includes a request for Him to deliver you from evil. ‘“And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”’ (Matt. 6:13). “who rescued us from so great a danger of death, and will rescue us, He on whom we have set our hope. And He will yet deliver us,” (2 Cor. 1:10). “The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed, and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom; to Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.” (2 Tim. 4:18).
Jesus offers deliverance from your enemies. When the Jews were faithful and obedient, God promised the Jews victory over their enemies: “7 But you will chase your enemies and they will fall before you by the sword; 8 five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand, and your enemies will fall before you by the sword.” (Lev. 26:7-8; Ex. 23:22; Nu 10:9, 35; Is. 54:17; Gen. 22:17). “The Lord shall cause your enemies who rise up against you to be defeated before you; they will come out against you one way and will flee before you seven ways.” (Dt. 28:7). With His help, Jonathon killed 20 enemy soldiers (1 Sam. 14:14). Likewise, it was God’s blessing that allowed David to kill Goliath (1 Sam. 17:50-58). As another example, God used Gideon’s small army of 300 soldiers to kill 120,000 Midianites (Jdgs. 7:16-22; 8:10). After Hezekiah prayed, God also wiped out an army of 185,000 Assyrian soldiers before they could even begin a siege against Jerusalem (2 Kgs. 19:35-37; 2 Chr. 32:21-22).
With faith, Jesus can also deliver you from any struggle. Through faith in Jesus, all things are possible (Phil. 4:13). If you have been freed from being a slave to sin, God instead wants you to become a slave to righteousness (Rom. 6:17-18). Your body has been bought with a terrible price (1 Cor. 6:19-20). Through both faith and obedience, God gave you the power to break free from any kind of bondage or addiction. If you are struggling with sin, are you following Jesus to break your chains of bondage?
4. Justice: During Your Trials, Turn to God for Justice. Ps. 129:5.
God offers justice for all who experience oppression or injustice. The psalmist prayed for God to thwart and put to shame those who opposed the creation of a Jewish stated based upon the teaching of the Torah. “5 May all who hate Zion be put to shame and turned backward;” (Ps. 129:5). David made similar prayers against those who tried to destroy him. “Let those be ashamed and dishonored who seek my life; let those be turned back and humiliated who devise evil against me. Let them be like chaff before the wind, with the angel of the Lord driving them on.” (Ps. 35:4-5).
God has been faithful to bless Israel’s friends and curse those who seek to harm it5
God promises to bless those who bless Israel and curse those who oppose it. God promised Abraham that He would bless those who blessed him and curse those who cursed him. “And I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.” (Gen. 12:3). God has faithfully applied this throughout history to curse the Jews’ enemies. Pharaoh’s Egypt, the Assyrian empire, the Babylonian empire, the Persian empire, the Samaritans, the Nazis, and countless other historic enemies no longer exist. At the same time, modern nations which had supported Israel’s right to exist have received God’s blessings.
Leave justice to God instead of seeking your own vengeance. As our example, David prayed for God to vindicate him when he was attacked (Ps. 55:15). He did not attempt to seek vengeance against his enemies or take matters into his own hands: “A Psalm of David. Contend, LORD, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me. . . Judge me, LORD my God, according to Your righteousness, and do not let them rejoice over me.” (Ps. 35:1, 25). “Vindicate me, God, and plead my case against an ungodly nation; save me from the deceitful and unjust person!” (Ps. 43:1). For example, David told Saul that God would judge their dispute: “May the LORD judge between you and me, and may the LORD take vengeance on you for me; but my hand shall not be against you. . . May the LORD therefore be judge and decide between you and me; and may He see and plead my cause and save me from your hand.” (1 Sam. 24:12, 15). Instead of trying to right the wrongs against you, God also wants you to forgive and leave justice to Him. Even if His timing is not your timing, He will be just and fair to you.
To receive God’s mercy and grace, forgive those who harm you. At another point in David’s life, he would be on the receiving end of God’s justice for his own betrayal and murder. Uriah was one of David’s “mighty men” and a close confidant (2 Sam. 23:39). David first betrayed him by committing adultery with his wife Beersheba (2 Sam. 11:2-5). He then tried to deceive Uriah into having him return home from war and sleep with Beersheba to make him think that he was the father of David’s child in her womb (2 Sam. 11:6-13). When his efforts at deceit failed, David betrayed Uriah again by sending him to his death in battle to cover up his adultery (2 Sam. 11:14-25). Although David, his family, and Israel had ongoing consequences for his sins, God spared David from death because he repented (2 Sam. 12:1-14). “Then the LORD passed by in front of him and proclaimed, ‘The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in faithfulness and truth;”’ (Ex. 34:6; Dt. 4:31; Ps. 145:8; Eph. 2:4). God also forgave David because he forgave his many enemies. To receive God’s forgiveness and His mercy and grace, you must also forgive your attackers: “But if you do not forgive other people, then your Father will not forgive your offenses.” (Matt. 6:15). If you are feeling the pain of betrayal from a loved one or friend, forgive them.
Jesus will reign with justice and righteousness. God’s promise of justice will be fulfilled through Jesus. Jesus is our righteous judge (2 Tim. 4:8). “I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.” (Jo. 5:30). “But even if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone in it, but I and the Father who sent Me.” (Jo. 8:16). While David, Solomon, and Israel’s other kings sinned, Jesus never will. His reign will be perfect, just, and righteous. “1 Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch from his roots will bear fruit. 2 The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding . . . with righteousness He will judge the poor, and decide with fairness for the humble of the earth; . . . 5 Also righteousness will be the belt around His hips, and faithfulness the belt around His waist.” (Is. 11:1-5). “There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore.” (Is. 9:7; 16:5). “Behold, a king will reign righteously, and officials will rule justly.” (Is. 32:1). ‘“Behold, the days are coming,’ declares the LORD, ‘When I will raise up for David a righteous Branch; and He will reign as king and act wisely and do justice and righteousness in the land.”’ (Jer. 23:5; Is. 24:15; 42:4; Zech. 9:9-10). He will judge evil and deliver His people. Thus, you can trust Him to be fair and just and right every wrong against you.
5. Sovereignty: During Your Trials, Trust in God’s Sovereignty. Ps. 129:67.
God is sovereign and in control. The psalmist used an analogy known to an ancient audience of quickly dying roof grass to plead for God to make the Jews’ enemies quickly disappear. “6 may they be like grass upon the housetops, which withers before it grows up; 7 with which the harvester does not fill his hand, or the binder of sheaves his arms;” (Ps. 129:6-7). “The psalmist compares the wicked to grass that will die and disappear on the rooftops. People used to make their flat roofs with branches and dirt packed together in layers. In the rainy season in the spring grass would begin to grow from the dirt that was used. But when the rains stopped and the dry season began the grass that had sprung up quickly would wither and die even more quickly – without a trace, . . . The reaper (active participle) would grab a handful of stalks of grass or wheat, and with the other hand cut them off at the ground. The psalmist is saying that this grass will not get high enough for a reaper to fill his hand with grass, meaning that the enemies should be destroyed before they can come to full strength.” (Allen Ross on Ps. 129:6-7).6
God’s enemies will pass away like grass growing on an ancient roof7
When you are doing God’s will, no evil can harm you. When David was doing God’s will, he had the faith to know that God would use His sovereign powers to thwart the attacks of his enemies. “In God, whose word I praise, in God I have put my trust; I shall not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” (Ps. 56:4). “The LORD is for me; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” (Ps. 118:6; Heb. 13:6). Paul repeated this promise for any believer who seeks to fulfill the will of Jesus Christ. “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?” (Ro. 8:31).
When you are under attack while doing Jesus’ will, place your hope in Him. Although God may allow you to experience persecution, give thanks that He knows the limits to what you can endure. “we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed;” (2 Cor. 4:8-9). When you suffer, place your hope in Jesus’ faithfulness. He will not allow for any suffering beyond His plans for you. “who rescued us from so great a danger of death, and will rescue us, He on whom we have set our hope. And He will yet deliver us,” (2 Cor. 1:10). Any suffering that He allows you to endure is part of His greater plans for those who love Him. “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” (Ro. 8:28).
6. God’s Covenant: During Your Trials, Your Faith in Jesus Grants You the Blessings of His Exclusive Covenant. Ps. 129:8a.
God’s Covenant promises are exclusive. The psalmist prayed that the Jews’ enemies be prevented from claiming the blessings of His Covenant. This likely referenced to the Samaritans, who considered their hybrid religion to be equal to traditional Judaism. “8 nor do those who pass by say, ‘The blessing of the Lord be upon you;…’” (Ps. 129:8a). “God will keep the promise he made to Abraham (Ps. 129:8; Gen. 12:3). The wicked who oppress the righteous have not prevailed and will not prevail over them, precisely because God keeps his word. Those who sow wickedness will not reap blessings. God cannot be mocked (Gal. 6:7). Those who plow to plant the seeds of wickedness will be like the chaff that the wind drives away (Ps 1:3).” (James Hamilton on Ps. 129).8
Through faith in Jesus, you can become an heir to God’s Covenant with Abraham. God repeatedly promised to bless all the earth through Abraham (Gen. 12:3(b); 13:16; 15:5; 16:10; 17:4-5; 18:18; 22:18). Jesus completed this promise by becoming the “seed” of Abraham through which God’s blessings are available to you: “Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, ‘And to seeds,’ as referring to many, but rather to one, ‘And to your seed,’ that is, Christ.” (Gal. 3:16). You only need to believe in Jesus to be an heir to the promise: “And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's descendants, heirs according to promise.” (Gal. 3:29). As an heir to the promise, He also has promised you eternal life (Jo. 14:2). If you believe in Him, your inheritance cannot be taken away (Ro. 10:9-10). “and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.” (Jo. 10:28). “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.” (Jo. 6:37). Your worldly inheritance can disappear. But your salvation will not.
God will not bless those who mock His definitions of good and evil. The Samaritans would have found many allies in the modern world. They preached an ancient version of the modern belief system that all roads lead to heaven. They would have seen themselves as heroes of an ancient form of diversity, equity, and inclusion. They would have called the Jews who advocated for compliance with the monotheism in the Torah as religious extremists. But God will not bless those who mock or seek to change or modify His Word to fit the modern times. “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!” (Is. 5:20). Thus, you must be careful of anyone who teaches a different gospel. “This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth;” (1 Jo. 1:5-6). Those who preach a different gospel do not have access to God’s exclusive Covenant.
7. Jesus’ Name: During A Trial, Jesus Offers You the Blessing of the Power to Pray in His Name for His Will to Be Done. Ps. 129:8b.
Jesus offers the exclusive power to pray in His name to His believers. In reference to a people who falsely claimed to be Jewish, the psalmist pleaded that they not be allowed to offer blessings in God’s name. “8b … ; we bless you in the name of the Lord.’” (Ps. 129:8b). During Old Testament agricultural harvests, this was considered a standard blessing amongst the Jews. “Now behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem and said to the reapers, ‘May the LORD be with you.’ And they said to him, ‘May the LORD bless you.”’ (Ruth 2:4). The psalmist sought to ensure that this blessing be limited to the Jews. The Samaritans had adopted this practice and claimed it as their own. But God’s blessings must be used correctly. “Religious expressions, being sacred things, must never be made use of in light and ludicrous actions.” (Matthew Henry on Psalm 129:8).9
Avoid associating with those who practice false religions. Jesus warns that believers should not give their God-given time, talent, and treasure to those who teach a counterfeit gospel. “Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.” (Matt. 7:6). Paul also warns against being in communion with evil people. “Do not participate in the useless deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them;” (Eph. 5:11). This includes joining together with nonbelievers in marriage or other types of bonds. “Do not be mismatched with unbelievers; for what do righteousness and lawlessness share together, or what does light have in common with darkness? Or what harmony does Christ have with Belial, or what does a believer share with an unbeliever?” (2 Cor. 6:14-15).
Jesus has given all believers the power to pray in His name. The Samaritans sought the power to pray with God’s power. But they could not misuse the power of God’s holy name. The generic reference to the “name” of the Lord included all of His many powers. For example, Abraham called upon the “name of the Lord” in reference to His full power (Gen. 12:8; 13:4). As another example, God proclaimed His “name” to Moses in reference to His power (Ex. 33:19; 34:5). It was also an act of worship when someone called upon “the name” of the Lord (Gen. 21:33; 26:25). Today, belief in the name of Jesus Christ alone brings salvation (Jo. 1:12). Believers are also commanded to gather in Jesus’ name (Matt. 18:20). We are to “make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” (Matt. 28:19). In the book of Acts, the early disciples also frequently referred to their service, worship, and suffering as being done in Jesus Christ’s “name.” (e.g, Acts 4:18; 5:28, 41; 10:43; 19:17). The name of Jesus will, however, be a stumbling block to non-believers. Jesus warns that those who bear His name will be hated (Matt. 10:22). Yet, for those believers who pray in faith, Jesus has given you the legal equivalent of a power of attorney to pray in His name when you seek to do His will: “Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.” (Jo. 14:13-14). “You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.” (Jo. 15:16). “In that day you will not question Me about anything. Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you.” (Jo. 16:23). Jesus’ name is so powerful that the archangel Michael was able to drive Satan away merely by rebuking him in Jesus’ name (Jude 1:9). But to correctly pray “in Jesus’ name”, you should pray for His will to be done and not yours. You can then seek to bless others.
Image credit: Psalms 129 - Holy Bible English - BibleWordings.com↩︎
Allen Ross, A Commentary of the Psalms: Volume 3(90-150), Kregel Academic (2016) p. 704-705.↩︎
Image credit: WE BLESS YOU! | Daily Manna (Coffee with Jesus)↩︎
James M. Hamilton Jr., Evangelical Bible Theology Commentary Psalms (Vol. II: Psalms 73-150) (Lexham Academic 2021) p. 410-11.↩︎