Psalm of Ascents – Psalm 129
Sep 22 in Steps of Ascent
As we know the Psalms of Ascents were sung during the pilgrimage journey back to Jerusalem, a return home – representing a coming back to the heart of God – a journey of self-discovery, where things that had been kept deep and buried now resurface. What every pilgrim journey does is gives you time, time to think; time to remember, time to assess your life, your future and your past and it is no different here. David remembers Israel’s plight, the constant struggle of a nation to survive; his own life and years of hardship, struggles, injustices, suffering. We can all identify. What is important is how these are addressed.
Honesty: David is completely honest and tells God about how he feels, keeps nothing back, his anger, frustration, even hatred towards those who would cause that pain. He pours out his heart – God knows anyway, so there is no need to try to cover up. Naked truth, the good, the bad, the ugly!
One thing we do know is that God gets it!
‘He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him’ (Isaiah 53:3) He was and is even now constantly being falsely accused, stabbed in the back; how many things are done in His name yet He is never really considered as part of the equation? When on earth, He was whipped, treated unjustly, abandoned by his friends, laughed at, spat at, killed …
He understands and has a plan (Jer. 29:11). He is an ever present help in trouble (Psalm 9:9) He rescues and uses all things for the good of those who love Him (Rom 8) what was intended for evil God turned around for good: By His stripes we are healed (1 Peter 2:24) His blood paid the price for our ransom (Ephesians 1:7), the cross disarmed the enemy that kept us captive (Colossians 2:14-15) and gave us life; by hanging on a tree He broke the curse (Galatians 3:13)… He wastes nothing.
He restores the years that the locust have eaten.