Hope in the middle of …
Psalm 129
A song of ascents.
1 “They have greatly oppressed me from my youth,”
let Israel say;
2 “they have greatly oppressed me from my youth,
but they have not gained the victory over me.
3 Plowmen have plowed my back
and made their furrows long.
4 But the Lord is righteous;
he has cut me free from the cords of the wicked.”5 May all who hate Zion
be turned back in shame.
6 May they be like grass on the roof,
which withers before it can grow;
7 a reaper cannot fill his hands with it,
nor one who gathers fill his arms.
8 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.”
This psalm was sung by people who were ascending towards the city of Jerusalem as they made pilgrimage to the holy city.
What strikes me as I read it is that the lament is brutal.
The psalmist is so raw about the real oppression of Israel as a nation and the imagery of the oppressor’s whip plowing furrows in the backs of God’s people is sickeningly powerful.
But the resolve of the writer is also strong.
“The Lord is righteous; He has cut me free from the cords of the wicked.”
This central passage shows the depth of trust that the psalmist has in God. In Hebrew writings, it is often the central passage or verse that gives the crucial message that everything else in the text hangs off, and this is certainly a powerful statement of hope.
It makes me wonder: How good am I at hoping when things seem to be going in the wrong direction? I confess that I am a bit too good at losing hope! When my kids get really upset or sick, I feel like I turn to despair. When I have put a lot of effort into something and it looks like it has all been a waste, I feel gutted and angry!
How do I cultivate hope in God? While hope isn’t one of the fruits of the spirit, both patience and self-control are listed in Galatians 5:22-23, and I think that these things are important elements of holding on to hope.
Hope is listed in 1 Corinthians 13: “Three things will last forever – faith, hope and love…”
So, if the hope in God I cultivate is able to last forever, certainly its worthwhile!
Lord, help me to place my hope and trust in You, especially when things are tough. Help me to avoid turning to despair and grow me in the fruits of Your Spirit
Written by Ps. Justin Ware