"They did not overcome me"
[Psalm 129]
I believe all of you have heard the news last week. A pastor who was serving in Redondo Beach was tragically killed after being stabbed in the lower body by his son, who was suffering from mental illness. This news, which I read in a newspaper, really saddened me. It was a heartbreaking story, especially knowing that the pastor had already been going through a lot of struggles and hardships in his ministry. To hear that he was killed by his own son was truly painful.
How does your heart respond when you hear such news? We live in a world filled with suffering, hardship, and worry, a world where death seems to pile up. Before hearing this sad news, I was reflecting on Deuteronomy 31 during our Friday morning prayer service. I was meditating on Moses’ final words to the people of Israel, his successor Joshua, and the Levites and elders of Israel as he prepared to face death. In these words, Moses encouraged the Israelites and Joshua to be strong and courageous, telling them that the reason for their courage was that God would be with them.
In particular, in the second half of Deuteronomy 31:6, Moses says to the people of Israel: “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” After this, Moses heard the voice of God, who told him that the people of Israel would forsake God when they entered the rich and fertile land of Canaan and began to prosper, eating their fill and growing fat. They would break the covenant and turn to idol worship (Deuteronomy 31:20). God’s anger would be kindled, and He would hide His face from them, sending many disasters and troubles upon them (Deuteronomy 31:17-21). God prophesied that they would be swallowed up by foreign nations (Deuteronomy 31:17). At that time, the Israelites would acknowledge that the reason for their troubles was that God was no longer with them (Deuteronomy 31:17).
The reason why God would hide His face from Israel was because of their sins. As a result, Israel would experience suffering and calamity. Israel’s sin led to God's discipline, and the people suffered persecution at the hands of foreign nations.
This is the background for today's scripture, Psalm 129. The people of Israel have endured persecution from foreign nations ever since their time in Egypt. This is the history of Israel. From the very beginning of the formation of the nation of Israel, they have faced oppression from surrounding foreign nations, and even now, Israel is still experiencing persecution from its neighboring countries. This is referred to as the "history of the persecution of the chosen people" (Park Yun-sun).
The psalmist, who was part of this history of persecution, says in Psalm 129:2: “They have greatly oppressed me from my youth, but they have not gained the victory over me.” The history of Israel has been one of repeated suffering at the hands of enemy nations, and that has not changed even today. In the Old Testament, from Egypt (during the time of Moses), to Moab, Edom, Midian, the Philistines, Assyria, Babylon, and Rome, the Israelites repeatedly suffered from invasions and oppression by these foreign nations. What about now? Though Israel is a strong nation with nuclear weapons, it still faces ongoing conflict with Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, Iran, and others. How much suffering is Israel enduring now?
For this reason, the psalmist repeats in Psalm 129:1-2: “They have greatly oppressed me from my youth, but they have not gained the victory over me.” The lesson for us here is that as God’s holy people—His church, the body of Christ—we will inevitably face persecution from our enemies.
This fact can be understood not only through the history of Israel but also through the history of the church. One example of this is the persecution of Christians by the Roman Emperor Nero (64 AD) (the first persecution). In the summer of 64, during the apostolic era, a great fire broke out in the city of Rome, the capital of the Roman Empire, which no one could have imagined. For six days, a powerful blaze destroyed 10 out of the 14 districts of the city. At that time, rumors spread among the people that Emperor Nero had set fire to the city of Rome in order to rebuild it according to his own desires. The rumor grew and eventually evolved into the story that, while Rome was burning, Emperor Nero played his lyre and sang. As a result, the anger of the citizens turned toward Nero, and in order to escape from this crisis, Nero sought a scapegoat, and that scapegoat became the Christians. Nero accused the Christians of setting the city on fire and began persecuting them. The historian Tacitus provides a detailed account of the persecution of Christians under Nero’s rule, saying:
“Nero, before killing the Christians, used them for public entertainment. Some of the faithful were covered in animal skins and torn apart by dogs. Others were crucified. Some were set on fire and used as human torches at night. Nero opened his gardens to put on these spectacles, and dressed like a charioteer, he rode around the arena to create a spectacle. As a result, the citizens began to feel pity for those who were receiving punishment, for they were not dying for the common good, but to satisfy the cruelty of one man" (Internet).
In addition to the persecution of Christians by Emperor Nero, church history also tells of the persecution under Emperor Domitian (81-96 AD) (the second persecution) and the persecution under Emperor Diocletian (284-305 AD) in 303. The persecution under Emperor Diocletian is particularly noted as the worst persecution. During this time, churches were destroyed, the Bible was burned, all the rights of Christians were suspended, and Christians were made sacrifices to pagan gods (Internet).
Ultimately, God's people, whether during the time of the psalmist, the early church era, now, or until the return of the Lord, will continue to face tribulation and persecution without end.
So, to what extent did the people of Israel suffer persecution from their enemies? In today's text, Psalm 129:3, the psalmist describes it this way: "The plowmen plowed on my back; they made their furrows long." This is a metaphorical expression that indicates how those who persecuted Israel made it a desolate wasteland and persecuted it relentlessly, as if plowing a field (Park Yun-seon). According to Roberts, in Palestine, it was common for those who suffered persecution to refer to their persecutors by saying, "They plowed my field," as a way of expressing the harshness of the persecution (Park Yun-seon). In other words, this verse signifies that the people of Israel were brought to the point of extreme misery by the persecution of their enemies (Park Yun-seon).
However, what is important is that, despite the extreme misery Israel had fallen into, God saved them. Look at verse 4 of today's text: "The Lord is righteous; He has cut the cords of the wicked." God cut the cords that Israel’s enemies used to oppress them, and in doing so, He rescued His beloved people from the hands of their enemies. Just as a bird escapes from the hunter’s snare (Psalm 124:7), God cut those snare-like cords and saved Israel. Therefore, the psalmist confidently confesses: "They have greatly oppressed me from my youth, but they have not prevailed against me" (129:2). In other words, although Israel's enemies repeatedly oppressed Israel, each time God made them fail, granting victory to Israel. With this experience and certainty of victory, the psalmist wrote this song for ascending to the temple. Likewise, when we come to the Lord’s temple, we should bring with us the assurance of victory, gained through God’s help, in our spiritual battles in the world.
Having recalled this grace of salvation, the psalmist prayed: "Let all who hate Zion be ashamed and turned back. Let them be as the grass on the housetops, which withers before it grows" (129:5-6). He prayed to the righteous God, asking Him to bring shame upon the enemies of Israel and to punish them. This is the meaning of the phrase "let them be like the grass on the rooftops" (verse 6). The grass on the rooftop doesn’t have deep roots, so it grows for a short time before drying up (Park Yun-seon). The psalmist prayed that Israel’s enemies would be like that—existing only briefly before quickly withering away. He also declared that no one would bless the enemies of Israel, meaning the enemies of God (verse 8). The reason is that they are outside of God’s blessing (Park Yun-seon).
In 2 Timothy 3:12, the Bible says: "Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution." Believers face much persecution in this world. There will be many troubles, sufferings, and pains, but let us move forward in faith, with the assurance of God's salvation and the certainty of victory. Let us hold on to the words of John 16:33: "...In the world you will have tribulation, but take heart; I have overcome the world..."
Relying on Jesus, who has overcome the world, let us move forward with boldness.
Pastor James Kim
(Praying that, with the assurance of victory, we may engage in spiritual battles and, ultimately, sing a song of victory through God's grace.)