1 A song for going up to worship.
Blessed are all who fear the Lord and live his way.
2 You will certainly eat what your own hands have provided. Blessings to you! May things go well for you!
3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine inside your home. Your children will be like young olive trees around your table.
4 This is how the Lord will bless the person who fears him.
5 May the Lord bless you from Zion so that you may see Jerusalem prospering all the days of your life.
6 May you live to see your children's children.
Let there be peace in Israel!
A song for going up to worship.
“From the time I was young, people have attacked me...” (Israel should repeat this.)
2 “From the time I was young, people have attacked me, but they have never overpowered me.
3 They have plowed my back {like farmers plow fields}. They made long slashes {like furrows}.”
4 The Lord is righteous. He has cut me loose from the ropes that wicked people tied around me.
5 Put to shame all those who hate Zion. Force them to retreat.
6 Make them be like grass on a roof, like grass that dries up before it produces a stalk.
7 It will never fill the barns of those who harvest or the arms of those who gather bundles.
8 Those who pass by will never say {to them}, “May you be blessed by the Lord” or “We bless you in the name of the Lord.”
1
A song for going up to worship.
O Lord, out of the depths I call to you.
2 O Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be open to my pleas for mercy.
3 O Lord, who would be able to stand if you kept a record of sins?
4 But with you there is forgiveness so that you can be feared.
5 I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and with hope I wait for his word.
6 My soul waits for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning, more than those who watch for the morning.
7 O Israel, put your hope in the Lord, because with the Lord there is mercy and with him there is unlimited forgiveness. 8 He will rescue Israel from all its sins.
1 A song by David for going up to worship.
O Lord, my heart is not conceited. My eyes do not look down on others. I am not involved in things too big or too difficult for me.
2 Instead, I have kept my soul calm and quiet. My soul is content as a weaned child is content in its mother's arms.
3 Israel, put your hope in the Lord now and forever.
The Big Picture & The Bottomline:
Only those who are truly holy, are truly happy. In vain do we pretend to be of those that fear God, if we do not make conscience of keeping stedfastly to his ways. Blessed is every one that fears the Lord; whether he be high or low, rich or poor in the world. If thou fear him and walk in his ways, all shall be well with thee while thou livest, better when thou diest, best of all in eternity. By the blessing of God, the godly shall get an honest livelihood. Here is a double promise; they shall have something to do, for an idle life is a miserable, uncomfortable life, and shall have health and strength, and power of mind to do it. They shall not be forced to live upon the labours of other people. It is as much a mercy as a duty, with quietness to work and eat our own bread. They and theirs shall enjoy what they get. Such as fear the Lord and walk in his ways, are the only happy persons, whatever their station in life may be. They shall have abundant comfort in their family relations. And they shall have all the good things God has promised, and which they pray for. A good man can have little comfort in seeing his children's children, unless he sees peace upon Israel. Every true believer rejoices in the prosperity of the church. Hereafter we shall see greater things, with the everlasting peace and rest that remain for the Israel of God.
THANKFULNESS FOR FORMER DELIVERANCES. 129:1-4
The enemies of God's people have very barbarously endeavoured to wear out the saints of the Most High. But the church has been always graciously delivered. Christ has built his church upon a rock. And the Lord has many ways of disabling wicked men from doing the mischief they design against his church. The Lord is righteous in not suffering Israel to be ruined; he has promised to preserve a people to himself.
A BELIEVING PROSPECT OF THE DESTRUCTION OF THE ENEMIES OF ZION. 129:5-8
While God's people shall flourish as the loaded palm-tree, or the green and fruitful olive, their enemies shall wither as the grass upon the house-tops, which in eastern countries are flat, and what grows there never ripens; so it is with the designs of God's enemies. No wise man will pray the Lord to bless these mowers or reapers. And when we remember how Jesus arose and reigns; how his people have been supported, like the burning but unconsumed bush, we shall not fear.
THE PSALMIST'S HOPE IN PRAYER. 130:1-4
The only way of relief for a sin-entangled soul, is by applying to God alone. Many things present themselves as diversions, many things offer themselves as remedies, but the soul finds that the Lord alone can heal. And until men are sensible of the guilt of sin, and quit all to come at once to God, it is in vain for them to expect any relief. The Holy Ghost gives to such poor souls a fresh sense of their deep necessity, to stir them up in earnest applications, by the prayer of faith, by crying to God. And as they love their souls, as they are concerned for the glory of the Lord, they are not to be wanting in this duty. Why is it that these matters are so long uncertain with them? Is it not from sloth and despondency that they content themselves with common and customary applications to God? Then let us up and be doing; it must be done, and it is attended with safety. We are to humble ourselves before God, as guilty in his sight. Let us acknowledge our sinfulness; we cannot justify ourselves, or plead not guilty. It is our unspeakable comfort that there is forgiveness with him, for that is what we need. Jesus Christ is the great Ransom; he is ever an Advocate for us, and through him we hope to obtain forgiveness. There is forgiveness with thee, not that thou mayest be presumed upon, but that thou mayest be feared. The fear of God often is put for the whole worship of God. The only motive and encouragement for sinners is this, that there is forgiveness with the Lord.
HIS PATIENCE IN HOPE. 130:5-8
It is for the Lord that my soul waits, for the gifts of his grace, and the working of his power. We must hope for that only which he has promised in his word. Like those who wish to see the dawn, being very desirous that light would come long before day; but still more earnestly does a good man long for the tokens of God's favour, and the visits of his grace. Let all that devote themselves to the Lord, cheerfully stay themselves on him. This redemption is redemption from all sin. Jesus Christ saves his people from their sins, both from the condemning and from the commanding power of sin. It is plenteous redemption; there is an all-sufficient fulness in the Redeemer, enough for all, enough for each; therefore enough for me, says the believer. Redemption from sin includes redemption from all other evils, therefore it is a plenteous redemption, through the atoning blood of Jesus, who shall redeem his people from all their sins. All that wait on God for mercy and grace, are sure to have peace.
Chapter 131
The psalmist aimed at nothing high or great, but to be content in every condition God allotted. Humble saints cannot think so well of themselves as others think of them. The love of God reigning in the heart, will subdue self-love. Where there is a proud heart, there is commonly a proud look. To know God and our duty, is learning sufficiently high for us. It is our wisdom not to meddle with that which does not belong to us. He was well reconciled to every condition the Lord placed him in. He had been as humble as a little child about the age of weaning, and as far from aiming at high things; as entirely at God's disposal, as the child at the disposal of the mother or nurse. We must become as little children, Mat 18:3. Our hearts are desirous of worldly things, cry for them, and are fond of them; but, by the grace of God, a soul that is made holy, is weaned from these things. The child is cross and fretful while in the weaning; but in a day or two it cares no longer for milk, and it can bear stronger food. Thus does a converted soul quiet itself under the loss of what it loved, and disappointments in what it hoped for, and is easy whatever happens. When our condition is not to our mind, we must bring our mind to our condition; then we are easy to ourselves and all about us; then our souls are as a weaned child. And thus the psalmist recommends confidence in God, to all the Israel of God, from his own experience. It is good to hope, and quietly to wait for the salvation of the Lord under every trial.
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