Songs of Ascent - Perseverance (Psalm 129)

Quote: Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. (George Santayana)

Psalm 129

Trust in the Lord, surrender to him, let him cut the cords to find hope and strength for the challenges, and walk with him daily.

All of us hope that each generation might learn from past mistakes. Yet, if anything, history has shown us over and over that we don’t learn. Each generation sets off with ideals, changes they wish to make, ways they can do things better, yet with all our improvements, brokenness remains. We see it in Scripture. Joshua takes the promised land after 40 years in the wilderness, but the following generations were locked in a cycle of sin, repentance and grace (Judges 2:10-11). Who can break the cycle?

Psalm 129 starts with a looking back to the young days of Israel, probably the escape from Egypt after over 400 years of oppression. They felt the lashes on their backs as they were engulfed in slavery and violence. Who could set them free?

But the LORD is righteous; he has cut me free from the cords of the

wicked (Psalm 129:4)

We are all enslaved by sin. Each generation is affected by pride, selfishness, and evil. Who can bring freedom? Only the Righteous Lord who has never sinned, who is loving and just, who will come and usher in a final reign which ends the cycle. No more pain, no more evil, no more slavery and no more tears.

As Jesus sang this song on his last steps to Jerusalem, as he approached the cross and his final act of obedience to bring salvation through his death and resurrection, he would have been holding to this truth – his righteous Father would cut the cords of the wicked. Death has been swallowed up in victory (1 Cor 15:54b)

What helped Jesus to persevere was his trust in his Father. He could persevere not because he was strong, but because he surrendered to his Father and found strength in him. If you are trying to push through life using your own resources, you will fail. Trust in the Lord, surrender to him, let him cut the cords to find hope and strength for the challenges, and walk with him daily.

God bless

Pastor Stephen