Psalm 128–129 (August 27, 2025)
- Brian Lee
- Aug 27
- 4 min read
Blessed Is Everyone Who Fears the Lord
A Song of Ascents.
128:1 Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord,
who walks in his ways!
2 You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands;
you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you.
3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine
within your house;
your children will be like olive shoots
around your table.
4 Behold, thus shall the man be blessed
who fears the Lord.
5 The Lord bless you from Zion!
May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem
all the days of your life!
6 May you see your children's children!
Peace be upon Israel!
They Have Afflicted Me from My Youth
A Song of Ascents.
129:1 “Greatly[a] have they afflicted me from my youth”—
let Israel now say—
2 “Greatly have they afflicted me from my youth,
yet they have not prevailed against me.
3 The plowers plowed upon my back;
they made long their furrows.”
4 The Lord is righteous;
he has cut the cords of the wicked.
5 May all who hate Zion
be put to shame and turned backward!
6 Let them be like the grass on the housetops,
which withers before it grows up,
7 with which the reaper does not fill his hand
nor the binder of sheaves his arms,
8 nor do those who pass by say,
“The blessing of the Lord be upon you!
We bless you in the name of the Lord!”
Footnotes
Psalm 129:1 Or Often; also verse 2
Summary
Psalm 128 celebrates the blessing of those who fear the LORD.
“Blessed is everyone who fears the LORD, who walks in his ways! You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you. Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table” (128:1–3).
The psalm ends with a benediction:
“The LORD bless you from Zion! May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life! May you see your children’s children! Peace be upon Israel!” (128:5–6).
Psalm 129 recalls the affliction of God’s people throughout their history:
“Greatly have they afflicted me from my youth—let Israel now say—Greatly have they afflicted me from my youth, yet they have not prevailed against me. The plowers plowed upon my back; they made long their furrows” (129:1–3).
Yet God’s righteousness is proclaimed:
“The LORD is righteous; he has cut the cords of the wicked” (129:4).
The psalm closes with a prayer against Zion’s enemies:
“May all who hate Zion be put to shame and turned backward! Let them be like the grass on the housetops, which withers before it grows up” (129:5–6).
Together, these psalms contrast the flourishing of those who fear God with the futility of those who oppose Him.
Who is God?
God blesses and defends His people.
Psalm 128 opens with the word אַשְׁרֵי (’ashrei), translated “blessed” (128:1), which signifies more than superficial happiness. It describes covenantal flourishing, a deep well-being. This is rooted in walking with the LORD. This blessing touches every aspect of life. It's all comprehensive. Our family, work, and especially worship are included. The image of the blessings is a fruitful vine and olive shoots (128:3). This symbolizes covenant faithfulness and generational hope. Yet God is not only the one who blesses but also the one who protects. Psalm 129 affirms, “The LORD is righteous; he has cut the cords of the wicked” (129:4). This image of cutting the cords evokes liberation from oppression, showing that God frees us and will never abandon His people to their enemies.
What is our Guilt?
Our guilt is that we redefine "blessing" according to worldly standards. We are also guilty of being forgetful of God in times of our affliction. When we are in pain, the immediate situation looks so much bigger than reality, even God. So, instead of trusting in God, we often measure "security" by earthly wealth, achievement, or comfort in this world. As a result, we forget that true prosperity flows from God’s presence among His people (128:5). We are guilty of ignoring God’s faithfulness in our lives. In our impatience, we even doubt His justice and take vengeance into our own hands, rather than waiting on Him to vindicate His people.
How does Grace shine?
Grace shines fully in Christ. He is the truly "blessed man" who feared the Father and walked in His ways (128:1). In Him, the benediction “The LORD bless you from Zion” (128:5) is fulfilled, for Christ is the true temple.
We should remember that this blessing comes through His suffering, however. The verse, “The plowers plowed upon my back; they made long their furrows” (129:3), finds its fulfillment in Christ’s suffering on the cross. The suffering servant is righteous, however.
“The LORD is righteous; he has cut the cords of the wicked” (129:4)
The Gospel proclaims that through the righteous and yet suffering servant, we are freed! We have been severed from sin, death, and Satan forever! The housetop grass (129:6), rootless and doomed to wither, points us to the short-lived strength of the wicked, in contrast to those rooted in Christ, who flourish like trees planted by streams of water (Psalm 1:3). Let us remember that in Christ, even our "fruitless" lives can reverse from futility into fruitfulness, affliction into victory, and curse into blessing.
Prayer
Father, You are the source of blessing and the defender of Your people. Forgive us for chasing false definitions of blessing and for forgetting Your preserving hand in our afflictions. Teach us to fear You and walk in Your ways, finding our prosperity in Your presence. Thank You that Christ bore the furrows of affliction for us, and that by His cross You cut the cords of sin and death. Root us in Him, bless our homes and our church, and give us courage to trust Your justice. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.
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