Wickedness Will Wither Before Righteousness in Psalm 129

I love that famous line in the song made popular by Lynn Anderson, “I beg your pardon. I never promised you a rose garden…” Some of us in the church need to remind ourselves life in this broken world will never be paradise.

No roses promised.

“‘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.’” Psalm 129:1-3

A multitude of troubles await us on our journey in life. Brokenness seems to prevail. I’m reminded of Jesus’ teaching, “If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you” (John 15:19).

The world is broken, and the world hates us.

The world greatly afflicts us; yet the world will not prevail. No matter if it’s slavery, persecution, or trouble—even plowing furrows into the backs of God’s people—in the end, we will prevail.

“The Lord is righteous; he has cut the cords of the wicked. May all who hate Zion be put to shame and turned backward!” Psalm 129:4-5

Why trust the wicked? Why submit to them? They are not all-powerful. They are not omnipotent like our God. Our righteous God alone is worthy of trust and submission. Our powerful God cuts the cords of the wicked. While the world greatly afflicts us, hating Zion, they will all utterly fail. They will be humiliated. Being no match for God’s power, their attacks will be deflected away from God’s people.

“Let them be like the grass on the housetops, which withers before it grows up, with which the reaper does not fill his hand nor the binder of sheaves his arms…” Psalm 129:6-7

If you’re facing loss, attack, pain, or any form of brokenness, know this: the difficulties you face are temporary. Those cords will be cut. The haughty attacker will be put to shame. The evil will be turned back upon itself. Endure.

The wicked and their attacks will wither like grass on a scorching rooftop.

An English proverb says, “Soon ripe, soon rotten.” That is the way of the brokenness of the world. Sure, it seems to prevail and flourish now, but it will soon wither before it matures. A reaper couldn’t even harvest enough to bind into sheaves.

“…as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:18.

Paul is so clear in his second letter to the Corinthians. Do not submit to what you see. Do not give in to what you feel. Do not look at wicked flourishing and assume it will continue. It will not. Look instead at the eternal things that are unseen now. And endure.

The pain, loss, and brokenness are transient.

However, the Lord is righteous, and he will break the back of sin and sin’s effect. Therefore, with eyes and a heart of faith, hold fast to the ways of our Lord. Ignore those who walk by you saying nothing good. Instead, know that the blessing of God is upon you. You are blessed in the name of the Lord.

Affliction will wither; blessing will prevail! Therefore, endure!

“…nor do those who pass by say, ‘The blessing of the Lord be upon you! We bless you in the name of the Lord!’” Psalm 129:8