Psalm Photos - 129 - Trees
Psalm 129
“Often have they attacked me from my youth” —let Israel now say—
“often have they attacked me from my youth, yet they have not prevailed against me.
The plowers plowed on my back; they made their furrows long.”
The Lord is righteous; he has cut the cords of the wicked.
May all who hate Zion be put to shame and turned backward.
Let them be like the grass on the housetops that withers before it grows up,
with which reapers do not fill their hands or binders of sheaves their arms,
while those who pass by do not say, “The blessing of the Lord be upon you! We bless you in the name of the Lord!”
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This was one of those "what am I going to do with this" types of Psalms that I have run into from time to time (and there's one coming up that is going to be even more so - see Psalm 137). However, as I was taking a walk with my family this afternoon and saw the trees all around, I remembered these trees from Angkor Wat in Cambodia. These trees have grown in, around, and through the walls of the ancient temples there. As I walked through the temples in 2011, I was in awe of the human-created temple but even more so these Creator-created trees. I have no idea how old the trees actually are, but they area awesome in their beauty and resilience. The first few verses of this Psalm remind me of resilience - as this is another of the Psalms of Ascent, it was sung on the way up to Jerusalem. This Psalm is a reminder of the persecutions, challenges, and trials that the people have faced (those who have attacked me...yet have not prevailed...furrows long..." but Israel has prevailed. Just like these trees - resilient and strong.