The Oppressor Will Not Prevail: Psalm 129

The Oppressor Will Not Prevail

Psalm 129

Whatever men may be, Jehovah remains just, and will therefore keep covenant with his people and deal out justice to their oppressors.

Charles Spurgeon 

“Greatly have they afflicted me from my youth, yet they have not prevailed against me” (Psalm 129:2). This psalm, continuing the psalms of ascent, calls Israel to celebrate the fact that “the people have been cut free from the oppression of the wicked after all” (Longman). Numerous times throughout Israel’s history, they had been afflicted and oppressed by various enemies, yet the Lord had delivered them time and time again. He, their righteous God, had “cut the cords of the wicked” (129:4). “The survival of this people, so hated but so resilient, bore silent witness to their Preserver” (Kidner). The same could be said for us as well. God, the Preserver, helps His children persevere through afflictions. Our enemies shall not gain the victory or prevail against us. In our affliction, we look to our God and remind ourselves that He is not restrained to save by many or by few, by the limits of our situation or the seeming unlimited power of our oppressors. Let’s look at an example of one of God’s servants, who was greatly oppressed, and yet his oppressor did not prevail against him because the Lord, the righteous God, delivered him time and again. I pray this guides our prayers and hope in this midst of difficult situations and encourages us that our God rules, even at times when we experience His perplexing providence.

In 1 Samuel, we get to observe some of the ways in which God deals with both the oppressor, King Saul, and the one oppressed, David. These are not the only oppressed and oppressor in 1 Samuel, but they are the main ones. First, a look at the oppressor. 

Portrait of an Oppressor

When we first see Saul, he appears humble. When Samuel tells him that God has chosen him to be king of Israel and to deliver them from the Philistines, he is surprised by this as his family is the least of the families of Benjamin, and Benjamin was the smallest of all the tribes (1 Samuel 9:16; 10:1). Again, when the time comes to declare him king, he is found hiding among the baggage (1 Samuel 10:22). He does not appear to be someone greedy for power and position. And at first, through Saul and his leadership, God gives a great deliverance against the Ammonites. But things begin to change. Circumstances begin to reveal Saul’s true character. How does the Bible portray Saul?  

• Disobedient to God and foolish (13:13;15:19; 28:8). “And Samuel said to Saul, ‘You have done foolishly. You have not kept the command of the Lord your God, with which he commanded you. For then the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever’” (1 Samuel‬ ‭13‬:‭13‬).
• Prideful (15:17). At one point, Saul was “little in his own eyes”, but his disobedience to God and his refusal to acknowledge that disobedience evidenced the pride of his heart.
• Rash/Hasty (14:24,29; 22:16) Saul rashly lays an oath on the people to eat nothing until he has been avenged of his enemies or they will be put to death. This leads to Saul’s willingness to kill even his own son, Jonathan, who ate honey unaware of his father’s oath. Jonathan, however, is rescued by the people (1 Samuel 14:24-46).
• Envious (18:8). “And Saul was very angry, and this saying displeased him. He said, ‘They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed thousands, and what more can he have but the kingdom?’ And Saul eyed David from that day on”(‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭18‬:‭8‬-‭9‬). 
• Hateful—myriads of times he tried to kill David. The Scriptures are clear that he who hates his brother is a murderer (1 John 3:15). 
• Suspicious and filled with anger (18:9; 20:30). “Then Saul’s anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said to him, ‘You son of a perverse, rebellious woman, do I not know that you have chosen the son of Jesse to your own shame, and to the shame of your mother’s nakedness?’”(‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭20‬:‭30‬).
• Manipulative (17:17). “Then Saul said to David, ‘Here is my elder daughter Merab. I will give her to you for a wife. Only be valiant for me and fight the Lord’s battles.’ For Saul thought, ‘Let not my hand be against him, but let the hand of the Philistines be against him’”(‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭18‬:‭17‬).
• Fearful (15:24; 18:15, 29). “Saul was even more afraid of David. So Saul was David’s enemy continually”(‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭18‬:‭29‬).
• Viewed himself as a victim (22:8).“And Saul said to his servants who stood about him, ‘Hear now, people of Benjamin; will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards, will he make you all commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, that all of you have conspired against me? No one discloses to me when my son makes a covenant with the son of Jesse. None of you is sorry for me or discloses to me that my son has stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as at this day’”(‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭22‬:‭7‬-‭8‬).
  
• Willing to harm others to have his way (22:16). When Ahimelech, the priest, helps David, Saul has he and all the priests and all their families killed.“Then the king said to Doeg, ‘You turn and strike the priests.’ And Doeg the Edomite turned and struck down the priests, and he killed on that day eighty-five persons who wore the linen ephod. And Nob, the city of the priests, he put to the sword; both man and woman, child and infant, ox, donkey and sheep, he put to the sword”(‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭22‬:‭18‬-‭19‬).
• Vacillating (24:27-19; 26:1-2). Saul recognizes the good and righteous way David has dealt with him, and how Saul himself has dealt wickedly with David. Saul then leaves and does not continue to pursue David at that time. But it doesn’t take long and Saul again is in pursuit of David to kill him.

Saul had no heart for the Lord. The above list shows a heart bent on himself and seeking his own gain. He alienates even those closest to him. The Lord rejects him as king, removes His presence from him, and becomes his adversary. 

Portrait of the Oppressed

In contrast to Saul, what do we see about David in the midst of all of this unjust treatment? 

• He is described as a man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14).. He loved what God loved and hated what God hated. He was a man of integrity.
• The Lord was with him (16:18) and he prospered (18:14). This is repeated so often in 1 Samuel in connection with David. It is the definitive factor to his deliverance from his enemies.
• He displayed boldness and confidence in God and not himself (17:45-47). When David goes up against the giant Goliath, he does not boast in himself, rather he reminds himself and others of who God is and God’s past deliverances and acts courageously. 
• He behaved himself wisely (18:30). 
• He sought help when necessary (19:2,7; 21:2-3). David relied on the people God placed in his life to assist him in escaping from trouble. 
• He sought direction from the Lord and cried out in prayer (23:2,4, 10-12). At one point David delivers a city from an attack by the Philistines, but Saul finds out that David is there and heads there to capture him. David seeks the Lord’s wisdom and help, and God tells him what he needs to do. Additionally, the book of Psalms is filled with many prayers of David which he prayed during these tumultuous years (Psalm 56-66). 
• He had friends that encouraged him in God (23:16). While running from Saul, David’s dearest friend, Jonathan, comes to him and encourages him in God. 
• He left vengeance to the Lord and trusted the Lord to judge righteously (24:12-14; 26:23). Twice David has the opportunity to take Saul’s life and relieve himself of his troubles, yet he has pity on Saul, honors the Lord and the Lord’s anointed one, and does not take vengeance. David says to Saul,“See, my father,…I have not sinned against you, though you hunt my life to take it. May the Lord judge between me and you, may the Lord avenge me against you, but my hand shall not be against you. May the Lord therefore be judge and give sentence between me and you, and see to it and plead my cause and deliver me from your hand”(‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭24‬:‭11‬-‭12‬, ‭15‬)
• He did not rejoice at the judgment of his adversary (2 Samuel 1:17). Though Saul has caused him much trouble, David laments over his death and honors Saul as the Lord’s anointed even though he was his oppressor (2 Samuel 1:23-24).

David trusts firmly in the Lord. Though he lived in “the valley of the shadow of death” repeatedly, he did not take matters into his own hands. He could have truthfully spoken the words of Psalm 129:2, “Greatly have they afflicted me from my youth,” and because of God’s repeated deliverance and David’s continued trust, he could also say, “yet they have not prevailed against me” (129:2).

The Multiplicity of Ways God Delivers

1 Samuel shows a number of ways in which we see God deliver His people from their oppression. These are reminders that God is not restrained in how He brings about the rescue of His own.

1. God raises up a deliverer. Many times, when God’s people are afflicted and they cry to Him, He hears and responds by sending a deliverer. “Tomorrow about this time I will send to you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be prince over my people Israel. He shall save my people from the hand of the Philistines. For I have seen my people, because their cry has come to me”(1 Samuel‬ ‭9‬:‭16‬).
2. God uses the courage of one to embolden the oppressed. The people of Israel were hard-pressed and were hiding themselves in caves and holes and rocks (1 Samuel 13:6), but through Jonathan’s courage and faith in the Lord, they came out of hiding to join the battle. “Jonathan said to the young man who carried his armor, ‘Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised. It may be that the Lord will work for us, for nothing can hinder the Lord from saving by many or by few.’… Likewise, when all the men of Israel who had hidden themselves in the hill country of Ephraim heard that the Philistines were fleeing, they too followed hard after them in the battle”(‭1 Samuel‬ ‭14‬:‭6‬, ‭22‬).
3. God uses a group of people to rise up to the defense of the oppressed. When Saul rashly puts the people under an oath to eat no food until his enemies are defeated, Jonathan, unaware of the oath, eats honey. Saul then seeks to carry out his oath and kill Jonathan despite Jonathan’s leadership and help in gaining the victory that day over the enemy. But the people rise to his help. “Then the people said to Saul, ‘Shall Jonathan die, who has worked this great salvation in Israel? Far from it! As the Lord lives, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground, for he has worked with God this day.’ So the people ransomed Jonathan, so that he did not die”(‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭14‬:‭45‬).
4. God uses the oppressor’s own actions to ensnare him. Saul’s disobedience in carrying out the Lord’s command results in his rejection by the Lord (1 Samuel 15:23).
5. God Himself is with the oppressed, creating an interesting scenario where the oppressor is actually fearful of the one they oppress. In 1 Samuel 18, we see the repeated phrase that the Lord was with David. In this chapter alone Saul tries to kill David several times, some outright and some by way of deception. Yet the Lord prospers David, and Saul’s fear increases. “But when Saul saw and knew that the Lord was with David, and that Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved him, Saul was even more afraid of David. So Saul was David’s enemy continually”(‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭18‬:‭28‬-‭29‬).
6. God uses closely connected people to both the oppressor and the oppressed to aid the oppressed. In 1 Samuel 19, Jonathan, Saul’s son and also David’s best friend, intervenes to rescue David from Saul’s hand. Additionally, Michal, Saul’s daughter and David’s wife, also aids David in escaping from Saul (19:6-7, 11-17).
7. God intervenes in confounding ways, causing the oppressor to act completely contrary to their intentions. It is interesting to see in 1 Samuel 19 how when Saul continues to pursue David and sends messengers to take him, the Spirit of God comes upon them and they prophesy instead of taking David. This happens an additional two more times, and finally Saul himself goes to take David and the Spirit comes upon him and he prophesies as well (19:19-24). “The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will” (Proverbs‬ ‭21‬:‭1‬). 
8. God provides the comfort of companionship for the oppressed. Not only did David have the friendship of Jonathan, but others joined his cause and followed his leadership, including the son of the slain priest Ahimelech, Abiathar. “Stay with me; do not be afraid, for he who seeks my life seeks your life. With me you shall be in safekeeping.”(‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭22‬:‭23‬).
9. God protects the oppressed and thwarts the plans of the oppressor. Three times in 1 Samuel 23, Saul seeks to destroy David, and all three times Saul does not succeed and David escapes. 
10. God Himself becomes the adversary of the oppressor. Saul is relentless in his pursuit of David, continuing to seek him out to kill him despite the fact that David spared Saul’s life twice (24:11; 26:24). The Scriptures tell us that the Philistines come yet again against Israel and King Saul is very afraid and when he inquires of the Lord, the Lord does not answer him (28:6). Saul is told “the Lord has turned from you and become your enemy” (28:16). 

The Hope of the Oppressed

What I found very encouraging as I read through 1 Samuel were the many different ways God worked to deliver the oppressed. While David was the main one who suffered because of Saul, he was not the only one. It’s easy as we read the Scriptures to forget these events took place in time and space. I spent a month reading 1 Samuel and yet the events of those chapters took place across several decades. David’s oppression did not have a quick resolution. Yet, the Lord did deliver. He did bring about justice for David. The oppressor did not prevail. And whatever situation we find ourselves in today, it shall not prevail against us. We have been guaranteed the victory, and our lives will bear witness to our Preserver. “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up”(Galatians‬ ‭6‬:‭9‬).

Let’s pray through Psalm 129 for strength and perseverance in our affliction. 

129:1-4 “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.” The Lord is righteous; he has cut the cords of the wicked. 

Lord, we pray:

▫️We are greatly afflicted. We are oppressed, yet we know we have a Divine Warrior who fights for us. You are the One who has said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay” (Romans 12:19). We need Your help. It feels like our way is hidden from You, and the justice due us escapes Your notice (Isaiah 40:27). But You are the Everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. Your understanding is inscrutable. We will wait for You. Please do not delay.

▫️We are weary with our sighing, and our eyes are tired of crying. Hear the voice of our weeping, hear our supplication, receive our prayers. Turn back our enemies, those people and situations which are oppressing us (Psalm 6:6-10). We are seeking refuge in You. They will not prevail against us because You are righteous and “cut the cords of the wicked”(Psalm 129:4). You are always just and You will deal out justice to our oppressors.

▫️Arouse Yourself for us. You are the only One who can establish justice for us. Vindicate us, O Lord, and establish us. Our shield is with You, and You save the upright in heart. You are a righteous judge. Please do not stand afar off. Do not hide Yourself in our time of trouble. Arise, O Lord, lift up Your hand. Do not forget the afflicted. Hear the desire of the humble, strengthen our hearts, and vindicate the oppressed (Psalm 7:8,10-11; 19:1,12,17-18).

129:5-8 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, with which the reaper does not fill his hand nor the binder of sheaves his arms, nor do those who pass by say, “The blessing of the Lord be upon you! We bless you in the name of the Lord!”

Lord, we pray:

▫️Because You have promised to defend us and give us justice, we can do good to those who hate us. Soften our hearts toward those who have wronged us. Help us to desire their repentance and restoration with You. Give us eyes to see ways in which we can bless them in a way that seeks their good. Help us to not be overcome by evil, but to overcome evil with good (Romans 12:21). 

▫️You are a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know Your name will put their trust in You, for You have not forsaken those who seek You (Psalm 9:9-10). You do not forget the cry of the afflicted, that’s why we come to You today. Be gracious to us, O Lord, and behold our affliction from those who hate us. Arise, O Lord, do not let the oppressor prevail. Show us by Your mighty hand that the needy will not always be forgotten, nor the hope of the afflicted perish forever (Psalm 9:12-13, 18-19). 

‭‭May the Lord do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, for His glory and our good. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

Scripture quotations are from The ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway. Used by permission. All right reserved.

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