PSALM 129:
Being Enlarged through the Lord's Environmental Dealings

We Experience Affliction for the Sake of the Lord's Testimony

Psalm 129 begins, "Many times have they afflicted me since my youth, Oh, let Israel say" (v. 1). The writer of this psalm has had many years of experiencing suffering and affliction. However, he realizes that it was all for "Israel," the Lord's testimony. This verse indicates that the psalmist is no longer afraid of hard times, nor is he trying to escape difficult situations. He realizes that trials and afflictions have been with him since his youth, yet they were not for himself but for the sake of the Lord's testimony. That is why he says, "Oh, let Israel say." Then he repeats, "many times have they afflicted me since my youth," but adds, "yet they did not prevail against me" (v. 2).

The Lord's "Plowing" Work Brings Us Low and Cuts Us Deeply

The third verse of this psalm is one of the most precious verses in the Bible. It is so profound that it is difficult to appreciate: "The plowers plowed on my back; they made their furrows long" (v. 3). This is a poetic description of environmental dealings and affliction. Affliction causes us to be made very low, because we are constantly under something we can't handle. We usually think that our usefulness comes from our being made high and victorious. But from the Lord's point of view, our usefulness comes from being brought low. For example, we often like to be involved in spiritual activities because they make us feel we are important. We are in the front. But when the Lord puts His hand upon us, He often pushes us to the back. He doesn't allows us to be so high. This is an example of what it means for the "plowers" to "plow on our back."

The Lord Plows "Furrows" in Our Person for Life to Grow

Everyone who loves the Lord will experience affliction. The psalmist vividly describes his affliction after many years of experience: "I was made so low. I was put in a place of abasement. I was put in a place where no one respected me, no one appreciated me, and no one realized my desire or consecration. I was so low, like the ground. And while I was so low, a plow came to cut me. My back was plowed, and it cut me so deeply. Not only was I oppressed in a low place, but my very person was cut and wounded." The discipline of the Lord always comes at exactly the right place and at the right time. He plows "on our back."

The Lord knows exactly what He is doing. His intention is that the plow would make long furrows in our back. A furrow is a narrow ditch plowed into the ground for growing crops. At a farm we can often see one furrow after another dug into the soil so that many different crops can grow. Spiritually speaking, when we are cut deeply by the Lord it is for us to grow in life and bear abundant fruit. If we desire to have a rich and bountiful growth in life so that the Lord can use us as a blessing to the church, we must be willing for the Lord to cut deeply into our person. He will plow over our back until there are long furrows for growth.

We Should Not Try to Escape the Lord's Plowing in Our Environment

For us to serve the Lord we must be enlarged. This means that we must prepare ourselves to be plowed. Plowing begins in our "youth." Once we begin to love the Lord His hand is already upon us in our environment. The most important thing to remember as we experience the Lord's plowing is not to escape. We must always remind ourselves, "This is exactly where the Lord wants me." We should not run away from where the Lord has put us. When we are faithful to stay in the environment that He has arranged, there will be furrows in our experience. Then when people see us they will sense something of life. They won't sense our talent or ability, even if it is there. This will enlarge us so that we can become a blessing to the church.

To follow the Lord is not cheap by any means. There is no shortcut. We should never think, "The Lord is moving so fast! Now I can grow so quickly!" Biblically it has never been so. We cannot circumvent the normal and healthy process of true Christian growth. If we desire to grow in life, and if we desire to serve the Lord effectively, then we must pass through this process. We must ask ourselves if we are willing, or would we prefer to hide from the Lord's plowing work? When the Lord plows long furrows in our back we may feel extremely low and in a situation of abasement. We may think it is too painful to endure. But we also must remember, as we saw in Psalm 123, that the Lord's hand of discipline is a hand of supply, support, leading, and comfort. The Lord will be with us as we go through His environmental dealings.

If We Do Not Cooperate With The Lord's Plowing We Cannot Be a Blessing to the Church

The rest of Psalm 129 is related to the plowing and the producing of furrows for growth. The psalmist writes, "Jehovah is righteous; He has cut the cords of the wicked. May all who hate Zion be put to shame and turned back. May they be like grass on the housetops, which withers before it grows up, with which the reaper does not fill his hand, or he who binds sheaves, his bosom. Nor may those who pass by say, The blessing of Jehovah be upon you! We bless you in the name of Jehovah" (v. 4-8). This is a description of those who do not cooperate with the Lord's hand. Unless we allow the Lord to plow us, eventually we will wither without any growth. We will be fruitless in our experience. If we do not learn to receive the Lord's plowing work, then nothing of life can come out of us. Regardless of our talent, capability, or potential, we will be unable to render blessing to the church.

To purchase the book Journey of Life; the Psalms of Ascent and Song of Songs