Will the Unrighteous Win?

“The LORD is righteous; he has cut the cords of the wicked.” (Ps 129:4)

“The LORD is righteous.” God is not indifferent to our sufferings. He will demonstrate His righteousness by judging those who plow on the backs of His people.

The psalmist says, “he has cut the cords of the wicked.” The word “cords” refers to “something that captives are found with.” John Calvin explains,

 “The language very aptly conveys the idea, that the wicked – since they would never have become tired or satiated in exercising their cruelty, and also in consequence of their being well armed – were prepared to proceed farther, but that the Lord, in a way altogether unexpected, repressed their fury, just as if a man should unyoke oxen from the plough by cutting in pieces the cord and thongs which tied them to it.”

In other words, these enemies of God’s people were completely prepared and ready to keep plowing their backs, to keep creating furrows, to keep binding them in shackles, etc. That was their short term and long term plan for God’s people.

But because God is “righteous,” He “cut the cords.” He put an end to it. And if you look back at Israel’s history, each enemy that has trounced them has been brought to an end one way or the other.

Greatly have God’s people been afflicted; and greatly are they delivered. And, God’s people are still here. He is still building His church (Matt 16:18) and His people have not been taken by the Evil One (Eph 1:13-14). Even if death invades your life as one of God’s children, you will stand up in heaven before God and say, “I am here. Where is that sting of death?”

Who wins? Not the unrighteous?