Preacher: Joel FairScripture: Psalm 129The Lord Preserves His PeopleThe Lord is RighteousThe Lord Punishes the WickedJesus - Justice & MercyPsalm If it had not been the Lord who was on our side— let Israel now say—if it had not been the Lord who was on our side when people rose up against us,R. L. J. HubbardIn the invitation, let Israel say, we hear a liturgist encouraging fellow worshipers to testify in the “I” form. The sufferings of the individual and of the community are thus seen together. The oppression of the individual is seen in the context of the corporate body, and national suffering is understood on the level of the individual. The testimony (vv. 1–4) of Israel that we have been “struck down, but not destroyed” (cf. 2 Cor. 1 Peter But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.Psalm Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; steadfast love and faithfulness go before you.Stephen Yuille says, in his book Longing For Home, that we have five errors in thinking that make it extremely difficult to grasp these psalms. I want to give you his five points and a quick synopsis of each because I found this extremely helpful in processing these last verses2 Thessalonians This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering— since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed.