The author of Psalm 129 recalls a time when God’s people were “greatly afflicted” by their enemies. He describes this affliction as having a field plow pulled over his back, cutting deep into the skin. Now that God had delivered them from those enemies and released their shackles, the psalmist prayed for their enemies to be exposed as evil people devoid of virtue and outside of God’s blessings.

The writer of Psalm 130 was waiting for the Lord’s mercy to save him from the depths of despair. He called to God for help, knowing that God would show him grace even though he wasn’t a perfect man. He encouraged all Israel to put their trust in the Lord for their redemption.

Psalm 128 is a blessing spoken over the righteous men of Israel. The man who loves the Lord will be like a man with a rich field, a prosperous vine, and a healthy orchard; In other words, a very happy man, especially when you understand this is in the context of an agricultural society.

The message of Psalm 127 is that all success and security come from the Lord, and without him there is none to be found. The worker and the watchmen will only be effective in their work if God is on their side. God is the giver of all gifts, one of His greatest gifts is children. A man whose house is full of children is like a warrior whose quill is full of arrow.

Psalm 126 is a psalm about restoration. The psalm recalls a happy time when God restored the nation (probably the nation of Judah). The psalmist looks back fondly at how happy the nation was when God renewed them and he prayed for a new restoration so his countrymen could rejoice in the Lord.

Psalm 125 is a short Psalm of unknown authorship. The writer discusses how God’s faithful people were surrounded by God’s protection, just as the city of Jerusalem was protected by the mountains that surrounded it.  He prayed for God to remove evil influences from the city so good people wouldn’t be tempted into sin.

Psalm 124 was written by King David of Israel. In it, he reminded his people that their nation was able to defeat their enemies ONLY because God was supporting them. He didn’t want the people to think their success was a result of their own strength. In fact, he wrote that their enemies would have overwhelmed them like a flood if God hadn’t held them back.

Psalm 123 is a short psalm of only 4 verses. It is a plea to God to help people who are oppressed by the rich, powerful, and proud of the earth. The psalmist calls out to God, recognizing Him as His Lord, and asks Him to do something about their oppressors.

Psalm 122 is a psalm of ascent, likely sung by the Israelites as they walked up the hill to Jerusalem to gather for the feast days. The first part of the psalm celebrates the opportunity to worship the Lord at His house. The second part is an instruction for the people of Israel to pray for Jerusalem’s peace and prosperity.

God is the perfect protector of Psalm 121. His help arrives on the horizon to those who look for Him. He is a guardian during the day and night. He is the shade to protect us from the sun and the watchman who never sleeps at night. He guards our “going out” and our “coming in from this time forth and forevermore.”

Psalm 120 is one of the Psalms of Ascent. Many scholars believe these psalms were sung by the people of Israel and Judah as they ascended up Mount Zion to worship God in Jerusalem during the holy feast days. Psalm 120 was written by a man who was burdened by lies and slander from his enemies. He called out to God, knowing He was the only one who could give him peace.

There is nothing short about Psalm 119. It is the longest chapter in the Bible with 176 verses. The psalm is a celebration of God and His words (the Scriptures), and an expression of the author’s ambitions to live according to God’s words.

Psalm 118 is a celebration of God’s faithful love. God’s love was a source of security for the psalm’s author. The psalm speaks of a cornerstone which was rejected by men but approved of by God. It goes on to talk about a person who “comes in the name of the Lord” to offer a sacrifice and save the people. Prophetically, the Psalm speaks about Jesus, who sacrificed His own life to save all men.

Psalm 117 is the shortest psalm and the shortest chapter in the Bible. It has only two verses which were written by an unknown author. The short text is a praise to God and an encouragement for all the nations of the earth to worship the true God of Heaven.

The writer of Psalm 116 had experienced some rough times. In his struggles, he called out to God and the Lord saved him from death. He praised the Lord for his salvation and promised to praise the Lord forever. He acknowledged that the death of God’s saints was precious to Him, but he was thankful that God had spared his life on this occasion.

In Psalm 115, the author expresses His hope that God will glorify His name among the nations. The foreign nations were mocking Israel because their God was invisible. This was in contrast to the gods of the foreign nations who were depicted by statues and idols. The psalmist spoke of God’s superiority to these lifeless statues and encouraged Israel to continue trusting in the true God of Heaven.

Psalm 114 is a recounting of how the natural elements of the wilderness and Promised Land responded to seeing God’s presence in the Israelite Camp. The Red Sea divided, the mountains trembled, the rocks turned to pools of water, and the Jordan River stopped flowing in obedience to the Lord’s command.

Psalm 113 is a psalm of pure worship. The writer just wanted to praise God for His greatness and His compassionate nature. God’s glory is higher than the heavens, yet His compassion is concerned with the poor and needy of the earth. According to history, Psalm 113-118 were sung as part of the Jew’s observance of the Feast of Passover.

Psalm 112 is about the upright life and blessings received by a righteous man. God will establish a man who loves His commands and loves his neighbor. An upright man will succeed in his goals, while God will thwart the schemes of the wicked.

Psalm 111 is all about the great works of God. The psalmist worships the Lords for all the wonderous things He has done through the centuries. God’s works were and forever will be wonderous, faithful, trustworthy, and admirable.