Psalm 94:5
They crush Your people, O LORD; they oppress Your heritage.
They crush
The Hebrew word for "crush" is "דָּכָא" (daka), which conveys a sense of severe oppression or breaking down. This word is often used in the context of physical or emotional destruction. Historically, the Israelites faced numerous adversities from surrounding nations, and this term captures the intensity of their suffering. The imagery of crushing suggests not just a physical defeat but a deep, soul-wrenching oppression that leaves the people feeling broken and powerless.

Your people
The phrase "Your people" refers to the Israelites, God's chosen nation. In the Hebrew Bible, the term "עַמְּךָ" (amcha) is used, emphasizing a special relationship between God and Israel. This covenant relationship is central to the Old Testament narrative, where God promises to be their God, and they are to be His people. The oppression of God's people is not just a political or social issue but a spiritual affront to the divine covenant.

O LORD
The term "LORD" is translated from the Hebrew "יְהוָה" (YHWH), the sacred and personal name of God. This name is deeply significant, representing God's eternal presence and covenant faithfulness. By invoking this name, the psalmist appeals to God's character and His promises to protect and deliver His people. It is a call for divine intervention based on the intimate relationship between God and Israel.

they oppress
The Hebrew word "יְעַנּוּ" (ye'anu) means to afflict or oppress. This term is often used in the context of unjust treatment and exploitation. Historically, the Israelites experienced oppression under various foreign powers, such as the Egyptians, Babylonians, and Assyrians. The use of this word highlights the ongoing struggle against injustice and the need for God's deliverance.

Your inheritance
The term "inheritance" in Hebrew is "נַחֲלָתֶךָ" (nachalatecha), which refers to something that is passed down or allotted. In the context of Israel, it signifies the land and the people that God has chosen as His own. This concept is rooted in the promises made to Abraham and his descendants. The oppression of God's inheritance is not just a violation of human rights but an attack on what God has ordained and blessed. It underscores the sacredness of the relationship between God and His people and the land He has given them.

Persons / Places / Events
1. The Oppressors
These are the individuals or groups who are actively working against God's people, causing harm and injustice.

2. God's People
Referred to as "Your people" and "Your inheritance," these are the Israelites, God's chosen people, who are experiencing oppression.

3. The LORD (Yahweh)
The covenant-keeping God of Israel, who is appealed to for justice and deliverance.

4. The Psalmist
The author of the psalm, who is lamenting the oppression of God's people and calling for divine intervention.

5. The Context of Israel
The historical backdrop of Israel often involved periods of oppression by surrounding nations or internal corruption, which is reflected in the psalmist's cry for help.
Teaching Points
God's Awareness of Injustice
God is not indifferent to the suffering of His people. He sees and knows the oppression they face.

The Call for Divine Justice
Believers are encouraged to bring their grievances to God, trusting in His righteous judgment and timing.

The Identity of God's People
As God's inheritance, believers have a special status and can rely on His protection and care.

The Role of Faith in Adversity
In times of oppression, faith in God's ultimate justice and deliverance is crucial for perseverance.

The Responsibility to Stand Against Oppression
While waiting on God's justice, believers are called to act justly and advocate for the oppressed in their communities.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does understanding the historical context of Israel's oppression enhance our interpretation of Psalm 94:5?

2. In what ways can we see God's response to oppression in other parts of the Bible, and how does that encourage us today?

3. How can we apply the psalmist's example of bringing grievances to God in our own lives?

4. What are some practical ways we can stand against oppression and injustice in our communities while trusting in God's ultimate justice?

5. How does recognizing ourselves as God's inheritance influence our identity and actions as believers?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Exodus 3:7-9
God hears the cries of the Israelites in Egypt and is aware of their oppression, similar to the plea in Psalm 94.

Isaiah 10:1-3
A warning against those who enact unjust laws and oppress the innocent, echoing the themes of injustice in Psalm 94.

James 5:4
The cries of the oppressed workers reach the ears of the Lord, paralleling the call for divine justice in Psalm 94.

Romans 12:19
Encouragement to leave vengeance to God, aligning with the psalmist's appeal for God to act against the oppressors.
Divine Retribution CertainC. Short Psalm 94:1-23
Persecutors and Their VictimsHomilistPsalm 94:1-23
People
Jacob, Psalmist
Places
Jerusalem
Topics
Afflict, Break, Bruise, Crush, Crushed, Heritage, Inheritance, O, Oppress, Pieces, Troubled
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Psalm 94:1-6

     5310   exploitation

Psalm 94:1-7

     5350   injustice, hated by God
     8792   oppression, God's attitude

Psalm 94:3-7

     5793   arrogance

Psalm 94:4-7

     5896   irreverence

Psalm 94:5-6

     5730   orphans
     8791   oppression, nature of

Psalm 94:5-8

     8760   fools, characteristics

Library
Of the Knowledge of Truth
Happy is the man whom Truth by itself doth teach, not by figures and transient words, but as it is in itself.(1) Our own judgment and feelings often deceive us, and we discern but little of the truth. What doth it profit to argue about hidden and dark things, concerning which we shall not be even reproved in the judgment, because we knew them not? Oh, grievous folly, to neglect the things which are profitable and necessary, and to give our minds to things which are curious and hurtful! Having
Thomas A Kempis—Imitation of Christ

Against Vain and Worldly Knowledge
"My Son, let not the fair and subtle sayings of men move thee. For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.(1) Give ear to My words, for they kindle the heart and enlighten the mind, they bring contrition, and they supply manifold consolations. Never read thou the word that thou mayest appear more learned or wise; but study for the mortification of thy sins, for this will be far more profitable for thee than the knowledge of many difficult questions. 2. "When thou hast read and learned many
Thomas A Kempis—Imitation of Christ

A Prayer for the Spirit of Devotion
6. O Lord my God, Thou art all my good, and who am I that I should dare to speak unto Thee? I am the very poorest of Thy servants, an abject worm, much poorer and more despicable than I know or dare to say. Nevertheless remember, O Lord, that I am nothing, I have nothing, and can do nothing. Thou only art good, just and holy; Thou canst do all things, art over all things, fillest all things, leaving empty only the sinner. Call to mind Thy tender mercies, and fill my heart with Thy grace, Thou
Thomas A Kempis—Imitation of Christ

The Abrogation of the Saybrook Platform
That house cannot stand.--Mark iii, 25. The times change and we change with them.--Proverb. The omission of all persecuting acts from the revision of the laws in 1750 was evidence that the worst features of the great schism were passing, that public opinion as a whole had grown averse to any great severity toward the Separatists as dissenters. But the continuance in the revised statutes of the Saybrook Platform as the legalized constitution of the "Presbyterian, Congregational or Consociated Church,"
M. Louise Greene, Ph. D.—The Development of Religious Liberty in Connecticut

Joy
'The fruit of the Spirit is joy.' Gal 5:52. The third fruit of justification, adoption, and sanctification, is joy in the Holy Ghost. Joy is setting the soul upon the top of a pinnacle - it is the cream of the sincere milk of the word. Spiritual joy is a sweet and delightful passion, arising from the apprehension and feeling of some good, whereby the soul is supported under present troubles, and fenced against future fear. I. It is a delightful passion. It is contrary to sorrow, which is a perturbation
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

a survey of the third and closing discourse of the prophet
We shall now, in conclusion, give a survey of the third and closing discourse of the prophet. After an introduction in vi. 1, 2, where the mountains serve only to give greater solemnity to the scene (in the fundamental passages Deut. xxxii. 1, and in Is. 1, 2, "heaven and earth" are mentioned for the same purposes, inasmuch as they are the most venerable parts of creation; "contend with the mountains" by taking them in and applying to [Pg 522] them as hearers), the prophet reminds the people of
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

Out of the Deep of Suffering and Sorrow.
Save me, O God, for the waters are come in even unto my soul: I am come into deep waters; so that the floods run over me.--Ps. lxix. 1, 2. I am brought into so great trouble and misery: that I go mourning all the day long.--Ps. xxxviii. 6. The sorrows of my heart are enlarged: Oh! bring Thou me out of my distress.--Ps. xxv. 17. The Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping: the Lord will receive my prayer.--Ps. vi. 8. In the multitude of the sorrows which I had in my heart, Thy comforts have refreshed
Charles Kingsley—Out of the Deep

In Death and after Death
A sadder picture could scarcely be drawn than that of the dying Rabbi Jochanan ben Saccai, that "light of Israel" immediately before and after the destruction of the Temple, and for two years the president of the Sanhedrim. We read in the Talmud (Ber. 28 b) that, when his disciples came to see him on his death-bed, he burst into tears. To their astonished inquiry why he, "the light of Israel, the right pillar of the Temple, and its mighty hammer," betrayed such signs of fear, he replied: "If I were
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life

How they are to be Admonished who Lament Sins of Deed, and those who Lament Only Sins of Thought.
(Admonition 30.) Differently to be admonished are those who deplore sins of deed, and those who deplore sins of thought. For those who deplore sins of deed are to be admonished that perfected lamentations should wash out consummated evils, lest they be bound by a greater debt of perpetrated deed than they pay in tears of satisfaction for it. For it is written, He hath given us drink in tears by measure (Ps. lxxix. 6): which means that each person's soul should in its penitence drink the tears
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great

Temporal Advantages.
"We brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content."--1 Tim. vi. 7, 8. Every age has its own special sins and temptations. Impatience with their lot, murmuring, grudging, unthankfulness, discontent, are sins common to men at all times, but I suppose one of those sins which belongs to our age more than to another, is desire of a greater portion of worldly goods than God has given us,--ambition and covetousness
John Henry Newman—Parochial and Plain Sermons, Vol. VII

Division of Actual Grace
Actual grace may be divided according to: (1) the difference existing between the faculties of the human soul, and (2) in reference to the freedom of the will. Considered in its relation to the different faculties of the soul, actual grace is either of the intellect, or of the will, or of the sensitive faculties. With regard to the free consent of the will, it is either (1) prevenient, also called cooeperating, or (2) efficacious or merely sufficient. 1. THE ILLUMINATING GRACE OF THE INTELLECT.--Actual
Joseph Pohle—Grace, Actual and Habitual

Letter Xlvi (Circa A. D. 1125) to Guigues, the Prior, and to the Other Monks of the Grand Chartreuse
To Guigues, the Prior, And to the Other Monks of the Grand Chartreuse He discourses much and piously of the law of true and sincere charity, of its signs, its degrees, its effects, and of its perfection which is reserved for Heaven (Patria). Brother Bernard, of Clairvaux, wishes health eternal to the most reverend among fathers, and to the dearest among friends, Guigues, Prior of the Grande Chartreuse, and to the holy Monks who are with him. 1. I have received the letter of your Holiness as joyfully
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux—Some Letters of Saint Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux

The Roman Pilgrimage: the Miracles which were Wrought in It.
[Sidenote: 1139] 33. (20). It seemed to him, however, that one could not go on doing these things with sufficient security without the authority of the Apostolic See; and for that reason he determined to set out for Rome, and most of all because the metropolitan see still lacked, and from the beginning had lacked, the use of the pall, which is the fullness of honour.[507] And it seemed good in his eyes[508] that the church for which he had laboured so much[509] should acquire, by his zeal and labour,
H. J. Lawlor—St. Bernard of Clairvaux's Life of St. Malachy of Armagh

But, Say They, How is the Flesh by a Certain Likeness Compared unto The...
25. But, say they, how is the flesh by a certain likeness compared unto the Church? What! doth the Church lust against Christ? whereas the same Apostle said, "The Church is subject unto Christ." [1898] Clearly the Church is subject unto Christ; because the spirit therefore lusteth against the flesh, that on every side the Church may be made subject to Christ; but the flesh lusteth against the spirit, because not as yet hath the Church received that peace which was promised perfect. And for this reason
St. Augustine—On Continence

Question Lxxxi of the virtue of Religion
I. Does the Virtue of Religion Direct a Man To God Alone? S. Augustine, sermon, cccxxxiv. 3 " on Psalm lxxvi. 32 sermon, cccxi. 14-15 II. Is Religion a Virtue? III. Is Religion One Virtue? IV. Is Religion a Special Virtue Distinct From Others? V. Is Religion One of the Theological Virtues? VI. Is Religion To Be Preferred To the Other Moral Virtues? VII. Has Religion, Or Latria, Any External Acts? S. Augustine, of Care for the Dead, V. VIII. Is Religion the Same As Sanctity? Cardinal Cajetan,
St. Thomas Aquinas—On Prayer and The Contemplative Life

The Knowledge of God
'The Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.' I Sam 2:2. Glorious things are spoken of God; he transcends our thoughts, and the praises of angels. God's glory lies chiefly in his attributes, which are the several beams by which the divine nature shines forth. Among other of his orient excellencies, this is not the least, The Lord is a God of knowledge; or as the Hebrew word is, A God of knowledges.' Through the bright mirror of his own essence, he has a full idea and cognisance
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

The Chorus of Angels
Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour and glory, and blessing! I t was a good report which the queen of Sheba heard, in her own land, of the wisdom and glory of Solomon. It lessened her attachment to home, and prompted her to undertake a long journey to visit this greater King, of whom she had heard so much. She went, and she was not disappointed. Great as the expectations were, which she had formed from the relation made her by others,
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 2

Christian Meekness
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth Matthew 5:5 We are now got to the third step leading in the way to blessedness, Christian meekness. Blessed are the meek'. See how the Spirit of God adorns the hidden man of the heart, with multiplicity of graces! The workmanship of the Holy Ghost is not only curious, but various. It makes the heart meek, pure, peaceable etc. The graces therefore are compared to needlework, which is different and various in its flowers and colours (Psalm 45:14).
Thomas Watson—The Beatitudes: An Exposition of Matthew 5:1-12

Psalms
The piety of the Old Testament Church is reflected with more clearness and variety in the Psalter than in any other book of the Old Testament. It constitutes the response of the Church to the divine demands of prophecy, and, in a less degree, of law; or, rather, it expresses those emotions and aspirations of the universal heart which lie deeper than any formal demand. It is the speech of the soul face to face with God. Its words are as simple and unaffected as human words can be, for it is the genius
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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