
Read: Psalm 129
Let them be like the grass on the housetops that withers before it grows up, with which reapers do not fill their hands or binders of sheaves their arms, while those who pass by do not say, “The blessing of the Lord be upon you! We bless you in the name of the Lord!”
-Psalm 129:6-8
I am intrigued by verses 6-8.
Grass on housetops? Were the Judeans the earliest proponents of green roofing? Yeah, no. Roofs were made of beams and branches covered in mud and plaster over reed mats. There was frequently grass seed embedded in the mud, so the seeds would sprout during the rainy season and grass would quite literally start growing on rooftops. However, the mud wasn’t that thick so there was no way for the grass to put down decent roots to grow, making it wither and die. That withered grass was of no use or interest to reapers because it was no good for hay. Thus, the psalmist is saying that they hope their enemies become useless, which is something that I think everyone would hope for those who oppose them.
Lord, help us to sort out the people who are “like rooftop grass” in our lives and show us the people who will be useful to us as we grow in your love and grace. Amen.
-Jen McCabe