Psalm 126 They That Dream...
I. The Determining of the Dream 1 When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream. - All dreams must have a starting place. 1. The Problems of Life the captivity of Zion Some commentators believe this to be the Babylonian captivity, but many others point out that the word itself refers to all manner of misfortune and trouble. The captivity referred to here could just as easily refer to the Assyrian siege of Sennacherib. The first criteria for deter-mining the dream is "need." Do you see a need? 2. The Preciousness of Faith "when the Lord" It must be the Lord that does the work, not our own efforts.
A. It's A Rich Salvation
a) Praise In The Problems of Life - 1b "captivity"
b) Praise In The Provisions of Life - 1a “when the Lord turned again ”
c) Praise In The Purposes of Life - 1c “of Zion”
d) Praise In The Promises of Life - 1d “like them that dream” B. It's A Real Salvation 2 Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing:
Psalms 40:1 I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.
2 He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. 3 And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.
C. It's A Recognized Salvation 2 then said they among the heathen, The LORD hath done great things for them.
3. The Precepts of Scripture - "turned again."
God promised Israel that He would punish their sin and reward their repentance.
II. The Displaying of the Dream 2 Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The LORD hath done great things for them.
The Lord "turned again the captivity of Zion." Jerusalem was saved.
God had destroyed the Assyrian army overnight by slaying them in their sleep.
2 Kings 19:35 And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the LORD went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses. 36 So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, and went and returned, and dwelt at Nineveh.
1. A Shining Glory 2 Then was our mouth filled with laughter,
a) The Source of Their Privileges - 3a “The Lord hath done great things”
b) The Subject of Their Privileges - 3a “for us”
c) The Satisfaction of Their Privileges - whereof we are glad.
2. A Singing Gladness "...and our tongue with singing..."
1 Chron 13:8 And David and all Israel played before God with all their might, and with singing, and with harps, and with psalteries, and with timbrels, and with cymbals, and with trumpets.
2 Chron 23:18 Also Jehoiada appointed the offices of the house of the LORD by the hand of the priests the Levites, whom David had distributed in the house of the LORD, to offer the burnt offerings of the LORD, as it is written in the law of Moses, with rejoicing and with singing, as it was ordained by David.
Ps 100:2 Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
Eph 5:19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
3. A Seeming Greatness then said they among the heathen, The LORD hath done great things for them.
God and man see greatness in different ways. Man only sees it after the fact;
God sees the inner greatness that was present all the time, though not apparent until the victory
God's people are great only because of their relationship with Him.
III. The Difficulties of the Dream
1. Acknowledge God's Past Blessings.
3 The LORD hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad.
In the preceding verse, the heathen said it. Now the writer says it for himself.
As he remembers the great victory, he agrees that God is a great God.
God's past blessings are solid evidence for future ones!
2. Ask for God's Present Blessings. 4 Turn again our captivity, O LORD, as the streams in the south.
We have not because we ask not.
Jabez 1 Chron 4:10. And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested.
3. Affirm God's Promised Blessings. 5 They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.
Sowing seed is an act of faith. For those in the deepest poverty, it is a supreme act of faith.
IV. The Demands of the Dream v. 6 He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed,
1. The Pursuit - He that goeth forth...
The phrase carries with it a moving away from something and a moving toward something else
We must be "at work" for God. At some point, we, like the sower, must go forth.
Mt 13:3 he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;
2. The Pain...and weepeth...
The word means to lament, to bewail, to shed tears of grief or humiliation.
Samuel Rutherford (Brilliant Scholar)
Fair Anworth, by the Solway, To me thou still art dear,
E'en from the verge of heaven, I drop for thee a tear.
Oh! If one from Anworth, Meet me at God's right hand,
My Heaven will be two Heavens, In Immanuel's land.
David Brainerd "All my desire was the conversion of the heathen... I declare, now I am dying, I would not have spent my life otherwise for the whole world."
David Livingstone "Death alone will put a stop to my effort!"
C.T. Studd "I cannot tell you what joy it gave me to bring the first soul to the Lord Jesus Christ. I have tasted almost all the pleasures that this world can give. I do not suppose there is one that I have not experienced, but I can tell you that those pleasures were as nothing compared to the joy that the saving of that one soul gave me."
3. The Purpose...bearing precious seed...
In every Christian's dream, the goal is to accomplish God's purpose.
This phrase literally means, to leave a trail to follow.
The planting of the valuable seed was to set in motion events that would lead to a harvest.
V. The Delights of the Dream 6 shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him. - We now reach the payoff.
1. The Surety...shall doubtless... Success is guaranteed in the service of God.
Not success as the world defines it, but as God defines it. God's kind of success means a full reward and confidence when we one day stand in His presence.
2. The Strength...come again... strength for the harvest. Victory and harvest are assured.
3. The Song...with rejoicing... proclaim with a ringing cry. rejoicing that the world can't understand.
4. The Sheaves...bringing his sheaves with him... The sheaves represent the harvest.
Just as the farmer is dependent on the elements, the Christian labourer is dependent on God.
