Subject: Dare to Keep on Keeping on! Psalm 137:1-6
“By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion. We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof. For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion. How shall we sing the LORD’S song in a strange land? If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning. If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy”
Introduction: The words of our text are the words of a nation of people who have been vanquished by the armies of the Babylonian empire. Their beloved and holy city Jerusalem has been sacked and set aflame. The beautiful temple that was built by King Solomon has been desecrated and left in ruins. And the once proud nation of Israel has been placed in chains and marched away as slaves into a strange and foreign land. The very people who were known throughout the world for their beautiful songs of worship to the God of their salvation, have been reduced to listening to the taunts and ridicules of their captors. The Babylonians had listened carefully to Israel’s songs of praise as they studied their enemy. They heard them as they sang one of the psalms of David. They listened as the Israelites sang: “The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident. One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.” They listened and they remembered.
And in celebration of their great victory over Israel these captors mocked the people of God with a cruel request. “Sing us one of the songs of Zion.” And the people of God replied with a question; a question that I believe was directed more to themselves than to their captors: “How shall we sing the LORD’S song in a strange land?“
This sad account of the people of God finds them at one of the lowest points in their rich history. I would like to suggest to you that there is a message of hope hidden in the text and a challenge to keep on keeping on. The psalmist said: “By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion. We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof. For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song.” The psalmist records the question: “How shall we sing the LORD’S song in a strange land? Babylon was a strange land. The word Babel, which the root of Babylon means confusion. These Jews find themselves in unfamiliar territory. They were depressed, dismayed and dysfunctional. Life has a way of carrying us to Babylon. Even in Babylon, there are something that we must not do, Don’t Quit! First, don’t serving!
1. DARE TO SERVE - Your gift of service is for the benefit of others
First of all, I need you to hear me when I say DON’T STOP SERVING. In verse 2 we read, “We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof.” The words of the psalmist create for us a very visual image of weeping saints standing at the edge of the river in the midst of weeping willow trees. Their heads were hung in shame and defeat, and he says “there they hanged their harps.” It was there at the river’s edge among the willows, in a mood of spiritual dejection and defiance that they decided to hang up their instruments of music and worship. Those who made this decision to were the temple musicians. They had once provided a valuable service to people of God and the work of the Lord. Two things caught my attention in the text and they both speak of a future hope: (1) these prisoners brought their harps with them on their march into captivity. So somewhere in the back of their minds, even though their city and their homes had been destroyed, even though they were now in chains being led away into a strange land, they remained hopeful that the time would come when they would be able to play the Lord’s songs once more. Even in times of sorrow and mourning God will give you a ray of hope. (2) even though their enemy verbally assaulted and insulted them daily, they did not destroy their harps or throw them away, they hung them up. Again, somewhere in the back of their minds was a flicker of hope that there would come a time that they would be able to pick up their harps and play the Lord’s songs once again
As we grow older, sometimes we feel tired and less useful. Our voice may not be as clear as it once was, our heatlh may be declining, and the devil has a way of saying, Well, you have done your part or no one appreciates you, just quit! Sometimes a church congregation goes through changes and your initial reaction is to pack it in and quit – but don’t do it. These Israelites may have hung up their harps in the willow trees, but they never intended to stop playing and serving. Their harps may have been silent for a season, but they left the door open for the time when they would be able to make music again in the service of the Lord. God will always leave the door of opportunity open for our service, so “Don’t Stop Serving.” This maybe a different season in your life, but God is right here in the place where you are! Secondly, don’t stop singing!
2. DARE TO SING – Your song is a testimony others need to hear
In verse 4 we hear the words of the singers. They asked a question both of their captors and themselves, “How shall we sing the LORD’S song in a strange land?” The request of their captors was as unreasonable as it was insulting. How could they who had reduced them to slavery, and dragged them in chains from their homeland, so beautiful land and privileged, expect them to sing one of the sacred songs of the Lord, to please them. The Babylonians were enemies of both Israel and their God. How could the Babylonians expect laughter and entertainment from people in a state of poverty and oppression? The songs required of the singers were songs that were appointed by God. These songs were to be sung in God’s honor and service. These songs were not Israel’s songs; they were the Lord’s songs. How then could they be sung in a strange land, for the entertainment of a strange people who were enemies of God? Like the temple musicians, these singers thought they had no choice in the matter except to respond with their silence.
But while they refused to sing in a strange land and for the entertainment of an unworthy audience, they did not declare that they would never sing again. So often troubles and trials have a way of stealing our song. For the child of God, our songs are testimonies of praise to God and a witness to others. Our songs are verbal expressions of our joy and connectedness to God. When you sing the Lord’s songs those around you are offered a glimpse into the relationship – the love affair if you will, between us and our Lord. Our songs express our praise to God, our witness to others and our hope for the future. Even during oppression and trials, we have a choice. Trouble may knock at our door, but we still have choice in the matter. We cannot choose our circumstances, but we can choose our response. We can always sing the Lord’s Song. As soon as trouble comes, we can expect our enemy to taunt us with the questions, “Where is your God now? What happened to your songs of praise?” Israel’s silence was a form of protest and resistance. Yet silence can be misunderstood as a victory for our enemy. So “Don’t Stop Singing.” Israel stopped singing because their joy had been destroyed. They could not sing because they were out of their element in a strange land. They were captives in a strange land. Captivity has a way of paralyzing both the hand and the mouth. The musicians could not play, and the singers could not sing. Nehemiah 8:10 reminds us that “the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Singing stirs up the joy that is in you, the Lord’s joy! So, during the pandemic, “Don’t Stop Serving and Don’t Stop Singing.” Remember Job 35:10 which read, “But none saith, Where is God my maker, who giveth songs in the night;” Job reminds us that God giveth songs in the night! When Paul and Silas had been beaten and tortured, at midnight, they choose to sing and prayer…and the prisoners heard them! Don’t stop serving and don’t stop singing because others in bondage are listening for a sound of hope!
3. REMEMBER WHY YOU WORK, SERVE AND SING: We do it all for the SAVIOR and HIS GLORY!
So I encourage you don’t stop serving and don’t stop singing. In verses 5 and 6, we hear the resolve of the Israelites. “If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning. If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy.” These praise singers declared that even though his harp was hanging and their voice silent, they had not forgotten how to play, sing and serve God. Even though Jerusalem lay in ruins he would not forget her joys and her glory. If they did forget or if they ever played for the heathens, “then let me lose my skill in the use of my harp.” The singers vowed that if should they ever forget the holy city Jerusalem and what it represented to the people of God; “let me lose my voice, and all its powers of melody and praise.” They were devoted to Jerusalem and vowed never to forget her. If only Israel had been as devoted to LORD!
Amid their calamity and suffering Israel had the presence of mind to remember. They remembered and vowed never to forget Jerusalem. Regardless of your circumstances, “don’t forget why you serve, play and sing: For the Savior.” It was admirable that they vowed to remember. They seemed only to remember Jerusalem, the temple and their former positions. Yet, they seemed to have forgotten God. They had forgotten the One who had brought them through the Red Sea and out of the wilderness. Presently, they were in captivity because they refused to remember their covenant relationship with the God of their fathers. Serving, Singing, and working for the Church is a good thing; doing the work of the church is a good thing, but “never forget why we do what we do.” The pandemic will pass, and we will again be in our church building, celebrate homecomings, anniversaries, adorned in beautiful outfits, but don’t forget why we serve, we sing and for whom in work. Always remember, we serve a risen savior, who has promised that he is coming again. I trust we are not serving and singing, just to be serving and singing. I trust that you are called to your assignment. I hope you cannot help but work, serve and sing. I hope you singing because you have to sing. In John 14:2, 3 Jesus said: “In My Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”
“Don’t Forget Your Savior” and what He accomplished on the cross at Calvary. Through it all, remember that He died a sacrificial and substitutionary death to cleanse us from our sins and redeemed us to himself. We must not forget that we must be about our Father’s business. The Father’s business is kingdom building. Because of their sin and disobedience of Israel, the Babylonians were allowed to invade, defeat and enslave Israel. Since our Savior has already conquered and defeated our enemy and we have victory in Jesus, we can keep on keeping on! We must not allow the pandemic, economic challenges, trials of today, nor troubles of tomorrow to steal our song. Keep on keeping on!
CONCLUSION
Don’t hang up your harps because there is yet work to do. DON’T STOP SERVING; DON’T STOP SINGING and DON’T STOP WORKING! Always remember why we do what we do, it’s all for the Savior! You and I are a part of the Lord’s Army. We are called to sing for him. In Psalms 100, David reminds us by saying; “Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. 2 Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing. 3 Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. 4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. 5 For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.”
Since there is so much work to do, DON’T STOP SERVING; DON’T STOP SINGING and DON’T STOP WORKING! Always remember why we do what we do, it is all for the Savior!
