Subject: A Season to Remember
Text: Psalm 137:1-6 “Beside the rivers of Babylon, we sat and wept as we thought of Jerusalem. We put away our harps, hanging them on the branches of poplar trees. For our captors demanded a song from us. Our tormentors insisted on a joyful hymn: “Sing us one of those songs of Jerusalem!” But how can we sing the songs of the Lord while in a (strange) pagan land? If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget how to play the harp. May my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth if I fail to remember you, if I don’t make Jerusalem my greatest joy.”
Introduction: Memories strengthen our sense of identity and purpose and bond our relationships. Happy memories are an important ingredient in present happiness. When we are young, everything is new. We are doing so many things for the first time that we form very strong memories. Memories are important!
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 temple, sacred rituals, songs of worship to the God, Jehovah, 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.”
The Babylonians remembered Israel’s rich history and in celebration of their great victory over Israel, they 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?” Babylon was indeed a strange land! We know that death comes to all in this world, but when the young die, it’s strange! It is a strange land when loved ones die unexpectedly. It is a strange land when sorrow comes in the prime of life. It is a strange land when you trying to whole on to joy and one another while your hearts are filled with grief. Yet be assured that God will not abandon us because we are in a strange land.
Psalms 137 gives a sad account of the people of God who had lost many loved ones killed in battle, their homes, their temple, and their homeland were in ruins. This is one of the lowest points in Israel’s rich history. I would like to suggest to you that there is a message of hope hidden in the text and a challenge for to keep moving forward through our present sorrows believing that this too will pass. 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 indeed a strange land. The word Babel, which the root of Babylon means confusion. These Jews find themselves confused, in unfamiliar territory. They were depressed, dismay and dysfunctional. Life has a way of carrying us all to Babylon at one time or another. Death has a way of landing all of us in the middle of a strange land. Even in Babylon, in a strange land, there are some things that we must do, if we are going to get up. First, we are encouraged to Remember Zion! Remember your past joys! Where does the beginning of the holiday season find you? It is a strange land when you are in hospital by a sick bed or experiencing the first holiday without a loved one or just struggling to adjust to the present climate of hatred and mistrust. During times like these we must choose to remember Zion, the joy of the whole earth.
1. Remember Zion! There is Joy in Remembering. The bible tells us over 166 times to REMEMBER. We tend to forget the times are filled with swift transitions and none on earth unmoved can stand. We are told to remember because as humans, we are forgetful and irresponsible creatures. Revelation 3:3 says: “Go back to what you heard and believed at first; hold to it firmly. Repent and turn to me again. If you don’t wake up, I will come to you suddenly, as unexpected as a thief.” And Isaiah 26:3 says: “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!”
When we allow sorrow to overwhelm us, we tend to forget even the good times. By neglecting to remember the good times, our many joys and wonderful experiences, we risk being depressed, overcome with grief and more vulnerable to our enemy who comes to kill, steal, and destroy us. The enemy will use our sorrow to destroy our confidence in God and His ability to keep us. Satan urges us to forget about it all – to lose focus and to turn our focus to ourselves. But God, in His grace, has given us a helper, his Holy Spirit is an excellent reminder. So, sit in grief awhile if you must, be sad awhile if you must, but remember the good times you had together, the great joys you experienced together and remember the comfort of our great God. God is with us even in this strange land. There is value in remembering intentionally. Not only remember your loved one, remember God’s word and his promises, to hold fast to it. Remembering may leads to repentance for missed opportunities, or perfect peace that we did the best we could, or even steadfastness and a greater trust in our Savior. Israel's journey of life is a real story, about real people, both sinners and saints, who lived and loved, experienced failures and victories. So, as we go through bereavement, Remember! Go through old cards, photographs, poems, letters, and journals that belonged to your loved one. Reminds yourself of times past, their deep love, the little details, and soak it in, marinates in it. Why do this? You will find some smiles, joys, and even some healing. After you remember your loved one, remember that Jesus really loves you and is with you even in this strange land. We need to remember that this same Jesus, who came 2,000 years ago, is available to you now. He knew everything about each one of us, yet He loved us so much that He gave His life that we might have and experience his very own kind of life. They Remembered Zion!
2. Remember Your assignment! This is just a pause, it’s painful but a pause. Remember where you put your equipment? You and I are called servants of God. So, remember where you put your equipment for service. You will serve again. I need you to hear me when I say after the mourning is over, Get up and get ready to serve again. 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 sitting by the edge of the river under weeping willow trees in defeat. Their heads were hung in sorrow and defeat, yet he says “there they hanged their harps.” It was there at the river’s edge among the willows, in a mood of emotional dejection and defiance that they decided to hang up their instruments of music and worship. Those who made this decision 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 captives brought their harps with them on their march into captivity. So somewhere in the back of their minds, even though loved ones had been killed, their city and their homes had been destroyed, the temple was left in ruins, 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. 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 health 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 you lose a loved ones so dear, your heart so heavy that you feel like giving up on everything and everyone. Sometimes the church goes through changes and your initial reaction is to pack it in and quit – but don’t do it. These servants may have hung up their harps, but they never intended to stop 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 in the service of the Lord. God will always leave the door of opportunity open for service, so don’t allow the sorrow of the moment to cause you to stop serving. This will be a different season in your life, death caught you by surprise again, God is right here in the place where you are! In the strange land, God is with you! Grieve for a while, then pick your equipment and get back in service. Take time to Remember Zion! Remember Your Assignment, pick up your harp and get back in the game, and then remember the songs of Zion!
3. Remember the Songs of Zion! Death and sorrow is hard and difficult, but you will sing again! 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 unreasonable and insulting. How could they expect those captives, reduced to slaves, and dragged in chains, kidnaped from their beautiful homeland to sing one of our sacred songs of victory for their entertainment? Why should they sing to please the enemies of God and Israel? And how could they expect laughter and entertainment from people in the state of sorrow, bondage, and depression? These songs were given by God, appointed by God, and anointed by God to be sung in His honor and for His glory. Our songs are the Lord’s songs. How could they expect us to sing in a strange land? How could they expect us to sing for the benefit of a strange people who were enemies of God? Like the temple musicians gazing at their harps, these gifted singers responded with silence. Although they refused to sing in a strange land, for the benefit of an unworthy audience, they knew they would sing again!
So often troubles and trials seem to steal your song. For the child of God, our song is an expression of our praise. Our song is the verbal testimony of our joy and connection to God. When you sing the Lord’s songs those around you are offered a glimpse into the relationship – our love between us and our Lord. Our song is on the inside and flows from our heart. Since it comes from our heart, even during times of sorrow and sadness, we have a choice. Trouble may knock at our door, but we still have a choice in the matter. We cannot choose the circumstances of life, but we can choose our response. We can choose to sing the Lord’s Song anytime. We can always bless the Lord! The story in this text is really the story of life. Troubles, trials, sorrows, and pain comes to all. When they come, all of us can expect our enemy to taunt us with the questions, “Where is your God now? What happened to your songs of praise?” “I thought you said, this joy I have the world can’t take it away, what the matter now?”
I realize that Israel’s silence was a form of protest and passive resistance. But when we sing our enemy knows that the battle is not over. Sorrow has not destroyed our joy. So “remember the songs of Zion, don’t stop singing.” Israel could not sing because their joy had been destroyed. They could not sing because their hope was gone. They were captives in a strange land. Captivity has a way of paralyzing both our hands and the mouths. The musicians would not play, and the singers could not sing. But Nehemiah 8:10 reminds us “the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Singing stirs up the joy that is in you, the Lord’s joy! So “remember the songs of Zion and start singing again. Our God is a God who giveth songs in the night! Yes, Remember Zion, Remember Your Assignment, and Remember the Songs of Zion. I will trust in the Lord until I die and the Lord will make a way somehow.
3. Remember God and Give Glory to Him! “May my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth if I fail to remember you, if I don’t make Jerusalem my greatest joy.”
Today, I encourage you all to remember Zion because this world is not our home. We are all on our way home. Remember your assignment because we all will give account of our deeds done here in this strange land. Remember the songs of Zion because they inspire our faith and strengthens our joy. Start singing again! Finally, Remember your God and give glory to Him because that was God’s purpose His creation. Re. 4:11“You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power. For you created all things, and they exist because you created what you pleased.”
Listen again to the resolve of the Israelites. “May my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth if I fail to remember you, if I don’t make Jerusalem my greatest joy.” They declared that although our harps temporarily idle and our voices are temporarily silent, we had not forgotten how to play, to sing and to serve and glorify God. Although Jerusalem has been sacked, and the temple is in ruin, we will not forget our God, and will give him glory!
In this strange Land of sorrow, calamity and suffering, Israel had the presence of mind to remember her God and His holy city, Jerusalem. Israel’s memory was intact, but a little out of order. She remembered her life in Zion, she remembered her positions of authority and her assignment of duty and her city and temple, she forgot about God. She remembered the right things, but in the wrong order. They should had remembered God first and foremost. They had forgotten the One Who had brought them out of Egypt, through the Red Sea, out of the wilderness and into the Promised Land. Now, they were in captivity because they violated their covenant relationship with God. Singing in the temple worship was a good thing; doing the work of in the temple was a good thing, but always remember God. Don’t forget that this world is not our home, we too are travelers in a strange land. We are on our way to meet a Holy, righteous, and just God.
Jesus is coming again. Remember Zion, Remember your Assignment, Remember the songs of Zion, be sure you remember your God. In John 14: 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.”
Do your best and give your service in this strange Land, enjoyed every day God gives you to live, be good to one another and help one another, but don’t forget the Savior! Remember 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, purchased our freedom so we can live as children of God. Remember to work while it is day for night is coming when the workday is over! Let’s be about our Father’s business while we have time. Daylight is burning and night is approaching! The Father’s business is a kingdom enterprise! Saving souls, making disciples and kingdom building is His changing business! Don’t get sidetracked in this strange land, keep your focus. Because of Israel’s sin and disobedience, they got sidetracked in Babylon. The Babylonians were allowed to defeat and enslave them. But I need you to remember that our Savior has already conquered and defeated our chief enemy, and we can all have victory in Jesus! Jesus said, Come unto me and I will give you rest! Even you who are hurting, who have ignored me, you who are bound by sin and sorrow, I will give you rest!
CONCLUSION - Don’t allow your present sorrow and disappointment to cause you to forget the Church, hang up your harps and silent your voice. There is too much work to do. You have a part to play and a job to do. Have you joined the Lord’s Army yet? Have you surrender to Jesus yet? How much longer will you wait? How much longer can you wait? Every door will close at some point. Jesus is still tenderly calling today, come home! Come home! In Psalms 100, David reminds us by saying; “Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing. 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. For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.” There is a Blessing of Remembering in Moments Like These! Amen
