"By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion. 2We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof. 3For 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. 4How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a strange land?" [Psalms 137:1-4]
INTRO: Judah’s national history spans some 345 years from 931 BC to 586 BC. During this period there were a total of 20 kings which sat of Judah’s throne. Of these 20 kings, 8 were characterized as "doing that which was right in the sight of the Lord", and 12 were characterized as "doing that which was evil in the sight of the Lord".
The last 3 kings of Judah were Jehoiakim; Jehoiachin and Mattaniah. It was under Jehoiakim that Jeremiah the prophet warned the nation of God’s coming judgment. This warning was ignored, and Jehoiakim took the prophet’s writing and threw it in the fire! Not long after this act of supreme insubordination we find Babylon, under the direction of Nebuchadnezzar marching on and defeating Jerusalem. This happened in 604 BC. Jehoiakim was killed, and his son Jehoiachin took his place for only 3 months. It was during this time that Nebuchadnezzar took some 10,000 prisoners (including Daniel and Ezekiel) into Babylonian captivity.
Just a few short years later, Judah was utterly destroyed. Jerusalem was totally ruined; Solomon’s Temple, which had been the pride and glory of Israel for almost 400 years was reduced to ashes; and Mattaniah, last king of Judah was blinded and taken in chains to Babylon. The people of God would remain scattered for over 2,500
years. This same nation that had been miraculously delivered by God on numerous occasions was gone. No longer could they count on a Moses or a Samson or a David or a Gideon or a Shamgar to deliver them. They went from land owners to slaves. From free men to animals of burden. All hope was gone. They went from their precious promised land to the heathen land of Babylon (modern day Iraq). They had been warned repeatedly by God through His prophets, yet they had turned a deaf ear! Their nation’s history had begun by a miraculous delivery by God from the cruel hands of the Egyptian Pharaoh and now because of their disobedience, they are in captivity again. And our text says "By the rivers of Babylon ... we sat down, (and) we wept ...."
I believe Psalms 137 holds a very important lesson for us this morning. It has been on my heart this entire week. Those first 2 verses have been running through the corridors of my soul. I want you to see four aspects of the captivity in which God’s people found themselves.
• BITTERSWEET MEMORIES. [“.. we remembered Zion ...”]
It’s important you get the picture this morning. Here are God’s people. Those who had experienced His wondrous workings in their lives. People who were very familiar with the presence of God. Our text tells us "they remembered Zion."
Now, anyone who has spent time away from the friendly confines of the United States of America can understand to a small degree what was going through the minds of God’s people. You see, our text is simply telling us that they were reminiscing about their homeland. Yet this was not just a case of "homesickness". You see, their home was gone. All that they stood for was gone. And they remembered.
Have you ever wondered what they were remembering as they sat there by the rivers of Babylon. Perhaps they thought of the glory days of Israel. They had been often told of how the glory of God was manifested in the midst of their people. One such display of God’s presence is found at the dedication of the temple in 2 Chronicles 5:13-14:
"It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the LORD; 14So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of God."
Perhaps they were thinking of the great victories they had enjoyed in the past. They were God’s people. Their God alone was worthy of glory. As they sat there pondering the past maybe they thought of all the battles miraculously won at the hands of God. They had taken Jericho. They had conquered the Moabites, Edomites, Philistines and any other evil nation which would dare challenge the God of Israel. They were known throughout the world as champions. But now all they could do was remember.
In Psalm 139:14 we read "I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: ..." One great characteristic of man is his ability to remember. This is both a blessing and a curse, for while we relish the pleasant memories, we are often tormented by the memories of despair. We joyously remember our early days with the Lord. We remember our conversion experience. We remember great victories given by God. We remember sensing His wondrous presence in our lives. We remember the days of simply trusting Him in all things. We remember the sweet sessions of prayer as God would seem to come and walk with us. We remember when we could sing the song "He’s All I Need" and mean it. We remember the excitement arising in our spirit as we prepared ourselves to go to God’s house. There was such anticipation. We remember!!! And yet, if we find ourselves this morning in spiritual Babylon. If we find ourselves far from home --- far from where we began our walk with the Lord --- the "remembering" will have the same effect on us as it did upon those by the Babylonian rivers. What effect did this "remembering" have on the Babylonian Captives?
• OVERWHELMED BY CIRCUMSTANCES [“We Sat Down. . .”]
Look at the text with me again this morning. "By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down,..." Now it’s important you’re connected with me this morning. Here are the people of God who at one time enjoyed all the blessings of God. This had been promised them in Deuteronomy 30:19-20:
"I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: 20That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life ..."
Yet now, through disobedience they found themselves in a mess. All they had done before meant nothing. It is the NOW that is important, and NOW they find them-selves far away from the homeland they love.
What did they do? Scripture says "They sat". This speaks of inactivity and hopelessness. They had no hope of ever seeing their beloved Jerusalem again. Yet, unbeknown to them this captivity was only for a season. After it accomplished that which God intended, the people would once again be miraculously delivered to go home. God would move on the heart of a pagan king to once again "Let His People Go".
But for now, the people sat. They didn’t pray, they sat. They didn’t plan, they sat. They didn’t praise, they sat. They were in what they felt was a hopeless situation. They had forgotten Who it was they served. Though they found themselves in captivity, God was still with them. What had he spoken through the prophet Isaiah?
"But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. 2When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. 3For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: ..." (Isaiah 43:1-3)
They sat while they should have been standing. They sat while they should have been solving. They sat while they should have been soliciting. They sat!
I’m reminded of a similar story found in the Second Book of the Kings, chapters 6 & 7. This story tells of a besieged Samaria at the hands of the fierce Syrians. The result of this prolonged siege is found in chapter 6 which states: "and there was a great famine in Samaria". As a matter of fact, we find that the famine was so devastating that some actually turned to eating their children! And just when it seems things couldn’t get worse we get a glimpse of what was happening outside the city gates.
"And there were four leprous men at the entering in of the gate: and they said one to another, Why sit we here until we die? 4If we say, We will enter into the city, then the famine is in the city, and we shall die there: and if we sit still here, we die also. Now there-fore come, and let us fall unto the host of the Syrians: if they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die." [ 2 Kings 7:3-4]
Now friends, this is what I call going from bad to worse! Not only were these leprous men starving, they were also left unprotected. They were starving outside the city! But I thank God for them. You see, they realized their options were limited: 1) Get up and run the risk of being killed or 2) Sit fast and ensure their death! Listen to what they were saying: We may die, but bless God we’re going to go down trying! We refuse to sit here and feel sorry for ourselves! Listen --- being anywhere would be better than languishing here!!
Scripture tells us they did indeed get up and go to the Syrian camp, and God brought great victory through their feeble efforts of survival! My friend, may I tell you "Little is much when God is in it!!" If they would have set there at the gate of the besieged city and bemoaned how things used to be a great victory would have been lost. They reached a point of desperation. They were tired of where they were. They were tired of their current condition. They decided to garner up what little strength they had and do something! And in doing so, they learned a principle that the Apostle Paul would speak of many centuries later. "Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong." (2 Cor 12:10) Friends, these lepers did not move in their own strength. They only needed strength enough to get up --- God did the rest!!
Yet, by the rivers of Babylon many years later we find other people of God who simply sat!
• ANGUISH OF THE SOUL [“. . . we wept . . .”]
I don’t mean to be critical of the Babylonian captives this morning. You see, my heart goes out to them as I see them there --- by the rivers of Babylon --- weeping for things which once were.
There is something therapeutic about tears. How often I have heard folks say "I feel like a need a good cry". That seems like a contradiction in terms --- a good cry. There is an old gospel song which says "tears are a language God understands". And indeed He does.
God hears the cries of His people. Psalm 142:1-3 states:
"...I cried unto the LORD with my voice; with my voice unto the LORD did I make my supplication. 2I poured out my complaint before him; I showed before him my trouble. 3When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then thou knewest my path..."
I don’t know the names of those who wept by the Babylonian rivers that day --- but God does. Their sounds of weeping came up before Him. He took notice of the tears. And He knew the tears would not last forever. There was a better day coming. A day when their captivity was to be turned into joy. A day when His mercy would prevail.
I am once again reminded of a story of one of God’s greatest champions. His name was Samson. You know the story how he frittered away the blessings of God and found himself ensnared in a web of deceit and agony. Because of his rebellion he was changed from a victor to a victim. He was taken captive by the Philistines and, after having his eyes plucked out, was cast into a prison in Gaza. There is no better example in all of scripture of one who had fallen away from the blessings of God. He had once been mighty in the sight of God, and now he is found being used as a beast of burden at a Philistine grinding wheel. Listen to how far Samson had fallen:
"Then the lords of the Philistines gathered them together for to offer a great sacrifice unto Dagon their god, and to rejoice: for they said, Our god hath delivered Samson our enemy into our hand. 24And when the people saw him, they praised their god: for they said, Our god hath delivered into our hands our enemy, and the destroyer of our country, which slew many of us." (Judges 16:23-24)
Friends, allow me to tell you it didn’t end there! You see, Samson cried and God heard and responded.
"And Samson called unto the LORD, and said O Lord GOD, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes. 29And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house stood, and on which it was borne up, of the one with his right hand, and of the other with his left. 30And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life." (Judges 16:28-30)
Samson cried and God heard. My friend, it is all right to weep, but don’t weep in despair!! God still hears and will answer. Weep in contrition, weep in repentance, weep with a burden for lost souls, but never weep in despair! Those sitting by the Babylonian rivers were full of remorse and despair. They remembered, they sat and they wept!
• LOSING ONE’S SONG. [“We hanged our harps on the willow tree in the midst thereof . .How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a strange land?”]
I supposed to me personally, one of the saddest parts of this Psalm is found in verse 2: "We hanged our harps on the willow tree in the midst thereof ..." To me, this speaks of a silent resolution to the crisis at hand. They had resigned themselves that they would forever be in captivity. The significance of the phrase "we hanged our harps on the willow tree" is that it speaks of ceasing in offering praise unto God.
The children of Israel were known for their musical ability. Undoubtedly this is why their captives were "requiring of them a song". God had specially blessed them in this area. The very name of their kingdom -- Judah -- was interpreted "Praise". God had done wonderful things for the people of God as they praised Him. We find in 2 Chronicles 20 a great victory wrought for Jehoshaphat by God. Listen to how this victory came about:
"And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the LORD, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the LORD; for his mercy endureth for ever. 22And when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten." (2 Chron 20:21-22).
Victory came from praise. And yet, the Babylonian captives forgot this fact and they "hanged their harps on the willows". They retired their instruments of praise!! "How can we sing the Lord’s song in a strange land?" they asked. They were in a crisis situation! A place where they felt praise and worship was out of place. But may I ask you this morning if there is any such place?! Is there any situation in which praise will not work?
The Apostle Paul and Silas were in a crisis while in prison. Yet scripture records
"And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. 26And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed." (Acts 16:25-26)
Jonah was in a crisis situation in the belly of a whale.
Jonah 1:17 "Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights."
Jonah 2:1 "Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish’s belly,"
Jonah 2:9-10 "But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD. 10And the LORD spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land."
There is no situation which warrants our "hanging our harps on the willow tree". We will never find ourselves in a place where God is not worthy of our praise!
• CONCLUSION
Our circumstances seem to cause us to "shut up" and "hang up." We stop singing the Lord’s song when we feel we are in "captivity", but the real deliverance comes when we sing and praise. Don’t leave your harp haning in the willows, with only the wind blowing through the strings. Deliverance is coming!
