Woe to Babylon!

Psalm 137.

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.

Remember, O LORD, the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem; who said, Rase it, rase it, even to the foundation thereof.

O daughter of Babylon, who art to be destroyed; happy shall he be, that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us.

Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones.

Israel had been defeated by Babylon, and thousands had been removed from Jerusalem to Babylon. This was a time of great grieving, and the people had gone so far as to literally hang up their harps on the tree branches. The music was no longer in their hearts, because of their grief over their homeland.

It is possible that this psalm was written in remembrance of their captivity once they had returned to Jerusalem; or, it could have been written at some point during their captivity. In any event, the psalm captures the sorrow and grieving that the Hebrews experienced in their captivity. Over what, specifically, did they grieve?

• They wept over the death of so many loved ones.
• They wept over the loss of almost everything they owned.
• They wept over the destroyed city of Jerusalem and her great temple.
• They wept over the agony of a forced march from Judea to Babylon.
• They wept over the cruelty of their captors.
• They wept over the loss of such a pleasant and blessed past.
• They wept over the forced captivity of their present.
• They wept over the bleak nature of their future.
• They wept over their sin that invited such judgment from God.

Guzik, BlueLetterBible

The Babylonians could see the open grieving, yet they taunted the Israelites: “Come on, sing us one of your songs!” They wanted their captives to entertain them, but the Israelites had no heart for it.

The final verses of this psalm call down judgment on Babylon: “Let them be treated as they have treated us!” We may recoil at the violence, but it was what the Hebrews had experienced at the hands of the Babylonian soldiers. Warfare was just as ugly and horrendous then as it is now.

His Mercy Endures Forever

Psalm 136. This psalm is so beautiful and powerful that I’m making no comment at all. His mercy endures forever.

O give thanks unto the LORD; for He is good: for His mercy endureth for ever.

O give thanks unto the God of gods: for His mercy endureth for ever.

O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for His mercy endureth for ever.

To Him who alone doeth great wonders: for His mercy endureth for ever.

To Him that by wisdom made the heavens: for His mercy endureth for ever.

To Him that stretched out the earth above the waters: for His mercy endureth for ever.

To Him that made great lights: for His mercy endureth for ever:

The sun to rule by day: for His mercy endureth for ever:

The moon and stars to rule by night: for His mercy endureth for ever.

To Him that smote Egypt in their firstborn: for His mercy endureth for ever:

And brought out Israel from among them: for His mercy endureth for ever:

With a strong hand, and with a stretched out arm: for His mercy endureth for ever.

To Him which divided the Red sea into parts: for His mercy endureth for ever:

And made Israel to pass through the midst of it: for His mercy endureth for ever:

But overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red sea: for His mercy endureth for ever.

To Him which led His people through the wilderness: for His mercy endureth for ever.

To Him which smote great kings: for His mercy endureth for ever:

And slew famous kings: for His mercy endureth for ever:

Sihon king of the Amorites: for His mercy endureth for ever:

And Og the king of Bashan: for His mercy endureth for ever:

And gave their land for an heritage: for His mercy endureth for ever:

Even an heritage unto Israel His servant: for His mercy endureth for ever.

Who remembered us in our low estate: for His mercy endureth for ever:

And hath redeemed us from our enemies: for His mercy endureth for ever.

Who giveth food to all flesh: for His mercy endureth for ever.

O give thanks unto the God of heaven: for His mercy endureth for ever.

He Does Whatsoever He Pleases

Psalm 135:6-7.

Whatsoever the LORD pleased, that did He in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places.

He causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth; He maketh lightnings for the rain; He bringeth the wind out of his treasuries.

This psalm opens with the demand that all God’s creatures should praise Him, all the time! It tells us to sing praises to Him. It says that He is great above all gods, which are made by man and have no breath, no sight, no hearing.

These two verses spoke to me in this time when mankind is so arrogant that we think we can control the weather. Blocking the sun by spraying chemicals into the air, for instance, seems to be a really arrogant effort to manipulate God’s creation.

I have seen rainstorms like that pictured above. We are powerless in the face of the power of Almighty God, Who does “whatsoever He pleases in the heavens, the earth, the seas, and all deep places.”

We are helpless before the power of Almighty God! We think we can control weather, and disasters including tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, and earthquakes. The best we can do is to take protective measures whenever possible when these events take place. We can even predict some of it, but we cannot stop that which God has ordained.

Sometimes we forget how small we are, and how little we know.

Night Watchmen

Psalm 134.

Behold, bless ye the LORD, all ye servants of the LORD, which by night stand in the house of the LORD.

Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the LORD.

The LORD that made heaven and earth bless thee out of Zion.

I didn’t grow up in a church in which lifting one’s hands in prayer or praise was practiced. It is indisputable in God’s Word that He not only allows it, but encourages it. It is certainly a form of acknowledging His authority, power, love, grace, and mercy. Still, it isn’t comfortable for me to do so in church. What I do in private is very different, and very personal.

Clearly, part of the Levitical duties included appointed night watchmen who stood at the doors, or perhaps posted throughout the Temple, to guard it during the night. This short psalm would indicate that while they went about their duties, the watchmen were also to spend time raising their hands to God in prayer and praise. I wonder if they did that individually, or if it was done at appointed times when they gathered together as they did their guard duties. Did they sing together? I would love to have heard that!

Here’s an interesting quote:

“We read, 1 Chronicles 9:33, that the Levitical singers were ‘employed in their work day and night;’ to the end, doubtless, that the earthly sanctuary might bear some resemblance of that above, where, St. John tells us, the redeemed ‘are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in the temple.’ Revelation 7:15.”

Horne, BlueLetterBible

The Family of God

This is the song I woke up to this morning:

If your church isn’t like this, or you don’t even have a church family, I promise you that there are still good churches out there who will welcome you as part of the family.

Saturday Soliloquy: I Hate Colds!

Drippy, stuffy nose. Sore throat. Sneezecoughcoughcoughsneeze. No fever, just a lot of misery. I’m still not sure if it’s a cold or an allergy. Things are blooming like crazy right now. Maybe a combination of both.

The good news is that it’s better today. I haven’t sneezed, coughed, or had to blow out my sinuses today, and it’s already 10:45 a.m. A little apple cider vinegar mixed with water is still one of the best remedies for a sore throat. I think I’m going to survive 🙂

Honestly, this past couple of weeks have gone by so fast that it feels as if all I’ve done is visit Terry at the hospital, brought him home, tried to encourage him into better sleeping and eating patterns, and blow my nose 🙂

Here’s something I’m learning: Once a person is retired, it’s very easy to lose track of which day of the week it is. The lack of routine is somewhat surprising to me, because I’m a person of routine. Terry, it seems, is not. He’s up ’til all hours of the night, eating poorly because he grazes all day, not sleeping well because of erratic bedtimes. Changing these habits is not easy, but we’re working on it. His erratic sleep is compounded by his restless leg syndrome. It particularly bothers the leg he injured 12 years ago when he broke–crushed–his heel. Don’t ever do that. It’s a really terrible injury.

The good news is that his energy is better, and he’s been working on some projects he had neglected. He’s not falling asleep over his supper any more.

I got a message from a friend this morning that her husband had what looked like a stroke, but has turned out to be brain cancer in the frontal lobe. I’ve known him since he was in college. How the years have flown! He’s retired now, and looks as if he’s in a fight for his life. Please pray for him.

Another thing I’m learning is that, as believers, we don’t dread death because it only takes us into the Presence of God. Yet there is that innate will to live, to hang onto life. My mom died at age 87, and was still determined to “set up housekeeping” once she got better. She didn’t want to give up. That’s a normal, and commendable, reaction.

Well, I’m rambling this morning. I need to do some housework–one of my least-loved tasks, so I need to get going. Hoping you all have a lovely weekend!

Unity!

Psalm 133.

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!

It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments;

As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.

Years ago, my pastor shared with me the only reasons he felt leaving a church is justified.

One: Biblical heresy. Twisting God’s Word, or teaching it in a way that undermined the truth.

Two: Immorality that is not confronted; misconduct in the pastoral staff or the congregation.

Three: Illegal activity not confronted; wrongdoers not removed from the membership.

I think there was one more, but my memory fails me.

As we continued talking, I remember asking him about disputes between members. What if those disputes could not be resolved, and caused others in the church to take sides?

His response was Matthew 18: 15-20. God gave us a specific way to deal with such disagreements, beginning with privately addressing the issue; if it is not resolved, take one or two with you and try again; if it is still not resolved, take it to the church body. If the person who is clearly wrong refuses to repent or acknowledge his fault, the he is to be removed from the congregation; but always with the motive of reconciliation. This does not apply to silly disagreements over the color of the new carpeting or the paint in the new auditorium. If folks in the church persist in these relatively unimportant details, there isn’t much hope of ever getting it settled.

Dwelling together in unity is a blessing beyond measure. The oil mentioned in these verses is that which was scented with rare substances, and was used in anointing priests. It is likely the same kind of oil with which Jesus was anointed, dripping down over His head, His beard, and onto His clothing.

In my experience, a church split is NEVER a “back-door revival,” as some like to call it. Instead, it is hurtful, destructive; it breaks friendships and causes untold sadness, never mind the poor testimony it creates in the community outside the church.

If you feel you MUST leave a church, make sure it is for good, biblically sound reasons. Don’t try to take others with you. If you have followed Matt. 18:15-20 and have not found resolution, then leave prayerfully and quietly and refrain from trying to convince others to go with you.

What if it’s a family rift? Same process. Cover it in prayer. Always behave biblically. As much as possible, keep the problem within the family.

Be very thankful if you belong to a church in which there is unity among the members, the pastors, and the lay leadership. It is possible to disagree agreeably.

David and the Temple

Psalm 132: 1-5.

LORD, remember David, and all his affliction

How he sware unto the LORD, and vowed unto the mighty God of Jacob;

Surely I will not come into the tabernacle of my house, nor go up into my bed;

I will not give sleep to mine eyes, or slumber to mine eyelids,

Until I find out a place for the LORD, an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob.

There is no absolute proof as to the writer of this psalm. Some believe it was Solomon, remembering the trials of his father David, and David’s strong desire to build a temple for the Lord. God refused that privilege to David because there was innocent blood on his hands. Instead, Solomon was to build the Temple that replaced the Tabernacle, that had traveled through the desert wanderings for so many years.

I think we tend to overlook David’s suffering and see him only as the progenitor of Jesus Christ. Here’s a list that may help us to remember that David’s life was full of difficulties:

• He was despised and criticized by his family.
• He was placed in many life-and-death struggles.
• He was accused of treason and treachery.
• He was attacked by the connected, powerful, and ruthless.
• He lived many years as a fugitive, a wanted man.
• He had family, home, friends, and career taken from him.
• He experienced a significant season of backsliding.
• He accepted as the king only reluctantly.
• He faced many enemies in battle through many wars.
• He openly criticized and despised by his wife.
• He suffered because of his own sin and scandal.
• He endured great conflict and problems among his own children.
• He suffered a coup staged by his son, followed by a civil war.
• He was openly despised and criticized by some of his subjects

Guzik, BlueLetterBible

Still, through all of his suffering and his own sin, his heart always turned back to God in grief and repentance. But he was denied his strong desire to build a Temple for the Lord, which was another great grief to him.

David did bring the Ark of the Covenant back to Zion ( I Chronicles 15:43) and he did begin to collect materials for the building of the Temple. Did he have any part in its design? I could find no reference to that, but in my imagination David had many conversations with Solomon about his vision for the Temple. Perhaps Solomon, with great compassion for his father, took careful notes on David’s ideas and incorporated them into the planning. That’s only supposition on my part, but I do think it’s a possibility.

David died knowing that God had appointed the building of the Temple to Solomon, the son who had remained steadfastly loyal to his father.

Depencence on God

Psalm 131.

LORD, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty: neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me.

Surely I have behaved and quieted myself, as a child that is weaned of his mother: my soul is even as a weaned child.

Let Israel hope in the LORD from henceforth and for ever.

There is some controversy over the time in David’s life when this psalm was written. Some believe it was after his wife Michal denounced him for what she saw as vulgarity in his dance of victory. Others believe it was written during the time Saul actively hunted David to take his life. Either is possible; or maybe it was neither one. When I first read it this morning, I though perhaps it was toward the end of David’s life when he had finally come to terms with the realities of his life. We’ll know for sure when we all get to heaven 🙂

The importance of these short verses is David’s obvious desire to be rid of personal ambition, and to lean on God for comfort, out of love for Him. He compares this experience to a weaned child, and I was fascinated by that. So I did a little reading, and I like what I learned:

A child who is still nursing depends on his mother for food and physical comfort. In many cultures, as it was in Israel in David’s era, a child was not considered weaned until he was about three years old. The weaning process, then, was hard for the child because his source of immediate food and comfort was being removed. In the process, he learned to embrace his mother out of love for her, rather than out of physical need for her. I think this is what David had learned. He had come to depend on God not for his own needs, but out of a deep love and respect for God that came with David’s own maturity.

His final words in this psalm are a prayer for Israel to depend and hope only in God, now and forever. How appropriate for today, as Israel has undergone yet another attack.

Sunday Morning Coffee: A Bit Late

Terry and I made a mutual decision to stay home from church this morning. Neither of us likes to do that, but I was not willing to leave him on his own yet, and he wasn’t sure he was ready to make the drive himself. So here we are. To my own surprise, I slept until 11:45 this morning!

He is showing improvement every day. I’m so thankful!

We have a gorgeous spring day, clear skies and 69F. It doesn’t get any better than this. I’ve spent time in my Bible this morning, and time in prayer, deliberately choosing to thank God for every blessing in my life that I could think of. There are many.

And that’s about it for today. God is good, all the time. Even when things don’t go the way we think they should, God is always good.