Psalms In My Palms - Book 3 - Justice

Harps on Willows

Psalm 137:1-9

Psalm 137 reflects a sad period of Israel's history-The Babylonian Exile in 587-538 B.C. Every one of the Jewish people mourned as a nation. They held a fast used in recurring situations of their own cult. (Cult is a misused word in today's society but its true meaning is "A system of worship or group of worshippers." It is used in the modern world as an insulting suggestion of errors but this is not the pure meaning. When a group or a nation follows a pattern of a worship system it becomes a cult or a method of worship.) Sometimes periods of special forms of worship were held during a political crisis! PRAY FOR YOUR NATION! (Read Judges 20:26; 1 Samuel 7:6; 1 Kings 21:9-12; 2 Chronicles 20:3-12 in Jehoshaphat's day; and Joel 1:4; 2:12-17.)

A parallel to Psalm 137 was seen in World War II when Hitler violated the pride of France or when Russia overpowered Finland. If you were alive in either event you can easily understand the heavy grief of the nations involved in the ruin of their nation; Israel was, however, convinced that it was an insult to the God they served. This is why the Psalmist considers the opposition to their nation as an attack of God's purpose- God's enemies! They represented the powers of Satan and the embassies of Hell as the enemy. Even the Lord's Prayer responds to this-"Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil (the evil one)! "God had chosen Zion as the earthly center of His presence in the midst of His people. Israel felt they must meet God in His chosen spot. (Read Psalm 46:4; Ezekiel 47:11-12; and Revelation 22:1-2.) Zion was the place of God's presence for them at that time, but through Jesus Christ we find God's presence is in all who serve Him; therefore, God is everywhere present, wherever we are. He is not limited to an area.

Psalm 137:1-3 (TEV)-"By the rivers of Babylon we sat and cried when we remembered Zion." If your nation lay in waste as the Psalmist's did, on which their life and religion depended,

you would find yourself crying and grieving your separation from home. (Read Psalm 79:1-(NKJV)-"O God, the nations have come into Your inheritance; Your Holy Temple they have defiled; they have laid Jerusalem in heaps.). "We sat and cried when we remembered Zion."

Psalm 137:2-(TEV)-"On the willows nearby we hung our harps." Instruments of Joy and Praise were silenced . (Psalm 42:1-3-NKJV-"As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul after You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the Living God. When shall I come and appear before God? My tears have been my food day and night, while they continually say to me, 'Where is your God?").

Psalm 137:3-(TEV)-"Those who captured us told us to sing; they told us to entertain them: 'Sing us a song about Zion!' " Knowing they had already defiled the temple they wanted the songs of Zion to be played in an unholy setting for their entertainment not as worship to God for which they were intended! It was offensive as well as heart-breaking to the Israelites to make happy sounds for the enjoyment of ungodly people! I wonder if we use our talents God gave us to entertain the world for their pleasure! Rather use what God has given you to lead others to Christ for eternal life. Lead them to God not just to musical enjoyment for pleasures of this world.

In Psalm 137:4-6-(NKJV)-The people of Israel replied, "How can we sing the Lord's song in a foreign land?" They could not bring themselves to be entertainers or even express a feeling of Joy in the presence of their present grief. They told God, "If I forget You, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill." (I am convinced the Psalmist was right-handed as this would explain his statement. This does not insult the left-handed person as they also received recognition in Judges 20:16 where 700 men were considered special because they were left-handed and were experts with their weapons in battle.). The Psalmist went on, "If I do not remember You, let my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth-if I do not exalt Jerusalem above my chief joy." Jerusalem was the place of their temple. May the things that make me happy not be above the happy feeling I get when I go to the House of God praising Him all the way. The presence of God should give us more joy than any earthly event, item, or position! My chief joy is in Jesus Christ , my Lord! (This saying of the tongue clinging to the roof of the mouth is also in Ezekiel 2:26 and refers to becoming mute because of rebelling against God.)

Finally we come to Psalm 137:7-9-(CEB)-"Lord, remember what the Edomites did on Jerusalem's dark day-'Rip it down, Rip it down! All the way to its foundations!' They yelled." (Psalm 129 is a song they sang as they ascended to the temple, a song of victory over Zion's enemies. Also read Jeremiah 49:7-22 to see what God declared as Judgment for Edom's destructive work. God said of Edomite in Jeremiah 49:16b-"Though you make your nests. As high as the eagle, I will bring you down from there." This is not just Israel's complaint and cry for JUSTICE, BUT THIS IS GOD'S CRY FOR JUSTICE!)

Psalm 137:8-(CEB)-"Daughter Babylon, you destroyer, a blessing on the one who pays you back the very deed you did to us." (Isaiah 13:1-6-"...The Lord of Hosts musters the army for battle. They come from the end of heaven- The Lord and His weapons of indignation, to destroy the whole land. Wail for the day of the Lord is at hand! It will come as destruction from THE ALMIGHTY."). GOD'S JUSTICE! (Jeremiah 50:15b-16a-"For it is the vengeance of the Lord. Take vengeance on her, as she has done, so do to her. Cut off the sower...". Could this be an eye for an eye or ear for ear policy of God? THIS IS GOD'S JUSTICE, NOT OURS! Jesus said of our causes it is not to be eye for eye, etc., but, GOD IS THE FINAL JUSTICE!

The Psalmist concludes Psalm 137:9 with, (CEB)-"A blessing on the one who seizes your children and smashes them against the rock!" Such violence we find hard to understand but God's mercy allows for forgiveness upon repentance for all those who come to Him; if they do not repent, the hosts of heaven under God's command will carry out HIS JUSTICE according to Isaiah 13 when He "Musters the army...from the ends of heaven." (Read Psalm 146:5-7 and see why the Psalmist said, "Blessed on the one who carries out God's JUSTICE. Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his Help whose hope is in the Lord his God...WHO EXECUTES JUSTICE FOR THE OPPRESSED...". Remember Babylon had stirred up God's anger. Babylon had destroyed the nation of Judah in 587 B.C. And the Edomites assisted them in the sacking of Jerusalem. (Read Obadiah1:10-16 and see why God was angry with Edomite when they had no business assisting Babylon in their wicked deed.). It's not nice to cross God! HE IS THE GOD OF JUSTICE!

Do you know where you need to be in your relationship with God? Joshua 24:15-"Choose you this day whom you will serve...But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."

Next time...