Psalm 137

Reading for September 15, 2012          Psalm 137

In 586 B.C. Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonians, and the Jews were taken into exile. Psalm 137 is a remembrance that the Babylonians taunted the Jews by demanding they sing songs of praise for their Temple and Jerusalem, both of which had been burned and destroyed. The psalmist records that the Jews could not sing, and instead wept and hung their harps in the poplar (willow) trees. Although the psalmist says they could not sing to a Temple and city that no longer existed, they vowed never to forget Jerusalem. The Jews also petitioned their God to destroy their captors. The closing line of this psalm is quite harsh, even repugnant to us. However, it is metaphor and not meant to be taken literally. Their petition is that the destruction of their captors will extend through the next generation.

We all experience times where we do not feel like singing praises to God. However, unlike the Jews who had no choice but to endure their captivity and hope God would someday redeem them, we can rejoice that God has already redeemed us. Our captors, separation from God, sin and death, have been defeated by Jesus. This is why we can gather at funerals or memorial services, and sing some of the greatest hymns of our faith: How Great Thou Art, Hymn of Promise, For All the Saints, and Amazing Grace.

The victory of Jesus over sin and death is not theoretical or philosophical; it is absolute fact! As I am writing this, I have received news that a young woman, injured in an automobile accident while on the way to a Christian concert, has died. During the week she clung to life in an ICU, almost ten thousand people joined a Facebook page devoted to prayers for her. I know this morning her family and friends are devastated with sadness and grief. I also know that in a few days, they will gather at her funeral service and sing joyful songs of praise. How can they?

Because,

"The eternal self existent God,

the God who is three in one,

He who dwells in the center of your being

is a powerful, valiant warrior.

He has come to set you free,

to keep you safe and to bring you victory.

He is cheered and He beams with exceeding joy

and takes pleasure in your presence.

He has engraved a place for himself in you and there

He quietly rests in His love and affection for you.

He cannot contain Himself of the thought of you

and with the greatest of joy

spins around wildly in anticipation over you

and has placed you above all other creations

and in the highest place in His priorities.

In fact He shouts and sings in triumph,

joyfully proclaiming the gladness of His heart

in a song of rejoicing.

All because of you. "

Zephaniah 3:17

Paraphrase by Dennis Jernigan

Sē’lah

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What word or phrase in today’s reading of the Psalms

 attracts your attention?

Reflect on that word or phrase.

What insights come to you?

How does this passage touch your life today?

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

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Reading for September 16, 2012          Psalm 138