10. By the Rivers of Babylon

Posted on Posted in Sermon Notes, Prayer Meeting Tagged with , , , ,

Hymns: RHC 237 Revive Us Again, 240 Breathe on Me, Breath of God, 243 The Comforter Has Come

Psalm 137

1 By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion. 2 We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof. 3 For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of usmirth, saying, Sing us oneof the songs of Zion. 4 How shall we sing the Lord’S song in a strange land? 5 If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning. 6 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. 7 Remember, O Lord, the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem; who said, Rase it, rase it, evento the foundation thereof. 8 O daughter of Babylon, who art to be destroyed; happy shall he be, that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us. 9 Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones. Psalm 137:1-9 (KJV)

BY THE RIVERS OF BABYLON

OUTLINE

(1) The Captive’s Sorrow (v1-2)

(2) The Captive’s Silence (v3-6)

(3) The Captive’s Supplication (v7-9)

 

INTRODUCTION

The 70 years of Israel’s exile in Babylon were soul searching years. Banished as a nation because of their waywardness and backsliding, when they departed from their God to worship idols. God’s repeated plea were not heeded, finally God acted to sent chastisement – Hebrews 12:5-8 “And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.”

Did God forget Israel? No. After a season of banishment, God would bring them back to their homeland again. This psalm describes for us the feelings of Israel in Babylon.

(1) The Captive’s Sorrow (v1-2)

1 By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion.

By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down – The pulse of the psalm is well portrayed by Spurgeon, when he wrote in the Treasury of David, “Water courses were abundant in Babylon, wherein were not only natural streams but artificial canals: it was place of broad rivers and streams. Glad to be away from the noisy streets, the captives sought the river side, where the flow of the waters seemed to be in sympathy with their tears. It was some slight comfort to be out of the crowd, and to have a little breathing room, and therefore they sat down, as if to rest a while and solace themselves in their sorrow. In little groups they sat down and made common lamentation, mingling their memories and their tears. The rivers were well enough, but, alas, they were the rivers of Babylon, and the ground whereon the sons of Israel sat was foreign soil, and therefore they wept. Those who came to interrupt their quiet were citizens of the destroying city, and their company was not desired. Everything reminded Israel of her banishment from the holy city, her servitude beneath the shadow of the temple of Bel, her helplessness under a cruel enemy; and therefore her sons and daughters sat down in sorrow.”

Yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion – He further commented well, “Nothing else could have subdued their brave spirits; but the remembrance of the temple of their God, the palace of their king, and the centre of their national life, quite broke them down. Destruction had swept down all their delights, and therefore they wept – the strong men wept, the sweet singers wept! They did not weep when they remembered the cruelties of Babylon; the memory of fierce oppression dried their tears and made their hearts burn with wrath: but when the beloved city of their solemnities came into their minds they could not refrain from floods of tears. Even thus do true believers mourn when they see the church despoiled, and find themselves unable to succour her: we could bear anything better than this. In these our times the Babylon of error ravages the city of God, and the hearts of the faithful are grievously wounded as they see truth fallen in the streets, and unbelief rampant among the professed servants of the Lord. We bear our protests, but they appear to be in vain; the multitudes are mad upon their idols. Be it ours to weep in secret for the hurt of our Zion: it is the least thing we can do; perhaps in its result it may prove to be the best thing we can do. Be it ours also to sit down and deeply consider what is to be done. Be it ours, in any case, to keep upon our mind and heart the memory of the church of God which is so dear to us. The frivolous may forget, but Zion is graven on our hearts, and her prosperity is our chief desire.”

 2 We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof.

The harps were instruments of joy and rejoicing. Here in their captivity, the captives could not bring themselves to praise due to the sadness in their hearts.

 

(2) The Captive’s Silence (v3-6)

3 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. 4 How shall we sing the Lord’S song in a strange land?

They were asked to sing by their masters. It was a song according to the oppressor’s will – “Better be dumb than be forced to please an enemy with forced song.” (Spurgeon)

It was torturing beyond measure. Surely, they wanted to singing praises to their God but in the sight of a mocking audience who despise their faith.

 

5 If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning. 6 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.

He did not forget Jerusalem if indeed he has forgotten, let God’s curse be upon him that he will forget his skill in music. Here is a personal conviction by the captives to be silent that their God be not mocked. Verses 5-6 are together emphasizing the same thought – their love for their beloved city, the city of God.

 

(3) The Captive’s Supplication (v7-9)

7 Remember, O Lord, the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem; who said, Rase it, rase it, even to the foundation thereof. 8 O daughter of Babylon, who art to be destroyed; happy shall he be, that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us. 9 Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones.

The psalmist sought God’s justice to vindicate them for all they have suffered. It does not say they would take matters into their own hands to afflict their enemies. But appealing to God to do that which is right and judge those who have been wicked and cruel in their actions.

The Edomites had deep and cruel hated for Israel, lauding on the invaders to destroy Israel. Spurgeon said well, “It is horrible for neighbours to be enemies, worse for them to show their enmity in times of great affliction, worst of all for neighbours to egg others to malicious deeds…It is a shame for men to incite the wicked to deeds which they are not able to perform themselves.”

The Babylonians were most inhumane to their captives their little ones were thrown against the stone wall to be squashed, a horrendous sight of extreme cruelty that Israel experienced.

The psalmist supplicated for God to mete out corresponding judgment on these enemies. Why should the Jews make such a prayer?

Spurgeon said, “Let those find fault with it who have never seen their temple burned, their city ruined, their wives ravished, and their children slain; they might not perhaps be so velvet-mouthed if they had suffered after this fashion. It is one thing to talk of the bitter feeling which moved captive Israelites in Babylon, and quite another thing to be captives ourselves under a strange and remorseless power, which knew not how to show mercy, but delighted in barbarities to the defenseless.”

 

CONCLUSION

As we contemplate the suffering of Israel in their captivity, sorrow has its sobering effect upon the soul. It awakens the soul to draw close to God for solace and comfort and strength.