When Dreams Come True

Psalm 126 is an especially encouraging Psalm. It recognizes what God has done for His people and what He is going to do for them. The Jewish people would sing this song on the way to Jerusalem. It would remind them of the blessings of the past. It would also encourage them by pointing out the yet to be fulfilled promises of the future.

1. A look at the past (1-2).

“restored the fortunes of Zion”

Zion here refers to the people of God. To understand what the Psalmist is saying we need to remember some history.

The Northern kingdom fell to the Assyrians around 722 BC. The southern kingdom fell to the Babylonians around 586 BC. Both kingdoms fell because of their sin. God raised up pagan nations to judge the Jews for their idolatry. The crown of the southern kingdom, Jerusalem, was even laid waste. Jerusalem was the home of the temple. Its destruction symbolized Israel’s total separation from God.

God later raised up a king of the Persian Empire by the name of Cyrus to defeat the Babylonians. God then stirred up the heart of Cyrus to allow the Jews to return to Jerusalem (Ezra 1:1-4).

Around 538-539 BC the first group of Jews returned to Jerusalem. A second group returned around 458 BC led by Ezra. Around 444 BC Nehemiah led the final group back to Jerusalem. The Psalm reflects the joy that the Jews felt as a result of being set free from the bondage of a pagan nation.

Forced labor & forced religion were parts of the trials the Hebrews would have endured. The book of Daniel gives us an idea of how the people were treated during the captivity. One can only imagine the joy of the Israelites when they were told they were free to go home! The Psalmist said it was “like a dream”. Generally speaking dreams are those events that we hope to see come to pass in our lives, but we doubt they really will.

The journey back to Jerusalem was joyful. Verse 2 says their mouth was filled with laughter and their tongues with shouts of joy.

Notice something else. Look at what the Gentile nations said as they returned. They said, “The Lord has done great things for them”.

As the heathen looked upon the Jews marching to Zion, they saw a peculiar group of people.

They witnessed those that were once in bondage now set free.

They witnessed those that once were weeping, now laughing.

They witnessed those that refused to sing the songs of Zion now singing (137:4).

The heathen began to testify. It is certainly a good thing when the saints get the sinners to talking about God.

We can see a similarity between our salvation and the deliverance of the Jewish people.

1. As a result of our sin the god of this world had taken us captive. 2 Tim. 2:26

2. We were slaves to sin. John 8:34 We were children of wrath. Eph. 2:2-3

3. God raised up a King that has set us free. John 12:31, 8:36, Hebrews 4:16

4. Our present situation is “like a dream.” (Consider all we have!)

5. We are a witness to a lost world.

It’s a good thing when the saints get the sinners to talking about God. A question we need to ask ourselves: Do people see the Lord in me. Particularly people who knew me before I was saved.

Do they admit that our life is better?

Do they recognize we are not the same?

They may not believe in the Lord but is our testimony so convincing that they at least have to admit the Lord has done great things in our life?

Also notice that we are to be seen and heard.

They saw the Jews marching back to Jerusalem.

They heard the Jews praising God.

Spurgeon said God’s “when” is our “then”. When God does something great for us it is then that we should praise Him.

2. A look at the present (3).

Verse 3 appears to be a reply to the Gentile nations. They said “The Lord has done great things for them.” The Jews reply in verse 3 “The Lord has done great things for us: we are glad.”

We should say this to ourselves every day. What God has done for us in the past should make us glad today.

Are you glad today friend? Look back at all God has done for you.

Are you saved? God saved you then.

Are you full? God fed you then.

Are you clothed? God clothed you then.

Are you homeless? God has given you a home then.

Are you loved? God has given you favor then.

Can you not find a reason to be glad today then?

There’s a man with ice cream and a frown on his face. My friend, you have ice cream. Why are you unhappy. He says, “I wanted it in a cone, and they gave me a cup!”

Sir, you have ice cream! Be glad!!

Everything does not have to be just the way we want it for us to be happy. Look at all God has given you and be glad! Do you remember the song we used to sing:

I will enter His gates with thanksgiving in my heart;

I will enter His courts with praise.

I will say this is the day that the Lord has made.

I will rejoice for He has made me glad.

3. A request for the future (4).

When the Jews arrived in Jerusalem the city was destroyed. It was not as they had remembered it. The state of the city broke the heart of Nehemiah (Neh. 1:3-4). At this point many of the Jews had been dispersed to different areas of the region. Judah was no longer the strong force she once was and her capital city, Jerusalem, proved that.

Therefore, the Psalmist cries out to God. He recognizes that while many Jews have been set free there is still much work to do.

This is often the observation of the new Christian. He returns to his home to be reminded that there is still work to do.

Many more people need to be set free.

The city has been laid waste by the enemy.

It’s not until we are saved that we see all the damage the enemy has done.

We cry out to God to save others.

“restore our fortunes like streams in the Negeb.”

This was the Southern area of Canaan. They experienced extremely dry seasons. During this time the streams would often dry up. A lack of water would obviously affect many people in that region. When the rainy season came the streams would fill with water and bring life into the region. The wadis would rush with water. The results of the rain were almost immediate. The desert would bloom.

The Psalmist is asking God to do to Jerusalem what He does to the land through the rain. Jerusalem needs the healing streams of God’s mercy to flow into Jerusalem so that life may be restored in the city.

As believers we need to recognize the drought in our land. We need to see the thirst of the people and the famine in their hearts. We should appeal to God to empty out His streams of mercy into our lives and cities so that life may be extended to the others that are still dead in their sin.

We cannot be satisfied with only our salvation. We have an obligation to pray for the lost. We are debtors to the unsaved. Paul said in Romans 1:14-15:

I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.

4. A promise for the future (5-6).

If we pray for God to do a work we must be willing to work. Faith without works is dead. Let’s consider what we must do if we want to experience the promises of God.

Verses 5-6 basically say the same thing. Verse six just gives more detail. The image given is of a desperate farmer. He is weeping because of a drought on the land. He only has a certain number of seed. He has no choice but to plant the seed in the parched soil. If he doesn’t plant, he knows he will not get a return.

It's important to remember seeds were not as available in those days as they are today. You got your seeds from last year’s crop. If you didn’t have seed, you couldn’t go buy a big bag at the feed store. For this reason, the seed is precious. Once it is buried it is gone.

Imagine a farmer planting a seed and then weeping over it. Every seed is given a tear. God honors the man’s work and gives him a harvest. The harvest brings him great joy. How does this relate to the Christian?

We must weep. I believe this is a way we water the seeds. Paul said one plants and another waters. When we witness to someone we should pray for them with a broken heart.

Our tears represent our compassion. (That farmer wants his family to live)

Our tears represent our dependence on God. (Out of the farmers hands once the seed is planted)

Our tears represent our great faith that the gospel is true!

We must sow. We must share the gospel. The Word of God is our precious seed!

Despite how little seed we have. You may not know much but you know the gospel!

Despite the condition of the soil. That seed may lay there for a while. God may beat back the birds and soften the soil.

Despite our previous failures. You may have never won a soil but keep witnessing!

The reward we receive.

1 Corinthians 3:8 says “He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor.”

The reward of the cleared conscience!

The reward of the joy obedience brings.

The reward of the fruit we reap. (souls saved)

I love how this Psalm ends. “Bringing his sheaves with him.” Sheaves are bundles of grain.

The Jewish people thought it was a dream when the returned to Jerusalem. When you and I go to heaven it will be greater than what they experienced. All of our dreams will come true. It will be wonderful. It will be greater than we imagined. We will enter heaven rejoicing.

One of the reasons is those we bring with us. One day all the hard work of sowing and watering will be over. God will send out the harvesters. Some of those in heaven we had a part in winning to the Lord.

The old hymn says:

Going forth with weeping, sowing for the Master,

Though the loss sustained our spirit often grieves;

When our weeping's over, He will bid us welcome,

We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.