Pick up your harps.

Introduction

Psalm 137:1–4 NKJV

1 By the rivers of Babylon, There we sat down, yea, we wept When we remembered Zion. 2 We hung our harps Upon the willows in the midst of it. 3 For there those who carried us away captive asked of us a song, And those who plundered us requested mirth, Saying, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!” 4 How shall we sing the Lord’s song In a foreign land?

Background:

Here are God’s people no longer in their land, no longer in their holy city, no longer in their Temple. They were in Exile.

The context of what is happening is worship during exile: It was customary for Jews to gather for worship by a river due to the necessity of ceremonial washings—this was a practice that continued for the building of synagogues later. So it is very likely that the setting of this psalm—“by the waters of Babylon”—refers to their attempt to gather for worship in exiled. And yet instead, they sat down and wept; they hung up their lyres, the predominate instrument of accompaniment for Temple worship. Their captors mocked them, “Sing for us one of your worship songs!” But the captive Hebrews could not. “How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land?”

They were strangers in a strange land, grappling with questions of identity, purpose, and belonging. Theocracy gave way to alienation, and the once harmonious blend of worship and daily life was shattered. Even among each other, as the set apart and chosen collective, to them, they were alone.

Have you ever felt this way?

Point 1: Alone and Giving Up

1 Kings 19:1–18 NKJV

1 And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, also how he had executed all the prophets with the sword. 2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.” 3 And when he saw that, he arose and ran for his life, and went to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. 4 But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he might die, and said, “It is enough! Now, Lord, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!” 5 Then as he lay and slept under a broom tree, suddenly an angel touched him, and said to him, “Arise and eat.” 6 Then he looked, and there by his head was a cake baked on coals, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank, and lay down again. 7 And the angel of the Lord came back the second time, and touched him, and said, “Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you.” 8 So he arose, and ate and drank; and he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights as far as Horeb, the mountain of God. 9 And there he went into a cave, and spent the night in that place; and behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and He said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 10 So he said, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.” 11 Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; 12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice. 13 So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 14 And he said, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts; because the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.” 15 Then the Lord said to him: “Go, return on your way to the Wilderness of Damascus; and when you arrive, anoint Hazael as king over Syria. 16 Also you shall anoint Jehu the son of Nimshi as king over Israel. And Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel Meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place. 17 It shall be that whoever escapes the sword of Hazael, Jehu will kill; and whoever escapes the sword of Jehu, Elisha will kill. 18 Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”

Consider Elijah, the mighty prophet who faced down the prophets of Baal in a spectacular showdown. Yet, in a moment of despair, he found himself fleeing for his life, alone and despondent. Under the shadow of a broom tree, he cried out to the Lord, wishing for death rather than endure his isolation. "I am alone," he lamented, echoing the sentiment of many who have felt abandoned in their darkest hour.. much like what we see in those exiles by the river.

Has there ever been a time in your life when you felt like giving up and that you had no one? We can see Elijah going through this moment. He faced down the prophets of Baal, but here in verse

Yet, even in Elijah's despair, God's provision was evident. An angel ministered to him, providing sustenance for the journey ahead. And in the silence of the wilderness, amidst the tumult of nature, God's still, small voice pierced through Elijah's anguish. It was a reminder that even in our loneliest moments, we are not forsaken. God is with us, sustaining us with His presence and guiding us with His voice.

Point 2: God is in the silence

1 Kings 19:11–12 NKJV

11 Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; 12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.

John 10:27 NKJV

27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.

In the silence of the wilderness, Elijah encountered the presence of God in a profound way. Amidst the raging winds, the trembling earth, and the consuming fire, God spoke to Elijah in a still, small voice. It was in this quiet whisper that Elijah found the reassurance of God's presence and the guidance for his journey ahead.

Likewise, in the midst of our own wilderness experiences, God often speaks to us in the stillness of our hearts. Though the storms of life may rage around us, God's voice can pierce through the chaos, offering us comfort, guidance, and hope. Let us learn to listen for that still, small voice, for it is in the silence that we often find the strength to carry on.

Point 3: Your Assigned Battle

Too often, we find ourselves fighting battles not meant for us, while neglecting the true battleground of our souls. We grasp at weapons ill-suited for our calling, while our harps hang idle by the rivers of our spiritual exile. Our focus becomes fragmented, diverted from the true source of our strength and purpose.

Sometimes we find ourselves on the wrong battlefield as our harps hang on the willows in the true place God has us to be. Sometimes it is because we seek the wrong thing, but sometimes it is because we refuse to move to where God has us for the appointed time.

Look at Elijah earlier and you will find something interesting:

1 Kings 17:1–11 NKJV

1 And Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word.” 2 Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, 3 “Get away from here and turn eastward, and hide by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan. 4 And it will be that you shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.” 5 So he went and did according to the word of the Lord, for he went and stayed by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan. 6 The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank from the brook. 7 And it happened after a while that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land. 8 Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, 9 “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.” 10 So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, indeed a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, “Please bring me a little water in a cup, that I may drink.” 11 And as she was going to get it, he called to her and said, “Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.”

1 Kings 17:7 NKJV

7 And it happened after a while that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.

At his word the rain was stopped and there was a drought.

The Lord sent him to a brook to eat and be refreshed.

But after a while, his brook dried up making him move to the place where he needed to be. You see, God had him in a place for a time, but it was time to move on to the appointed battlefield.

1 Kings 19:14–20 NKJV

14 And he said, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts; because the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.” 15 Then the Lord said to him: “Go, return on your way to the Wilderness of Damascus; and when you arrive, anoint Hazael as king over Syria. 16 Also you shall anoint Jehu the son of Nimshi as king over Israel. And Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel Meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place. 17 It shall be that whoever escapes the sword of Hazael, Jehu will kill; and whoever escapes the sword of Jehu, Elisha will kill. 18 Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.” 19 So he departed from there, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he was with the twelfth. Then Elijah passed by him and threw his mantle on him. 20 And he left the oxen and ran after Elijah, and said, “Please let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.” And he said to him, “Go back again, for what have I done to you?”

Conclusion

In our moments of exile and despair, may we find comfort in the knowledge that God is with us, sustaining us with His provision and guiding us with His voice. Let us heed His call, embracing our identity as His beloved children, and finding strength in His presence. And may this altar call be a reminder that, even in our darkest moments, God is ever-present, offering us hope, comfort, and renewal.

But we have to be on the right battlefield. Pick up your harps, they have hung on the willows too long.

Altar Call