Psalm 137

Introduction

The Lord sometimes uses people to discipline us when we are rebellious.

He used the Babylonians to discipline his rebellious people.

Sometimes the people sin against us and against the Lord even as their actions are used of the Lord to break us of rebellion.

The Babylonians sinned against Israel and against God even as they were used by God to discipline Judah.

Although used by God for our good, their sins against us are wrong and will be repayed by the Lord on the Day of Judgment.

All those who assault God’s people and refuse to repent will face his wrath on the Day of Wrath.

Vengeance belongs to God.

It is better for us to pray our enemies repent and find salvation in Jesus Christ.

But if they refuse to repent, it is not wrong for us to cry to the Lord for vengeance.

Major Ideas

Remembering Zion (Psalm 137:1)

Psalm 137:1 NASB95

1 By the rivers of Babylon, There we sat down and wept, When we remembered Zion.

In exile in Babylon, the people of God remembered Zion (i.e., Jerusalem). What did they remember about it? It’s former glory. It’s present destruction, and their sin being the the cause of it. Overcome by grief, their legs give way; they sit down and weep.

[ILLUS] Prodigal Son

[APP] We must grieve our sin if we are going to repent. We must grieve that our sin has cost us a relationship with the Father and that it has cost us the joy of his house.

Hanging Up the Harps (Psalm 137:2-3)

Psalm 137:2–3 NASB95

2 Upon the willows in the midst of it We hung our harps. 3 For there our captors demanded of us songs, And our tormentors mirth, saying, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion.”

The people of of God hung up their harps because their captors demanded to hear the jubilant songs of Zion. This was not likely a genuine request but a taunt. It was almost certainly the captors mocking the captives, saying, “Sing another happy song about how great your God is! We have taken you captive!” But God’s people had no song to sing because their hearts were broken.

[ILLUS] Hazel Sumner - no song to sing after the death of her son, “After he died, I just lost my voice.”

[APP] Sometimes heartbreak can be so deep that we can’t sing anymore, or if we do sing, it’s only a funeral dirge.

And when we bring this heartbreak on ourselves, we may even feel unworthy to sing.

How Can We Sing? (Psalm 137:4-6)

Psalm 137:4–6 NASB95

4 How can we sing the Lord’s song In a foreign land? 5 If I forget you, O Jerusalem, May my right hand forget her skill. 6 May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth If I do not remember you, If I do not exalt Jerusalem Above my chief joy.

Verses 4 - The captors demand a happy, joyous song, but how can the captives of God’s people sing such a song in captivity? Perhaps they would’ve said, “We have rebelled against God, and Jerusalem, the city of God, has fallen! What is there to be joyous about? How can we sing a happy song?”

Verse 5 - For them, because of the weight of grief, it might be easier to just forget Jerusalem. To remember might be too painful, but God’s people cannot forget His city. For them, to forget Jerusalem would be as unthinkable as the right hand of a harpist or guitarist or pianist forgetting its skill.

Verse 6 - Or it would be like the singers tongue clinging to the roof of its owner’s mouth, refusing to sing. This is unthinkable for the Israelite captive, for how can he not play and sing and remember about Jerusalem, the city of God, his chief joy?

[ILLUS] Listen to vv. 3-6 in the NLT…

Psalm 137:3–6 NLT

3 For our captors demanded a song from us. Our tormentors insisted on a joyful hymn: “Sing us one of those songs of Jerusalem!” 4 But how can we sing the songs of the Lord while in a pagan land? 5 If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget how to play the harp. 6 May my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth if I fail to remember you, if I don’t make Jerusalem my greatest joy.

[APP] We too live in a pagan land, and we may likewise wonder how we can sing the songs of the Lord in this dark place?

We can sing by remembering that this pagan land is not our home.

Through faith in Jesus Christ, the New Jerusalem that will come down out of heaven is our home.

By placing our trust in Jesus and setting our sights on the New Jerusalem, we find a song to sing in this pagan land.

Remember, O Lord (Psalm 137:7-9)

Psalm 137:7–9 NASB95

7 Remember, O Lord, against the sons of Edom The day of Jerusalem, Who said, “Raze it, raze it To its very foundation.” 8 O daughter of Babylon, you devastated one, How blessed will be the one who repays you With the recompense with which you have repaid us. 9 How blessed will be the one who seizes and dashes your little ones Against the rock.

Despite the pain of remembering, Jerusalem must be remembered. The harps must be taken down from the willows, the right hands must find their skill, the tongues must be loosened, and God’s people must sing!

But what kind of song will they sing in captivity?In vv. 7-9 it isn’t be a song of joy but a cry for vengeance.

Verse 7 - We might imagine the captive musicians of Israel taking up their instruments while murmuring to their captors, “You want us to sing a song of Zion, a song to our God? We’ll give you a song! ‘Remember, O Lord, and repay! Remember Edom who cheered on Babylon as is leveled Jerusalem to its very foundation!

Verse 8 - “Remember Babylon the Devastator who devastated Jerusalem! Remember, repay, and bless the one who brings recompense to Babylon!

Verse 9 - “Bless the one who seizes and dashes Babylon’s little ones just as Babylon dashed the little ones of God’s people!”

This was probably not the song the Babylonians were expecting when they taunted the Israelite captives, saying, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion.”

[ILLUS] Funny song by Jaron and the Long Road to Love called, Praying for You…

“I haven't been to church since I don't remember when Things were going great '˜til they fell apart again So I listened to the preacher as he told me what to do He said you cant go hating others who have done wrong to you. Sometimes we get angry, but we must not condemn. Let the good Lord do His job and you just pray for them.

“I pray your brakes go out running down a hill I pray a flowerpot falls from a window sill and knocks you in the head like I'd like to I pray your birthday comes and nobody calls I pray you're flying high when your engine stalls I pray all your dreams never come true Just know wherever you are honey, I pray for you

[APP] Of course, this isn’t what Jesus meant when he said to pray for your enemies and bless those who persecute you, but sometimes the only song that brings us joy is the song of the Lord’s vengeance on our enemies who refuse to repent.

Conclusion

[PRAYER]