The Overwhelming Burden of Sin Intro

The Overwhelming Burden of Sin Intro: EBC  Psa. 137:1-4    6/08/08 

  To truly understand the true meaning we need to understand the circumstance. These were believers (God’s chosen people- but they were also rebellious people).  These believers in Babylon were also believers in bondage. Where once they had been overjoyed with the fresh fragrance of freedom, now the sour stench of slavery filled their nostrils. Now, instead of enjoying blessings, they were enduring burdens. Fruitfulness had turned to bareness; happiness had turned to bitterness; joyfulness had turned to brokenness.

  They had been carried away into Babylon and were captives. They were captives not because of weakness but because of wickedness. They had fallen away from the living God, God had allowed their defenses to be broken down and had used a pagan a nation to bring them to repentance.

  Babylon means confusion and is a picture of the world in all it’s iniquity. Zion is another name for Jerusalem. The name means “City of Peace”.

  This city is made up of two groups of people. The captives and the captors.