Joy in the Hope of Renewal

Introduction

Have you ever woke up remembering your dreams? A dream like that tends to be so vivid and so real that you mistook it for reality. These dreams also operate in extremes. They are either extremely disturbing or extremely pleasant. When the bad dreams are that vivid, we wish that they would go away and be replaced with the pleasant ones. We tend to view our lives in the same extremes, wishing the sorrow and despair we face would turn back to joy and gladness. We can face the sorrow with joy because we have a God who turned Israel’s worst nightmare into their greatest source of praise.

We believe in a God who makes all things new. We do not have a God who shies away from our brokenness, but a God who takes our brokenness and our sorrows and has the power and the desire to transform them into joy. N. T. Wright says,

The true God takes our brokenness and in Christ makes us new; that he picks up the pieces of our life, yes, even of our muddled attempts to follow him, and sticks them together again in a new way; that he heals those who are broken in heart, and gives the medicine to heal their sickness; that he promises new life, resurrection life, beyond all our sickness and death. To celebrate precisely here is to celebrate not the wonderful achievements of the church but the healing power of God to build his church with battered and broken building-blocks, including people like you and me. Celebration and healing; it is all God’s work.

Wright, N. T.. For All God's Worth: True Worship and the Calling of the Church (pp. 16-17). Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.. Kindle Edition.

Psalm 126 reminds us of how God has acted and worked to restore and renew a broken Israel and encourages us to respond with joy, knowing that He will do the same for us.

Christian Standard Bible Psalm 126

Psalm 126

ZION’S RESTORATION

A song of ascents.

1 When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion,

we were like those who dream.

2 Our mouths were filled with laughter then,

and our tongues with shouts of joy.

Then they said among the nations,

“The LORD has done great things for them.”

3 The LORD had done great things for us;

we were joyful.

4 Restore our fortunes, LORD,

like watercourses in the Negev.

5 Those who sow in tears

will reap with shouts of joy.

6 Though one goes along weeping,

carrying the bag of seed,

he will surely come back with shouts of joy,

carrying his sheaves.

Remembering Israel’s History

While many of the Psalms were written during the Davidic period, Psalm 126 was most likely written shortly after Israel’s release from Babylon. The author is anonymous but his purpose for writing is clear. Psalm 126 gives us a beautiful hymn of rejoicing as a reaction to the work of God in restoring Israel. The Psalm appears in chiastic form and uses parallelism to juxtapose the work of God in the restoration of Israel and Israel’s response of joy.

As Israel rejoices in the hand of God in the restoration of Israel, so can we look to the Lord as the source of our joy while we wait for his hand to work in restoring us.

During the time of the captivity, the nation of Israel was spilt into the northern kingdom, called Israel, and the southern kingdom, called judah. God had been faithful to his people by bringing them out of Egypt and into the promised land. He was faithful to raise up Joshua to conquer and settle the land. He had been faithful to provide for them a great king in David who was a man after God’s own heart. But Israel did not remain faithful to God. Israel’s two greatest sins were selective reading of the text and syncretizing Yahweh with other pagan gods. The downward spiral described in the book of Judges continued in the kings of Israel. The nation split and shared somewhat hostile relations even between themselves. During this time, God was working to raise up new nations to act as His vessels in His judgement of His people. Assyria had become a powerful force that would bring the northern kingdom under its rule. The northern kingdom first came under Assyrian rule through tribute, but as the political landscape of Assyria shifted, so did Israel’s status from tributary to captivity.

God intends to make us holy, and He will use whatever it takes to reach that good—including suffering.

Anderson, Hannah. All That's Good (p. 69). Moody Publishers. Kindle Edition.

What looks like a larger nation swallowing a smaller one in an attempt to formulate an empire is in the sovereignty of God His way of bringing Israel back to himself.

English Standard Version Chapter 17

7 And this occurred because the people of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods 8 and walked in the customs of the nations whom the LORD drove out before the people of Israel, and in the customs that the kings of Israel had practiced. 9 And the people of Israel did secretly against the LORD their God things that were not right. They built for themselves high places in all their towns, from watchtower to fortified city. 10 They set up for themselves pillars and Asherim on every high hill and under every green tree, 11 and there they made offerings on all the high places, as the nations did whom the LORD carried away before them. And they did wicked things, provoking the LORD to anger, 12 and they served idols, of which the LORD had said to them, “You shall not do this.” 13 Yet the LORD warned Israel and Judah by every prophet and every seer, saying, “Turn from your evil ways and keep my commandments and my statutes, in accordance with all the Law that I commanded your fathers, and that I sent to you by my servants the prophets.”

14 But they would not listen, but were stubborn, as their fathers had been, who did not believe in the LORD their God. 15 They despised his statutes and his covenant that he made with their fathers and the warnings that he gave them. They went after false idols and became false, and they followed the nations that were around them, concerning whom the LORD had commanded them that they should not do like them. 16 And they abandoned all the commandments of the LORD their God, and made for themselves metal images of two calves; and they made an Asherah and worshiped all the host of heaven and served Baal. 17 And they burned their sons and their daughters as offerings and used divination and omens and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking him to anger. 18 Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel and removed them out of his sight. None was left but the tribe of Judah only.

Judah, the southern kingdom experienced many advantages to Israel that allowed it to survive for another 100 years before falling to Babylon.

The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Revised C. Resources and Organization

In spite of its small size Judah enjoyed certain advantages over Israel. Jerusalem, with its ancient heritage of the temple and its divinely ordained worship, together with the Davidic dynasty and the buildings and traditions of the strong Solomonic empire, were Judah’s

While Judah experienced some religious renewal to Yahweh under the reign of kings like Jehoshaphat and Hezekiah, and Josiah, the influences of idolatry were again introduced and led to Babylonian captivity.

The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Revised 2. Babylon Revived

The Babylonians desolated the whole land of Judah and carried off to Babylon large numbers of its people.

This fulfills what Yahweh had spoken to Jeremiah.

English Standard Version Chapter 25

4 You have neither listened nor inclined your ears to hear, although the LORD persistently sent to you all his servants the prophets, 5 saying, ‘Turn now, every one of you, from his evil way and evil deeds, and dwell upon the land that the LORD has given to you and your fathers from of old and forever. 6 Do not go after other gods to serve and worship them, or provoke me to anger with the work of your hands. Then I will do you no harm.’ 7 Yet you have not listened to me, declares the LORD, that you might provoke me to anger with the work of your hands to your own harm.

8 “Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts: Because you have not obeyed my words, 9 behold, I will send for all the tribes of the north, declares the LORD, and for Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants, and against all these surrounding nations. I will devote them to destruction, and make them a horror, a hissing, and an everlasting desolation.

The Psalms: Language for All Seasons of the Soul The Book of Lamentations

It is difficult to overestimate the severity and the widespread depth of suffering that overwhelmed the people of Jerusalem as a result of the Babylonian capture of that Judean city. Surely it was the worst event that could overtake any nation, house of worship, government, or generation.

What will happen? Will God abandon His people and leave them? Will he forget His promises to them? Will He forget His promises to us? Will he leave us? Certainly not! We, like the prophets, must wait to see what He will say to us.

English Standard Version Chapter 2

I will take my stand at my watchpost

and station myself on the tower,

and look out to see what he will say to me,

and what I will answer concerning my complaint.

God’s actions of Restoration

But God was not done with Israel and Judah. While there is no people in the land, while there is no king on the throne, while God it appears has left them and refuses to be their God, His hand was at work to bring them back to restoration and in doing so return them to joy.

Psalm 126 reminds us that God did not abandon Israel to their fate, but delivered them from Babylon and brought them back into the land He promised.

If God made good on His promises to them, He will make good on His promises to us.

English Standard Version Psalm 126

1  When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion,

we were like those who dream.

2  Then our mouth was filled with laughter,

and our tongue with shouts of joy;

then they said among the nations,

“The LORD has done great things for them.”

3  The LORD has done great things for us;

we are glad.

4  Restore our fortunes, O LORD,

like streams in the Negeb!

5  Those who sow in tears

shall reap with shouts of joy!

6  He who goes out weeping,

bearing the seed for sowing,

shall come home with shouts of joy,

bringing his sheaves with him.

The work of God’s hand to bring them back to captivity is astounding, so much so that not even Israel can believe it.

There is a sense of disbelief: Can this really have happened? Imperial powers over many centuries had carried whole peoples away captive; who ever heard of a nation, even part of a nation, being restored, sent home again, getting its own capital city back once more? It must be a dream! No—we’re awake, and it’s really happening! That is the mood of the whole poem.

Wright, N. T.. The Case for the Psalms (pp. 186-187). HarperOne. Kindle Edition.

The Psalmist remembers who is responsible for this new “dream.” It is the work of God. The Lord has done great things. The greatness of what the Lord has done is so great that even the pagan nations have taken notice and joined in the chorus of praise with God’s people.

The Psalms: A Commentary Psalm 126: Those Who Sow in Tears Will Reap with Shouts of Joy

The revelation of salvation to Israel, however, entails also the revelation of God to the other nations. The Gentiles, too, will have to stand silent before this mighty God and will have no other choice than to acknowledge the great things he has done. This is the deepest meaning and the purest form of the Old Testament belief in Israel’s election

God is at work in our lives and in our world in such a great way that those around us will fall silent and proclaim His greatness along side of us as we respond with joy and gladness.

Psalms: An Introduction and Commentary 126:4–6. Restore Us

Initially, it seems odd that the psalmist would first state that the community’s fortunes had been restored and then ask God to restore their fortunes, as he does in this stanza. But one only has to remember the return from Babylonian captivity for an example of how these two are not in tension with each other. After the initial return from Babylon under the leadership of Sheshbazzar and Zerubbabel had taken place (and their fortunes were restored), plenty of social and physical healing was still needed (restore our fortunes, LORD).

Reconciling our Situation

So what do we do when our reality does not match God’s promises? Do we turn away from the Lord calling him a liar? No! We sow our tears waiting for his ultimate restoration and see how we will reap joy.

The Psalms: Language for All Seasons of the Soul The Book of Lamentations

Suffering does not go away merely if we pretend it does not exist; it does exist and it does continue to hurt and cause suffering. Nor is there any sort of magic pill that can suddenly remove the heavy weight that suffering lowers on mortals’ spirits and shoulders. But the most comforting news is that where there is pain, grief, and hurt, there is God! The assurance of his presence is the best news surrounding all the pain. For not only is pain our portion, but there is the potential that “the Lord is my portion” (Lam. 3:24) even in the midst of all the pain as well.

Looking with Joy for God’s Renewal

When sorrow comes, remember the work of God’s hands to restore the nation of Israel.

God did not abandon His people n their exile, even though they deserved it.

When sorrow comes, remember that God is at work to restore us.

Restoration often occurs in stages and God is at work in every phase of it.

When sorrow comes, work to sow your tears into a harvest of joy.

Do what is good. Love one another. Serve one another. Delight in the work that God has done so far.

Let the widow love the family of God so that she might gain a family

Let the jobless volunteer so that he might find value in each day

In doing these things, God’s people will not come back empty handed. They will come back with a harvest, shouting with a mighty voice, with the chorus of the nations, saying Look at what the Hand of God has done!

Psalms 73–150: An Introduction and Commentary Joy Reclaimed (126:4–6)

So the psalm, speaking first to its own times, speaks still. Miracles of the past it bids us treat as measures of the future; dry places as potential rivers; hard toil and good seed as the certain prelude to harvest.