Sept 15, 2010 Psalm 137

Today's psalm is about sorrow and being in exile. I appreciate reading what is on the psalm's heart.  Sometimes we feel so alone during difficult times. The psalms help verbalize what we can't quite put into words.  My daughter in law is showing definite signs of going into pre-term labor with the twins. These are anxious days for me. Will the babies be ok? And worry for my daughter in law - as she goes through labor. The waiting is awful. Anxious. Hoping for the best - being realistically prepared for preemies. Depending on God to help guide us through this journey.

Psalm 137  I have provided a link of a map to show how far away the Israelites were from home, for those who are curious about geography.  You can change the look of the google map  from satellite to MAP then zoom out to find how far Jerusalem (Zion) is from Babylon.

http://maps.google.com/?q=32.53650369,44.42088287%20(Babylon)&t=k&z=8

Verse 1 - the psalmist sat and wept remembering their homeland.

Verses 2-3 the Israelites hung up their instruments - they could not sing praises. Their captors taunted them to sing praises to God but they were too homesick to do so.

Verses 4-6 the psalmist pleads with God not to let him forget the songs of the Lord while in a foreign land.
He asks that if he forgets about God that God will take away the gifts given him, and his tongue will be stuck to the roof of his mouth.

Verses 7 The Edomites. Descendants of Esau. Neighbors of Isrealites. They lived south and west of Jerusalem, and they did not get along. The Edomites did not come to the rescue of the Israelites when Babylon destroyed the city.

Verses 8-9 God eventually destroys Babylon. Verse 9 seems really harsh, and it is, killing babies. Our children are our immortality. The psalmist wants done to Babylon what the Babylon did to Israel.  I read through some commentaries, and this was common during this time period. When one city was conquered everyone was killed, even women and infants.  We should view sin this way - want it killed once and for all. Never to return.

Father God, we all go through dark times. We ask that as we walk through these times that we never lose sight of you. You may seem far away but we ask that we know in our hearts that you will never leave our side. We ask that any wrongs against us be fair and just, as you would treat us. And lastly we need to grieve for a season, but we ask for your help to bring us out of our grief. To accept what happened and have courage to move forward hope that some day we can sing your praises again. We ask this in Jesus name, Amen.