126:1 When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who
dream.
126:2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then
it was said among the nations, "The LORD has done great things for them."
126:3 The LORD has done great things for us, and we rejoiced.
126:4 Restore our fortunes, O LORD, like the watercourses in the Negeb.
126:5 May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy.
126:6 Those who go out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with
shouts of joy, carrying their sheaves.
Verses 5-6; They are not weeping because they have to sow. It is not the work that grieves them. They weep because the ground is barren, devastated. They sow that which will make it green and productive. Their labor is what they offer to reverse the damage, the barrenness. Because they do not wallow in sorrow, but work through it, they are part of the solution. They see much sooner the restoration. It brings them joy and they laugh and , to the glory of God. Where there were ashes, there are now garlands (Isaiah text). Let us offer the world more than "Tsk, tsk, too bad, so sad." Lets roll up our sleeves and sow, so the sheaves will roll in restore. In this season of giving, tom in TN (USA)
Was this text written before or after the LORD restore Zion? It seems like the first 3 verses were in past tense, where the next 3 verses were pointing to the future.
However, the past restoration were refered specifically to Zion, or national sense, while the cry for "restore our fortunes, O LORD" later did not have any specific designation.
The principle is something like this: We can look back to a specific restoration God had done specifically, to gain hope in prayer of more general restoration in our life. Note in v.5 and 6, that there are still work of sowing need to be done by the people (in tears), before the joyful reaping (God's restoration?) will take place.
In application, we must acknowledge that even that God acted mightily in the past, and even we cry out for Him to act again in the future; we must not forget that we must labor (in tears) sowing the seed of restoration.
I am having trouble with the repetition of "in tears" in the Psalm. A lot of people have already complained that I am too serious and somber in ministry. Can we just work hard enough? Must we be in tears? In tears sounded so much like desperation, like heartbroken, like defeat. But perhaps that was the way Jesus sow His seed on the cross "in tears" but "with the joy set before Him" as Heb.12 said...
LORD, you are a strange covenantal God, who always insist on the impossibility of making great works out of nothing. So we follow you, and we spent our lives trying to figure out your dynamic of your reality, which often go beyond our understanding from our own reality. Help us to look upon the things we saw (the past in the first 3 verses), so that we can function and move into the things we don't see (the present-future in the next 3 verses).
Coho, Midway City.
Isn't this one of the Psalms of the Ascents? If so it is dealt with in Eugene Peterson's marvelous book A Long Obedience in the Same Direction. It's at my church study - I'll check tomorrow.
kbc in sc
Here is an ecstatic outpouring of joy for all God has done in the past. You can almost hear the "hoorah" of those who have been suddenly and unexpectedly saved from disaster. This psalm is also a prayer, bidding God once again to turn human weeping into joy.
kbc in sc,
Yup it's "song of ascents" - I haven't read the EP's book yet. If it's not too long for you, what was the significance of this type of Psalm?
Coho, Midway City
I'm preaching on the psalms for Lent, so 126 it is this week. thought I'd tie i the movie Hidalgo that I just saw - how the desert was dry and barren, how the water in the canteens was stale and flat, and at one point the protagonist had to tie himself to his saddle to just keep going, not unlike us when life is ho-hum and we just endure. contrast that with the joy that is suggested by this psalm - the water of life in torents through the wadis, riding forward with excitement and joy, etc.
BY in PA
