My comments will be in Red Italics...the Psalm will be in regular print.
Psalm 137 is the Psalm that most Bible readers will pass over. Or, people will read it and recoil at the brutality that is part of this Psalm. While all of that is understandable, Psalm 137 still stands in the Canon of Scripture. How do we deal with it? What do we do with it? Can we read it as part of Holy Scripture?
Of course, those questions require a deeper answer than can be given in a few sentences, but hopefully this will serve as an introduction to further research, study, and prayer.
There are a few things to remember when reading ANY Psalm:
1. The Psalms are songs. We read them in English, but they were Ancient Hebrew Songs.
2. The Psalms are poetry. The rhyme and rhythm isn't always obvious in an English translation.
3. The Psalms are prayers. Even today, we can read these prayers written long ago and make them our own.
How should you approach Psalm 137? I would suggest that you just dive in and read the whole thing from beginning to end. The only information that may be necessary is that this Psalm is a prayer about the Hebrew experience when they were held in captivity in Babylon.
So...Jump in...Read it...I will make copy Psalm 137 again with comments.
Psalm 137
1By the rivers of Babylon— there we sat down and there we wept when we remembered Zion.
2On the willows there we hung up our harps.
3For there our captors asked us for songs, and our tormentors asked for mirth, saying, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”
4How could we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land?
5If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand wither!
6Let my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth, if I do not remember you, if I do not set Jerusalem above my highest joy.
7Remember, O Lord, against the Edomites the day of Jerusalem’s fall, how they said, “Tear it down! Tear it down! Down to its foundations!”
8O daughter Babylon, you devastator! Happy shall they be who pay you back what you have done to us!
9Happy shall they be who take your little ones and dash them against the rock!
Now, you've gotten through it. How did it make you feel? Probably somewhat disturbed. That's fine. I'll re-print the Psalm and add my own commentary in red italics. This commentary is only from my own perspective and relates to the way we modern readers can let this Psalm apply to our own lives.
Psalm 137
1By the rivers of Babylon— there we sat down and there we wept when we remembered Zion.
Obviously, none of us are in exile in Babylon. Most of us probably aren't even near a river. The majority of us most likely have never been to Zion (Israel).
Even though the comments above may be true, most of us ARE in exile. If we're not in exile now, we have been, or we will be. Our exile may not be physically away from home, but exile takes many forms (in the figurative sense): Depression, Anxiety, Failure, Lost Relationships, Feeling Distant from God, Feeling Distant from Life, Not Meeting the Standard...etc. We long to go back to the days when we were Vibrant, Respected, Winners, Happy...etc. THAT is our exile.
2On the willows there we hung up our harps.
If you are a musician, you know the power of this verse. Musicians love to make music...it brings joy. Hanging up your instrument is like putting part of yourself away, or out of commission.
If you're not a musician, imagine how your "exile" is causing you to put away the things that make you happy...Hobbies, Relationships, Sanity, Peace within Yourself...etc.
3For there our captors asked us for songs, and our tormentors asked for mirth, saying, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”
Do those who hold you in exile mock you? Maybe your "captors" aren't people but situations. Does the same pain keep coming again and again as if it's mocking you? Do you want to do/experience the things that make you happy, but something is tormenting you? Maybe you're tormenting yourself. Maybe your own mind is torturing you.
4How could we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land?
While you want to pretend nothing is wrong, you just can't. How can you be happy in this "exile?"
5If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand wither!
6Let my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth, if I do not remember you, if I do not set Jerusalem above my highest joy.
The Psalmist is writing that he/she must remember the homeland...the sacred city. You also remember "how it used to be." That's a good thing! God wants you to remember the joy of life. God wants to be connected to you. God wants to be part of your life. Don't forget your "Jerusalem."
7Remember, O Lord, against the Edomites the day of Jerusalem’s fall, how they said, “Tear it down! Tear it down! Down to its foundations!” Pray to God. Tell God your deepest feelings. Don't be shy. Don't feel bad about being honest. God can take it. Even if you're angry with God, God can take it. Give God all your fears, anxieties, worries, sadness. Tell God why you're "in exile."
8O daughter Babylon, you devastator! Happy shall they be who pay you back what you have done to us!
9Happy shall they be who take your little ones and dash them against the rock!
Be even more honest with God. Tell God what you want to happen. Your "exile" has taken away what is precious to you. It is OK to want bad to come to your "enemies" as payback. It is OK to tell God how you honestly feel. Don't hold back!
Go back and read verse by verse. Make the verse apply to you. Make the Psalm YOUR prayer.
How do you feel? Probably still hurting. But, pray this Psalm several times...Meditate verse by verse. There will be catharsis. You will come to terms with your exile.
The story doesn't end here. The Israelites returned home from their exile. Your exile is not permanent. Keep your eyes focused on Jerusalem. Keep that glimmer of hope alive. Tell God exactly how you feel. Let God lead you from this point to a place of peace...back to your Jerusalem.
No comments:
Post a Comment