Psalm 137 & 138: The LORD’s Song
Verse of the Day: (137:4) How shall we sing the LORD’s song in a strange land?
1. The LORD’s Song (137:1-7)
By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion. (137:1)
God punished Israel by sending the Babylonians to attack and subdue them. The people of Israel wept when the Babylonians compelled them to sing the LORD’s song by the rivers of Babylon, the foreign land far away from Israel, as they remembered and recalled the good old days, especially the golden years during the reign of King David, but now they were prisoners and slaves of the Babylonians. One day, when we get to heaven, we shall sing the LORD’s song with the angels, including the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, the LORD Jesus Christ, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? For thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest. (Revelation 15:1-4)
2. The LORD’s Service (137:8-9)
O daughter of Babylon, who art to be destroyed; happy shall he be, that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us. (137:8)
Instead of serving God, they disobeyed Him, and now they were forced to serve as slaves to the Babylonians. Israel knew that their captivity was the consequences of their rebellion against God, and thus they repented their sins, and turned to Him, and committed their lives to Him. They also prayed for God’s judgment upon the Babylonians who had done much evil to them. Let us thus obey God, and do service to Him with joy in our hearts knowing that He is indeed our loving Master. (Ephesians 6:5-9)
3. The LORD’s Strength (138:1-8)
In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul. (138:3)
King David reminisced the time when God strengthened and sustained his soul, as he humbled himself before Him, and cried to Him in repentance of his transgressions. David learned the hard way, and he began to daily praise and sing to God for His holy Word, as well as His lovingkindness, truth and mercy, even during the worst time. David fully understood that God is too wise to make a mistake, and too kind to be unloving, and He shall help and revive him in the days of trouble. Indeed, when we call upon the Lord, He shall not only grant us His awesome strength and sustenance, but His priceless salvation, as He willingly left the splendour of heaven to be on earth, and to die on the cruel cross and shed His precious blood for the sins of the world, yours and mine. (Romans 5:6-8)
Prayer of the Day:
Dearest God, please help me to praise and sing to You in good and even bad time.
