Wept, captors, tormentors, “Destroy it!”, “Level it to the ground!”
pays you back,
takes your babies and smashes them against the rocks!
I pulled out some of the emotionally charged and deeply disturbing words from Psalm 137. Somehow the slaughtering of evil kings is easier to handle than the expression of pain, remorse and justice-seeking from today’s Psalm 137. The Bible is good because it is real, gritty, true to life, holds nothing back, honest about emotions and actions. When we look at the Bible, we are looking in the mirror, we are looking at ourselves, we are looking at our society.
Jesus is no stranger to being the victim of children smashed on the rocks.
Crucified! The son of God was crucified and Jesus’ own people yelled “Crucify him”. And Jesus too was in exile (in Egypt) because of a baby-smashing, slashing killing spree of a Jewish king’s cruel, fear-driven power:
16 Herod was furious when he realized that the wise men had outwitted him. He sent soldiers to kill all the boys in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under, based on the wise men's report of the star's first appearance. 17 Herod's brutal action fulfilled what God had spoken through the prophet Jeremiah: 18 "A cry was heard in Ramah--weeping and great mourning. Rachel weeps for her children, refusing to be comforted, for they are dead."
And Moses narrowly escaped a national declaration of infanticide. Oh my dear heart, our world is still full of this terrible pain. On and on and on the terrible stories go of people who kill babies and torment those they capture in horrible ways. We are such depraved, hateful, selfish creatures. And we imagine we are so good and loving and peaceful. Oh we are so proud.
Firstly, not every expression in the Bible is condoned or agreed upon by God. The Bible records the cry of many people’s hearts which were not in accordance with the heart of God. And still we understand so little of our sinfulness or the depths of our absolute hate for God and all that is good. We lie to ourselves and fail to see our real heart. And we lie to ourselves about the enemy too.
Is anyone beyond trust? Has anyone gone too far for restoration? Can everyone be redeemed? Are any innocent? Should we trust any of our enemies? Who are our enemies? Who are the enemies of God? Do we torment God? Do we kill His prophets?
Do we (with King Herod) make sure that no one of God’s family will live to sit on the throne?
Whose side are you on? Our world is filled with wars, conflicts, babies being killed, soldiers and terrorists committing atrocities. Do you think we are so advanced? Are we past this way of thinking? Have we evolved to be more loving, kind, gentle? Whose side are you on? Are you on God’s side?
Do you trust God to be fair, wise, right, just, good, kind, gentle?
Jesus is God and He only does what the Father wills.
Does the Father will what we read in Psalm 137? Would Jesus have such an attitude? Will He in the final judgement? Should anyone ever?
Let me ask you, have you really suffered and seen suffering? Have you seen someone smash another person mercilessly, beat a small helpless person, relentlessly torment and psychologically abuse someone, physically abuse, hit with sticks and knives and gang up on and run over with a truck a family member and kill them? I have seen so little pain in my life and yet I have seen all that with my own eyes. Would you want justice? What do you do with people bent on killing, raping, tormenting others? What if the victims are children? Then what will you do with those people?
How will you feel?
I feel hope only because I trust Jesus my King to be righteous and just. I will not take this passage in isolation. But I will not drag you today through all the rest of the pain I could draw your attention to in the Bible or in this world.
Who do you trust to be good? Yourself? Your friends and family? God? Jesus? Who will give you comfort, justice and protection?
This Psalm is filled with nationalism, a religious lament and it in passing refers to the Lord, but I would submit to you it is a godless Psalm. . . unless the lament and joy of Jerusalem in this case are for the presence of God and the hope and joy of God’s promise, but I don’t think they are. I don’t think there is hope, joy or salvation in this time of weeping and hurt. I don’t think the love of Jerusalem is like that of Jesus.
33 Yes, today, tomorrow, and the next day I must proceed on my way. For it wouldn't do for a prophet of God to be killed except in Jerusalem! 34 "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God's messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn't let me.
(Matthew 23:37–39) Luke 13:33-34 NLT
“41 But as he came closer to Jerusalem and saw the city ahead, he began to weep. 42 "How I wish today that you of all people would understand the way to peace. But now it is too late, and peace is hidden from your eyes. 43 Before long your enemies will build ramparts against your walls and encircle you and close in on you from every side. 44 They will crush you into the ground, and your children with you. Your enemies will not leave a single stone in place, because you did not accept your opportunity for salvation."
Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” And the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice.
We must ask ourselves, are we on God’s side? Do we stand with God? Do we know who the enemy is? Do we really? Do we long for justice but beg for mercy and forgiveness even more?
Are we like our King?
This is a hard Psalm. Life is filled with pain and most who will read this have not seen the pain of those who wrote this Psalm. And had they seen such terrible atrocities, what would they really want? Vengeance or peace?
Let us be reminded of Psalm 136 yesterday’s Psalm.
His faithful love endures forever. NLT
For his mercy endureth for ever. KJV
For His lovingkindness (graciousness, mercy, compassion) endures forever. AMP
His love never quits. MSG
For His lovingkindness is everlasting. NASB
His tender love for us continues on forever! TPT
Conclusion: If it were not for the hope I have in Jesus, this sadness would eat me up and I would be no more anything I would care to think about.
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| Handwritten Psalm 137 |
LAMB III - Rivers Of Babylon (Listen on Youtube)
By the rivers of Babylon
As we sat and wept for Zion
By the moping willows in her midst
We sadly hung there our harps
Our captors said come sing a song of joy
How can we sing when joy is gone
If I forget Jerusalem
May my right hand its cunning lose
How our hearts pine away for Jerusalem
Golden city of our God
Bitter are the tears we cry for thee O Lord
So far, far away from You
Behold, arise and shine
Yeshua comes, the nations shall rejoice
Then will we all return
With Him to Zion's land
Jerusalem, behold your salvation comes
How our hearts pine away far Jerusalem
Golden city of our God
Bitter are the tears we cry for thee O Lord
So far, far away from You
And now we look for yet a better day
When the Holy One returns
To restore Eternal Jerusalem
And to bring our people home
And to bring our people home
And to bring our people home
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