Psalm 137

This is a very sad psalm. Not only was it written when the Israelites were in Babylonian exile, but you can almost feel their despair as they are mocked by their captors: “By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion. There on the poplars we hung our harps, for there our captors asked us for songs, our tormentors demanded songs of joy; they said, ‘Sing us one of the songs of Zion!’” (vs 1-3)

This must have been akin to those who tormented Jesus as He was on the cross, saying, “He trusts in God; let God rescue him now, if He delights in him; for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” (Matt 27:43) Talk about pouring salt in an open wound! This is exactly what the Babylonians were doing when they asked the Israelites to sing “one of the songs of Zion!”

The Israelites decided not to sing. “How can we sing the songs of the LORD while in a foreign land?” they asked. (vs 4) So, they hung up their harps and refused to sing. This doesn’t appear to have been a good decision. After spending a significant amount of time refusing to praise the Lord, their thinking ended in a dark, dark place: “Daughter Babylon, doomed to destruction, happy is the one who repays you according to what you have done to us. Happy is the one who seizes your infants and dashes them against the rocks.” (vs 8-9)

I’ve read a lot of nasty stuff in the Bible—the Old Testament is full of it. But to this point, I can’t remember any statement that made my heart as sick as this one. A person who describes as happy someone who smashes baby’s heads against rocks is a person who, in my book, is very, very disturbed.

Is this what happens when we forget the One who is worthy of our praise?

The Israelites asked a very good question: How can we sing the songs of the LORD while in a foreign land? It’s unfortunate that they didn’t find an answer to that question! But may I suggest that we should try to find one? For I don’t know about you, but I can say with confidence that “this world is not my home.” I am in a foreign land, and if not singing the songs of the Lord will lead me down the path of cherishing revenge against my enemies (and even their helpless babies!), then I want to locate the nearest harp!

How can we sing the songs of the LORD while in a foreign land? It’s a good question. It’s a question I often struggle with as I look around at the world and see sorrow, misery, suffering, and evil. People dying, people being hurtful to each other, people exploiting one another. What is there to sing about?

Today, I would like to declare that—even when life is at its worst—we always have plenty to sing about. God is for us, and nothing—absolutely nothing—can snatch us out of His hand. No matter how bad things get, we should never hang up our harps and refuse to sing, because refusing to take up our harps might just have a profound effect on our hearts.

God wants us to keep singing. So even if you’re in a foreign land today, choose to make a joyful noise!