Psalm 137:1-4 "By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion. (2) We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof. (3) For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion. (4) How shall we sing the LORD'S song in a strange land?"
There is no doubt about it that sins of the flesh produce pleasure for a while.
We read in Hebrews 11:25 that Moses chose "... to suffer affliction with
the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season." But
for the child of God, there is a void that is left because those pleasures are
only temporary. Today's Psalm was written about the time of captivity when
Israel was taken away into the land of Babylon. The Lord allowed that captivity
to take place because His people had turned away from Him. In contrast to
Moses, they chose to enjoy the pleasure of their own carnal nature rather than
to walk in the paths of righteousness which the Lord had placed for them. What
was the result of those temporary pleasures? The emptiness of heart and soul
came upon them and we read in verse 1 that they "wept when (they)
remembered Zion." They were homesick but could do nothing about it. In
that strange land, their captors mocked them by saying, "Sing us one of
the songs of Zion." Today, they might say, "Sing us one of
those church songs." There was no joy in their hearts that would motivate
them to sing. Emptiness prevailed where once there had been joy and
fulfillment. They had even hung their harps on the branches of the willow trees
because they were unable to sing the songs of joy. Sadness filled the place
where gladness had once prevailed. "How shall we sing the LORD'S song in a
strange land?"
This Psalm still serves as a warning to us. There are results of guilt and
remorse when we choose to walk away from the Lord. The sinful pleasures are
soon replaced with guilt and loneliness. We may feel like we have been abandoned
when in reality, we were the ones who abandoned God. But I want to leave us
with the assurance of hope in Jesus Christ. He stands with open arms,
"Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden." The Psalmist
tells us in Psalm 116:7, "Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for the
LORD hath dealt bountifully with thee." We should never let our pride
prevent us from bowing before the Lord God Almighty to ask for forgiveness and
restoration. His grace is sufficient for our every need!
There is a fountain filled with blood Drawn from Immanuel’s veins;
And sinners, plunged beneath that flood, Lose all their guilty
stains:
Lose all their guilty stains, Lose all their guilty stains;
And sinners, plunged beneath that flood, Lose all their guilty
stains.
The dying thief rejoiced to see That fountain in his day;
And there may I, though vile as he, Wash all my sins away:
Wash all my sins away, Wash all my sins away;
And there may I, though vile as he, Wash all my sins away.