September 22, 2011
-
By the Rivers, a Spark of Grace | Psalm 137:1-6 ~ Letter 125 on assurance & fighting for joy
Psalm 137:1 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? 5 If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning. 6 If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy.
I. The mournful posture they were in as to their affairs and as to their spirits. 1. They were posted by the rivers of Babylon, in a strange land, a great way from their own country, whence they were brought as prisoners of war. The land of Babylon was now a house of bondage to that people, as Egypt had been in their beginning. Their conquerors quartered them by the rivers, with design to employ them there, and keep them to work in their galleys; or perhaps they chose it as the most melancholy place, and therefore most suitable to their sorrowful spirits. If they must build houses there (Jer. xxix. 5), it shall not be in the cities, the places of concourse, but by the rivers, the places of solitude, where they might mingle their tears with the streams. We find some of them by the river Chebar (Ezek. i. 3), others by the river Ulai, Dan. viii. 2. 2. There they sat down to indulge their grief by poring on their miseries. Jeremiah had taught them under this yoke to sit alone, and keep silence, and put their mouths in the dust, Lam. iii. 28, 29. "We sat down, as those that expected to stay, and were content, since it was the will of God that it must be so." 3. Thoughts of Zion drew tears from their eyes; and it was not a sudden passion of weeping, such as we are sometimes put into by a trouble that surprises us, but they were deliberate tears (we sat down and wept), tears with consideration--we wept when we remembered Zion, the holy hill on which the temple was built. Their affection to God's house swallowed up their concern for their own houses. They remembered Zion's former glory and the satisfaction they had had in Zion's courts, Lam. i. 7. Jerusalem remembered, in the days of her misery, all her pleasant things which she had in the days of old, Ps. xlii. 4. They remembered Zion's present desolations, and favoured the dust thereof, which was a good sign that the time for God to favour it was not far off, Ps. cii. 13, 14. 4. They laid by their instruments of music (2): We hung our harps upon the willows. (1.) The harps they used for their own diversion and entertainment. These they laid aside, both because it was their judgment that they ought not to use them now that God called to weeping and mourning (Isa. xxii. 12), and their spirits were so sad that they had no hearts to use them; they brought their harps with them, designing perhaps to use them for the alleviating of their grief, but it proved so great that it would not admit the experiment. Music makes some people melancholy. As vinegar upon nitre, so is he that sings songs to a heavy heart. (2.) The harps they used in God's worship, the Levites' harps. These they did not throw away, hoping they might yet again have occasion to use them, but they laid them aside because they had no present use for them; God had cut them out other work by turning their feasting into mourning and their songs into lamentations, Amos viii. 10. Every thing is beautiful in its season. They did not hide their harps in the bushes, or the hollows of the rocks; but hung them up in view, that the sight of them might affect them with this deplorable change. Yet perhaps they were faulty in doing this; for praising God is never out of season; it is his will that we should in every thing give thanks, Isa. xxiv. 15, 16.~ from Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary on Psalm 137, emphasis mine
By the Rivers, a Spark of Graceon the willows, my harp is hung
no more the songs of Zion sungby the rivers, here I mourn
dejected, downcast and forlornthirsty, cold and comfortless
invisible God, show Your face!I gasp, I heave
Living God, breathe!Grace of God, descend and spark
the cooling embers of my heart~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
never fear, never doubt
Grace will pour, Glory spoutlift up your head, lift up your gaze
above the earthly, miry hazeescape the snare, the deadly maze
come to Mount Zion, come and grazeGod knows the way that you take
Jehovah's flame will never forsakeParaclete walks right beside
as your faith is tested, purifiedkeep His way, never doubt
treasure the words of His mouthSon of God abiding with you in the fire
His promises are true, He is not a liarhas He not told you, seek His face
seek Him then with due diligenceHe has not said to His seed, "Seek Me in vain."
God is good to all who call upon His nameHe is surely a rewarder to all who seek,
soon enough through the lattice He will peekhumble yourself and contemplate Him
in due time, Jesus shall condescendChrist will knock, you will sup again
and speak with Him as with a friendHis comfortable cup you both will share
at the table your Shepherd has prepared~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
on the willows, my harp is hung
no more the songs of Zion sungby the rivers here I mourn
dejected, downcast and forlornthirsty, cold and comfortless
concealed God, pour down Grace!I gasp, I heave
Living God, breathe!Grace of God, descend and spark
the chilled embers of my heart~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Your ear bent
Glory's descentthe Rock split
the Holy visitthe heavens rent
Refreshment sentYour two-edged sword
Your chastening pouredmy hard heart rent
my stiff neck bentrepentance
obedience
fellowshipthough the city be razed
though You may slay me
my heart will praise TheeYour Spirit prevailing
Your purposes unfailing
Satan's schemes curtailingYour kindness embracing
Your mercies unchanging
my doubts assuagingsuddenly
Spirit's breezethe veil ripped
Grace sippedincomparable
my soul filledI taste, I see
Your mercy seatGlory manifest
fire in the breastbarren give birth
invincible mirthlame leaping
sheaves reapingjoy restored
Christ adoredby rushing, mighty Wind carried along
in my affliction given a new song:"Though You slay me,
yet I will praise Thee!""Glory to God! in the fire
You are my chiefest desire!"on the willows, my harp was hung,
but now the songs of Zion are sung
"See how great a flame aspires
kindled by a spark of grace"Your warm and loving caress!
O, Blessed Sustenance!Holy exhibition
Divine radiation
in my afflictionby the rivers, a spark of grace
leapt across Bether, showed Your facethough the city be razed
though You may slay me
my heart will praise Thee
Song of Solomon 5:9 What is thy beloved more than another beloved, O thou fairest among women? what is thy beloved more than another beloved, that thou dost so charge us? 10 My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand.
Isaiah 24:14 They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing for the majesty of the LORD, they shall cry aloud from the sea. 15 Wherefore glorify ye the LORD in the fires, even the name of the LORD God of Israel in the isles of the sea.
"See how great a flame aspires
Kindled by a spark of grace."~ Charles Wesley
Related:my other letters on assurance and fighting for joy, including these:
In the multitude of your anxieties, may His comforts delight your soul: Letter 60 on assurance & joy
Doubting one, do you know Me as a rewarder? | letter 78 on assurance & fighting for joy
asking a hard thing (letter 84 on assurance & fighting for joy)
Rejoicing here on the Potter's Wheel (Psalm 66) | Letter 96 on assurance & joy
one Friend alone | letter 100 on assurance & fighting for joy
the pilgrim's Assurance ~ His Sovereign pouring | letter 110 on assurance & fighting for joy
Here in the shadows | Letter 111 on Assurance & Fighting for Joy
the lover's inquiry | letter 114 on fighting for joy
O, soul, do not worry ~ seeking God in temptation & doubt | letter 120 on assurance & joyNaphtali News: musing on this ocean of Xanga/Revelife
Why not pray for the baptism of the Holy Spirit
Come, Holy Spirit, Come! (Joseph Hart)
As a deer pants ... Is your soul panting for God? (Psalms 42 & 43)
O, Lord, I have need of endurance today (yet You are here with me in the midst)
Though beyond all measure I be pressed ~ "the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials"
In darkest place
even in my disappointment - still blessed by my Father
when grace delays, has Love gone astray? ~ a hymn of assurance
In hope against hope believe, Blessed are all who believe
"And they cast him out." (John 9) ~ Providence is not surprised
By Shimei Cursed, By Jordan Refreshed (II Samuel 16:5-14)
In the multitude of our anxieties, the Lord's comforts alone delight our soulsScripture quotations taken from the King James Version of the Holy Bible.Photo credit: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Campfire_and_sparks_in_Anttoora_2.jpg / (CC BY-SA 3.0 Unported)
RSS feed