Return From Captivity: Psalm 126

Psalm 126 is celebrating Cyrus’ decree and Israel’s return from captivity. Isaiah prophesied Israel’s return over 100 years earlier (Isaiah 44:28-45:7). The Bible is rooted in history, and this Psalm is no exception. It can be difficult at times to understand the Bible in its historical context, but it’s crucial because history is important to the Christian faith. Some people find history quite dull, but God’s work is rooted in history. 
Recently, I had the privilege of attending LifeFocus, a week-long conference in Topeka, Kansas, where we explored the Psalter all week. One of the lectures was on Psalm 126 and the history behind it. We learned that for centuries, the only record of the Jewish return from exile and Cyrus’ decree came from the Hebrew Scriptures, including Psalm 126. No other sources mentioned this decree, even though it had such a great impact at the time. People began to doubt the Bible’s historical authenticity and reliability. Then, in 1879, the Cyrus cylinder with the decree was discovered by a British Museum exhibition that was digging in Babylon!

Now that we have a bit of historical context for this Psalm and Israel’s return from Babylon, we can look at and better appreciate the beauty of Psalm 126.  

1 When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion,
we were like those who dream.
2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
and our tongue with shouts of joy;
then they said among the nations,
“The Lord has done great things for them.”

This is a Psalm about the history of mankind being brought back from captivity (v. 1).  There are many captivities throughout Scripture--the Israelites’ captivity in Egypt, the Babylonian captivity, and even individual captivity (see Psalm 42). This Psalm likely refers to the return from Babylon in 586 BC, but it’s also part of a much larger story. Throughout history, man has a history of captivity and return. The principle captivity in the Bible is found in Genesis 3 and the fall: the captivity and bondage of death.

3 The Lord has done great things for us;
we are glad.
4 Restore our fortunes, O Lord,
like streams in the Negeb!

Notice that verse 1 (“restored”) is past tense, praising God for His deliverance. Verse 4 (“restore”) is present tense, praying to God and awaiting deliverance. 

5 Those who sow in tears
shall reap with shouts of joy!
6 He who goes out weeping,
bearing the seed for sowing
shall come home with shouts of joy,
bringing his sheaves with him.

We live in an age in which all nations can return from captivity. These verses apply not only to the past, but also to the future and to our history, if we are in Christ. John Calvin said in his commentary on this Psalm, "In order then that joy may succeed our present sorrow, let us learn to apply our minds to the contemplation of the issue which God promises. Thus we shall experience that all true believers have a common interest in this prophecy, That God not only will wipe away tears from their eyes, but that he will also diffuse inconceivable joy through their hearts."

The decree of salvation is even more important than Cyrus’ decree releasing the Israelites. Restoration from sin and death itself (Genesis 3) has been accomplished through Christ. There is also a future restoration promised in this Psalm. Though in this lifetime we may sow in tears and hardship as we proclaim God’s decree to the nations, God’s word does not return to Him empty (Isaiah 55:11).

We will come home with shouts of joy. 

When Praise Sounds Weak and Warbly

Psalm 67 is a beautiful, awe inspiring 7 verses that I’ve been memorizing recently. It’s a Psalm of gratitude, asking God to keep His promises to His people. It’s a Psalm that stirs up the soul toward excitement for missions and for the church globally and generationally. Phrases like, “the peoples,” “the nations,” and “all the ends of the earth” declare the mission of the gospel and where it is headed.

Psalm 67 (ESV): Make Your Face Shine upon Us

To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. A Psalm. A Song.

1 May God be gracious to us and bless us
 and make his face to shine upon us, Selah

2 that your way may be known on earth,
 your saving power among all nations.

3 Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you!

4 Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,
 for you judge the peoples with equity
and guide the nations upon earth. Selah

5 Let the peoples praise you, O God
let all the peoples praise you!

6 The earth has yielded its increase;
God, our God, shall bless us.

7 God shall bless us;
let all the ends of the earth fear him!

As a side note, Psalms were meant to be sung. Don’t just take my word for it. I highly recommend you whip out your trusty copy of “The Book of Psalms for Worship” (or buy a copy here!) and sing this beautiful Psalm. I’m partial to the 67C version myself.

My study Bible notes on this Psalm, “May God’s favors to His people be so obvious that all the world takes notice.” God promises every spiritual blessing in Christ (Ephesians 1:3) so that “all the ends of the earth may fear Him.” When God blesses us abundantly, the watching world can’t help noticing and glorifying our gracious and loving Father. This is part of the Christian’s witness to the world. Pray that praise from every corner of the earth will resound to God and that His blessings on us will be so plentiful that the world will have no other option than to respond with rejoicing and worship.

I wanted to add some related verses from the two Psalms directly before 67.

Psalm 65:8: They who dwell in the ends of the earth stand in awe of Your signs, You make the dawn and the sunset shout for joy.

All people will ultimately see God’s saving acts on behalf of His people and therefore will bend their knee and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Philippians 2:11). All creation will rejoice (see Psalm 19), joining in the human chorus to celebrate the blessings of God in creation and redemption. What an exhilarating thought! All earth from the farthest corners will be praising the Almighty with us. If it seems to be just your small congregation with feeble, quavering voices in worship on Sunday morning, keep in mind that one day we will join in an everlasting refrain of praise to God with the dawn, the angels, and the people of God throughout the generations. It will sound incredible to be glorifying God as we see Him face to face with the church triumphant. John Boys said, “The servants of the Lord are to sing His praises in this life to the world’s end; and in the next life, world without end.”

How should we await this eternity of adoration? As Psalm 66:1-2 says, let us, “Shout joyfully to God, all the earth; sing the glory of His name; make His praise glorious.” We are called to give honor and worship to our Holy God. Let’s be overflowing with His glory and declaring what He has done for us. Make His praise glorious, not just half-hearted, timid, and occasional. Our praise should be constant and glorious, because our God alone is worthy of all glory. With this knowledge, we should be driven to missions, whether across the street or across the ocean. The vision of Psalm 67, “That your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations” should drive us forward in fulfilling the Great Commission. 

Psalm 28: Prayer Transformed to Praise

I'm Lydia Goerner from Christ Church RPCNA in Utica, NY. I'm excited to be the newest author of Selah and to be able to share what God is teaching me through the marvelous book of Psalms. Recently, I've been meditating on Psalm 28, so without further ado, here are my thoughts. Let me know why you love Psalm 28 in the comments!

To you, Lord, I call;
you are my Rock,
do not turn a deaf ear to me,
For if you remain silent,
I will be like those who go down to the pit.

It is futile to call to rocks for deliverance, but our Rock will save us and give us peace. It is vain to rely on words to rescue us from judgment, but the eternal Word died so that we could have eternal life. We can call on our Rock: a steady, immovable deliverance. This verse starts on a desperate note, pleading with God to hear and answer the Psalmist’s prayer. If God remains silent, if he does not answer our prayers and cries for mercy, we will be no better off than those who are dead. Spurgeon said of this verse, “We must have answers to prayer: ours is an urgent case of dire necessity; surely the Lord will speak peace to our agitated minds, for he never can find it in his heart to permit his own elect to perish.” 

Hear my cry for mercy
as I call to you for help,
as I lift up my hands
toward your Most Holy Place.

The Psalmist is distraught and fervently petitions God to be his salvation. Many of us can probably relate to these desperate cries for mercy in times of illness or despair. When hard times hit, it's crucial to turn to the only thing that can deliver us. Nothing else can fully answer our calls for help. At these times, we can beseechingly lift up our empty hands to God our refuge. 

Do not drag me away with the wicked,
with those who do evil,
who speak cordially with their neighbors
but harbor malice in their hearts.
Repay them for their deeds
and for their evil work,
repay them for what their hands have done
and bring back on them what they deserve.
Because they have no regard for the deeds of the Lord
and what his hands have done,
he will tear them down
and never build them up again.

God is just and will repay men for the evil things they have done; justice will be done to the men who “speak cordially with their neighbors” and wear a mask of righteousness while their hearts are full of malice. God sees the hearts of men and no thought, word, or deed escapes his omnipresent gaze. Even if the wicked seem to prosper in this life, God will deal justly with them in the life that is to come. He won’t reward them for their cordial speech but according to their evil thoughts and deeds. They have no regard for the works that God has done, so He will have no regard for their work, but will make it futile. It's probably not news to many that we live in an evil and perverse generation. Psalm 28 is a prayer that we would not be like those who go down to the pit but that we would be spared from being judged along with the wicked. 

Praise be to the Lord,
for he has heard my cry for mercy.
The Lord is my strength and my shield;
my heart trusts in him, and he helps me,
My heart leaps for joy,
and with my song I praise him.

The Psalm of prayer turns to praise, illustrating the Puritan William Jenkyn’s words: “Praise shall conclude that work which prayer began.” The trusting, reliant soul will find an answer and be lead to joyfully worship God for His marvelous provision. We can be certain that if we pray fervently and unceasingly now, joyous and unending praise will follow, if not in this sin cursed world then throughout eternity. God heard the prayers of Jesus Christ, and we have assurance that He hears our prayers as well if we are God's anointed. Psalm 34:15 confirms: "The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous and His ears are open to their cry." Our Rock will hear us and deliver us from His and our enemies.

The Lord is the strength of his people,
a fortress of salvation for his anointed one.
Save your people and bless your inheritance;
be their shepherd and carry them forever.

God grants to His people these two main things: salvation and blessing. He saves us from death and our sin and blesses us by making our lives and labors fruitful. The answer to this prayer is fully answered in the ministry of the good shepherd. Christ shepherds, teaches, and guides us as God protects and makes our labors flourish. We also learn that we shouldn't just pray that God will bless us and our personal life, but all His people—the church militant. Spurgeon said of this verse’s petition: “Carry them in thine arms on earth, and then lift them into thy bosom in heaven. Elevate their minds and thoughts, spiritualise their affections, make them heavenly, Christlike, and full of God. O Lord, answer this our petition, for Jesus' sake.”
This one brief verse in a relatively short Psalm holds enough promise and hope for a lifetime- even for an eternity. I pray that God will continue to carry us forever, guiding us constantly even to death (Psalm 48:14).


Resource: The Treasury of David by C.H. Spurgeon. 

A God Who is Mighty in Wisdom and Power: An Exposition of Psalm 104:24-30

     I have always loved nature, when I was a small child I would cry because the wild deer would run away from me. The fact that they did not understand I meant them no harm and merely wanted to be their friend was a constant anguish to my young heart. However, though I loved nature, I rarely thought about from whence it came or how it came about; it was simply always there.  

     This psalm has been my favorite for as long as I can remember, I loved it even before I could read it for myself. Though I used to love it purely because of the Leviathan and the Rock Badger. As I grew a little older and I was able to read and understand for myself, I began to see this psalm in a new light. I began to think about from where this wonderful nature came and how mighty and powerful God was to bestow such a wonderfully glorious world on little old me.

     I still love nature, but now it affects me in a very different way. The sight of a purple tulip in spring will still bring a smile to my lips, but it also reminds me of how wise God is in all the intricacies of creation, and how short I fall in all my attempts to understand all His powerful works.

24 How many are your works, Lord!
    

In wisdom you made them all;
    

the earth is full of your creatures.  

In the previous verses, the Psalmist praises God for the individual wonders He had made. Throughout verses 10 through 23 he paints a gorgeous picture of nature, with all her little facets. These characteristics display the caring nature of God as He accounts for and takes care of every aspect of His creation. Verse 24 comes, almost as a doxology, after this eloquent ode to God’s creative and sustaining powers as if the psalmist is unable to contain himself and must burst out in awe and amazement of God. After thirteen verses of systematically unfolding all the ways in which God upholds creation, the psalmist summarizes his entire thesis in one small verse.

How many are your works, Lord! The psalmist is stumped; at this moment he has nothing left to say. He realizes that if he tries to catalogue all the ways in which God works he would still be at it today! The only thing left for him to do is cry out in wonder at the majesty of God. 

In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. This declaration is another statement testifying to the greatness of this mind-blowing creation in which the psalmist finds himself. Not only are God’s works numerous but they are also made in God’s wisdom. We live in the midst of a creation that was created with the divine and perfect wisdom of an all-powerful God. In this verse, creatures do not merely mean the wild panda bears, or the cuddly kitten that is curled up at your feet but, we humans, are included in this list of God’s creatures. Not only are we one of His creations but we are also made in His image and bear His characteristics. We are able to reason and cultivate wisdom, unlike the dumb horse, we are able to commune with fellow humans in a small imitation of the way God communes with Himself, we are able to receive the Sprit of God which brings us not only physical animation, but an immortal soul which is able to one day enter into the presence of the everlasting Creator.         

25 There is the sea, vast and spacious,
  

teeming with creatures beyond number—
    

living things both large and small.  

26 There the ships go to and fro,
    

and Leviathan, which you formed to frolic there. 

In these verses, the psalmist has once again found his voice and continues to survey the ways in which God has worked in the world. In the previous verse the psalmist states that the earth was full of God’s creatures, here he states that the sea also teems with those He has made. In case the hearer or reader of this psalm missed the psalmist’s point that the whole of the world, earth, sea and sky, were positively filled to the brim with declarations of the existence of God, he lays it out plain and simple. By going from one area, the earth, and then to another, the sea, the psalmist explains the all-encompassing creation in such a way that lets even little children in on what he has experienced.

This psalmist is a master at painting huge pictures that then narrow down to focus on a single image which represents the whole. A ship, a rather common image, is seen traveling on these waters which he has just described as crawling with creatures and is representative of the entire human race. In just one half of a sentence, the psalmist includes humanity in this picture of God’s handiwork, and in the other half of the sentence the entire sea is symbolized in the single image of the leviathan.

27 All creatures look to you
    

to give them their food at the proper time. 

28 When you give it to them,
    

they gather it up;


when you open your hand,
    

they are satisfied with good things. 

The theme of food is rampant throughout this psalm. Earlier, in verses 14-15 and verse 21, the creatures of God are provided with food from the earth, cultivated by the very hand of God Himself. And again in these verses he states the all creatures, not just dumb beasts or man, are satisfied unto satiety with good things by the hand of God. The psalmist brings the common act of eating to our attention and reminds us that without the hand of God opening and providing us with our daily bread, we would never be supplied with our needs. Not only is the psalmist reminding us of our total dependence on God for our every need, he is also reminding us of what God has done in the past.

For an Israelite, the thought of gathering up food provided directly from the hand of God would not be so nebulous an idea. In the desert wilderness where the sons of Adam wandered for forty years, the people gathered to their satisfaction “manna,” the food of heaven, which appeared on the ground every morning. Every small Israelite child would know this story and about how God had provided for his forefathers.

And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD. Deuteronomy 8:2-4

29 When you hide your face, 
    

they are terrified;


when you take away their breath,
   

they die and return to the dust.  

30 When you send your Spirit, 
    

they are created,
    

and you renew the face of the ground.

     These two verses serve as an antithesis to the two verses that come before. In verse 27 all creatures turn their faces to God in humble dependence on Him for food and in verse 29, when God hides His face from them, they are utterly terrified, terror-stricken, and convulsed. Even the humble beast without a soul or an understanding of God’s plan of redemption is left in a state of total despair and inner chaos when the face of its Creator is hidden from him. How much greater is the inner anguish found in the soul of one who has blatantly rejected the hand of grace?

When you take away their breath, they die and return to the dust.  

Verse 29b continues to carry the antithetical parallel to verse 28. The hand of God abundantly gives food which sustains, but that very same hand can take away the breath of life. This seems unfair. Why does God provide food in abundance for some and hardly enough to sustain life for others? Only one sentence is needed to answer this question: because God is holy and merciful. God’s holiness means that the instant sin entered the world creation was condemned to die. For God to be holy means that nothing unholy can be tolerated in His presence. The whole wild and beautiful earth that is God’s creation was turned in an instant from a blooming paradise into an inferno filled with writhing sin. In light of this, the proper questions to ask are not, “why doesn’t God bless everything equally?” but rather “why does God bless anything at all?” Why are we sitting here writing articles and in turn reading them? Why are we privileged to have a life sustaining sun? Why are we alive and breathing at all? This is due completely to His mercy.

     When the blackness entered the wonderful creation and turned paradise into a breeding ground for festering wounds, God could have easily, beyond easily, turned right around and let fall His sustaining hand. But He didn’t; He had a plan from the beginning of eternity to save mankind, and in doing so, He brought Himself glory. Why did He do this? Why did He decide to save a withering creation at the cost of His Son? There is no answer for that besides His mercy, His compassion towards those He calls His own, and His forgiveness for those who call Him God. Never again can you dare to call God “unfair,” the very fact that we are alive means that God is “unfair.”

     When you send your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the ground.

     In God’s goodness He didn’t just leave the earth as it was, to spiral downwards into oblivion. Not only did He decide to continue to sustain the earth, but He decided to renew it. He didn’t merely let the former die and be done with it all, but He also sends His very Spirit to bring renewal again to the earth. Through the Spirit that is sent from His hands the old passes away and a new generation covers the earth. Not only is the psalmist presenting a fundamental characteristic of God in this verse, that He is a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, (Exodus 34:6) but he is also harkening back to a renewal God had performed in the past. He is reminding us of the story of the destruction of the earth and the renewal of the covenant of grace through Noah.

     For behold, I will bring a flood of waters upon the earth to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life under heaven. Everything that is on the earth shall die. But I will establish my covenant with you, and you shall come into the ark, you, your sons, your wife, and your sons' wives with you. Genesis 6:17-18   

     Again and again the psalmist brings the reader or hearers attention to the seemingly ignored things of life. The beauty of the leviathan playing in the seas, the magnificence of the unshakable earth, the tall trees that provide food for one and shelter for another, the life which comes from the hand of God, and finally, how mighty and wise is the Creator of all.

When Reading, Singing, or Praying this psalm:

• Acknowledge that God is Holy, Wise and Powerful.
• Realize that the mighty God who is full of power is also a loving God full of mercy.
• Understand that your life here on earth is a gift and not to be taken for granted.
• Comprehend that this perfect God is willing to save reeking sinners.
• Pay attention to the small things in life. Don’t rush by a perfect sunset en route to “more important things.” Stop and realize the blessing the sun is in our lives. 

Ask yourself:

• Do I see the Creator through creation, or do I merely acknowledge His works?
• Death is the only sure thing in life; how can I remember that God knows even when the smallest sparrow falls?
• Though the world is full of people, how can I accept that each life is a miracle?
• Do I resent that only God can sustain my life?
• How can I bring renewal to those around me by sharing the gospel?
• How can I study God’s word to better understand Him?

A God Worthy to be Praised: an Exposition of Psalm 104:1-9

The topic of praise is one that seems to always be on the tongues of men. People praising others on their wonderful contributions to music, people praising a certain method of child rearing as the best way to raise a child, sports fanatics praising the player they feel to be the one who really makes the team great, health food advocates praising the avocado for its marvelous health benefits. The list goes on and on. The act of praise is central to the human soul, and without thinking, praise easily comes to our lips. However, there is one area where men seem to fail to praise. We neglect the praise of our God.

            Psalm 104 addresses that very problem. The entire song is about the greatness of God, and all of His deeds, attributes, and provisions which make Him worthy of our praises.

1 Praise the LORD, O my soul.

            The call to praise is one that is common in the Psalter, but here, the writer of the psalm, (who, from this point forward, is to be referred to as the Psalmist) declares that the entire soul is to praise God. Not just with your lips, not just on Sundays, not only when you are with your Christian friends, not only when you’re sure you will not be bullied, or picked on, or martyred. The praise of God is something that should be an all the time thing, full of genuine love and gratefulness to our LORD.     

O LORD my God, you are very great; you are clothed with splendor and majesty. 

            In the second half of this verse the psalmist tells us why God is so worthy of this unceasing praise and addresses God directly to His face, telling Him why the psalmist believes He is so beyond all our imagination. He is great, He is clothed with majesty.


           But not only is God a great God who is far beyond anything we lowly humans can fully comprehend, He is the psalmist’s God. Not only is He the most powerful and awesome creator of the world, but He is also the personal, loving Father of the psalmist. And as we sing, or read, or pray, or memorize this psalm, we are also able to call God ours; the psalmist was our praising predecessor, and through his words, we to are able to praise this great and glorious God.     

² He wraps himself in light as with a garment; He stretches out the heavens like a tent 

³ and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters.

He makes the clouds his chariot and rides on the wings of the wind.

 ⁴ He makes winds his messengers, flames of fire his servants. 

⁵ He set the earth on its foundations; it can never be moved.

            Again the psalmist describes his God. He is so powerful, that the very light of the world obeys Him and surrounds Him like a cloak; the impossible task of creating the heavens is as simple to Him as is opening a curtain on a bright summer morning. The liquid sea becomes a firm foundation for His chamber, for at His command all things are made firm.

            The latter half of verse three may, at first read, seem rather odd. We are Americans living in the 21^st century. We don’t have chariots, and have no notion of the significance of riding on the wind. For the ancient world, when they would hear of something riding on the wind they would automatically think of Yahweh, or if it was a pagan nation, any one of them would think of any one of their gods. This same language is used in the New Testament when Matthew recounts Jesus speaking of His second coming.

Matthew 24: 30 At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of

the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and

great glory.     

            The end of verse five is a pledge to the feeble mortal who has no power whatsoever over any force of nature. This assurance is that the God who rides on the wind and who summons fire to do His bidding will not let the world be shaken by any. He is the one who established the world and will never let nefarious creatures of man utterly destroy it.

 ⁶ You covered it with the deep as with a garment; the waters stood above the mountains.   

⁷ But at your rebuke the waters fled, at the sound of your thunder they took to flight;   

⁸ they flowed over the mountains, they went down into the valleys, to the place you assigned for them. 

⁹ You set a boundary they cannot cross; never again will they cover the earth. 

            Another testament to God’s power, (and again, the psalmist is directing these words to God Himself) these verses loosely follow the creation account and briefly speak of the flood of Noah. The waters of the sea are personified, and are rebuked for moving beyond the appointed places God had ordained for them and are set within boundaries that they may never cross. The ordering of nature can be translated to personal life and experience today. Not only are these four verses speaking of the actual fact of creation and the flood, they can also be seen as a testimony to God’s amazing providence. God will never allow the flood waters of persecution, suffering, and human sinfulness to completely cover the earth, to run free and unchecked. He has the power to sustain our lives, to give us food from His own hand, and to bring us through any trial or suffering.

Romans 8:37-39 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For

I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the

future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to

separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.        

While Reading, Singing or Praying this Psalm:

• Acknowledge the blessings God has given you in your own life.
• Examine your heart and root out any traces of self-entitlement or greed. God didn’t need to give us any of the blessings He has, such as beautiful spring flowers or magnificent summer sunsets, and be grateful for what He has provided.
• Give glory to God for blessing creation with beauty and wonder.
• Recognize that there are others who do not see God revealing Himself through the creation, and endeavor to explain it to them.

Ask Yourself:

• Am I praising God, or am I praising man?
• How do I see God’s providence working in my life?
• Does God’s creation bring me joy and wonder?
• Do I rest in God’s unfailing love?