Psalm 126

ZION’S RESTORATION

A song of ascents.

1 When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion,

we were like those who dream.

2 Our mouths were filled with laughter then,

and our tongues with shouts of joy.

Then they said among the nations,

“The LORD has done great things for them.”

3 The LORD had done great things for us;

we were joyful.

4 Restore our fortunes, LORD,

like watercourses in the Negev.

5 Those who sow in tears

will reap with shouts of joy.

6 Though one goes along weeping,

carrying the bag of seed,

he will surely come back with shouts of joy,

carrying his sheaves.

7 And this occurred because the people of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods 8 and walked in the customs of the nations whom the LORD drove out before the people of Israel, and in the customs that the kings of Israel had practiced. 9 And the people of Israel did secretly against the LORD their God things that were not right. They built for themselves high places in all their towns, from watchtower to fortified city. 10 They set up for themselves pillars and Asherim on every high hill and under every green tree, 11 and there they made offerings on all the high places, as the nations did whom the LORD carried away before them. And they did wicked things, provoking the LORD to anger, 12 and they served idols, of which the LORD had said to them, “You shall not do this.” 13 Yet the LORD warned Israel and Judah by every prophet and every seer, saying, “Turn from your evil ways and keep my commandments and my statutes, in accordance with all the Law that I commanded your fathers, and that I sent to you by my servants the prophets.”

14 But they would not listen, but were stubborn, as their fathers had been, who did not believe in the LORD their God. 15 They despised his statutes and his covenant that he made with their fathers and the warnings that he gave them. They went after false idols and became false, and they followed the nations that were around them, concerning whom the LORD had commanded them that they should not do like them. 16 And they abandoned all the commandments of the LORD their God, and made for themselves metal images of two calves; and they made an Asherah and worshiped all the host of heaven and served Baal. 17 And they burned their sons and their daughters as offerings and used divination and omens and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking him to anger. 18 Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel and removed them out of his sight. None was left but the tribe of Judah only.

In spite of its small size Judah enjoyed certain advantages over Israel. Jerusalem, with its ancient heritage of the temple and its divinely ordained worship, together with the Davidic dynasty and the buildings and traditions of the strong Solomonic empire, were Judah’s

The Babylonians desolated the whole land of Judah and carried off to Babylon large numbers of its people.

4 You have neither listened nor inclined your ears to hear, although the LORD persistently sent to you all his servants the prophets, 5 saying, ‘Turn now, every one of you, from his evil way and evil deeds, and dwell upon the land that the LORD has given to you and your fathers from of old and forever. 6 Do not go after other gods to serve and worship them, or provoke me to anger with the work of your hands. Then I will do you no harm.’ 7 Yet you have not listened to me, declares the LORD, that you might provoke me to anger with the work of your hands to your own harm.

8 “Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts: Because you have not obeyed my words, 9 behold, I will send for all the tribes of the north, declares the LORD, and for Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants, and against all these surrounding nations. I will devote them to destruction, and make them a horror, a hissing, and an everlasting desolation.

It is difficult to overestimate the severity and the widespread depth of suffering that overwhelmed the people of Jerusalem as a result of the Babylonian capture of that Judean city. Surely it was the worst event that could overtake any nation, house of worship, government, or generation.

I will take my stand at my watchpost

and station myself on the tower,

and look out to see what he will say to me,

and what I will answer concerning my complaint.

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.”

3  The LORD has done great things for us;

we are glad.

4  Restore our fortunes, O LORD,

like streams in the Negeb!

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.

The revelation of salvation to Israel, however, entails also the revelation of God to the other nations. The Gentiles, too, will have to stand silent before this mighty God and will have no other choice than to acknowledge the great things he has done. This is the deepest meaning and the purest form of the Old Testament belief in Israel’s election

Initially, it seems odd that the psalmist would first state that the community’s fortunes had been restored and then ask God to restore their fortunes, as he does in this stanza. But one only has to remember the return from Babylonian captivity for an example of how these two are not in tension with each other. After the initial return from Babylon under the leadership of Sheshbazzar and Zerubbabel had taken place (and their fortunes were restored), plenty of social and physical healing was still needed (restore our fortunes, LORD).

Suffering does not go away merely if we pretend it does not exist; it does exist and it does continue to hurt and cause suffering. Nor is there any sort of magic pill that can suddenly remove the heavy weight that suffering lowers on mortals’ spirits and shoulders. But the most comforting news is that where there is pain, grief, and hurt, there is God! The assurance of his presence is the best news surrounding all the pain. For not only is pain our portion, but there is the potential that “the Lord is my portion” (Lam. 3:24) even in the midst of all the pain as well.