The Jews in exile were then told to “sing us one of the songs of Zion!” (Psalm 137:1), adding further humiliation and frustration to a defeated people. Psalm 137:1-9: Pulpit Commentary Homiletics. The exiles sit and cry at the rivers of Babylon. Singing to the self. All rights reserved worldwide. God’s Enduring Love Jeremiah 31:3-4 Richard Tow 8/21/16 Intro Our text this morning is Jer. Psalm 137:8 speaks of Babylon being repaid by having precisely what she did to the Jews done back to her. Singing can be done as an expression of sorrow. In the final Summer in the Psalms message, Lead Pastor Mark Ashton preaches from Psalm 137. http://cccomaha.org So let us begin by looking at Psalm 137. — If you look at verses 1-3 of the psalm, you will see that he (or she) was in Babylon. Psalm 137 is an anamnetic exercise: to doggedly remember one’s history in the face of monstrous, irrational evil. The psalm begins with the phrase, “By the waters of Babylon.” Psalm 137:1-9. First 30-days on us! What is the message of Psalm 137? The first part of the psalm tells the story of exile in Babylon (587-538 B.C.E. Whole Psalm. Psalm 137 1-3 Alongside Babylon’s rivers we sat on the banks; we cried and cried, remembering the good old days in Zion. Verse 9 names the crime: killing babes. Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson, The Message (MSG). Psalm 137:1-9 . It captures succinctly the ways people come to grips with trauma: disbelief, turning inward and venting their rage. The *psalmist is the person that wrote the psalm. 4 How can we sing the songs of the Lord(I)    while in a foreign land?5 If I forget you,(J) Jerusalem,    may my right hand forget its skill.6 May my tongue cling to the roof(K) of my mouth    if I do not remember(L) you,if I do not consider Jerusalem(M)    my highest joy. This Psalm is composed of two parts. The 'Blues' and much of country music depend upon this concept. Psalm 137 The Message (MSG) 137 1-3 Alongside Babylon’s rivers we sat on the banks; we cried and cried, remembering the good old days in Zion. Last week I began a series looking at Psalm 137. 31:3-4. “The LORD has appeared of ... Psalm 137:1-7 INTRODUCTION: Here is a song soaked with tears. Read God’s Word. The first is, an heavy complaint of the church, unto Psa 137:1-6. The situation there is described graphically. let my fingers wither and fall off like leaves. "How shall we sing the LORD'S song in a strange land?" New International Version (NIV), they said, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”. Our tormentors insisted on a joyful hymn: “Sing us one of those songs of Jerusalem!” But how can we sing the songs of the LORD while in a pagan land? Psalm 137. The other is an heavy imprecation and a prophetical denunciation against the enemies of the church, unto the end of the psalm (Psa 137:7-9). 135 u Praise the L ord! If I forget thee, O Jerusalem — If I do not retain a deep and sorrowful sense of thy desolations, though never so far removed from thee; or if I indulge myself in mirth and jollity, as if I had forgotten thee; let my right hand — The hand chiefly used in playing on musical instruments, and in all other actions; forget her cunning — That is, lose its skill of playing. Psalm 137 is one of several psalms called imprecatory psalms. In these psalms, the author (usually David, although not in Ps. $50,000 match: 2x the Bibles for the Muslim world. 3 Praise the L ord, for x the L ord is good; sing to his name, y for it is pleasant! Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan. NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Psalm 137:5-6. “How shall we sing”: A rhetorical question … The poignancy comes in its personal description of the distress of Babylonian exile; the trouble is in its terrible outburst against the oppressors. Psalm 137 1 By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion. C ANALYSIS OF PSALM 137 The first strophe of the psalm transports the reader to the exile in Babylon. Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. (C)2 There on the poplars(D)    we hung our harps,(E)3 for there our captors(F) asked us for songs,    our tormentors demanded(G) songs of joy;    they said, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”(H). 7 Remember, Lord, what the Edomites(N) did    on the day Jerusalem fell. This means that we can say when the *psalmist wrote Psalm 137. I am going to do two things with the psalm; first, I will look at the psalm, and then I would like to look through the psalm and allow it to speak to us today.. Give now. Your Name, O Lord, Endures Forever. Fruits Of Exile From God . 137) invokes God to bring down judgment or … In its whole form of nine verses, the psalm reflects the yearning for Jerusalem as well as hatred for the Holy City's enemies with sometimes violent imagery. A. Bible. And that is the message of Psalm 137 as well. Whole Psalm.—This Psalm is composed of two parts. Menu. S. Conway . It was Israel's, or rather Judah's, exile from Zion and Jerusalem that this psalm commemorated; but the fruits that exile bore, and which are here told of, set forth the fruits of the yet sadder exile from God which many a soul has known. It is also connected with our worship toward God. Psalm 137 is at once one of the most poignant and most troubling of the psalms. Psalm 137 The Message Bible << Psalm 136 | Psalm 137 | Psalm 138 >> The Mourning of the Exiles in Babylon. About the NIV Bible. MSG: Psalm 137. 4-6 Oh, how could we ever sing God’s song    in this wasteland?If I ever forget you, Jerusalem,    let my fingers wither and fall off like leaves.Let my tongue swell and turn black    if I fail to remember you,If I fail, O dear Jerusalem,    to honor you as my greatest. 1 By the rivers of Babylon(A) we sat and wept(B)    when we remembered Zion. Whole Psalm. Praise the name of the L ord, give praise, O v servants of the L ord, 2 who n stand in the house of the L ord, in w the courts of the house of our God! Message uses God's dealings with Israel to teach about the love of God. For our captors demanded a song from us. Upgrade to Bible Gateway Plus, and access the NEW NIV Study Bible Notes, Fully Revised Edition. for there our captors asked us for songs, our tormentors demanded songs of joy; they said, “Sing … The psalmist writes from exile in what today is southern Iraq. A reward to whoever gets back at you    for all you’ve done to us;Yes, a reward to the one who grabs your babies    and smashes their heads on the rocks! NIV Story; NIV Bible Translation Philosophy; NIV Bible Translation Process; NIV Bible Translators; The NIV’s Commitment to Accuracy; Reading Pl What a wonderful mixture is the Psalm of soft melancholy and fiery patriotism! If you look at verse 8, you will see that Persia has not yet destroyed Babylon. Psalm 136 Psalm 138 The psalmist penned this poem while … Verse 1. Psalm 137 is in the context of the Jewish exile in Babylon (Psalm 137:1) where they had been taken as slaves after the Babylonians burned down the city of Jerusalem. A SONG FROM THE CAPTIVITY IN BABYLON. Find Top Church Sermons, Illustrations, and Preaching Slides on Psalm 137:1-4. We put away our harps, hanging them on the branches of poplar trees. Psalm 137 - Beside the rivers of Babylon, we sat and wept as we thought of Jerusalem. (O)“Tear it down,” they cried,    “tear it down to its foundations!”(P)8 Daughter Babylon, doomed to destruction,(Q)    happy is the one who repays you    according to what you have done to us.9 Happy is the one who seizes your infants    and dashes them(R) against the rocks. The Message 137 1-3 Alongside Babylon’s rivers we sat on the banks; we cried and cried, remembering the good old days in Zion. ). --Robert Rollock. Yes, a reward to the one who grabs your babies, Gain a concise, fundamental grasp of what the Bible is all about with our new, The Message Deluxe Gift Bible--soft leather-look, amethyst gem, The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language - Unabridged Audiobook on 66 CDs in a Boxed Set, Message Slimline Bible--soft leather-look, brown/pink, The Message // REMIX 2.0, Soft Imitation Leather, Storm Black, The Message Large-Print Devotional Bible, softcover. Click to see full answer. Choose Bible version Book. Psalm 137 – The Mournful Song of the Exiles Because this psalm is a remembrance of Babylon, many commentators believe it was written after the return from exile. Psalm 137 is a hymn expressing the yearnings of the Jewish people during their Babylonian exile. Browse Sermons on Psalm 137:1-4. It reflects the sorrows and thoughts of one of the captives, either during the captivity itself, or shortly afterward when the memories of the terrible experience were still fresh in the psalmist's mind. Chapter. But when we find singing in the Scripture it is usually pointing to times of rejoicing. There is … Psalm 137 is a hymn expressing the yearnings of the Jewish people during their Babylonian exile. 137 1 Alongside Babylon's rivers we sat on the banks; we cried and cried, remembering the good old days in Zion. Popular Stories. PSALM 137. 137 1-3 Alongside Babylon’s rivers    we sat on the banks; we cried and cried,    remembering the good old days in Zion.Alongside the quaking aspens    we stacked our unplayed harps;That’s where our captors demanded songs,    sarcastic and mocking:    “Sing us a happy Zion song!”. The first is, an heavy complaint of the church, unto Ps 137:7. For once, there is no need for guessing about the occasion of this Psalm. 7-9 God, remember those Edomites,    and remember the ruin of Jerusalem,That day they yelled out,    “Wreck it, smash it to bits!”And you, Babylonians—ravagers! In its whole form of nine verses, the psalm reflects the yearning for Jerusalem as well as hatred for the Holy City's enemies with sometimes violent imagery. The other is an heavy imprecation and a prophetical denunciation against the enemies of the church, unto the end of the Psalm. A reward to whoever gets back at you for all you've done to us; 9 Yes, a reward to the one who grabs your babies and smashes their heads on the rocks! S Ge 25:30; S 2Ch 28:17; S Ps 83:6; La 4:21-22, Isa 13:1, 19; 47:1-15; Jer 25:12, 26; 50:1; 50:2-51:58, NIV, Quest Study Bible, Comfort Print: The Only Q and A Study Bible, NIV, Story of Jesus: Experience the Life of Jesus as One Seamless Story, NIV, The Story: The Bible as One Continuing Story of God and His People, NIV, Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, Red Letter Edition: Bringing to Life the Ancient World of Scripture, NIV, Beautiful Word Bible Journal, Acts, Comfort Print. 1. Search. A backslidden people have lost their ability to sing the Lord’s song. The psalm is marked by a quite extraordinary vividness; it is vivid in its tenderness, vivid in its tenor. It may also have been written many years into the exile. It shows what a strange thing the human heart is. 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