The Psalms – Songs of Hope: Psalm 137

The Old Testament and the value of the Psalms

Over the years, I have had a number of conversations about the relevance of the Old Testament. And I get it. It paints a difficult picture of God, a God who seems so different to the God of love that we encounter in the Gospels and throughout the New Testament.

The more I read and study the Old Testament, the more I am convinced that it has the power to speak into our lives today in a unique and moving way. One such way – is through the Psalms.

I am struck by the way that the Psalms speak into our human experience – both the joy and the sorrow – and can bring particular comfort when we face difficult times.

Psalm 137

Lament over the Destruction of Jerusalem

1 By the rivers of Babylon—
there we sat down and there we wept
when we remembered Zion.

2 On the willows there
we hung up our harps.

3 For there our captors
asked us for songs,
and our tormentors asked for mirth, saying,
‘Sing us one of the songs of Zion!’

4 How could we sing the Lord’s song
in a foreign land?

5 If I forget you, O Jerusalem,
let my right hand wither!

6 Let my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth,
if I do not remember you,
if I do not set Jerusalem
above my highest joy.

7 Remember, O Lord, against the Edomites
the day of Jerusalem’s fall,
how they said, ‘Tear it down! Tear it down!
Down to its foundations!’

8 O daughter Babylon, you devastator!
Happy shall they be who pay you back
what you have done to us!

9 Happy shall they be who take your little ones
and dash them against the rock!

Hope in the darkest of times

Psalm 137 is written in a dark time. The Israelite people are in exile, a long way from normal. For them, life has been turned upside down. V1 paints for us a scene of great sadness, the people gather on the banks of the river and weep. In recent days, life here in the UK has been turned upside down. We are a long way from normal. And there are many of us who are weeping. Much loved events have been cancelled, long anticipated family gatherings on hold, jobs lost or in jeopardy, businesses and churches closed. There are many reasons for sadness.

But this isn’t where the story of God’s people ends. God did not forget them. God made a promise that his people would be free and we are reminded of this promise in the story of Easter – the death and resurrection of Jesus. Setting us free, once and for all, from sin.

Just as God does not forget us, so we must remember Him in the midst of these difficult times. We must cling on to him and cling on to hope – just as these ancient people did in the midst of their suffering. Whilst the world around us may seem unrecognisable, God remains constant, unchanging and ever faithful.

So let us sing the Lord’s song (V4) in this new and unfamiliar world, let us be a people of praise in this time of trial, let us be the light shining in the darkness of this world.

Amen.