Songs of Joy

Psalm 126:1-6

Key Verse 126:6

This passage talks about the purpose of God's redemption for his people, and the joy of the life that lives up to this purpose of redemption.

1. Read verse 1. What does "a song of ascents" indicate about the purpose (or use) of this psalm? (Exodus 23:17; Deuteronomy 16:16; Psalm 24:3; Psalm 16:11)

** It is to exhort one another to join and complete the holy pilgrimage journeying from this mundane world to the kingdom of God where God is present. The journey is not easy; it comes with hardships and difficulties. Yet, we can make it successfully if we encourage one another by making music with joyful songs. 

In the history of the Israelites, they were called to leave their own places (wherever they may live) and show up at the Lord's temple located in Jerusalem (called Zion), in worship and fellowship with the Lord, three times a year. 

The three occasions on which they were called to gather at the Lord's temple are: The feast of Unleavened Bread (which is stuck together with the Feast of Passover); the feast of Weeks; and the Feast of Tabernacle. These three feasts mark the three critical stages of God's redemption work, that is, the Passover representing Jesus' death and resurrection, the Feast of weeks denoting the Pentecost when the Holy Spirit fell on the believers in Jesus, and the feast of the Tabernacle looking forward to the time of Jesus' second coming to establish his rule here on earth for one thousand years.  

2. Read verse 1 again. Who are "the captives"? What would it be like to live as a "captive"? What does "Zion" refer to? (2Ch 5:1-2; Hebrew 12:22)

** The captives refer to those who live in slavery to the power of sin and Satan. Essentially captivity denotes the absence of God.  

Examples include people held in hostage like the Korean evangelists held in hostage by the Taliban in Afghanistan, or a man serving a life-term in solitary confinement spending his whole life in a prison cell; or a man waiting for the day of a death sentence coming. 

Cf. Proverbs 5:22; Israelites in Egypt (Exodus 1:14); Rom 7:24

** Zion refers to the presence of the Lord, which the Lord established at the center of the hearts of all who believe in Jesus. 

  

3. Read verses 1-3. How is the life in Zion different from the life in captivity? Think about what was said about the nations in verse 2. What does this saying indicate about the desire of the nations? (Isaiah 2:1-3) Who does "us" refer to in verse 3?

** They are exactly opposite like heaven and hell. 

** They too want to participate in the joy the redeemed have. 

** The saved ones in general 

Note: the word "back" in verse 1 is reminiscent of the freedom we (in Adam) used to enjoy before the Fall, but upon sinning due to unbelief, Adam and his descendants ended up living as captives. The Israelites relived this cycle by falling back to idol worship after their redemption out of Egypt to the Promised Land.   

4. Read verse 4. What does this prayer request indicate about the prospect of life in Zion?

** Life with a future; captives (or slaves) do not have a future; the redeemed can build their glorious future for they are in a position to ask the Lord by faith for God's (physical and spiritual) blessings to fall upon them without a limit.  

5. Compare verses 5-6 with verses 1-4. Why does the Psalmist suddenly talk about sowing in tears (or going out weeping carrying seed to sow)? (Cf. Exodus 19:5-6)

** He does so in order to point to the purpose of God blessing his children, that is, to equip them to go for the additional privilege to participate in God's work of salvation for all peoples on earth. The Lord never asks his children to do anything without first providing them with the means to do the work he gives his children to do. Thus God blesses his children with blessings so using all the resources from the Lord they would carry out God's will to save all peoples on earth by preaching the gospel and making disciples of all nations, to their utmost joy resulting in absolute glory to God. 

6. Read verses 5-6 again. What does "seed to sow" mean? (Luke 8:11; John 1:1-4) What does the expression "sow in tears" or "goes out weeping" indicate about the reality of sowing the seed? Why is sowing made so difficult (or challenging)?

** It refers to the living word of God, as incarnated in Jesus, the Word. Essentially it refers to the gospel of Jesus, that is, who Jesus is, what he came to fulfill, that is, opening the way of salvation for sinners to come to the Father. He opened this way by dying on a tree for the sins of the world, and rising from the dead, and thereby destroyed the work of the devil. 

** It indicates that sowing comes with a lot of difficulties such as cultivating man's heart, sowing the seed of the gospel, and doing all the works necessary such as prayer, shepherding, disciple-training, etc. until the seed grows and bears fruit. 

** It is due to the conditions of the heart soil of a fallen man. Cf. Matthew 13:1-23

7. Think about the "seed" turning into "sheaves". How are the two different? What needs to be done until one can see the seed turning to "sheaves"? Yet what motivates a sower to sow?

** Seed is one; sheaves (multitude)

** See answers to the question 6 above; practically we need to pray daily go out to the places where sheep are found, invite them to Bible studies, and for those who open their hearts, we need to serve them, nurture them, and train them until they grow up as disciples and then apostles. 

** The joy of reaping the harvest

 

The end