Psalm 126

A Song of Ascents

When the LORD brought back the captives to Zion,
we were like men who dreamed.
Our mouths were filled with laughter,
our tongues with songs of joy.
Then it was said among the nations,
“The LORD has done great things for them.”
The LORD has done great things for us,
and we are filled with joy.

Restore our fortunes, O LORD,
like streams in the Negev.
Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy.
He who goes out weeping,
carrying seed to sow,
will return with songs of joy,
carrying sheaves with him.

I cannot read this psalm—Psalm 126—without immediately identifying with it. I have lived this psalm; I have experienced the reality of it.

Now that’s a rather bold statement; some might call it an ignorant or arrogant statement. The historical context of this psalm is readily identifiable. The psalmist is commenting on the joyous return of the exiles following the seventy-year Babylonian captivity—an event that occurred in the sixth century before the birth of Christ. How could anyone alive today claim that they have lived or experienced this particular Psalm? None of us were present during these dramatic events in Jewish history.

But again, I repeat: I have lived this psalm; I have experienced the reality of it.

The whole premise of this book is built on the notion that the psalms can come alive within us. The writer of the Book of Hebrews reminds us that “the word of God is living and active (Hebrews 4:12).

What is there then, to prevent this living word from coming alive within us? Why can we not experience this active word of God transforming and transporting us to the throne of grace? Only two things hinder us from living in the power and wonder of the word of God, and they are sin and unbelief. And sin and unbelief are only too eager to form within us, a constricting bond that smothers the Spirit empowered Word.

But when the power of sin is broken, and unbelief is purged from the doubting soul—oh what liberty awaits! The word of God comes alive within us. The LORD is then free to do great and glorious things in us, and through us.

That was my experience as a young man in the early 1970’s. The LORD was bringing back the captives to Zion, “and we were like men who dreamed. Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy.”

I was caught up in the vortex of the Jesus People movement of that time, and amazing things were happening. Young men and women were coming to faith in Christ at a phenomenal rate. At every church meeting newcomers were finding the forgiveness they needed. The prodigals were coming home in droves. Every gathering closed with a baptismal service as new believers affirmed their faith in the crucified and risen Christ. There was a heady infectious joy in the church that could not be contained.   

At that time, “Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy.”

The spontaneity of the worship experience during those days was truly astonishing. New songs were born—born by the Spirit—right within the corporate worship time. Many of them came directly from the scriptures. The psalms became the source book for our worship. The captives—captives of sin and Satan—had been set free, and now there was a new song in our hearts, and on our lips—a song of praise to our God. We could not keep this to ourselves. Who could possibly contain the overflowing goodness and mercy of God?

This ingathering of souls was God’s doing. A lost generation was arrested by the Almighty. He was turning us around, and we were discovering Jesus. And this move of the Holy Spirit did not begin in the church. No, it began in the flop houses and hippy communes. It started on the street—in the world—the sin-saturated world. It did not start with saintly scholars and philosophers, but rather with the young and restless, the hitchhikers and misfits. God was calling them to Himself, and He was miraculously transforming lives as only can God do.

Because this new thing that God was doing started in the world, many Christians were suspicious of it. Could this really be God? Many churches stood aloof. But those who welcomed these misfits found themselves overwhelmed and transformed by what God was doing. He had initiated this, and He stood at the center of it.

Soon the Jesus’ movement was affecting the entire youth culture. Amazing Grace became the number one hit on top forty radio. A half dozen hit songs spoke of the man from Galilee. Time magazine ran a cover story on how the youth across the continent were discovering Jesus. Suddenly, it was cool to love Jesus and to follow him.

And I was a frontline witness to all this. I was seeing lives changed all around me. Close friends, who were far from God, suddenly were having life altering encounters with Jesus. We were like men who dreamed. And in that dream Jesus had come to live among us. His long flowing hair had become our own. He was with us again, just like he was with that band of fishermen on the Sea of Galilee, and the nets were full of fish—boat swamping full of fish.

“Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, ‘The LORD has done great things for them.'”

The world knows when God is doing something remarkable, and the psalmist records the ancient world heard that the captive Jewish nation had been released. The exiles were free to return to their homeland, and return they did. In the early 1970’s the modern world heard that Jesus was bringing young people to himself. They too were free—set free from a load of guilt and sin, set free from addictions and hang ups—free to love and serve God with hearts washed pure by the blood of the Lamb.

“The LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy!”

That was my experience—an experience that was shared by thousands of others across this continent during this remarkable time. It was the LORD’s doing. He did great things for us—things I will never forget.

But …

But there is a pause in this psalm. This is a psalm written in two distinct sections, or stanzas. In most translations, this break between stanzas is indicated by a blank line. The psalmist abruptly transitions from joyous triumph to sober petition, from exuberance to sobbing desperation. We are left wondering what happened in between. What happened in that blank line? Why this sharp transition? In bleak desolation the psalmist pleads, “Restore our fortunes, O LORD, like streams in the Negev.”

Streams in the Negev are intermittent. A raging torrent one day becomes a mere trickle on the next day, and then nothing on the third day. The boisterous river of joy turns into a blank line on the desert floor. Nothing—just nothing.

The Negev is the parched desert region to the south of the land of Judah. Cloud bursts there can produce these streams in the barren desert, and with the sudden arrival of this moisture, long dormant seeds spring to life. Suddenly new life abounds. But without further moisture, the scorching sun takes its toll. The harsh environment reasserts its dominance. Land that was briefly lush and verdant reverts to desert dust.

Is it any wonder then that the psalmist cries out, “Restore our fortunes, O LORD, like streams in the Negev.” The psalmist longs for the flow of new life to continue.

And right along with the psalmist I cry, “Send your river flowing through here once again. Send a cloud burst of your mercy down on this nation again. Invade this culture again. Turn our young people to Jesus, yet again. Touch this new generation. Let them find themselves walking with you, the living Christ. You did it once, Lord, and I saw it. I experienced it. Now do it again! Do it again, not for me, but for those who don’t know you. Do great things for them. Set them free from the sin and the lies that ensnare them. Touch all of us, once again!”

“Restore our fortunes, O LORD, like streams in the Negev.”

In those days, at the height of what God was doing, I saw a dozen young men line up in the freezing cold. They arrived early. They were waiting for the pastor to arrive on a Saturday night to unlock the church so they could come in and give their hearts to Jesus. I saw hundreds of young people being baptized at that same church—more than three hundred in a year—one for every day of the year. The God of the harvest was adding to the church “daily those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47).

This was not about the Holy Spirit tickling the churches’ funny bone. It was about sinners finding God. Time after time I saw the lost crowding the altar at the close of the service. They wanted Jesus, nothing more, nothing less, just Jesus.

Now, only the faithful come to the altar, if anyone comes at all.

 “Restore our fortunes, O LORD.”

 I echo the psalmist’s prayer, “Restore our fortunes, O LORD.”

Fortunately, we are provided with the promise of God’s word in tandem with the psalmist’s petition, “Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy.”

If you live in a dry land, water it with your tears. If the wind of God’s Spirit is a distant memory, remember seasons change. The seed of God’s word is still viable. It is always power packed and ready to spring to life. Just add water.

“He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him.”

God’s promise stands sure and certain, but for us, two questions remain. Are you going out weeping? And are you carrying seed to sow?

Perhaps the church in Canada has never experienced a harsher spiritual climate than that which exists today. We live in a society that by and large has turned its back on God. The gospel message is often treated with contempt or outright ridicule. The church exists in a spiritual desert. Figuratively, Canada is the Negev. Conditions in in the United States are only marginally better.

In such a harsh climate the natural inclination is to cocoon ourselves away. The world out there is inhospitable. It’s best to stay inside, to huddle amongst ourselves. Isn’t it better to cloister ourselves away, than to expose ourselves to the harsh elements and the criticism of others? Let’s circle the wagons and entertain ourselves. This has become the unspoken modus operandi for many churches.

Into our cloistered existence the psalmist speaks. He instructs us to step out of our sheltered place. He tells us to go out weeping. What a bizarre command! Weeping is for private places. Why would we want to go out into the world weeping? Yet, this is what we are encouraged to do. Could it be that we are to get out of our churches and cry? Cry over what?

How about crying over a lost generation? How about crying over the homeless, the addicted and the needy? How about crying over the devastating effects of sin, and the degradation of our youth?

One day in the late 1950’s, David Wilkerson opened a copy of Life magazine where he saw photos of young gang members in New York City. Looking into their eyes, he broke down and wept. This young pastor left the shelter of his country church to bring the gospel to the toughest gangs in New York City. He went “out weeping, carrying seed to sow” and yes, David Wilkerson returned “with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him.” He proved that the message of the cross is more powerful than the switchblade.

God has given us His seed—the word of God—for a reason. We are to scatter it out in the world. There can be no harvest unless someone goes out and plants the seed.

Are you carrying seed to sow? Don’t just carry it into the world. Scatter it. There is no joy quite like the harvester’s joy. The harvester has worked with God, and the LORD’s joy becomes his own.

“He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him.”

Bringing Life to the Psalms

1. Have you experienced the joy of harvest, where new souls have been added to the Kingdom of God? What was that experience like? What role did you play? Read 1 Corinthians 3:5-9 for Paul’s perspective on planting and harvesting.
2. What is the difference between ingathering and revival? There appears to be a place for both in the economy of God’s Kingdom. Take note of the revival that took place under the leadership of Josiah, King of Judah, as recorded in 2 Chronicles 34-35. The discovery of the Book of the Law of the LORD was a key element in this revival. In a similar way, I would contend that the release of the Good News, New Testament by the Bible Society contributed significantly to the Jesus People movement of the early 1970’s. How important is it for you to have an understandable translation of the scriptures?
3. Are we living in a harsh spiritual climate? Is the gospel message impacting the culture in which we live, or is the culture of the world impacting the church?
4. What are you personally doing to sow the seed of God’s word? What are some innovative ways to get the seed out into the field? What can churches do to facilitate going out with the seed of God’s word? Have you circled the wagons? Are you merely entertaining yourselves? What is the role of tears in the harvest that God wills to bring on the earth?
5. Reread Psalm 126. What is God saying to you by His Spirit?

Today’s post is Chapter 25 from the book Psalms Alive! Connecting Heaven & Earth by David Kitz. To find out more or purchase click here.