Reflections on Psalm 126

Psalms 126 (Contemporary English Version)


1. (A song for worship.) It seemed like a dream when the LORD brought us back to the city of Zion.
   
2. We celebrated with laughter and joyful songs. In foreign nations it was said, "The LORD has worked miracles for his people."
   
3. And so we celebrated because the LORD had indeed worked miracles for us.
   
4. Our LORD, we ask you to bless our people again, and let us be like streams in the Southern Desert.
   
5. We cried as we went out to plant our seeds. Now let us celebrate as we bring in the crops.
   
6. We cried on the way to plant our seeds, but we will celebrate and shout as we bring in the crops.
   

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The setting of this psalm is no doubt the return of Israel to her homeland following a period of captivity. It was probably the Babylonian captivity which lasted such a long period of time brought Israel back to a desolate homeland that was overgrown and untended. They returned with great rejoicing, praising the Lord for what He had done. It is pointed out to us in verse 2 that when the Lord blesses His people, others take notice and have cause to consider joining themselves to this God. Now that Israel has returned, their prayer is that the Lord would restore their fortunes. Return them to their former state. Then comes the psalmist's lesson from the experience of the people: "Those who sow in tears will reap with shouts of joy."

What lesson do I draw from this? There might be any number of applications made to this passage. But keeping with the context of the psalm seems best to me. As I see it, the context of the psalm has the Israelites returning to a desolate homeland following a 70-year captivity in Babylon. They must rebuild and replant if the land is to return to its former state. But they are burdened down with grief over their losses and the task seems overwhelming. True, they were joyful to be returning, but what they found when they got there brought back the sorrow. They prayed that the Lord would restore their fortunes so now they must put feet to their prayers and sow, though they do so with tears. Their sowing represents their faith that the Lord will indeed bring a harvest from their efforts. That He will answer their prayer. So the lesson to me is that in spite of our losses and the overwhelming circumstances we may face, if we will pray for God's help and then act in faith by going ahead with our "planting," even though we do so with tears, we will see a harvest and we will again rejoice.