Reflections on Psalms 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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I can imagine this psalm to be one of the more popular and joyful songs for Israel to sing as they ascended to Jerusalem for the annual feasts. What greater joy for them than to have been restored to their homeland after being exiled in Babylon for 70 years! The events surrounding their release from captivity by King Cyrus were amazing enough to assure them and give witness to other nations that God's hand was in it. It was said among the nation, "The LORD has done great things for them." (126:2) And in Israel they said, "The LORD had done great things for us; we were joyful." (126:3)

Israel's prayer had for years been for their release from captivity. Now their prayer was for the Lord to restore their fortunes, "like watercourses in the Negev." (126:4) This reference to watercourses in the Negev is a great word picture of their hoped recovery. The Negev was the desert region south of Judah which was normally arid and barren of vegetation. But following heavy rains the dry waterbeds become torrential streams that caused this desert area to blossom with vegetation overnight. This word picture could be applied to the trickle of exiles making their way back to Israel and could also be applied to the restoration of their crops and other fortunes.

Then comes verse 5 which is so often quoted and serves as a general principle of truth that can be applied to times of difficulty: "Those who sow in tears will reap with shouts of joy." Verse 6, though not usually quoted along with verse 5, completes the picture: "Though one goes along weeping, carrying the bag of seed, he will surely come back with shouts of joy, carrying his sheaves." These verses say to us that if we will in faith take action to move beyond our grief believing that there will again be a harvest of joy that we will not be disappointed. There will come a time of reaping and a time of joy.