Expository - Songs of Degrees

Psalm 126

Returning to the Lord with Joy

But it is more than that. The Lord draws us back to Himself. In James there is the instruction "Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you." He draws us with the cords of love. In the Song of Solomon, the bride is drawn higher as she hears the voice of her beloved as he comes leaping on the mountains - up in the heavenlies, "Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away." (Song 2 v 10) She cannot find him whom her soul loves because she has been content to remain at the same level. The Lord calls and draws her higher, as He also draws us, into a fuller communion and fellowship with Himself.

As we draw near to God and He draws near to us, then our mouth is filled with laughter and our tongue with singing. Some can laugh artificially but that real laughter, which the Lord gives, comes spontaneously, bubbling to the surface. It is more than speech. It communicates in a powerful way because it is the outworking of a fulness of joy, a joy that is there because of what the Lord has done.

The tongue is filled with singing. If you sing out loud while you are in the company of others, they will ask you what you are so happy about. Again, singing is an expression of joy. The saints of God sing. They sing a new song and we shall sing that song through eternity as we express the fulness of joy of being in the presence of God.

The laughter and singing here are a manifestation of a close communion with the Lord. So much was that joy evident that the heathen unbelievers round about sat up and took note. They said, "The Lord has done great things for them." They had a testimony to the nations who lived around them, so that others could say, "Their God is real."

Let Your Light Shine

Jesus said, "Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven." (Matt. 5 v 16) Let us show the fellowship and communion that we have with the Lord. You see, here was a people that adored the Lord, so much so that the unsaved saw and took note. Some, as the enemies of truth in Nehemiah's time, are downcast, defeated; some stand in awe; others begin to ask and want to share this great experience. When God's people are seen to be praising Him in reality and power, it will have an effect.

The adoration of God from a returning, accepted people has an effect upon those whose lives are still far from Him. The disciples who were filled with the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost spoke, in other tongues, of all the wonderful works of God. Crowds were attracted and Peter had the opportunity of preaching the gospel. Three thousand souls were saved that day. Initially, they were drawn by a praising people. The crowd could see the work of God. They could say, "The Lord has done great things for them."

Paul and Silas were in prison in Philippi but at midnight they sang praises to God and the prisoners heard them, prisoners who could say, "The Lord has done great things for them." Does your life of praise draw such a comment?

Now the people of God were quick to reply, "The Lord has done great things for us whereof we are glad." If we are glad then we should be overflowing. "My heart overflows with a goodly theme." Let the joy come bubbling out and people will observe for themselves just as they did in this Psalm. You can be part of such a praising people, those who can praise God because they know what it is to have been astray but to be returning to the Lord, finding acceptance in the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Way of the Cross

"Turn again our captivity," cried the Psalmist. His testimony was that the Lord had already turned again the captivity of Zion. However, though the people of God were saved, there was need of further deliverance. After the Lord had saved Israel out of Egypt, He had to get Egypt out of Israel. He has saved us out of this world; He has turned again our captivity, but so often He has to get the world out of us. Paul gloried in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, "by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world." (Galatians 6 v 14). The enemy would seek to get us ensnared and fettered again; he would try to use the things of the flesh and of the old nature to hold us back. We need daily deliverance; moment by moment deliverance, taking up the cross daily to follow Him. And the Lord will deliver us. Remember, deliverance also includes saving and keeping you from falling. Paul could say with confidence, in II Corinthians 1 v 10, that God has delivered us from death and does deliver and will yet deliver us... past, present and future.

Now the Psalmist qualifies his prayer. Turn again our captivity as the streams in the south. In Hebrew, that word south has become quite familiar to us. It is the word "Negev". Today we know the Negev as the desert area to the south of Israel. In fact, "Negev" means "parched place", "dry ground". In the dry, hot period of the year, those streams in the desert dry up. There are the channels designed to take water, but there is no water. Sometimes we can get like that. We are designed to be channels to take living water, but under the heat and burden of the day, if we are not trusting the Lord, we can dry up. We should be full of the Holy Spirit, overflowing. Oh, for that renewed filling and anointing, just like the streams in the desert when the rainy season comes, flooding, overflowing and bringing life to the surrounding areas. We need that refreshing everyday. Are you thirsty? Jesus invites you to come to Him and drink, and out of your belly shall flow rivers of living water (John 7). Jesus is speaking of the Holy Spirit.

Hosea 10 v 12: "Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy, break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the Lord, till He come and rain righteousness upon you."

Principles of Sowing

So the sower goes out in tears, weeping. Hard labour is involved. Maybe the cold wind is biting into his face bringing tears to the eyes. Maybe he is thinking of his family at home who really need this food which he is throwing into the ground, but it is in the hope that, having died, it will bring forth fruit. There may be many arguments that we offer to God for why we are not doing what He wants us to do. The present needs that we have prevent us. What is the point anyway? It is so hard. Nothing is ever achieved. People are not really interested in the gospel. Nobody takes any notice. Listen to the promise of God's word: "He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him."

Going forth in this way is like treading the way of the cross. There is death involved. We have to give out that precious seed continually. But as we go forth, we do so in trust, looking for the showers of rain, the mighty power of the Holy Spirit to bring life and fruitfulness, as we obey His word. It may mean hardship; difficulties may have to be faced; there may be weeping and tears; but there is a "doubtless" there in the word. A promise of coming again with rejoicing; a coming again with sheaves of plenty. Weeping may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning.

Conclusion

In the Scripture, the number eight has to do with resurrection, for Jesus rose on the eighth day (the first day of the new week). It is to do with eternity, because eternity's day is, as it were, the eighth day, which will dawn after the millennial seventh "day" of rest. Eight is also the number of Jesus. Seven is completion, perfection. Eight is plu-perfection. It is the fulness of the perfection of Jesus.

This song of degrees, the eighth one, is central. It is no surprise, therefore, to find much that relates to Jesus. It is like the keystone of the whole structure. If you have an arch, the keystone is the central one which holds the whole thing together. We know from the Scripture itself that Jesus Christ is like the keystone, in whom the whole building is fitly framed together. In this Psalm we do find that the Lord is the keystone, the one who gives sense to it all. Unless the Lord build the house, those that build it labour in vain. This is the central theme.

Human effort or strength, which we might be able to put into the work of the Lord, is worthless. All human strength and effort is empty and worth nothing in God's reckoning. Unless the Lord is in it, it is useless.

Not only are we the building, for Peter says in his epistle that we are built together as living stones, but we are also the builders. In I Corinthians 3, we are described as building on a sure foundation. Then, as the basis of it all, Jesus tells us that He is the builder: "Upon this Rock, I will build my church..." So really, He is the Master builder, and we are workers together with Him. Unless He is doing the building work, in our lives and in the assembly, we are wasting our time.