The Importance of Restoring the Song
"By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion.
We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof. For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion. How shall we sing the LORD'S song in a strange land?” (Psalm 137:1-4).
Have you ever considered how important music is in most everyone’s life? If what Shakespeare said was true, “All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players,” then I would also suggest there is a musical score. Some lives seem to be more major chords; others play the minor notes, yet others have a balance.
There is a remarkable verse in the Bible that says, “The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing” (Zephaniah 3:17). There is music in Heaven; God Himself strikes up a song while overseeing us.
When we worship God there is a song in our heart, “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name” (Psalm 100:4).
God warned His people to repent through His prophets, but they refused and eventually were carried into captivity. They finally arrived about 500 miles from home and were settling down by the banks of the ancient Euphrates River, when they were requested by their captors to sing one of those beautiful songs for which they were famous. These were the songs that accompanied their worship and praise. Upon arriving so far from home they were not in the mood and they gave this excuse, “We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof.”
Eventually the people of Judah were restored and seventy years later brought back into their land and Jerusalem.
Have you left your harp upon the willows? Now is a good time to come back to the Lord and pick up our song. When we do so it:
I. Affects our Conversation
“If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy” (Psalm 137:6).
The Bible says, “I will sing of the mercies of the LORD forever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations” (Psalm 89:1).
We are often looking for the right words at the right time. Solomon reflected upon the blessing of a person who had the ability to articulate appropriately, “A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word spoken in due season, how good is it!” (Proverbs 15:23). A man with the song of the Lord has the right words to say to His Lord and to fellow man. “For as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed” (Genesis 32:28).
II. Affects our Occupation
“If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning” (Psalms 137:5). What a statement! The Psalmist was saying if I forget my purpose that God gave me to fulfill, let me forget how to play a harp, wield a sword, or do my daily occupation. Not having the Lord’s song takes the joy out of labor. The skill to administrate in the Lord’s calling becomes a task instead of a privilege.
III Affects Our Emotions
“By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion” (Psalm 137:1). A broken heart can serve us well in the matter of singing beautifully unto the Lord. On the other hand a broken spirit can dampen the effect of our personality. Let us follow the admonition of Paul who said in Philippians 4, “Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice.”
Let us pick up the harp and turn the blues into blessing!
Pastor Pope -