PSALMS LESSON 140
We will begin this lesson by giving the 137th Psalm in metre.
THE PSALMS OF DAVID IN METRE
Chapter 137
Verse 1. "By Babel's streams we sat and wept, When Zion we thought
on, In midst thereof we hung our harps The willow-trees
upon."
Verse 2. "For there a song required they, Who did us captive bring:
Our spoilers called for mirth, and said, A song of Zion
sing."
Verse 3. "O how the Lord's song shall we sing Within a foreign land?
If thee, Jerus'lem, I forget, Skill part from my right
hand."
Verse 4. "My tongue to my mouth's roof let cleave, If I do thee
forget, Jerusalem, and thee above My chief good do not set."
Verse 5. "Remember Edom's children, Lord, Who in Jerus'lem's day,
Ev'n unto its foundation stone, Raze, raze it quite, did
say."
Verse 6. "O daughter thou of Babylon, To ruin hastening on, He shall
be blest who thee rewards As thou to us hast done."
Verse 7. "Yea, happy shall he be, Thy tender little ones Who shall
lay hold upon, and them Shall dash against the stones."
We will now begin the verse by verse study of the 137th Psalm.
Psalms 137:1 "By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we
wept, when we remembered Zion."
This Psalm tells of the captivity of the children of Israel in
Babylon. When they stopped and thought back of their homeland, the
main thing that came to their remembrance was their place of worship.
This weeping was for remembering Zion. One of the saddest things a
person can feel, is their separation from their place of worship. We
know that in many countries of the world there has been a time when
Christians could not come to their place of worship. What a sad
remembrance. I look back over the things that have changed our
churches, and I weep as these did who sat by the river in Babylon. The
world today, has turned to a Babylon. The church is really being
pushed out of the main stream.
Psalms 137:2 "We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst
thereof."
These were harps that they had played joyfully in their temple.
They might as well be hanging in a tree for what good they could do
for them.
Psalms 137:3 "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."
What an even more hurtful thing to do. The songs would not be
joyful in captivity. To be forced to be cheerful does not work. The
singing of the songs that had brought such joy in the temple, would
now bring sad memories.
Psalms 137:4 "How shall we sing the LORD'S song in a strange
land?"
The song they were trying to get them to sing was a song that had
been part of the worship service of the temple. It might even be
thought of being disrespectful to God to sing this song in a heathen
land.
Psalms 137:5 "If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand
forget [her cunning]."
The Jewish people have always thought of Jerusalem as their
homeland. Their loyalty, even if they are citizens in another land,
has always been to Jerusalem, their holy city. The psalmist, here, is
just saying that it is more likely that he would forget how to use his
right hand than it is that he would forget Jerusalem. All Jewish
people have a soft place in their heart for Jerusalem. This would be
magnified here , because they were captives.
Psalms 137:6 "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."
This is about the same thing as the verse above, except instead
of forgetting how to use his right hand, he is saying, here, he would
be unable to talk. Jerusalem is the very center of his heart's desire.
A few years ago, we were forced by things beyond our control to
leave a church that had meant so very much to us. It was like these
Jewish people spoken of here. There just seemed to be no joy in
anything we did. To lose one's special place of worship is pretty
close to the feelings you have in the death of a loved one.
Psalms 137:7 "Remember, O LORD, the children of Edom in the day
of Jerusalem; who said, Rase [it], rase [it, even] to the foundation
thereof."
Edom had been opposed to Israel ever since the days of Jacob and
Esau. It seems that when Jerusalem was overthrown, that the Edomites
wanted it to be totally destroyed. Even though they were relatives,
they hated each other. Those same people are still having trouble,
today, over Isreal.
Psalms 137:8 "O daughter of Babylon, who art to be destroyed;
happy [shall he be], that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us."
This was a prophetic Scripture about the destruction of Babylon.
Many times cities are spoken of as a daughter, or as a woman. In
Revelation, Babylon the great is spoken of in this manner. It is as if
the psalmist is saying, you deserve what you get, because of what you
have done to us.
Psalms 137:9 "Happy [shall he be], that taketh and dasheth thy
little ones against the stones."
This very thing had taken place in the overthrow of Jerusalem. He
is wishing for the same horrors that they committed against Jerusalem
to come to them. This sounds very cruel, but these children of Israel
have always believed in an eye for an eye.
We will continue on by giving the 138th Psalm in metre.
Chapter 138
Verse 1. "With all my heart I'll praise thy name, Before the gods thy
praise proclaim; I'll worship in thy holy place, And praise
thee for thy truth and grace."
Verse 2. "For thou o'er all thy name, O Lord, Hast magnified thy
faithful word; Thou didst me answer when I cried, thou hast
my soul with strength supplied."
Verse 3. "All kings of earth shall give thee praise, When from thy
mouth they learn thy ways; They in Jehovah's ways shall
sing, For great in glory is our King."
Verse 4. "The Lord, though high, respects the law; But he the proud
far off doth know; Though waves of trouble round me roll,
thou, Lord, wilt yet revive my soul.
Verse 5. "My foes enraged, my way withstand; Against them thou wilt
stretch thy hand; Thine own right hand shall set me free,
And perfect make thy work for me."
Verse 6. "O Lord, thy mercy never ends, Throughout all ages it
extends; Then on thy servant pity take, Thine own hands'
work do not forsake."
We will now begin the verse by verse study of the 138th Psalm.
Psalms 138:1 "{ [A Psalm] of David.} I will praise thee with my whole
heart: before the gods will I sing praise unto thee."
We see that the psalmist, here, is saying, I may be in an alien
land, but I am not ashamed to praise my God. The gods that he was
going to sing praises before are the false gods of this evil land. His
heart was so full of His God, that he would have praised the LORD,
even if they had killed him for it.
Psalms 138:2 "I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise
thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast
magnified thy word above all thy name."
One of my friends wrote a song that said look to the temple and
pray. Not that the prayer would be heard any better that way, but it
reminded the psalmist of the times he had gone to the temple to pray.
It helped the psalmist in remembering. It, also, helped him remember
the blessings that the LORD had brought. God's lovingkindness was a
pleasure to remember. It helped him remember that this captivity would
pass away, if he kept the faith. In the Word of God, there is the
promise of deliverance. The psalmist knows that God has elevated His
Word even above His name. He will deliver him, because His Word says
so.
Psalms 138:3 "In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, [and]
strengthenedst me [with] strength in my soul."
Many times the answer to a prayer comes in our heart long before
the answer becomes a reality. God answered this prayer immediately.
The manifestation will come later.
Psalms 138:4 "All the kings of the earth shall praise thee, O
LORD, when they hear the words of thy mouth."
Kings are elevated in this earth, but the way for them to come to
the Lord is the same as for anyone else. Many times it is harder for
people who are thought of as something special on the earth, to humble
themselves and come to God. It is very easy to get self-centered, if
your peers have elevated you to stardom. There is a time when every
eye shall see Him, and all will bow their knee to Him. Romans 14:11
"For it is written, [As] I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow
to me, and every tongue shall confess to God."
Psalms 138:5 "Yea, they shall sing in the ways of the LORD: for
great [is] the glory of the LORD."
This has to be speaking prophetically of the time when the Lord
Jesus will preach, and they all hear and believe. This has to be a
supernatural understanding such a sin in the next verse. Ephesians
1:17 "That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may
give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of
him:"
Psalms 138:6 "Though the LORD [be] high, yet hath he respect unto
the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off."
We have discussed how difficult it is for the proud to humble
themselves long enough to come unto the Lord. The humble, on the other
hand, think of themselves in a different light. They seek the Saviour,
because they know that they have need to be saved. The proud are too
proud to admit they need a Saviour.
Psalms 138:7 "Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt
revive me: thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of
mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me."
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I
will fear no evil, for thou art with me. The time we know for sure He
is with us {if we are a believer}, is when we are in terrible trouble.
The Right Hand of God is Jesus. He saved us from sin and death on the
cross. He will still save us from harm.
Psalms 138:8 "The LORD will perfect [that which] concerneth me:
thy mercy, O LORD, [endureth] for ever: forsake not the works of thine
own hands."
When we are first saved, we are babes in Christ. As we walk with
the Lord each day, the Holy Spirit teaches us the things we must know.
The Lord continues working on us and perfecting us, until the day we
go home to be with Him. The works of His own hands are all of His
creation, which includes us.
Questions 140
1. In verse 1, when did they weep?
2. What is this Psalm telling about?
3. What was the main thing they thought of, when they thought of
their homeland?
4. Where had they hung their harps?
5. Their captives required of them, what?
6. If they sang these songs of the temple in captivity, what effect
would it have on them?
7. Quote Psalms chapter 137 verse 4.
8. What does verse 5 say, that is to be forgotten, if he forgets
Jerusalem?
9. The Jewish people have always thought of _________ as their
homeland.
10. What is meant by the tongue cleaving to the roof of the mouth?
11. What does the author compare losing your special place of worship
to?
12. What did the people of Edom say, to do to Jerusalem?
13. What is the daughter, in verse 8?
14. What horrible thing, in verse 9, had taken place in Jerusalem
before?
15. I will praise thee with my whole ______.
16. What gods was he going to sing praises before of his God?
17. He worshipped toward what?
18. Why did the psalmist do this?
19. In the Word of God, there was a promise of __________.
20. What two things was he going to praise His name for?
21. In chapter 138 verse 3, where was he strengthened?
22. What is the way for a king to come to the Lord?
23. Quote Romans chapter 14 verse 11.
24. Quote Ephesians Chapter 1 verse 17.
25. God hath respect for the ________.
26. Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt _________ me.
27. Verse 8 says, forsake not what?
28. How long does the Lord continue to work on us to perfect us?
Home