This Psalm was part of a series of “songs of ascent” which may have been sung by the priests as they ascended to the temple in procession.
It begins with a memory of what God did for the people of Israel. It probably refers to the return from Babylonian Captivity, but could mean the Exodus or even what has happened in our own lives – or what has happened in the life of our church. It is good to think back on the good things that God has done for us.
But there is a danger that this remembrance does not degrade into nostalgia. In this case, the excitement and exuberance of the people had faded. There was struggle and sin and defeats.
They sought for a return of their fortunes from the Lord, likening it to an out-of-season flood through the dry streambeds and wadis of the Negeb Valley in the south of Israel.
The psalm then shifts again, painting an agricultural picture. Sowing and reaping was a core concept among the people of that age, and the idea that we reap what we sow is a metaphorical sense is a theme that is repeated throughout scripture. We generally get out what we put in.
This reminds us that we cannot just sit around waiting for God’s blessing. We have to go out and do the hard work of sowing and reaping. God can bring miraculous blessings, but God also has processes. The seasons will change, the rains will come and, if it is planted, the harvest will be there.
All this reminds us in our own lives, and the life of this church, of ways that God gives joy. First, we should remember the great works of God that he has done in the past. We do this weekly here through the sacrament of communion, as we remember the greatest thing God has done for us.
Second, we should ask. We should pray for the good things we need and desire. We should pray for ourselves, for church leadership and volunteers and each other. We should pray for God’s blessing to be poured out onto this body.
And finally, we should persevere. This agricultural metaphor brings to mind Christ’s teaching on evangelism. Much of what we share lands on rocky ground or thorny ground, but we are called to persevere. We are called as a church to persevere through the seasons that we are in, whether winter or summer or somewhere in between. You can’t just skip from one to the other – the only way out is through.
What is God calling you to do in reaction to all this, both as a member of this church and as an individual? James 5:7-8 and Galatians 6:7-10 be remind us that we must do the hard work in order to see the glory that God has for us in the future. That glory will be more than what we have, because we always reap more than we sow – otherwise our economy would collapse and we would all starve to death.
Revelation 18:21 reminds us of the ultimate glory ahead of us – God will dwell with man and we will be his people. The goal isn’t that we go off to heaven, but rather that heaven comes to us.
1 Corinthians 15:15, finally, reminds us that when we labor for the Lord, our labor is not in vain.
– Sermon Notes, Mahlon Friesen, Seed Church, Lynnwood, WA, April 28, 2019
Psalm 126
Something went wrong with the bible. Please make sure that you are requesting a valid passage! If this problem presits please contact joshuawiecorek@outlook.com