Rev. Commentary, Psalm 126, Rev. Psalm 126. It didn’t seem possible. Psalm 126:2 R. Tuck Polybius, in describing the joy of the Greeks when unexpectedly rescued from the Macedonians, says, "Most of the men could scarcely believe the news, but imagined themselves in a dream as they listened to what was said, so extraordinary and miraculous it seemed to them." --Thomos Stint, in An Exposition on Psalms 124-126, 1621. MINISTRY OF SERMONAUDIO The Paperback Bible presents the Bible by the Book and is designed to be portable, readable, and truly personal with ample margins for notations. We read these heartbreaking words in Psalm 137: “By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion. A Journey Through the Psalms: Reflections for Worried Hearts and Troubled Times. It so often feels fleeting. Will I ever be happy again?”. Pray as though it all depended on God, but work as though it all depended on you. I wonder what that would be like for the nations, a collection of people who do not believe in the same god, and who often battled each other for power and control, to say the same thing to one another, “The Lord has done great things.”  I imagine it is something like last year when the whole world was crowded around computer screens and televisions just to see that first Chilean miner brought to the surface of the earth. If you restore the roof of your house, it is because you have been leaked on. It is a much needed reminder of how God brings us from tears to joy. Psalm 126. Just like that! C. Glory to God and joy for us An EasyEnglish Translation with Notes (about 1200 word vocabulary) on Psalm 126. www.easyenglish.bible. If you restore the roof of your house, it is because you have been leaked on. Verses 1-2 are in the past tense. She lost her husband and both of her sons. These verses remind us of our responsibility to tell others what God has done for us. Last year, my wife, Lauren, and I celebrated Halloween with my sister-in-law, her husband, and their two daughters. Psalm 126:5-6 can be tough scriptures to hold on to in hope, when faced with joblessness, or sickness, or unthinkable tragedies, or depression. And then 3) Commit yourself to the Lord and continue to do good. But even those moments are fleeting. Know that God will turn your sorrow into joy. Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.” (Genesis 21:6-7) Who would have said that Sarah would nurse children? (1-3) Those yet in captivity are encouraged. The Negev was the southern part of Judah. Don’t just think about it, don’t just reflect on it, don’t just remember – but marvel at what God has already done for you. God will turn your sorrow to joy and your tears to laughter. Now they needed to trust him to do it again. It tells us that times of trouble and sorrow do not last. He restored Job and made him prosperous again. Lilly had found her own sense of humor and none of us stopped laughing until our stomachs were good and sore. Perhaps you are in a time of sowing right now. You begin to wonder, “Is this all that God has for me? And so their mouths were filled with laughter and songs of joy. The Gospels tell us that He went to the mountain to pray, but the Psalms give us His prayer. It was impossible. God will turn your tears to joy. Dr. Jerry Vines | 07-02-17 AM | Psalm 126 Bellevue Baptist Church, Memphis, TN bellevue.org Psalm 126 chronicles the joy of their return from captivity, their prayers for others still in bondage, and God's instruction to plant the seed of the Gospel, even in tears, for a great harvest will come. Here the trustor becomes a sower: faith works by love, obtains a present bliss, and secures a harvest of delight. Psalm 126 Commentary by Brad Boyles. In our time this has been dubbed the Great Aussie Dream. Intro: Beginning with Psalm 120 and continuing to Psalm 134, these Psalms are called “Songs of Degrees.” They were sung by the pilgrims who were traveling to Jerusalem to keep the various feasts days on the religious calendar of Israel. Restore our fortunes, LORD, like streams in the Negev. ( Log Out /  5 Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. 2. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.” (Ruth 4:16-17) God restored her joy, and they no longer called her Mara, but Naomi again. In Psalm 128 we saw God pouring out his blessing on his people. While the song … Phil Antila, A Plain Account 2016 ""This difference, between a symbolic journey and a merely physical one, is the contrast between pilgrimage and tourism. It’s the difference between God’s miracles and God’s providence. Those returned out of captivity are to be thankful. Trust God to do it again! And then trust God to do it again. Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. You are permitted and encouraged to reproduce and distribute this message provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and that you do not charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. The moment that blue, white, and red vessel peeks its head out of that small tunnel, the whole world sighs, saying, “Thank God.”. For any web postings, please link to the sermon directly at this website. The product is one of the grandest, most eloquent lyrical prayers in the Psalter. One of the things that Australian people desire above all is to have a place they can call their own. Because that’s how God works. A Harvest of Joy. Somebody pinch me, I must be dreaming! As Charles Spurgeon once said: “God is too good to be unkind and He is too wise to be mistaken. Look at verse 6: “He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him.” (Psalm 126:6). The Israelites were restored out of Babylon and back to their homeland, but now they were in need of restoration yet again. PSALM 126:1-3. The notes explain some of the words with a *star by them. The farmers sow with tears and gather while weeping out of panic that no harvest will have sprung forth. So Psalm 126 is a psalm of trouble, but it’s a psalm of trouble with a twist. Joy is mentioned four times in this psalm. We read in Job 42:10: “After Job had prayed for his friends, the LORD made him prosperous again and gave him twice as much as he had before.” (Job 42:10) Now Job went through far more than you or I ever will. It reminds us that even in times of sorrow, there is work to be done, and that good work will bear good fruit in our lives. Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Look at verse 4 where the psalmist prays: “Restore our fortunes, O Lord, like streams in the Negev.” (Psalm 126:4) That word “restore” is the same word that is translated “brought back” in verse one. In prayer we remember what God has done. There were stations along the way where the pilgrims could stop for rest and refreshment. Even then, the book of Nehemiah ends with Nehemiah’s prayer that God would remember his work in the face of disappointing setbacks. 2) Know that God will turn your sorrow into joy. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. Psalm 122 focused on the architecture of Jerusalem to show the closeness of God’s people. We wish it were, but it’s not. This psalm is titled A Song of Ascents. Christians should be the most joyful of all people, because God has done great things for us! Preaching. And in the same way revival is something only God can do. Verse 1:-. Intro: Ill. The Paperback Bible presents the Bible by the Book and is designed to be portable, readable, and truly personal with ample margins for notations. The ending is also missing. He must have wondered if God was through with him, whether there was any joy left on the other side. Look at verses 4-6: “Restore our fortunes, O Lord, like streams in the Negev. In fact some of the most heartbreaking passages in the Bible have to do with the exile of the Jews to Babylon – passages in the book of Lamentations or like Psalm 137. Psalm 126:1-6 The Greatest Future Is Yet to Come is a sermon about letting go of the past, taking inventory of the present and looking to the future. Psalm 126 – Amazed at God’s Work. Hope has been realized, and people are rejoicing. between Joel and Psalm 126, the similarities in thought and general time o f composition are striking. I am sure she shed many tears over the years. For tourists, the … And then suddenly, Cyrus, the new king, made a proclamation allowing all the Jews to go home. He proclaimed in Isaiah 51:11: “The ransomed of the Lord will return. A Song of Ascents. It reads, “Then it was said among the nations ’The Lord has done great things for them,” the nations referring to those who worship other gods and often threatened Israel. Verse 3 expresses joy in the present based on remembrance of the past and hope for the future. Psalm 126:5-6 THE PASSION AND THE PROMISE. The First Focus - "The Saints In Light" I. Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert.” (Isaiah 35:6). It is the seventh in the series of 15 songs for pilgrims coming to Jerusalem. You begin to lose hope. Spiritually dry and parched? This second part of the psalm teaches you to do three specific things when you find yourself in times of trouble. The Lord has done great things for us, the Israelites respond. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. When the people of Israel were carried off to Babylon they sowed many tears. In fact the word “Negev” actually means “dry or parched.” But in the winter and spring, rains could suddenly send waters rushing through the desert. Psalm 126 is one of a collection of poems (Psalms 120-134) known as the “Songs of Ascents.” These most likely did not all originate from a single source or for some unified purpose, but were rather collected together for some common use While interpreters cannot be one-hundred percent sure, the best guess is that the psalms of ascents were collected together in order for the faithful to use when they … This is but a repetition and confirmation of what is before expressed in different words; and may be applied, as to a praying saint, so to a faithful preacher of the word. Dr. Jerry Vines | 07-02-17 AM | Psalm 126 Bellevue Baptist Church, Memphis, TN bellevue.org We have this beautiful promise from God in verse 5: “Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy.” (Psalm 126:5) Know that God will turn your sorrow into joy. Know that God will turn your sorrow into joy. Notice that verse 3 in Psalm 126 is the only verse in this psalm that is in the present tense. Just when you think you are beginning to feel God’s presence in your life, just when you think you have enough faith you can cling to, just when you think you have some answer you can offer to people’s questions about God, some one or something comes along and tears a hole in your sail. Psalm 126 I took the sermon title from an old gospel song written by the nineteenth-century Disciples’ “singing evangelist” Knowles Shaw. Isaiah prophesied it. This song likely was composed after the exile, in wondrous gratitude for God’s restoration, and in prayer for a furtherance of that work. And then notice that after the nations give glory to God, so also does Israel. That’s what this first image of “streams in the Negev” means. ” (Psalm 126:1–3, NKJV) 1. Change ), Sunday, December 18 – Sermon on Luke 1:26-38, Sunday, December 13th, 2020 – The Advent Dreamers, a sermon on Psalm 126, Sunday, November 29th, 2020 – The Advent Blues, a sermon for the First Sunday of Advent, Sunday, November 8th, 2020 – You Have What You Need. The Jews had experienced seventy long years in captivity, and then in a moment, God turns things around. Welcome! The text that I have chosen for this morning’s sermon is Psalm 126, our Introit for this morning. The Psalms of Ascent | Stepping Stones to God’s Heart, “The LORD has done great things for us!” (Psalm 126:3). Which he sows in tears. And then secondly, trust God to do it again. The Jews had been exiled to Babylon seventy years earlier. That is told us in the first half of the text. And so God brought them back. When the LORD brought back the exiles of Sion, we thought we were dreaming. Click here for more messages from the book of, The difference between the 1st and 2nd commandments. Are you sowing many tears? Note: This sermon is the third in a series you can continue through Advent. But then the psalmist makes a turn. S. Conway . 1. I imagine that must be how Job felt when God restored him after his time of suffering. Hello and welcome to RayFowler.org. And the second stanza encourages you to trust God to do it again! It was Lauren’s turn, and my brother-in-law and I decided to play a little joke. Psalm 30:5 says: “Weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.” (Psalm 30:5) There has never been a sunset yet that was not followed by a sunrise! Click here for more messages from the book of Psalms. A Pilgrim Song. The psalm basically has two stanzas with two main ideas. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him. Back to Psalm 126 look at verse 2 now: “Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy.” (Psalm 126:2) Before you can understand their laughter and joy, you must first understand their sorrow. Psalm 126. Scott Gould St. Helen’s Anglican Church West Point Grey Vancouver BC www.pointgreyanglican.com Joel 2:21-27, Psalm 126, 1 Timothy 2:1-7, Matthew 6:25-33 Psalm 126 Page 782, BCP In convertendo 1 When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion, * then were we like those who dream. There are moments in life that feel profoundly like divine restoration. Being restored is a contrast “like streams in the Negeb” (Psalms 1… When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dreamed. They were now back in Jerusalem, back in the holy city, back in Zion, the place where God dwells with his people, and it all felt like a dream. When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream. Somebody pinch me, I must be dreaming! I will continue to look for moments of divine restoration happening around us, though they are fleeting. A. Consider - I. One that causes, once and for all, our mouths to be filled with laughter and our tongues to over flow with shouts of joy. We live in a time and a place, when something like harvesting food rarely causes any of us to shout for joy. There is a more complete picture of Him in the Psalms than in the Gospels. A PROCEDURE - Vs. 6a - He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, It was a moment for all of us that was restorative and filled with joy. There’s an old saying. The psalm has two sections that appear to contradict each other. Songs of joy are mentioned twice (see verse 6).       – Genesis 21:6-7; Psalm 137:1-4. And when we cannot trace His hand, we must trust His heart.”. So hard. The problem with restoration is having to go through the desperation that calls it forth. But those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. Psalm 126:6 Sermons: He who goes out weeping, carrying seed for sowing, will certainly come again with joy, carrying his sheaves. We laughed, we sang, we couldn’t believe our good fortune. If you are going through a challenging time right now, I trust that his psalm will speak to your heart this morning. (Revelation 14:13) II. The pilgrims went from blessing to blessing in their psalmody as they proceeded on their holy way. Psalm 126 has a rich lectionary tradition, used for worship during Lent, after Pentecost, and here on the third Sunday of Advent. If you are a believer this morning, you are part of his glorious harvest. Keep Awake. 1 Peter 4:19 teaches us: “Those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.” (1 Peter 4:19) And Galatians 6:9 gives us this word of encouragement: “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” (Galatians 6:9), Did you know that God keeps a record of all your tears? PCC was in need of a pastor, and we were living a mile down the road. This psalm is written to help you discover the secret of joy. Restore us today. And I swear, you could almost see her start to realize, “Oh, we are putting silly things in the water for Auntie Lauren!”  Suddenly, Lilly rushes her little body into the living room and rushes back, giggling her heart out as she struggles to hold up her contribution to the water…..a shoe. And like the psalmist in the Psalms of Ascent, we make our way up toward God through a series of up and down movements. (4-6) It is an essential quality of prayer throughout the Scripture. God has done great things for you in the past. He that goes forth weeping shall come home with shouts of joy. Which he sows in tears. In fact some of the most heartbreaking passages in the Bible have to do with the exile of the Jews to Babylon passages in the book of Lamentations or like Psalm 137. When God rescued Peter from jail in the New Testament, it felt like a dream to him. What God had done for Israel was so great that even their enemies praised God. Psalm 126:1-6, Psalm 145:2-11 Glenn Van Ekeren tells an old legend about a servant whose master died and left him a bag full of blessings. This verse expands on the image of verse 5 and focuses on the sower going forth to work and eventually returning with the harvest in his hands. Commit yourself to the Lord and continue to do good. Whole Psalm. Monique's phylactery contains verse 5 of Psalm 126 in Latin, for Monique long prayed for the conversion to Christianity of her son Augustine. The people had settled down. In it, we find a profound sense of gratitude. We have seen how these Psalms operate in groups of three – a psalm of trouble, followed by a psalm of trust, followed by a psalm of triumph. Ask God to pour out his Spirit in your life like streams in the Negev. Psalm 129 is all about persevering through pain, and it is one of the more striking of the psalms of trouble. Mistaken Notions of Joy. The return from captivity for Israel was something only God could do. 126 When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream. But I hope for a divine restoration that is sustaining. What God had done for them was so great that even their enemies praised God. 126:6 He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him. Those moments when the whole world is invested in the lives of 33 miners and those moments when a little 3 year old girl discovers that she can be funny too. God will change your tears to joy. Do you ever feel like your life is a desert? The theme of restoration that began with Psalm 80 in Advent 1, and Psalm 85 in Advent 2, is continued this week in Psalm 126. Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord, for they enjoy rest from their labors. ( Log Out /  Feel free to hit the comments button on any post and join the discussion. THE PSALM OF THE SOWING SAINT . ... but you can end it on the 4th Sunday of Advent if you do not have a children’s sermon on Christmas Eve. Schuyler Rhodes. Psalm 126. 126:1 {A Song of degrees.} These are people who have cried out, “Come to us, O Lord, and restore our freedom.”  The problem with restoration is having to go through the desperation that calls it forth. Marvel at what God has done in the past. Now, please, let us read again the text of today’s sermon, Psalm 126.5-6: 5 They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. An EasyEnglish Translation with Notes (about 1200 word vocabulary) on Psalm 126. www.easyenglish.bible. Though other chapters of Scripture document remnant Israel returning from Babylonian captivity, the Psalms give us the song that they sang to God. We long for the sudden deliverance, and we rejoice when it comes, but God’s normal way of working is much slower. Psalm 126:1-6: Like Them that Dream: S. Conway : Psalm 126:1-6: The History of a Soul: S. Conway : Psalm 126:1-6: Pulpit Commentary Homiletics. The Rejoicing Reaper . But nothing is wasted in God’s economy. Back to Psalm 126 look at verse 2 now: Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Given these multiple contexts, one will find many helpful commentaries at Working Preacher, each making distinctive contributions to our understanding of its message. Words in brackets, ( ), are not in the *Hebrew Bible. When God does a work of deliverance in your life, it brings glory to God and joy for us. Lamentations 3:22-23 says: “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Psalm 126 PSALMS OF ASCENTS This psalm is titled A Song of Ascents. In other words, it’s not all, all, all the way up all the time. The first image was streams in the Negev. SermonAudio.com - Psalm 126 Sermons. Psalm 126 expresses the themes of redemption and joy and gratitude to God. Their tormentors demanded songs of joy, but they just sat by the waters of Babylon and wept. So pray for God’s full restoration and blessing. When you wake up each morning to tears, and you go to bed each evening with tears, it is difficult to see your way forward. Sarah knew the bitterness of being barren. Words in boxes are from the Bible. We all start laughing and giggling while Lauren slowly figures out what is going on as she giggles and aimlessly bobs in this vat of water.       – Psalm 56:8; Galatians 6:9; 1 Peter 4:19; Revelation 21:4, What do you do in times of trouble? 2 Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. "Psalm 126 is a community song of trust or confidence that skillfully employs metaphor to proclaim God as the one who brings joy out of sorrow, laughter out of tears, and good out of evil." They faced discouragement from within and opposition from without. If you restore a friendship, it is because it was once broken. Just like that, God had delivered them. ( Log Out /  Mount Zion is a symbol for Jerusalem, which itself represents the place where God dwells with his people. So let’s look at the psalm together. The captives were back in Jerusalem, but there was still much work to be done. The first 3 minutes of this sermon were erased in 1979, so it was recorded sometime before that. Psalm 125 takes the hills of Psalm 121 and the holy city of Psalm 122 and combines them into a new image showing God’s people are as safe and secure as Mount Zion surrounded by the other mountains. And they would have marveled at God’s graciousness in returning the captives to Zion. As the popular Christmas carol says, it is the most wonderful time of the year. While she was getting her blindfold on, we slowly removed all of the apples from the pail. They had established homes in the new land. This is a prayer for revival. “He shall doubtless come again with rejoicing.” Now, ye disconsolate workers, ye who have only a handful of seed, ye shall come back with an armful of sheaves. In our Psalm for today, the psalmist stands with one foot in the past and one in the present, both of which are center on restoration. As the popular Christmas carol says, it is the most wonderful time of the year. Happy people to whom ever ascent was a song, every halt a hymn. Perhaps the better way to put it is this: work and pray as though it all depended on God working through you. (Psalm 126:6) I. They had suffered so much, and now they suddenly found themselves back in their homeland, back in Jerusalem, back in the beloved city of God. The Lord has done great things for them, the nations say. Sermon Illustrations for Thanksgiving (2018)-- Joel 2:21-27, 1 Timothy 2:1-7, Matthew 6:25-33, Psalm 126-- Bill Thomas, Bonnie Bates, Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove, Ron Love, Frank Ramirez-- Thanksgiving Day - … And so the image of sudden streams in the desert now turns to the image of God’s slow but certain work in our lives of sowing and reaping. So she simply stood by and watched. Rulership and Responsibility for Creation, A Final Easter Cartoon from B.C. He shed many tears of his own during his life on earth. Somebody pinch me, I must be dreaming! Sunday, December 11 – Sermon on Psalm 126. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. The harvest awaits. Psalms 126:5-6 HCSB Those who sow in tears will reap with shouts of joy. It was all they knew. Martyn Lloyd-Jones said that in revival: “God does more in five minutes than man did in the previous ten years.” We need to pray for God to open the floodgates of heaven and to pour out his blessing on the church. Its use in the psalm also s uggests an event as dramatic as the return from exile. In God’s time your sorrow will be lifted, and God will fill your mouth with laughter and songs of joy. The notes explain some of the words with a *star by them. CONCLUSION: As always we look to Jesus for the ultimate fulfillment of this psalm. “Come to us, O Lord,” they pray, “and restore our land.”  Their fear is that the rain will wash away any seeds because the land is so dry and the seeds cannot take root. That’s what we see in verse 1: “When the Lord brought back the captives to Zion, we were like men who dreamed.” (Psalm 126:1), The year was 538 B.C. The pilgrims making their way to Jerusalem each year for the feasts would have been acutely aware that this was the same route the captives had taken when they returned. II. Psalm 126 December 6, 2015 “Repentant Joy” Grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. What If We Already Lived Together Before Marriage? 1-3 It seemed like a dream, too good to be true, when God returned Zion’s exiles. This is a great opportunity to have some fun with the children as you lead up to Christmas. Psalm 126 is a song that looks back to when the captives returned to Jerusalem following their long exile in Babylon. Do you share testimonies of God’s goodness with those around you on a regular basis? Abiding is not enough, fruitfulness is added. Download sheet music, Responsorial Psalm 126: Download Ps. Words in boxes are from the Bible.