I Have This Psalm Memorized - Psalm 126

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Psalm 126

A Song of Ascents.

1 When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion,
    we were like those who dream.
2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
    and our tongue with shouts of joy;
then they said among the nations,
    “The Lord has done great things for them.”
3 The Lord has done great things for us;
    we are glad.
4 Restore our fortunes, O Lord,
    like streams in the Negeb!
5 Those who sow in tears
    shall reap with shouts of joy!
6 He who goes out weeping,
    bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy,
    bringing his sheaves with him.

 
 

For some reason, I memorized this psalm 20 years ago, and it’s still one of my favorites.  It moves from sorrow to hope and ends with an image of rejoicing.

1 When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion,
    we were like those who dream.

The psalmist remembers a time when God rescued Israel (“Zion” here represents all of Israel—a metonymy) and reversed its situation—its “fortunes” were restored.

2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
    and our tongue with shouts of joy;
then they said among the nations,
    “The Lord has done great things for them.”

That reversal was like a dream, and the people laughed and shouted with joy while the surrounding nations saw it and knew that God had done it.

3 The Lord has done great things for us;
    we are glad.

The Israelites know that God has been faithful, and they are grateful.

But the current situation is bleak:

4 Restore our fortunes, O Lord,
    like streams in the Negeb!

Whatever the situation is, the Israelites are praying for deliverance again.

The Negeb is the dry desert in the southern part of Israel, and the image is of God sending life-giving water into the deathly conditions.

And then the psalm closes with one of the most beautiful images of hope in the entire Bible!

5 Those who sow in tears
    shall reap with shouts of joy!
6 He who goes out weeping,
    bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy,
    bringing his sheaves with him.

People who are moving forward by building for the future—sowing seed, so to speak—may feel desperate and in tears today.

But one day they will gather in the harvest with shouts of joy!

A man who goes out weeping will come running home with his arms filled with the sheaves of the harvest.

Be hopeful today!