Psalm 137
1 Beside the rivers of Babylon, we sat and wept
as we thought of Jerusalem.
2 We put away our harps,
hanging them on the branches of poplar trees.
3 For our captors demanded a song from us.
Our tormentors insisted on a joyful hymn:
“Sing us one of those songs of Jerusalem!”
4 But how can we sing the songs of the Lord
while in a pagan land?
5 If I forget you, O Jerusalem,
let my right hand forget how to play the harp.
6 May my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth
if I fail to remember you,
if I don’t make Jerusalem my greatest joy.
7 O Lord, remember what the Edomites did
on the day the armies of Babylon captured Jerusalem.
“Destroy it!” they yelled.
“Level it to the ground!”
8 O Babylon, you will be destroyed.
Happy is the one who pays you back
for what you have done to us.
9 Happy is the one who takes your babies
and smashes them against the rocks!
In this world there are three places you can be living. The first place you can be is stuck in Mount Sanai. That is a place of laws and legalism. Sadly, many live there trying to do things to become something instead of being who they are in Jesus. The bible in Galatians tells us that it is a place of Old Covenant rules and its children are slaves.
The second place you can be is in the Jerusalem above or the New Jerusalem. There you are born again and living free. That New Covenant place is where we should be living. This is what Jesus came for to set the captives free. If the Son sets you free you are free indeed, right? If you are in Jesus, you live here rent free. He paid it all.
Be careful because as good as the New Jerusalem is, people move out of there believe it or not. They move to the third place which is Babylon. For clarity let's take a look at what the word Babylon means:
Babel, Babylon
Bible Meaning: Confusion
Strong's Concordance #H894, #G897The English words Babel and Babylon are derived from the same Hebrew word which means "confusion." The city of Babel, which would eventually become Babylon, was built after Noah's flood by Nimrod. The purpose of its massive tower was mankind's vain attempt to survive another global flood brought by God even though he promised not to do so (Genesis 9:11 - 16).
So as you can see Babylon, and confusion about who you are in Jesus, is not a good place to be living, but many Christians do live there today. We mix evil and good, we mix works and faith, and law and grace. These all lead to evil which lead to offense, and ultimately condemnation and punishment.
You might be wondering why the at the beginning of this post I included a strange Psalm that talks about happy people smashing babies on rocks. It wasn't to send you to the land of confusion, Babylon, but to show you that this Psalm is about where you can be living. This Psalm tells you that if you forget who you are (and can't play the harp and sing your song), and if the giant Edomites come your way (destructive, condemning and confusing thoughts), kill all the bad thoughts (babies) and you will be happy.
In other words, if the big bad giants come your way, and make you forget who God has already declared you to be, kill those thoughts by smashing them when they are little against your rock, Jesus! You don't have to live in the land of confusion where the giants rule, move back to the New Jerusalem. You have been declared innocent and righteous in Jesus.
1 Beside the rivers of Babylon, we sat and wept
as we thought of Jerusalem.
2 We put away our harps,
hanging them on the branches of poplar trees.
3 For our captors demanded a song from us.
Our tormentors insisted on a joyful hymn:
“Sing us one of those songs of Jerusalem!”
4 But how can we sing the songs of the Lord
while in a pagan land?
5 If I forget you, O Jerusalem,
let my right hand forget how to play the harp.
6 May my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth
if I fail to remember you,
if I don’t make Jerusalem my greatest joy.
7 O Lord, remember what the Edomites did
on the day the armies of Babylon captured Jerusalem.
“Destroy it!” they yelled.
“Level it to the ground!”
8 O Babylon, you will be destroyed.
Happy is the one who pays you back
for what you have done to us.
9 Happy is the one who takes your babies
and smashes them against the rocks!
In this world there are three places you can be living. The first place you can be is stuck in Mount Sanai. That is a place of laws and legalism. Sadly, many live there trying to do things to become something instead of being who they are in Jesus. The bible in Galatians tells us that it is a place of Old Covenant rules and its children are slaves.
The second place you can be is in the Jerusalem above or the New Jerusalem. There you are born again and living free. That New Covenant place is where we should be living. This is what Jesus came for to set the captives free. If the Son sets you free you are free indeed, right? If you are in Jesus, you live here rent free. He paid it all.
Be careful because as good as the New Jerusalem is, people move out of there believe it or not. They move to the third place which is Babylon. For clarity let's take a look at what the word Babylon means:
Babel, Babylon
Bible Meaning: Confusion
Strong's Concordance #H894, #G897The English words Babel and Babylon are derived from the same Hebrew word which means "confusion." The city of Babel, which would eventually become Babylon, was built after Noah's flood by Nimrod. The purpose of its massive tower was mankind's vain attempt to survive another global flood brought by God even though he promised not to do so (Genesis 9:11 - 16).
So as you can see Babylon, and confusion about who you are in Jesus, is not a good place to be living, but many Christians do live there today. We mix evil and good, we mix works and faith, and law and grace. These all lead to evil which lead to offense, and ultimately condemnation and punishment.
You might be wondering why the at the beginning of this post I included a strange Psalm that talks about happy people smashing babies on rocks. It wasn't to send you to the land of confusion, Babylon, but to show you that this Psalm is about where you can be living. This Psalm tells you that if you forget who you are (and can't play the harp and sing your song), and if the giant Edomites come your way (destructive, condemning and confusing thoughts), kill all the bad thoughts (babies) and you will be happy.
In other words, if the big bad giants come your way, and make you forget who God has already declared you to be, kill those thoughts by smashing them when they are little against your rock, Jesus! You don't have to live in the land of confusion where the giants rule, move back to the New Jerusalem. You have been declared innocent and righteous in Jesus.