Psalm 137
"Remember" and "forget" are used a total of five times in these nine verses. The American humorist Elbert Hubbard said, "A retentive memory may be a good thing, but the ability to forget is the true token of greatness." Sometimes we must remember to forget. A Jew, probably a Levite, wrote this psalm after he had returned home from Babylon with the remnant in 536 BC. Twenty years later, Babylon was destroyed. The psalmist was with a group of former exiles (note the "we" and "us" in vv. 1–4), recalling some of their experiences, and from this encounter with the past, he learned some lessons about the human memory, himself, and the Lord.
The Conqueror—He brings Us In (vv. 17–22) As the forty years drew to a close, Moses led the people back to the gateway into the Promised Land, and on the way, Israel defeated great and mighty kings and took their lands (Num. 21). Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh claimed their inheritance east of the Jordan River (Num. 32; Josh. 18:7), but their men marched with Israel into Canaan and helped to con-
Memory Can Open Wounds (vv. 1–4) Sitting was the official position for mourning, and the Jewish exiles felt and acted like mourners at a funeral.
Psalm 137
Lord Jehovah, the temple and its ministry, the city and its people, and the ministry of Israel to the world. Before he wrote about God's judgments on Edom and Babylon (vv. 7–9), he judged himself for his own carelessness and even asked God to punish him if he failed to keep his vow. As we look back on life and evaluate our experiences, it is important that we learn our lessons and grow in godly character. "So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom" (90:12 nkjv). "I will pay You my vows, which my lips have uttered … when I was in trouble" (66:13–14 nkjv).
The two major rivers were the Tigris and the Euphrates, but Babylon had a network of canals that helped to turn the desert into a garden. Perhaps the Jews gathered by the canals because they needed water for their religious rituals (Acts 16:13). Whatever else they may have left back in Judah, they brought their harps with them, for music was important to their worship of the Lord (81:1–3). Music was also one way of expressing their grief and seeking the help of the Lord "who gives songs in the night" (Job 35:10). These former exiles remembered the times their guards demanded that they entertain them by singing one of the "songs of Zion." What biting sarcasm! The Babylonians knew how the Jews honored Mount Zion and the city of Jerusalem, and how they boasted of Zion's strength and security (46:5, 7, 10, 11; 48; 76:1–3; 87), but now, the city and temple were in ruins. In their sarcasm, the guards were asking, "Where is your God? Why did He not deliver you?" (See 42:3, 10; 79:10; 115:2.) The exiles had refused to obey; they did not sing for their captors. Why? For one thing, the Babylonians wanted "the Lord's song" (v. 4), and the Jewish people were not about to use sacred temple hymns to entertain the pagans. How tragic it is today when music stars use "Amazing Grace" or "The Lord's Prayer" to entertain pagan crowds that know neither the Lord nor His grace. What did Jesus say about throwing valuables to dogs and pigs (Matt. 7:6)? But even more—their hearts were not in giving a concert. Their captors wanted "songs of mirth," and the exiles had no joy. They had lost everything but God and their lives, and being normal people, they were deeply pained in their hearts. Their city, temple, and homes had been destroyed, their people had been deported, and the throne of David had been cast to the ground. But even worse, they had seen the Babylonian soldiers get great glee out of throwing Jewish babies against the walls and smashing their heads (v. 9). It was one way the Babylonians could limit the future generation of their enemies.
Memory Can Encourage Faith (vv. 7–9) These three verses have been a serious problem for the unlearned and a target for the unbelieving who are at war with God and the Bible. However, once this passage is understood, it should encourage the faith of God's people in times of upheaval when the Lord seems to be shaking everything (Heb. 12:25–29). The Babylonian guards were taunting the Jewish exiles, wanting them to sing about their God, who had not rescued them and their city, which was now a heap of ruins. This was not a matter of politics but theology, nor was it a personal vendetta but an issue between two nations. As individuals, we have the right to forgive an offender, but if the judge forgave every criminal who appeared in his court, the foundations of society would be undermined and chaos would result.
The law God gave to Israel is based on the lex talionis—the law of retaliation—and retaliation is not revenge. It simply means "to pay back in kind." In short, the punishment must fit the crime, and our courts still follow that principle. In eighthteenth century England, there were over two hundred capital crimes for which the culprit could be hanged, but no nation follows that pattern today. "Eye for eye, tooth for tooth" (Deut. 19:16–21) is not brutality; it is justice. A point that is often ignored is that, though Babylon was God's chosen instrument to discipline the Jews, the Babylonians went too far and treated the Jews with brutality. (See Isa. 47:1–7; 51:22–23.) They abused the elderly, they murdered the babies and children, they violated the women, and they killed promiscuously. Though these practices may have been a normal part of ancient warfare (2 Kings 8:12; 15:16; Isa. 13:16; Nah. 3:10), Babylon went to the extreme in their inhumanity. But, let us be honest and admit that when nations today have done atrocious things—the Holocaust, for example—other nations have risen up in horror and demanded justice. If that response is correct for us, why is it wrong for the psalmist?
Yes, memories can bring pain, and the pain does not go away when we try to "bury" the memories. Denial usually makes things worse. But the fact that the exiles could talk about these painful things indicates that they were facing them honestly and learning how to process this pain in a mature way. It takes time for broken hearts to heal, and Jesus can heal them if we give Him all the pieces (147:3; Luke 4:18).
Memory Can Build Character (vv. 5–6) Sometimes we have to lose things to really appreciate them. Here were the exiles in Babylon, mourning the loss of everything that was important to them, and asking themselves, "Did we really appreciate what the Lord gave us—our land, our city, the temple, our home, our children?" At least one man made a vow when he was in exile, that he would always remember Jerusalem and make it the highest priority and greatest joy in his life. By "Jerusalem," of course, he meant the
The psalmist knew from the prophets that God would judge Edom and Babylon, so he prayed for the Lord to keep His promises. Esau, father of the Edomites, was Jacob's brother (Gen. 25:30), and Esau's descendants should have shown mercy to their blood relatives. (On the future of Edom, see Isa. 63:1–6; Jer. 49:7–22; Ezek. 25:12–14; 35:1ff.; the book of Obadiah. As for