Dr. Lyman Abbott says: "It sometimes seems to me that we look upon life as one might look upon a chess board in which the pieces played the games themselves. Now it is a knight, now it is a castle, now it is a pawn, now it is a bishop, now it is a king that moves; and why they move back and forth, and what the end of it all will be, we are puzzled to determine. But these great historians of the past saw God's hand on the chessmen, saw him moving them, and knew that at the end white would checkmate black and sweep the black off from the conquered board." It is of great interest to us all to watch the movements, and to see plainly God's guiding hand in it all. THE LESSON IN ITS SETTING. Period. Both Psalms 85 and 126 belong to the period of Return from the Captivity in Babylon, under Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah, B.C. 538-444. The Authors are unknown. Ps. 85 was written by the sons of Korah, a family, or clan, of famous singers. Ps. 126 is one of the Songs of Degrees, or songs of the Ascents, sung on the Pilgrimages to Jerusalem to the great annual Festivals. PLAN OF THE LESSON. SUBJECT: Songs of the Return from Exile. I. THE BOOK OF PSALMS has so many interesting things said concerning it that it will add to the value of our study of the two Psalms selected for our lesson to-day, to take a glimpse of the whole Book of which they are a part. Interior of a Jewish Synagogue. First. The Psalms are the Hebrew Hymn-book, O designed to be set to music, and sung in the Temple worship and in the Sabbath services of the synagogues. Second. It is divided into five books, ending with Psa. 41, 72, 89, 106, and 150, each of which closes with some form of the benediction, "Amen and Amen," "Blessed be the Lord forevermore." Some of the older people will remember the once familiar hymn-book named Watts and Select which was divided into several books. So the Psalms might be called David and Select. Third. The Psalms were often accompanied by orchestras of various musical instruments, and sung by large choirs sometimes responsively, as Ps. 24. Fourth. The Psalms should always be printed in poetic form as in the Revisions. And some progressive publisher will doubtless soon publish the Psalms and other poetic portions of the Bible, in poetic form, in the Authorized version. Fifth. Fifteen Psalms, of which Ps. 126 of this lesson is one, are called Songs of Degrees, or ascents, referring to the successive " stages of the pilgrimage which the Jews were accustomed to make thrice every year to the temple on Mount Zion. On such journeys it would be natural to beguile the tedium of the way, or to cheer the nightly encampment, by the singing of familiar ballads, . . . and we may feel quite sure that we have here a brief collection of the popular songs which were used in this way." Henry van Dyke. Sixth. The various inscriptions, though not a part of the Psalms themselves, give us an insight into the use of the Psalms which is very attractive. The Hebrew names are spelled in English letters, as in the Authorized, followed by a translation. = Set to stringed instruments. Psalms 4, 54, 55, 76. On Neginoth = Psalm 6. On Neginoth upon Sheminith = = wind instruments. Set to stringed instruments on the octave Upon Gittith = Set to an instrument, or method, of song; from Gath, a heathen city. Psalm 9. Upon Muth-labben = Set to the tune "Death of the Son"; for bass voices. = For bass or male voices. Psalm 12. Upon Sheminith Psalm 53. Upon Mahalath = = = Set to the melody "Hind of the Morning." After the manner of maidens; i.e., for soprano Possibly "to be sung in a minor key, in a sad and mournful tone, befitting the psalm." Psalm 56. Upon Jonath-elem-rechokim far-off lands." = Set to the melody "The silent dove in 85: 1. LORD, thou hast been favourable unto thy land: thou hast brought back the captivity of Jacob. 2. Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people, thou hast covered all their sin. Selah. Psalms 57, 58, 59, 75. Altaschith = Psalms 60, 80. Upon Shushan-eduth Set to the tune "The Lily of the Testimony." Psalm 88. Upon Mahalath Leannoth = On a minor key; to be sung in a sad and mournful tone. For this is the saddest and darkest psalm in the whole collection, the only one without a gleam of hope. Psalm 113. Begins the Great Hallel (Psa. 113-118) sung at the three great feasts. It began and ended with Hallelujah, " Praise ye the Lord." Note, that of all the 150 psalms only one is without a strain of hope and encouragement. Note, that every revival of religion is characterized by a revival of song and music. II. A PSALM OF DELIVERANCE, Ps. 85. This Psalm belongs to the period between the first Return from the Exile in B.C. 538-7, under Zerubbabel, and the second Return under Ezra B.C. 458, a period of 80 years. We gain some hints of the circumstances and of the need of Psalms of Deliverance, when we recall how rejoiced the exiles were at reaching Jerusalem, how they laid the foundations of the temple, in 537-6; then for 18 years left it for making their homes, till 520, when a new religious life enabled them to complete the Temple in four years. Again there was a space of 58 years before a new band of exiles came under the leadership of Ezra, their great leader and reformer, in B.C. 458, 80 years after the first Return. minds. Psalms of Deliverance came as a vivifying power into the hearts of the returned Exiles, who in the midst of their joy were overwhelmed with difficulties, and hardships, and discouragements. The reality was far different from the ideal pictures in their They had seen Victory glorious in the distance, but were now plunged into the turmoil and smoke of the battle. They were tempted to say to the prophets what Pliable in the Slough of Despond angrily said to Christian, who had urged him to go on the pilgrimage to the Celestial City: "Is this the happiness you have told me all this while of ? " But songs of deliverance keep the celestial hope ever in view. They give the faith that "spies the summer through the winter bud, She tastes the fruit before the blossom falls, She hears the lark within the songless egg, She finds the fountain where they wailed 'Mirage.' The Psalm falls into two divisions: verses 1-7 being a prayer for deliverance from the evils that surrounded them, with an acknowledgement of God's goodness and mercy. Verses 8-13 are God's answer. "Listening for an answer the Psalmist receives the assurance that God's purposes of good toward his faithful people will surely be fulfilled. He will dwell among them and bless them." Cambridge Bible. Head of Cyrus. First Division. 1. Lord (Am. R., "Jehovah "). Thou hast been favourable unto thy land. He had raised up Cyrus, the King, and made him see that to restore the Jews to their own land was his best policy, and Cyrus encouraged 50,000 of them to return to Palestine, all who at that time wished to go. The nation had a new beginning, the new branch from the old stump; as we shall see in our next lesson. Persian monument. 2. Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people. It was for the iniquity of the people that they were carried away captive to Babylon. They had refused to obey God, and there was no way to keep them from ruin and sin, and blasting the mission for which God had raised them up, except by the discipline of captivity. God had shown his forgiveness, by sending them safely to their native land. Those 3. Thou hast taken away all thy wrath: thou hast turned thyself from the fierceness of thine anger. 4. Turn us, O God of our salvation, and cause thine anger toward us to cease. who returned had so repented of their sins, and returned to God, that he could safely forgive and restore them. 66 Forgiveness means giving back, giving back something that has supposedly been withdrawn, restoring the sympathy and understanding that have been apparently snapped asunder, re-establishing the old relationships that have been broken and set aside, renewing the friendship and intimacy that have been marred and shaken. It is a giving back of confidence, of trust, of affection, a rebuilding of the ruined house of mutual faith, a rekindling of the sacred fire of love on the altar of familiar intercourse." - S. S. Times. Forgiveness is the restoration to our Father's family. We have come back home, as obedient and loving children. We are in sympathy with him, and his righteousness. We are in harmony with his nature and purposes. Forgiveness implies the washing away of sin, and the love of sin, the giving of a new heart, the inspiring of a new life, so that it is safe and right to give to the penitent the fruits of the new life in place of the fruits of the former evil life. Washed white, or whitewashed. "In a recent Salvation Army meeting, after the hearty singing of the hymn Whiter than Snow, one man said, 'There's a great difference, brothers, between being whitewashed and washed white.' The man whose life looks white, but who has not yielded himself up as hopelessly black and received the cleansing power of Christ's own blood, is only whitewashed." - S. S. Times. Thou hast covered all their sin, so that he is in God's sight as one who has not done the sin . . . he is one to whom iniquity is not reckoned." Perowne. God never says, "I can forgive, but I cannot forget," for that is only another way of saying, "I will not forgive.' A forgiveness ought to be like a cancelled note, torn in two and burned up, so that it never can be shown against the man. There is an ugly kind of forgiveness in this world - — a kind of hedgehog forgiveness, shot out like quills.". H. Ward Beecher. Covered all their sin. Till lately in Massachusetts and other states, every boy's misdemeanor, when he came before the court, was recorded. If he wants to enter civil service of the state or navy he has to sign a paper stating that there is no court record against him, even though the record was for playing ball in the street of the city, or any one of the many "don'ts of the law. A man of 70 was shut out from employment because of a record against him of an act committed 55 years before, when he was 15 years old. Now a boy committing such a crime is called a "delinquent " and no record is made of it. His sin is covered. He is put on probation, and in charge of a "big brother," and required to make good any loss he has caused. The state law in Massachusetts is that the court should give exactly the punishment which a wise father would give for aid, encouragement, and guidance." 3. Thou hast taken away all thy wrath. fierceness of thine anger, not passion, but indignation against their sin. Their repentance, and sorrow for their sin, had made this mercy possible. So God spoke through Ezekiel (18 : 31, 32) in reference to this same period, Cast away... all your transgressions . . . and make you a new heart and a new spirit. . . for I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth. Verses 4-7. Note the change in the prayer. The first three verses of this psalm refer to the early period of the Return, when all were rejoicing, and full of hope for an early restoration of the nation, and the dawning of a glorious future. But verses 4-7 refer to a later period, when the Jews began to be discouraged by their long waiting for the promised glories, and their visions were fading away. Only a feeble remnant has returned. Disappointment and disaster are crushing them. The great hopes held out by the prophets, especially in Isaiah 40-66, in connection with the Return, have not been realized. And, therefore, the nation prays for a fresh manifestation of God's saving power to gladden his people." Cambridge Bible. 4. Turn us, or turn to us (Am. R. margin), restore us (Polychrome). Anger (Am. R., "indignation "). Expressing a mixed feeling of grief and indignation." Alexander. 5. Anger to all generations. The time of trial and tribulation seemed so long, as if there were never to be an end! 5. Wilt thou be angry with us for ever? wilt thou draw out thine anger to all generations? 6. Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee? 7. Shew us thy mercy, O LORD, and grant us thy salvation. 8. I will hear what God the LORD will speak: for he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints: but let them not turn again to folly. 9. Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear him; that glory may dwell in our land. 10. Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other. II. Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven. 12. Yea, the LORD shall give that which is good; and our land shall yield her increase. 6. Revive us again (Am. R., “quicken"). Give us new life, as the fields in the spring rains and sunshine. 7. Show us thy mercy (Am. R., " thy loving kindness"). Salvation from sin and departure from thee, from enemies and oppression, from disasters and sorrows, to holiness and happiness, prosperity and peace. Second Division, vs. 8-13. Listening for the Answer. "The Psalmist listens for Jehovah's answer to his people's prayer; and conveys to them the assurance that rich abundance of blessing is in store for those who fear him." Cambridge Bible. 8. I will hear what God the LORD (Am. R., " God Jehovah ") will speak. There is a charming little booklet called Expectation Corner, an allegory on prayer almost as good as Pilgrim's Progress. A poor man in Redeemed Land mourned over his poverty, and was taken at length to see his Lord's treasure houses. There he found a room called the MISSED BLESSINGS OFFICE, full of blessings marked for him which his weak faith would not expect, so that his door was closed when they were brought. He saw another storehouse, called the DELAYED BLESSINGS OFFICE, full of good things for which the receivers were not prepared, or which were not fully ripened for their best use. They were growing, and would be sent in fulness of time. For he will speak peace unto his people, the atmosphere in which all the best blessings can come to the individual or the nation, peace with God, peace within the soul, peace with other men and nations, peace of an approving conscience, peace of victory, peace with the laws of God. But let them not turn again to folly, the folly of sin, of disobedience, of doing those things that led to their exile. 9. Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear him, reverence and obey him. There is no other way to peace and prosperity. That glory may dwell in our land. God's glory, "the manifest presence of God tabernacling visibly among them as of old." This hope was fulfilled “in a better and higher sense when he who was the brightness of his Father's glory tabernacled in human flesh, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father.'". Perowne. 10. Mercy and truth are met together, they are in perfect harmony. One cannot be separated from the other, and yet be perfect mercy or perfect truth. Righteousness and peace have kissed each other, they are bound together in a marriage that knows no divorce. If you are righteous, Peace and all that is enfolded in that word will follow, as Christ himself said, Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you (Matt. 6 : 33). II. Truth shall spring (Am. R., "springeth") out of the earth, etc. "The earth brings forth truth as she brings forth the natural fruits, and righteousness looks down from heaven like some approving angel on the renewed and purified earth." Perowne. PROSPERITY. 12. And our land shall yield her increase. As Haggai (1: 5-11) told them that drought, and mildew, and meagre crops were the punishment for their sins and irreligion, so now the blessings of prosperity are promised as the visible reward and sign of God's favor. |