Deeper Commentary
When Yahweh brought back those who returned to Zion, we were like those who
dream-
LXX "We became as comforted ones". The allusion is to the prophecies of
later Isaiah, especially Is. 40, announcing "comfort" to "My people", the
returning exiles. But they for the most part refused that comfort. So we
are reading here of prophetic hope, which didn't come fully true at the
time, although those prophecies were reapplied to the "comfort" announced
by John the Baptist in the work of the Lord Jesus. We note it was Yahweh
who "turned back" (Heb.) the exiles; the term refers to both repentance
and literally returning to the land. But most of the exiles refused to
make use of the potential repentance given them.
The songs of ascents, part of the restoration Psalms, are relevant to
any ‘ascent’ or ‘going up’ to the Lord’s house. They are full of reference
to God’s eternal purpose with Jerusalem and the temple. It seems to me
that they may have been re-written under inspiration with reference to
God’s people returning from Babylon to Jerusalem. “The Lord brought back
those that returned to Zion” (Ps. 126:1 RVmg.) is obviously relevant to
the exiles returning. They are described as going forth into captivity
weeping but bearing previous seed, and now returning home with the sheaves
(Ps. 126:6). This could be a reference to their children whom they had
taken with them 70 years previously returning; or it could also imply that
there had been a spiritual growth and fruition during the captivity. At
least, this was what God had intended.
The past tenses here shouldn't be read as meaning that this Psalm was
the reflection of the returned exiles. For the relatively few who did
return did so in fear, unbelief and uncertainty, to be greeted by famine
and troubles. Rather is this the Psalmist believing by faith that 'the
future is now', seeing ahead with the eye of faith to how things would be
at the restoration, and rejoicing in it. The intention of the restoration
was so that the Gentile nations would recognize Yahweh's great work for
His people, with the result that they too turned to Him. This didn't
happen at the restoration. Yahweh did do great things for His people, but
they refused to respond. The same phrase is found in Is. 1:2, where Yahweh
"nourished" or 'did great things' for His people "and they rebelled
against Me". So these things will finally come true in the last day, when
Yahweh again will do "great things" for the land at the return of the Lord
Jesus (s.w. Joel 2:21).
Psa 126:3
As noted on :2, this is the 'prophetic perfect' tense, speaking from
God's perspective, of the future as if it has already happened. Such was
the Psalmist's faith that he and his community were full of joy even at
the prospect of this great but yet future salvation.
Psa 126:4
The idea is that the streams appeared suddenly in the dry riverbeds,
or that they would run in one direction in the sand of the Negev and just
as easily in the opposite direction a short time later. This was the speed
with which the Psalmist is praying for the path of Judah into exile to be
reversed, with them returning along the same tracks they took into exile.
This sudden reversal of fortunes was given in the decree of Cyrus. But the
majority of God's people didn't want to go in the paths opened up for
them.
Psa 126:5
This 'sowing' was the 'going out' from Judah and Jerusalem in
captivity of :6. That tragic exile was in fact a sowing, potentially
anyway, which would rise up in a harvest of joy at the restoration. This
was the prophetic intention. But the reality was that the majority of the
exiles didn't want to return, neither did the seed of the prophetic word
achieve the intended harvest. For they were stony, bad ground and
unresponsive to the word of prophetic hope. The potential application in
Hezekiah's time was recorded in 1 Kings 19:29, where joyful reaping was to
be a sign to the people. This would only happen if Judah sowed in
righteousness; and then they would reap mercy (Hos. 10:12 s.w.). This
didn't come true at the restoration.
Psa 126:6
It seems that God intended the 70 years in Babylon to be the time when
the Jews would come to a fullness of repentance whereby they would be able
to return, rebuild the temple, and usher in a Messianic Kingdom. Ps. 126:1,6
speak of how the Lord would bring back the returnees to Zion (RVmg.), and
thereby he who went forth into captivity weeping, bearing the precious seed
of the next generation as little children, would in that sense return to
Zion with joy, bringing his sheaves with him. Jer. 24 speaks as if the “good
figs” were to be those who went to Babylon and through that experience there
became “good figs”. Micah speaks of the same process. Zion was to be plowed
and Jerusalem become heaps, which happened in the Babylonian invasion. But
then afterwards- 70 years afterwards- the temple was to be rebuilt, “the
house of the Lord shall be established in the top of the mountains” (Mic.
3:12; 4:1). “In that day… will I assemble her that halteth, and I will gather
that has been driven out… and I will make her that was cast off a strong
nation: and the Lord shall reign over them in mount Zion from henceforth
even for ever… the kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem”. A
Messianic Kingdom could then have come. This whole situation would be
brought to pass because the daughter of Zion was to “go forth out of the
city” of Jerusalem “and come even to Babylon; there shalt thou be delivered
[RV rescued]: there shall the Lord redeem thee” (Mic. 4:10). How was the
travailing daughter of Zion to be delivered / rescued in Babylon
after having been taken captive there from Jerusalem by the Babylonians?
Surely in that there, God intended a spiritual revival of the people, there
they would hear Ezekiel’s appeal to repent, which if responded to
would enable them to build the temple which he had described (Ez. 43:10,11)
and thus usher in a Messianic Kingdom.
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