Have you returned to Slavery

Psalm 137

A sad time for the people of God, who found that living independent of God’s authority and commands did not bring blessing but curses.  Do you recall Jacob’s con job on his brother Esau and their dad who was almost blind for his birthright, and all for a bowl of stew.  How Jacob ran from his brother fearing he would kill him.  And now his descendants the Edomites were Babylon’s allies in the destruction of Jerusalem.

The lament of those exiles over what God had given them and now once more they are slaves of a pagan Babylon.  The Psalmist is telling us how the Babylonians ask them to sing the songs of Zion, knowing the pain they were still inflicting on them.  The people could not enter into worship in Babylon because it was unclean and had no temple for them to worship.  

The people of Israel longed for Jerusalem and made an oath to not forget and to stay loyal to Jerusalem.  They understood the cost of living independent of God’s authority and plans, they were reaping what they sowed.

Now let’s move to 2020, and as a follower of Christ your Country of birth is not your home, in fact earth is not your home, you are just aliens and strangers on planet earth.  Fifty years ago in a hotel room in Victoria, Texas I got a new Citizenship, and the apostle Peter tells what happen to me and many others in 1 Peter 2:9-12, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.  Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.   Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.”

So where is home, you will find the answer in John 8:23, 24, where Jesus is talking to the Pharisees?  He said to them, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.   I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.”  Look with me at Philippians 3:20-21, “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, ²¹ who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.” Look also at Hebrews 11:16, “But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.”

Shall we end todays paper on Psalm 137, with these words from Jesus found in John 17:14-18,  ^“I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.   I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.  They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.   Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.  As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.”  This is Jesus talking to the Father about all that put their trust in Him.  It’s not about being religious, Jesus has a big problem with the religious people at the time He spent on planet earth.  One final word from Jesus, as he was talking to his disciples before returning to His Father and home.  It is found in John 14:1-4, “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.   In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?   And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.   And you know the way to where I am going.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice