The Return
A song of ascents. When the LORD brought back the captives to Zion, we were like men who dreamed. Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, "The LORD has done great things for them." The LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy. Restore our fortunes, O LORD, like streams in the Negev. Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him. (Psalm 126)
Winter is gone. The flowers reappear. They have returned from the captivity of the frozen ground and the thick blanket of snow. My favorite time of year! I say it every year, as I see the crocuses poke through the earth and the robins tug on the worms. It never ceases to amaze me! Out of death comes life – the captives are released. It seems like it’s been a long winter, and the snow took a long time to melt, but alas, it has arrived. The rivers of maple syrup flowing out of the trees into the vats, now turned into the eagerly desired pancake-topping nectar, brought thousands of people to our town (some 80,000 every year in a town of 11,000). There seems to be only one major road from the south leading into this small town of Elmira, and Saturday, despite the heavy rains, the return of the syrup seekers from the adjacent region of 700,000 city dwellers, produced a long line of vehicles wanting to enter the festival. As they entered, they were greeted by ‘side of the road’ horse and buggy stores where Mennonites were selling the fruit of their labors to the would-be maple-loving patrons. Spring had indeed arrived, and it was a new season in every way!
Psalm 126 is a wonderful picture of revival and renewal and return after a long captivity. The Israelites, under King Cyrus, were released to go and rebuild the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem (Ezra 1:1-4). After 70 years of exile, consequences for their own acts of defiance, they were now freed to inhabit the land the Lord had promised to them. To the exiles, it was like a dream come true (vs. 1), which filled them with laughter and joy (vs.2a), and caused the surrounding nations who heard of the news to glorify the God of the Israelites (vs. 2b). But most of all, it is God’s chosen remnant that are filled with joy as they glorify God for His long-awaited mercy and deliverance (vs.3). When they return to their homeland, they do not see abundance of sweet-flowing nectar waiting for them, nor delicacies of every variety. Their laughter and joy is quickly turned into the realization that their land is devastated from the invasion and now lies in ruins and ashes. And so, the prayer goes up to the Lord to let the rivers of blessing flow once again into their land, so return and restoration can truly be celebrated. Remarkably, supernaturally, they choose not to focus on what lies in front of them, but on the promises of God that their prophets Jeremiah and Isaiah had told them: their mourning would be turned to dancing, and their ashes would be turned to beauty (Isaiah 35:10; 61:3-4; Jer. 31:9-13).
Did you count them? The number of times ‘joy’ appears! Filled with joy; with songs of joy. Did they have a reason to rejoice with the destruction and devastation before their eyes? You bet they did! They were released! No longer captives! And their future was filled with the promises of God who would surely accomplish what He promised, as He always had. I am sure you can see the parallels for us today: we have been freed from our slavery and bondage to the twin taskmasters of sin and death. Our great God has delivered us from the hands of the enemy invaders, and we are freed into the land to rebuild and restore our lives for His glory while we worship our Savior and Rescuer. And this new Christ-bought freedom is our announcement that the barrenness of winter is over and the springtime swollen rivers of joy are flowing freely. We have been delivered! That is the message of this Easter season! Our joy is even more full, and our songs are even more glorious than those of the Israelites returning to a devastated city they have to rebuild. Our architect and builder is God (Heb. 11:10) and He is building/has built a city for us the likes of which the world has never seen, nor can imagine (Rev. 21). And friends, there won’t be a stream of people lined up to buy maple syrup, there will be a stream of people desiring to go up to the house of the Lord – He will be the main attraction (Isaiah 2:1-5). Nations will flood to ascend the city of God and experience the glory of His presence, not for two days of the year but forever more (Rev. 21:24-26). For now we live in the tension of a world filled with destruction and devastation, knowing that one day, and maybe soon, our return to the promised land awaits us where winter death and captivity will be no more. We will bask in the presence of the eternal light of our Maker and Savior (Rev. 21:23, 22:5) and our joy will be full, for all eternity! Come Lord Jesus!
Have a wonder-filled week!
"Advancing the Kingdom of God by releasing Spirit-filled followers to serve Jesus in freedom and joy."
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