Psalms 137 - 138 (with 4 topics)

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Psalm 137 Author anonymous; this psalm stands apart from the world-renowned consequences of the Tower of Babel & the Babylon mentioned in Psalm 135 - 136 Psalm 135 1. Reference #4 Hallelu JAH  (s.a. below, 1. Reference #5 Babylon):

  By the rivers of Babylon We sat & wept when We remembered Zion (the presence of GOD in Jerusalem's Temple). There on the poplars We hung Our harps, For there Our captors asked Us for songs. Our tormentors demanded songs of joy; they said, 'Sing us 1 of the songs of Zion.' How can We sing Songs of the LORD while in a foreign land-- whereas, per 1stThe 5:16, Us Christians are to Be joyful always; pray without ceasing; give thanks in all circumstances? If I forget you, O Jerusalem, may My right hand forget its skill. May My tongue cling to the roof of My mouth if I do not remember you, if I do not consider Jerusalem My highest joy. Remember, O LORD, what the Edomites did on the day Jerusalem fell. 'Tear it down,' they cried, 'tear it down to its foundations!' O daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction, happy is he who repays you for what you have done to us-- he who seizes your infants & dashes them against the rocks (whereas God himself dealt directly with the Tower of Babel & with the Babylon of Revelation).

1. Reference #5 Babylon As we saw, God himself dealt directly with the Genesis Tower of Babel & with the Revelation Babylon-- the result both times was a completely new world. Whereas we shall see that God had nations deal with the Babylonian empire-- after HE used it to punish Judah. We have:
  • the Tower of the city of Babel (a location; referred to briefly almost at the beginning of the Bible)- In Gen 11:1-9 we find, Now the whole world had 1 language & a common speech. As men moved eastward (from the west), they found a plain in Shinar (the land of Babylonia). They said to each other, 'Come, let us make bricks & bake them thoroughly. They used brick instead of stone, & tar for mortar. Then they said, 'Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves & not be scattered over the face of the whole world. But the LORD came down to see the city & the tower that the men were building. The LORD said the reason for foiling the endeavor, If as 1 people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. Come, let US go down, wrought a mystery & confuse their language so they will not understand each other. So the LORD scattered them from there over all the earth, & they stopped building even the city. That is why it (the city) was called Babel (similar to the Heb. word for confusion)-- because there the LORD confused the language of the whole world. From there the LORD scattered them over the face of the whole earth.
  • the later city of Babylon in the Babylonian empire (this city was perhaps was the same city of Babel spoken of in Gen-- however, we have this city & empire both having a distinct location (& referred to abundantly in the 2nd half of the O.T.) The empire was employed by God indirectly to discipline Judah (the-virgin-daughter-become-the-non-virgin daughter of Jerusalem). The rest of the world carried on. Later we find God using nations to annihilate-- not that Babylon, but the virgin-daughter-of-Babylon (see Isa 47:1-- Isa 47:5 refers to the daughter of the Babylonians; Jer 50:42; 51:33; Zec 2:7 refers to the daughter of Babylon).
  • Babylon The Great (not a location but a world order; referred to briefly only at the end of the Bible): In Reve 17:5 we find "her" as having this title on her forehead: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. The mystery: some of us don't believe in God-- the mystery is why we can't succeed; others of us do indeed believe-- but the mystery remains (why we can't succeed). Recall that shortly Babylon's Fall there was the 1,000 years, followed by the new heaven & new earth, followed by the new Jerusalem. Note also that: Reve 14:8 says Babylon the Great made all nations drink of the maddening wine of her adulteries; Reve 16:9 says that the cities of the nations collapse; Reve 17:5 specifies that Babylon was the mother of the abominations of the earth; & Reve 18:3,10,19 repeats that all nations have drunk the maddening wine of her adulteries & adds, The kings of the earth committed adultery with her, & all the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries-- in 1 hour she has been brought to ruin!
2. Early childhood of Jesus Per Matt Matt 2:13-23 The flight to Egypt; the return to Nazareth: When They (the Magi) had gone another route back from Bethlehem to the east, to avoid reporting back to king Herod, an Angel o f the LORD appeared to Joseph in a dream. 'Get up,' HE said, 'take the child & His mother & escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell You, for Herod in the future is going to search for the child to kill Him.' So He got up instantly, & took the child & His mother during the night & left for Egypt, where He stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the LORD had said through the prophet: Out of Egypt I called MY Son (Hos 11:1a-- then the nation of Israel was called out of Egypt). Now begins the search: When Herod realized he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, & he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem & its vicinity who were 2 years old & under, in accordance with the time he had formerly learned from the Magi. Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping & great mourning, Rachel weeping for Her children & refusing to be comforted, because They are no more (Jer 31:15-- then, the end of the Babylonian captivity). After Herod died, an Angel of the LORD appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt & said, 'Get up & take the child & His mother &  go to the land of Israel, for those (Herod & his cohorts] who were trying to take the child's life are dead.' So He got up, took the child & His mother & went to the land of Israel. But when He heard that Adchelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, He withdrew to the district of Galilee, & He went & lived in a town called Nazareth-- the location of Joseph & Mary when 1st the birth of Jesus was announced, per Luke 1:26, & also when Joseph & the expecting Mary went to Bethlehem, per Luke 2:4. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets; He will be called a Nazarene (?-- though Amo 2:11a,12 reads, when God was describing Israel, 'I also raised up prophets from among your sons & Nazirites from among your young men... But you made the Nazirites drink wine & commanded the prophets not to prophesy').

3. Early childhood of Jesus Per Luke Luke 2:21-40 Jesus circumcised/named; also we see Simeon & Anna: On the 8th day, when it was time to circumcise Him in the flesh-- a custom originally instituted by God, meant to symbolize the beginning of the circumcision of the heart. God said through the prophet Jeremiah (Jer 4:4; 9:25) that the circumcision of the heart should have taken place: Circumcise (Wholly dedicate) yourselves to the LORD, circumcise Your hearts (mend Your ways), You men of Judah & people of Jerusalem, or MY Wrath will break out & burn like fire because of the evil You have done. Later He said: The days are coming when I will punish all who are circumcised only in the flesh-- the whole house of Israel are uncircumcised in heart. Why then was Jesus circumcised in the flesh? To underscore that salvation is for the Jews also. Circumcision of the flesh hardly is-a-prerequisite/accompanies salvation, He was named Jesus, the name the angel had given Him even before He had been conceived. Also to relate to the Jews, when the time of Their [Mary & Jesus'-- the 8 days for the circumcision plus the 33 days (see Lev 12:1-4)] purification according to the law of Moses had been completed, Joseph & Mary took Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the LORD (as it is written in the Law of the LORD, Every firstborn male is to be dedicated to the LORD (Exo 13:2a), & to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the LORD: a pair of doves or 2 young pigeons (Lev 12:8). Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous & devout. He was waiting for the consolation (Gr. noun, pah-RAH-klae-sihs, the comforting for bereavement] of Israel, & the Holy Spirit was upon Him. It had been revealed to Him by the Holy Spirit that He would not die before He had seen the LORD'S Christ. Moved by the Spirit, He went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for Him what the law required, Simeon took Him in His arms & praised GOD, saying: Sovereign LORD, as YOU have promised, YOU now dismiss YOUR Servant in peace. For My eyes have seen YOUR Salvation, which YOU have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles & for glory to YOUR People Israel. The child's father & mother marveled at what had been said about HIM. Then Simeon blessed Them & said to Mary, His mother: 'This child is destined to be the cause of the rising & falling of many in Israel, & to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many uncircumcised hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce Your own soul too-- she had to watch/hear about His side being pierced (see Zec 12:19; John 19:34,37), & contemplate that even her sins provided some thrust. There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; She had lived with Her husband 7 years after (during] Her marriage, & then was a widow until She was 84. She never left the temple but worshiped day & night, fasting & praying. Coming up to Them at that very moment that Simeon was there, She gave thanks to GOD & spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption (Gr. noun, LUE-troh-sihs) of Jerusalem. When Joseph & Mary had done everything required by the Law of the LORD, They returned to Galilee to Their own town of Nazareth. And the child grew & became strong; He was filled with wisdom, & the Grace of GOD was upon Him.

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Psalm 138 Said to address being thankful:

  1. I will praise YOU, O LORD, with all of My heart; before the "gods" I will sing YOUR Praise.
  2. I will bow down toward YOUR Holy Temple & will praise YOUR Name for YOUR Love & YOUR Faithfulness, for YOU have exalted above all thing YOUR Name & YOUR Word.

  When I called, YOU answered Me; YOU made Me bold & stouthearted.

  • May all the kings of the earth praise YOU, O LORD, when They hear the Words of YOUR Mouth.
  • May they sing of the ways of the LORD, for the Glory of the LORD is Great.
  1.  Though the LORD is on high, HE looks upon the lowly, but the proud HE looks on from afar.
  2.  Though I walk in the midst of trouble, YOU preserve My life; YOU stretch out YOUR Hand against the anger of My foes, with YOUR Right Hand YOU save Me.

  The LORD will fulfill HIS Purpose for Me; YOUR Love, O LORD, endures forever-- do not abandon the Works of YOUR Hands.

1. Later childhood of Jesus-- at the Temple Luke 2:41-52 Notice that the last entry included when Jesus was circumcised-- specifically at age 8 days (see Luke 2:21). And v. 22 says that soon afterward (33 days, per Lev 12:4), When the time of their purification according to the Law of Moses had been completed-- see Exo 13:1-10), he was taken to Jerusalem to be consecrated to the LORD (which required a sacrifice of a pair of doves or 2 young pigeons (BTW, nothing is implied about gender-- see Lev 12:8). And Exo 13:10 says, You must keep this ordinance at the appointed time year after year. Now we have another specific age: Every year His parents (Mary & guardian Joseph) went to Jerusalem with Jesus for the Feast of the Passover. When He was specifically 12 yrs. old, They went up to the Feast, according to the custom. The term "specifically" was used, as we shall see (on pages following) that the various activities of John the Baptist are only generally given-- somewhat identified according to Jesus' specified ages (but recall they only differed in age by 6 mos.). We have seen that Jesus himself was about 30 yrs. old when He began His ministry (see Luke 3:23); thus John was near that age when he baptized Jesus, and perhaps well before that age when he was 1st baptizing at the Jordan. But back to the 12-yr.-old Jesus: After the Feast was over, while His parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but They were unaware of it. Thinking He was in Their company, They traveled on for a day. Then They began looking for Him among Their relatives & friends. When They did not find Him, They went back to Jerusalem to look for Him. After 3 days They found Him sitting in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to Them & asking Them questions. Everyone who heard Him was amazed at His understanding & His answers to their questions. When His parents saw Him, They were astonished. His mother said to Him, Son, why have You treated Us like this? Your father & I have been anxiously searching for You. Why were You searching for Me in so many places? He asked. Don't You know that I had to be here in My FATHER'S House? But They did not understand what He was saying to Them. Then He went down to Nazareth with Them & was obedient to Them. But only His mother treasured [took note of & purposely remembered-- & added them to what the shepherds had told her (see Luke 2:19)] all these things in Her heart. And Jesus grew in wisdom & stature, & in favor with both GOD & men.