What does it mean to experience sorrow with God? What makes God sad? One of the famous biblical passages of sorrow occurs in a psalm mentioning people weeping by the rivers of Babylon.
Psalm 137, attributed to the psalmist or songwriter of the Babylonian exile, captures the deep sorrow and longing of the Israelites who were taken captive to Babylon after Jerusalem’s fall in 587 BC. The verses of Psalm 137 convey a poignant depiction of the Israelites’ emotional and spiritual state during their exile.
Psalm 137 begins with the famous lines, “By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept when we remembered Zion.”
This opening verse sets the tone for the psalm, portraying a scene of mourning and lamentation among the Israelites. The rivers of Babylon serve as a symbolic backdrop for the Israelites’ feelings of displacement, sorrow, and nostalgia for their homeland, Zion (Jerusalem).
The psalm continues to describe the captives’ interaction with their Babylonian captors.
“We hung our harps upon the willows in the midst of it. For there those who carried us away captive asked of us a song, and those who plundered us requested mirth, saying, ‘Sing us one of the songs of Zion!’” (Psalm 137:2-3)
Here, the psalmist vividly juxtaposes the Israelites’ grief with their captors’ demands. The Jewish harps remain unused and silent, as their sorrow is too deep to find solace in music. The captors’ request for songs of Zion adds to the poignancy, highlighting the irony of being asked to sing songs of their beloved homeland in a foreign land.
The psalm then expresses a passionate vow of remembrance and loyalty to Jerusalem.
“How shall we sing the LORD’s song in a foreign land? If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill! If I do not remember you, let my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth—If I do not exalt Jerusalem above my chief joy.” (Psalm 137:4-6)
These verses emphasize the Israelites’ unwavering attachment to their homeland and their determination to keep the memory of Jerusalem alive even in exile. The psalmist’s words reflect a profound spiritual connection to Jerusalem and a refusal to forget their identity and heritage.
The final verses of Psalm 137 express a raw and impassioned plea for justice and retribution against the enemies of Israel:
“O daughter of Babylon, who are to be destroyed, happy the one who repays you as you have served us! Happy the one who takes and dashes your little ones against the rock!” (Psalm 137:8-9)
These verses seem extreme and dark, but we must remember the context of the time. Babylon had starved and killed people in Judah and layed siege to Jerusalem. We read about the horrors of the siege in the book of Lamentation. The intense anger of their oppression and violence against them is within that context, along with the promises of God through the prophets that He would restore Jerusalem and defeat the enemies of Israel.
However, we shouldn’t use these verses to support violence against our enemies, especially since we live under the New Covenant.
Further, for the people of Judah at the time of this psalm, the exile resulted from their sin and rebellion against God.
The image of weeping by the rivers of Babylon conjures important images for the historical setting.
The mention of Babylon underscores the Israelites’ state of captivity and exile. Babylon was a powerful empire that conquered Jerusalem and deported many Israelites to its capital. The image of weeping by the rivers of Babylon signifies the acute pain and longing experienced by those who were forcibly uprooted from their land and culture. Weeping by the flowing river highlights the continual and intense sorrow and lament.
The mention of Zion (Jerusalem) immediately following the reference to weeping highlights the cause of the Israelites’ grief: the loss of their homeland due to their sin and rebellion. The psalmist conveys a sense of nostalgia for their beloved city, which held deep religious and historical significance for the Israelite people.
As a form of repentance, the psalm underscores the connection between the Israelites and their spiritual identity as the people of God. The Israelites commit to their spiritual identity in an alien land through weeping and sorrow—a somber resistance against Babylon. They may be bound to rivers in a foreign land, but they willfully long to return to the glory of God’s promise and Jerusalem.
The poetic imagery is vivid and effective, making the psalm more relatable and resonant.
During the exile in Babylon, God communicated specific instructions and guidance to His people through the prophets. These instructions provide valuable insights into how believers can navigate challenging and disastrous times, emphasizing the importance of faith, community, and obedience even during adversity.
In Jeremiah 29:4-7, God instructs the exiles to build houses and settle down in Babylon. He encourages them to “plant gardens and eat their produce,” marry and have families, and seek the welfare of the city where they are in exile. This guidance emphasizes creating stable and thriving communities even in unfavorable circumstances. It teaches believers that they should not succumb to despair in times of disaster or displacement. They should actively work towards establishing a sense of normalcy and stability. God promises to bless them even in exile.
God instructs the exiles to “take wives and have sons and daughters” and to increase in number (Jeremiah 29:6). This directive underscores the importance of nurturing and sustaining relationships and promoting growth and continuity even when facing challenges. As the Israelites grew under slavery in Egypt, the chosen people should commit to being fruitful and multiplying, even in a foreign, oppressive land.
In Jeremiah 29:12-14, God assures the exiles that if they seek Him with all their hearts, He will be found by them. It teaches believers that seeking God’s presence, wisdom, and guidance is crucial in navigating disastrous times and finding hope and direction amid uncertainty.
The prophet Isaiah encourages the exiles to “wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!” (Isaiah 40:31) This message emphasizes the value of patience, endurance, and trust in God’s timing. During the consequence of their rebellion, God still promises to give them a hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11). This teaches believers that waiting on God and placing hope in Him gives renewed strength.
God instructs the exiles to pray for the welfare of Babylon in which they are living: its well-being is tied to their well-being (Jeremiah 29:7). This highlights the principle of seeking the common good and working for the betterment of the broader community, even when circumstances are challenging. It teaches believers that their actions, prayers, and efforts can positively impact their surroundings.
Psalm 137 is a poignant lament with profound lessons about the human experience of grief. Unlike many other psalms that conclude with praise and expressions of trust, Psalm 137 offers a raw and unfiltered portrayal of the psalmist’s anguish and longing, teaching us valuable insights about the grieving process.
1. Authenticity of Emotions. The psalmist does not hold back in expressing their deep sorrow, bitterness, and anger. This teaches us that God welcomes our genuine emotions, even when not neatly packaged in praise. We don’t need to be fake or religious with God. He desires a real, honest relationship.
2. The Reality of Suffering. Suffering and pain are an integral part of the human experience. The psalmist’s grief stems from the devastation of exile and separation from their homeland. This teaches us that it’s okay to acknowledge and mourn our hardships and that our faith doesn’t exempt us from experiencing deep emotional struggles.
3. God Can Handle Our Anguish. God can deal with our raw cries of anguish and lament. The psalmist’s unfiltered expression of sorrow and even the desire for vengeance against their enemies is recorded and preserved. God is not intimidated or offended by our honest expressions of pain and frustration. He invites us to pour our hearts before Him, knowing He understands and cares for our innermost feelings.
4. The Process of Grieving. The grieving process is often complex and non-linear. The psalmist moves through different stages—sorrow, nostalgia, anger, and longing. Grieving is not a neat and predictable journey but a fluctuating and evolving process. It’s important to allow ourselves the space to grieve and to navigate the emotional ups and downs with God’s grace.
5. God’s Unfailing Love: While Psalm 137 ends somberly, it doesn’t negate the overarching message of God’s unfailing love and faithfulness. Even amid the psalmist’s lament, the awareness of God’s presence is present. God’s love remains constant even when our emotions are in turmoil—even if we are to blame for our hardship. It reassures us that God’s love can sustain us through the darkest moments of our lives and offers redemption, no matter how bad it gets.
While Psalm 137 doesn’t specifically mention God weeping, its lessons about God handling our grief, even encouraging us to grieve, fit with passages about God’s sorrow. In the church, we tend toward celebration more than lament. We love the joy of the Lord, and He is worth our praise and dancing. But what about God’s sorrow? Jesus was a man of sorrow and anointed with grief. We have been given the Spirit of God, yet we rarely explore the sorrow of God.
Yet doesn’t it make sense for God to experience sorrow? With all the pain and brokenness in this world, and people going to eternal destruction, the God who is love weeps. Jesus wept while looking over Jerusalem (Luke 19:41-44) and over the grave of his good friend Lazarus (John 11:45). In the same way, we are called to rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep (Romans 12:15).
God weeps himself, and encourages us to weep in terrible times.
Psalm 137 teaches us that God welcomes our honest expressions of anguish. It reminds us that it’s okay to grieve openly. It assures us that our faith doesn’t require us to suppress our true feelings. The psalmist’s lament reminds us that God’s love is big enough to handle our pain and failures, and through it all, God remains a source of comfort, understanding, and healing.
Photo Credit: © Getty Images/Luisa Vallon Fumi
This article is part of our larger resource library of popular Bible verse phrases and quotes. We want to provide easy to read articles that answer your questions about the meaning, origin, and history of specific verses within Scripture's context. It is our hope that these will help you better understand the meaning and purpose of God's Word in relation to your life today.
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