“On the willows there we hung up our lyres.” – Psalm 137:2
Tempter & Taunts
While the exiles were gathered at the waters of Babylon, as we looked at in the last devotion, the Babylonians taunted them and asked them to sing songs from their native Zion. The Babylonians weren’t interested in music, they were interested in mocking. Mocking not just the Israelites, but the God of Israel. While the exiles were mourning, their captors requested mirth. Satan isn’t always subtle, but he is always cruel. The tempter who met Christ in the Judaean desert is meeting the Israelites by the waters of Babylon. While the devil could not “touch” Christ, the Babylonians could certainly threaten and use force against the Israelites. Lyres don’t present much resistance against armed men. Unless they are instruments consecrated to God.
God & Hymns
Give us some hymns. Show us some joy. Let us see you worship your God who could not save you from captivity. Your God must be as helpless as you. While the taunts were personal and plentiful, the Israelites did not take the bait. They did not cast pearls before swine. They would not defile their religion to entertain the enemy. They would not compromise their consciences. Rather than acquiesce to the requests of their captors, they simply hung up their instruments in the willow trees. Not only were they in no mood to sing songs of mirth, more importantly, they did not want to “defile” their songs. “How shall we sing the LORD’s song in a foreign land” (Verse 4)? Good question. Why expose what is sacred to the ridicule of the world? Hanging up lyres in a willow tree sounds easy. But is it when Satan has you in his coils? He knows when we are weakest. He knows when we feel abandoned. If we are not careful he wraps us up and squeezes us until we compromise our convictions. Be careful, Satan slithered before he roared.
Sing us a Song
You are in a foreign land. Your temple is destroyed. Certainly, you can’t refrain from singing forever. God would want you to express yourself. A little mirth is good for you. Life is short; enjoy yourself. Like the Israelites, you have heard it all before. Sing us a song. Share in the mirth. Try this. Take a drink of this. One look won’t hurt. A little lie is OK. Everyone else is doing it. Don’t be such a stick in the mud. Did God really say? The temptations come in an infinite number of forms. The packaging may be enticing, but they are wrapped in the pits of hell. What would you expect from the one who masquerades as an angel of light? Slither, slither, roar.
No Compromise
How much do you respect your conscience? What is your faith worth? How cognizant are you of your testimony? How much do you esteem the “honor” of God? There is a lot on the line when the captors ask us to sing for them and make mirth. It’s easy to concede when we feel threatened. We love our comfort. We love our safety. We want to be popular. We want to fit in. The enemy knows when we are susceptible. He knows when we are tired. He knows how to take advantage of our emotions. He knows how to package his words. They are often delivered with sensuality and promises. Why weep by the river when you can sing and dance? Take a cue from the exiles, it is better to weep with God’s children than sing for the enemy. Likewise, the Psalmist claims it is better to be cursed than to compromise our conscience.
5 “If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill! 6 Let my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth, if I do not remember you, if I do not set Jerusalem above my highest joy!” – Psalm 137:5-6
The songs of Jerusalem were written for worship. They were an expression of the love of God’s children for their heavenly Father. Surrender them to the enemy? Never. I would rather lose the use of my right hand or my ability to speak than to entertain the enemy. Such is the conviction of the Psalmist. Sound familiar?
” If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell.” – Matthew 5:29
God has blessed us with so much. Music is a gift from God. Joy is a gift from God. So is your conscience. And so is your faith. Don’t blemish God’s blessings by entertaining the enemy. Don’t exchange the Joy of God for worldly mirth. Don’t compromise your convictions. Stand firm in your faith. When the enemy asks to be entertained turn your back to him, find a willow tree, and hang up the lyre. Pearls are precious and should never be cast before swine. Certainly not one who slithers. Don’t expose what is sacred to the ridicule of the world. Consecrate yourself to the Lord and let the enemy slide back to his hole.
Excellent! Thanks for reminder.