“When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream. Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The LORD hath done great things for them. The LORD hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad.” - Psalm 126:1-3
This Psalm by interpretation applies to the nation of Israel. It refers to some experience of oppression, probably protracted, from which they had been delivered and therefore were filled with ecstasy; captives released from bondage and overwhelmed with gratitude to the God through Whom their release had come. In its historical context the passage has no specific relevance for the New Testament believer, but in spiritual application it may serve to edify us, and we will take the liberty of addressing it thus.
This Psalm by interpretation applies to the nation of Israel. It refers to some experience of oppression, probably protracted, from which they had been delivered and therefore were filled with ecstasy; captives released from bondage and overwhelmed with gratitude to the God through Whom their release had come. In its historical context the passage has no specific relevance for the New Testament believer, but in spiritual application it may serve to edify us, and we will take the liberty of addressing it thus.
From a spiritual perspective all are, or have been, “captives” from birth. It is of interest to note that when the Lord Jesus Christ early in His public ministry “…came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” Then He declared, “This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears [Luke 4:16-19, 21 my italics].” He came to “set the captives free.”
Paul wrote to Timothy that “…the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will [II Tim. 2:24-26].” As Israel was held captive by some unidentified oppressor, the world of the ungodly is held captive by the devil, and you and and I were among them. The glory of the gospel is that Christ, “When He ascended up on high…led captivity captive and gave gifts to men [Eph. 4:8].” He sets men free, one prisoner at a time as we put our trust in Him, and gives us the gift of eternal life (Rom. 6:23).
“The LORD hath done great things for us.” That was true for Israel temporally; it is true for the Christian, and for the true church, spiritually. Held under sin’s oppression and bondage, we were already “dead in trespasses and sins,” and powerless to accomplish our own deliverance. But, “while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us,” and accomplished for us all that was necessary to set us free. When the Philippian jailer facing the prospect of execution for losing his prisoners would have taken his own life, Paul intervened and the jailer cried, “What must I do to be saved?” The apostle’s response was, in glorious simplicity, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved…” (See Acts 16:25-34) No “work” on our part is necessary to our deliverance. “Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe; Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow.” We need dig no tunnels, climb no walls, overpower no captors in order to obtain our freedom, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved [Rom. 10:13]!”
Our condition: captives of the devil, bound in the chains of sin. The conquest: “Christ the mighty maker died for man, the creature’s sin.” It is all of God and Christ. We have only to believe the gospel and receive Him by faith.
And the consequence? “Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing [and]…we are glad!” The children of God are those set free from sin and its awful consequences. “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed [John 8:36].” There is no greater cause for joy and rejoicing than this. As Israel celebrated deliverance from their temporal bondage, so the children of God, whatever our lot on earth, ought to celebrate our redemption till we capture the attention of the unsaved around us, causing them to take note and say, “The LORD hath done great things for them.”
“These things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.”
For praise of the Savior and the prosperity of the saints,
"Pastor" Frasier
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