Devotional Short Note on Psalm 126: One
of the items that catches one’s eye, is the similar parking of two similar
words in lines five (126:2a and 2c) just like David’s Psalm in 124 (124:3a; 4a
and 5a). The spelling is different though. David did not say az as here but azy
with an extra yod. Scholars thought it is a spelling error and tried to correct
it by dropping the extra yod. Az means “then” but what is the meaning of David’s
azy? A head-scratcher. So my own solution is to look at the Egyptian word ìsi =
“to make haste” or “to make pass quickly”. Instead of translating David in
124:3a as “Then alive they had swallowed us up…” translate as “Making haste,
alive they had swallowed us up…” I owe it to Hengstenberg in his 1840
commentary on Psalms pointing out that Luther was following Middle Ages Rabbis
Ibn Ezra and Kimchi by suggesting that in 126:1-3 we need to read the future and
not the present, contra Hengstenberg who is a preterist and wishes to read the
present. “In the returning of the Lord those that
returned of Zion…” Note that there is no preposition “to” before Zion in the
original. The form of the noun before Zion is in the genitive so that one
should use “of” in the sense of “of Zion”. “The returning ones of Zion” is also
possible. What does this say? It says that the Lord is doing the returning.
Secondly, the returning ones is “of Zion” and that can be Heavenly Zion as
opposed to the Zion Gate in Old Jerusalem. 126:1 says that as the Lord turned “we
were like unto them that dream”. Conversion is also a turning around. In the
conversion by the Lord of those who are of heavenly Zion, the saved ones, we
were like those who dream of the future eschaton. That is what the Rabbis and
Luther is going for, not Hengstenberg though. Luther et al pointed out that the form
is future in 126:2: “Then [when we were dreaming of the eschaton] will fill [future
form] laughter our mouths and our tongue a song”. “Then they will sing [future form] among
nations: ‘The Lord caused great things [hiphil
form] to be done with these’” (126:2d). “‘The Lord caused great things [hiphil
form] to be done with us’” (126:3a) “We are the rejoicing ones” (126:3b). This
phrase is the same form as in 126:1c. Saved, and seeing others getting saved,
lifted up the spirits of all who witnessed it, like at a baptism event. All
become dreamers of the past and the future. Past when they were baptized and
promised the Lord to follow Him all the way unreservedly, future, since they
have unfinished business and look forward to the completion thereof. Waking up from this dream of future
songs of joy, the current pilgrim realized the present reality and prayed to
the Lord: “Turn O Lord our captivity”.
Circumstances hold fast on to us. Turn it for us. “As streams in the dry land”
(126:4b). After a rain the water runs fast then this way and then that way
searching for a course to run. “The sowing ones in tears, in joy they
shall gather” (126:5a). Maybe now evangelism and missionwork is difficult in
Buddhist or Islam countries and other mono-religious countries like Catholic
countries or Hindu countries, but this verse seems to indicate there will be a
time that though the sower of our time is weeping, the harvest will be in joy
after the Latter Rain. In Joel 3:1 (Hebrew) and 2:28 (English) it is said that
the Spirit of the Lord shall be poured out upon “all flesh” [al kal basar]. It will
be the final call. What the test is going to be, is to remain in the Lord.
Resisting the Spirit of God and His workings will be to reject God and choose
Satan. There may be a massive falling out until only a remnant faithful crowd
remains. “And it shall come to pass that whoever shall call in the name of the
Lord shall be delivered, for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be a
deliverance, for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be a deliverance as
the Lord said, and among the survivors whom the Lord keep calling” [qorehh =
call]. The participle in the original is a form that indicates continuous action
without limits and without stopping [Gesenius and Kautzsch, Hebrew Grammar §
116b on the participle]. It is not just a call of five seconds. It is a call
until the divine schedule does not allow Him any longer to call. Isaiah 24:14
says about this event: “they cry out from the west concerning the majesty of
the Lord” therefore “from the east, glorify the Lord” (Isaiah 24:15). Result? “From
the ends of the earth we hear the songs ‘Glory to the Righteous One’” (Isaiah
24:16). “Going He shall go and weeping that
lifted up the measure of the seed” (126:6a). The Messiah shall come at the
First Advent since may rejected Him during evangelism and mission still ongoing
until the end. “Coming He shall come in joy lifting up
His sheaves” (126:6b). Joyful is the harvest of the Lord when He comes at the
Second Coming to reap what the Spirit of God sowed.