“For there our captors
required of us songs,
and our tormentors, mirth, saying,
“Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”
How shall we sing the Lord’s song
in a foreign land?”
– Psalm 137:3-4
For the Jews living in exile, it was extraordinarily difficult to sing and praise God as they always had. They were no longer in the promised land. They had been taken to a harsh, pagan nation by a people who had destroyed everything with which they were familiar. Could God be praised from exile? How could they bring themselves to sing joyful songs about the Lord when they were suffering amongst those opposed to Him?
That’s when God sent prophets, like Ezekiel, Jeremiah, and Daniel, to help them understand that He was still with them. That He was still in control over the entire world. That nothing had happened that He didn’t expect or cause. And that He still had a special love and good plan for them. So they learned to praise, worship, and serve the Lord in exile.
This is an important thing for followers of Jesus to learn. The Bible is clear that we, too, are in exile. Heaven is our home and the earth will grow stranger, less comfortable, and more hostile as you more fully follow Jesus, thinking like Him, speaking like Him, and acting like Him. As the Holy Spirit transforms you, it can be difficult to process your feelings about the things you once loved on earth and considered to be tremendously urgent and important. It can become hard to worship when you see and feel how fully the world is in rebellion against its Creator. Worship anyway!
The same things that were true in ancient Babylon are true today, but even better for those who follow Jesus in our modern exile. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are with you here as you represent them in a hostile world. God’s Spirit lives in you. You are in an eternal union with Jesus. And the Father calls you His beloved child. God is still in control and is moving the events of the world toward the glorious conclusion He has shared a glimpse of in Revelation. There’s nothing happening in this world that God is unaware of or not ultimately sovereign over. His love and plans for you are good and precious. And so, you can sing, praise, and worship God in the joy of Jesus Christ. Go ahead… sing the song that’s in your heart today! #FollowJesus