¹When the Lord brought back the captive ones of Zion, we were like those who dream … ⁴Restore our captivity, O Lord, as the streams in the South.

This is a psalm of hope for the Jewish people. It looks back on their rescue after 70 years of captivity in Babylon and Medo-Persia and forward to the restoration of their former glory. Some historical background helps us understand this psalm. After King Solomon, the nation of Israel was divided by civil war. The northern tribes or districts (descended from ten of the sons of Jacob, Abraham’s grandson) rebelled against King David’s dynasty, which continued to rule over the tribes of Judah and Benjamin in the south. This northern nation, which retained the name “Israel” and was also called Ephraim after the dominate tribe, abandoned God and practiced an idolatry that was among the worst of the ancient world. In time, the Assyrian nation invaded, conquered and exiled them into captivity (ca. 722 B.C.). They never recovered or returned to the land promised to Abraham’s descendants and which they had occupied for over one thousand years (see Isaiah 7:8). Today, they are often called the “ten lost tribes of Israel.”

The Jewish nation called “Judah” was named after the dominant tribe of the south. They remained loyal to the Davidic dynasty but continued to frequently stray from the Lord. Yet the worship of Yahweh God was never completely snuffed out. Various reformers led them back to the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses. But, because of their tendency to disobey God, He eventually sent them into captivity for seventy years (2 Chron. 36:21). They were conquered by Babylon which was the dominant geo-political power in the region. Their experience in captivity is captured by the mournful Psalm 137.

In time, the Persian Empire conquered the Babylonians and, as was their practice, they returned the captive people groups to their ancestral lands. For the Jews, this return occurred primarily in two stages. While it caused great rejoicing, one can only imagine the mixed feelings. The memories of the Promised Land were about seventy years old; most of the original occupants had died in captivity. The majority of those who returned had only heard the stories of the Jewish homeland from their forefathers. The joy of returning was mixed with disappointment; expectations gave way to reality. The restoration of Israel to its previous glory had yet to be realized.

At this moment in time Psalm 126 was written. Verses 1-3 look back to the time when God finally restored the Jews to their land. It was like a dream come true. Their joy was overwhelming; it came out as laughter and shouting. Even the “nations,” their non-Jewish neighbors, recognized this as miraculous and attributed it to the God whose name was “the Lord” (Yahweh). The psalmist agrees with the nation, saying, “The Lord has done great things for us; we are glad.”

However, the prophetic promise of restoration was not yet completely fulfilled. They had not yet returned to their former glory or prominence in the world. Renewed life in the land would not be easy for an agrarian society. During their first year back, the land would produce sparsely. Even after their first harvests, it would take time to realize bountiful food supplies. The utter destruction of the Babylonian invasion seventy years earlier was still evident everywhere. But there was joy nonetheless, for the step was taken; they were in the land again.

The remnant that had survived the captivity had returned to Israel and now they prayed for the restoration of all that the captivity had taken from them: freedom, prosperity and prominence. The hope remained that the harvest would eventually become more than enough to feed the returned population, bringing renewed joy. The psalmist uses the image of the “streams in the South” (v.4);  some translations use the transliterated Hebrew word “the Negev.” The Negev was the arid region in the south of Judah, known for the occasional flash floods which brought torrential rivers in an otherwise desert area. The psalm asks for an abundant restoration of Israel’s glory like those southern rivers.

Many Christians have found great hope in verse five to carry on during times of great difficulty and suffering: “Those who sow in tears shall reap with joyful shouting.” This is the promise of hope, not just wishful thinking. It is the assurance of their expectation. Finally, as sure as the harvest will come, so also this hope expects a harvest of glory.

From our perspective today, the hope of restoration expressed in this psalm has yet to be fully realized; Israel has yet to be restored to its full glory. That will come when Christ returns as Messiah and ushers in the millennial kingdom of Revelation 20:4. God will keep His promise to Abraham and His descendants. And this assures us that He will keep His promise to us and bless us with eternal life forever with Him.

Lord, even when I can see only partial blessing, I trust You for my eternity because of Your unfailing love and commitment to me.