JUN 25

Psalm 137
Memorise John 5:39
"...seek ye out the book of the LORD, and read..."

The best commentary of Scripture is Scripture itself. Because it is all one book, there are portions of Scripture that can help to shed light on other passages, guiding us to a deeper understanding of it. Our reference today in Ps 137 is told from the perspective of the Jewish captives who survived the massacre and were brought over to the land of Babylon as prisoners. It tells of the great sorrow they felt, not just because they were prisoners, but because of the memory of how Zion, their beloved home was lost and destroyed. They had witnessed great atrocities done to their beloved young ones who had their heads dashed against stones (v9). The Psalm describes how they wept by the rivers of Babylon and how they could not sing anymore because of the great sadness that they felt (v 1-3). It also reflects their longing for Jerusalem, the land that had been given to them by God.

There are two enemy nations named in this Psalm: Edom and Babylon. The mention of Babylon is expected because it was the main perpetrator used by God to destroy Judah. It was a mighty conquering nation that was expanding its borders and Jerusalem was among the many others in its path of conquest. However, Edom’s mention alongside Babylon is noteworthy. Though they were not a big nation, their betrayal and cruelty against Judah during Babylon’s conquest was significant in the mind of the Psalmist. He calls upon the Lord to remember their wicked deeds, and prays that they be judged for their sin.

This mention of Edom helps us to better understand the context of God’s prophecy to the Edomites in the book of Obadiah. In Obadiah, there is strong rebuke from the Lord against Edom, and a pronouncement of an impending judgment against them. It alluded to an event that happened whereby they did violence against their brother Jacob in the day where they were invaded and were carried away captive. Not only that, they also rejoiced and spoke proudly against Judah in their day of distress. (Oba 1:10-12). When we compare this with the mention of them in Psalm 137, it helps to give a definitive context as to which event that the prophet is alluding to. In so doing, we compare Scripture with Scripture, and understand the background behind the book a little better.

Thought: Only divinely inspired Scripture can have such perfection and unity.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, may I learn the value of understanding Your Word through seeking out cross-references.