HOW SHALL WE SING THE LORD’S SONG?

Here is one of the saddest psalms; because of its sin and idolatry, Jerusalem had been carried away captive into Babylon, and the city and its temple had been destroyed. All its Levitical service established by David had been deserted.

Yet there were some who were spiritual amongst the captives. Originally, the rivers of Babylon had contained nourishment, for they flowed out from Eden, Gen. 2. 10-14, but now the world had changed this, and the rivers merely served the interests of the kingdoms of men. Any source in the world can provide nothing for the Lord’s people. Proper nourishment comes only from the rivers of Zion: “There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God”, Psa. 46. 4. It was necessary to remember Zion from the remote places of the earth, praying to God toward the land, 1 Kings 8. 47, 48, as did Daniel when he was a captive, Dan. 6. 10.

But the captives would not allow the “songs of Zion” to appear as mere entertainment so as to satisfy the lust for pleasure by men in the world. Even today, there can be a danger of reducing the proclamation of scriptural truth to the level of entertainment for men in the flesh. This is what Belshazzar did with the holy vessels from the temple, Dan. 5. 1-4. Thus the captives would not sing the songs of the Lord in a strange land to satisfy their captors.

It was in Zion that Levites “were instructed in the songs of the Lord”, 1 Chron. 25. 7; it was in the temple courts that “the song of the Lord” began at the same time as the burnt offering, 2 Chron. 29. 27. The place that the Lord had chosen was the only place for sacrifice and song. Otherwise, the Lord said of hypocrites, “in vain they do worship”, Matt. 15. 9.

Today, only true believers can sing the Lord’s song in worship; the world may sometimes try, but this is hypocrisy. It was in the upper room where “they had sung an hymn”, Matt. 26. 30; it is “in your hearts” that a spiritual song is made to the Lord, Eph. 5. 19; it is in the local church where one may have a psalm, 1 Cor. 14. 26; it is in heaven where “the new song” is sung, Rev. 5. 9. All this is far from the world’s presence, for in the church we are not in a strange land.

“Worship … in spirit and in truth”, John 4. 24.