By the Rivers of Babylon
My sister-in-law introduced me to the music of Bob Marley and the
Wailers. One song in particular became a favourite singalong in eight
part harmony accompanied by guitars during summer nights in a barn
at the seaside on the South Shore. It wasn’t in my comfort zone at
first but I grew to love it. I think it makes a good introduction to my
sermon today, so I will sing it for you.
By the rivers of Babylon
where we sat down
and there we wept
when we remembered Zion
'cause the wicked
carried us away - captivity
required from us a song
how can we King Alpha's song
in a strange land?
so let the words of my mouth
and the meditations of our hearts
be acceptable in thy sight
O, Far I.
The theme of Hebrew exile no doubt resonated strongly with the Afri
Caribbean experience, where their ancestors had actually been
carried away by the wicked slave-traders to a strange land.
To gain a better appreciation of the Babylonian exile, let’s consider
the history of the Jewish people as recorded in the Old Testament.
After Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt, he met with God at the top
of Mount Sinai and received the Ten Commandments which he
chiselled onto two stone tablets.
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As the Israelites wandered in the Sinai desert, the tablets were carried
in a wooden chest known as the Ark of the Covenant. Wherever the
Ark was placed, that was the place wherein God dwelt.
In the early years of the Kingdom of Israel, the Ark moved to various
holy places such as Shechem and Shiloh. Under King David, the
Israelites captured Jerusalem, and the Ark was moved to that City.
David chose Mount Moriah (now known as the Temple Mount) as the
site for a future temple to house the Ark. It was believed that
Abraham had built an altar on the Temple Mount to sacrifice his son
Isaac.
The First Temple was constructed during the reign of David’s son
King Solomon and completed in 957 B.C. The Ark of the Covenant
rested in the innermost room, the Holy of Holies, and only the High
Priest could enter on the Day of Atonement.
Under King Josiah (640-609 B.C.) all other holy places in the Kingdom
were abolished and the Temple became the only place of sacrifice in
the Kingdom of Judah. So the Temple was not only central to Jewish
worship – it was exclusive and unique. Yahweh could not be properly
worshipped anywhere in Judah except in the Temple.
Nebuchadnezzar II was the second king of the Babylonian Empire,
ruling from 605-562 B.C., and is regarded as its greatest king,
sometimes referred to as Nebuchadnezzar the Great. Nebuchadnezzar
was a great builder – among other structures he is remembered for
major religious buildings, the Ishtar Gate, and the Hanging Gardens of
Babylon. At the time of his death he was among the most powerful
rulers in the world.
In 587 B.C. Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem and destroyed it,
including the Temple and the Ark of the Covenant, deporting much of
the population of the Kingdom of Judah back to Babylon. In addition
to the account in the Bible, the destruction of Jersualem is recorded
in cuneiform tablets known as the Babylonian Chronicle, and in later
Greek and Latin sources.
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The exiled Jews faced a dilemma. The question “How can we sing the
Lord’s song in a strange land?” reflects that agony. To sing the
Lord’s song encompasses praising God, worshipping God, and living
a moral life according to God’s Commandments. How could they
maintain their faith and worship outside the Temple in Jerusalem?
They believed that God was only present in the Temple in Jerusalem.
Acceptable religious and worship practices could only occur there.
How could they overcome this disconnection from God? They felt
deep sadness and grief. Their captors mocked them by demanding
them to sing their songs. They wept.
The Rev. Dr. David Clark, of Long Beach, California, in a sermon
based on Psalm 137, in the context of the Covid pandemic, suggests
these steps in adjusting to dislocation and disorientation.
First, tell the truth about how much it hurts. However, as the Apostle
Paul writes, “We grieve but not as those who have no hope.”
Second, what do you do when you are disoriented? You breathe,
remain calm, trust that God is with you, and you persevere.
Third, rather than seeking to return to old ways, this is a time to
innovate. Let’s find new ways to connect with God in our daily lives
and to reach out to new people. We must make room for renewal and
joy.
Fourth, name your grief, your sense of loss, even your anger, and
trust that God will lead you on to a better future.
Rev. Malcolm Gordon prefers a slightly different translation of one
word of the Psalm”: instead of “How can we sing the Lord’s song”,
read “How shall we sing the Lord’s song”. The former sounds forlorn
and despairing; the latter is defiant resolve: “We shall sing”. We just
don’t know yet how we will sing, but we know we must sing.
In today’s Second Reading, Paul reminds us that “faith is confidence
in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”
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He recalls the history of the Jewish people – Noah, Abraham, and
many more examples, and emphasizes that they did not know where
God would lead them but they trusted in God implicitly.
Paul points out two options in finding a “country of one’s own”.
Either you can try to return to the country you have just left, out of
nostalgia or longing for familiar and comfortable surroundings. Or
you can long and strive for an even better country which God has
prepared for you. Abraham obeyed even though he did not know
where he was going. He just knew that God would be with him and
that was the only thing that mattered.
Will we be governed by fear and grief or by faithful hope?
God cannot be confined within stone walls and stained glass and
monuments and altars. No particular rituals of worship are
necessary. Old habits do not have to dictate future modes of
worship. There is no place where any person can be separated from
the love of God.
And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.