“By the rivers of Babylon, we sat down; there we wept when we remembered Zion…those who captured us told us to sing, they told us to entertain them: “sing us a song about Zion”. How can we sing to the Lord in a foreign land? May I never be able to play the harp again if I forget you, Jerusalem! May I never be able to sing again if I do not think of you as my greatest joy!” Psalm 137 vs 1-6 (GNB)
Meditating on this scripture, I am not in anyway comfortable with the expectation from the captors, that the Israelites should “cast their pearls before the swine” and sing to entertain them with the songs they sang in Zion. How could that be?
That the Israelites had been taken to exile in itself was not a good experience. Being in slavery is enough a traumatizing experience and especially if in a strange land and in cruel hands.
The writer of this psalm was possibly a minstrel who had a music ministry before the Lord; he/they had skills in Music which was directed at the praise and glory of God. Their songs were in praise and worship of the God of Israel; something that brought delight to God. However, their captors who were not in a covenant relationship with the God of Israel, demanded to be entertained by the special ministration and songs of Israel; the songs that belonged to YAHWEH! They didn’t make the request because they wanted to worship God. No! They wanted to be entertained, and jeer at the Israelites.
This is what the devil wants; a situation where what belongs to God in our lives are no longer kept sacred but used to entertain the host of hell.
Every believer has an endowment of heaven which is meant to bring glory to God; our lives in its entirety are meant to bring praise and glory to God; but the goal of the enemy is to see that what belongs to God and brings pleasure to God in our lives become the subject of entertainment for the enemy. His goal is to see that what is supposed to be sacred becomes desecrated as we offer them to the enemy; the enemy wants to be entertained with our instrument of worship (which is our lives in totality).
The psalmist in this passage asked “how shall we sing to the Lord in a foreign (strange land)?”; he would rather hang his harp than use it to entertain the enemy!
Some things are supposed to be foreign to us as believers such that we don’t feel comfortable participating in them; some ideologies, practices; activities; fashion styles; social events; belief systems should not enjoy our being at ease. As temples of the Living God, we cannot afford to yield parts of our bodies to the enemy. How can we use the same mouth we use in prayer, to slander another fellow? How shall we curse, insult, gossip with the same mouth? How shall we use the same eyes we use in reading our Bibles to also watch X-rated or porn movies? How shall we habour unforgiveness in the same heart where we ought to store up the word of God? How shall we expose the same body which is a temple of God, to immorality (fornication and adultery)?
I see a need for us to ask ourselves questions from time to time like the children of Israel did? The questions help them put things in the proper perspectives? For everything our desire longs for, a question must ring in our hearts; for every step we want to take, we must ask ourselves certain questions; for every decision, action, reaction, request, aspiration, we must pause to ask ourselves pertinent questions.
What are the offers coming to you today? You need to ask yourself some questions before you accede to those offers or requests. You need to know the consequences of accepting such offers or acceding those requests especially as you view them in the light of the word of God.
Joseph asked himself a big question when Mrs Portiphar offered him her body. The question did not come from anyone else but from Joseph himself: “How shall I do this wicked thing and sin against God?” “No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” Gen 39:9-10 (NIV). The question put his decision in a proper perspective: he refused the offer; he fled from the scene.
Nehemiah also asked himself a question when threats were coming and arrows of fear were thrown to him: “But I said, “Should a man like me run away? Or should one like me go into the temple to save his life? I will not go!” I realized that God had not sent him, but that he had prophesied against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. He had been hired to intimidate me so that I would commit a sin by doing this, and then they would give me a bad name to discredit me.” Neh 6:11-13 (NIV)
Don’t wait for someone to ask you why you are about to take a wrong step but rather ask yourself as you tune to the Holy Spirit. WHY SHOULD YOU DO WHAT YOU WANT TO DO OR WHAT YOU ARE ASKED TO DO especially if it doesn’t resonate with the expectations of God concerning your life? Learn to regularly ask yourself questions when the enemy presents a proposal to you and trust God to help you take a right step afterwards!
May the Lord help me (&you) to be awakened to the right decisions and actions when strange offers come our ways. May we be bold to respond and to choose the way of the Lord when confronted with requests that do not resonate with the expectations of God from our lives. May we be conscious enough, to not offer to the enemy nor entertain hell with that which brings pleasure to God in our lives. May we be careful enough to guard jealously, every deposit of grace that God has given or endowed us with. Amen!