PSALM 126:
The Enjoyment of Being Freed from Our Self-life

Our Initial Enjoyment of Entering into the Church Life

Psalm 126 begins, "When Jehovah turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like those who dream. At that time our mouth was filled with laughter and our tongue with a ringing shout. At that time they said among the nations, Jehovah has done great things for them. Jehovah has done great things for us; we are joyful" (v. 1-3). The psalmist speaks of a joy that is impossible to describe. This is our experience when we first came into the church life. The turning of our captivity indicates that we were those searching and struggling, possibly for many years. Then one day our captivity was turned, and what we longed for became our reality. When this happened, all we could say was, "This is a dream come true!"

We may have realized for years that God desired a testimony and a habitation. We realized that God wanted to gain a group of people to belong to Himself alone. Yet we were in captivity, either in Christianity or in the world. But one day the Lord brought us to the local churches and we began to enjoy the church life. He "turned our captivity." Then we were like those that dream. We beheld all the dear saints. We beheld all the riches of Christ. We found that we could serve the living God in reality. We had the full realization, "Oh, thank You Lord! You have turned the captivity of Zion! You have brought us to Your testimony! We are like those that dream!"

We Need a Deeper Turn from Captivity

The psalmist then says, "Turn again, O Jehovah, our captivity like the streams in the south" (v. 4). The first part of the psalm describes our initial experience of the church life. Once we are in the church life, eventually we long for a deeper turn. It is speaking of ourselves. The psalmist says, "Turn again, O Jehovah, our captivity." In other words, we ourselves need a deeper turn. To pray according to this understanding is to tell the Lord, "Lord, I already came out of captivity positionally. I am no longer in Babylon. I am no longer in the world or in Christianity. I have come to Your testimony, and my stand is clear. I am for Christ and the church. But, Lord, look at me. There are still so many

Lord, I am still in captivity. Positionally I am released, but experientially I am not released in full.

things that I have, and so many things that I enjoy, that are far from You. Lord, I am still in captivity. Positionally I am released, but experientially I am not released in full. I still have not yet been freed. I still have so many things which capture me." When we realize this, then we pray, "Lord, turn again my captivity."

Being Released from the Captivity of Our Self-life

We all need to be released from our captivity to our self-life. In this captivity we lose our enjoyment of the Lord and the enjoyment of the church life. Eventually we are not satisfied. If someone were to ask us, "Do you find the church life satisfying?" our answer would probably be, "Yes I do, but..." The "but" is a reflection on ourselves. It means, "Yes, the church life is satisfying, but I am still in captivity. I am captured especially by my self-life." We should not point our finger at anyone else; we should point it at ourselves.

Being Freed from our Self-life Seems Impossible, but the Lord is Able

This psalm tells us that our second turn from captivity is "like the streams in the south." The thought here is quite deep. To the south of Israel there is nothing but desert. How can the psalmist expect to find streams in a desert? This seems impossible. The thought of the psalmist here is, "Lord, for You to turn my captivity in this way seems impossible. It is like 'the streams in the south.' Only You can do such a thing." If we cry out to the Lord this way, then He will answer us. He will respond, "Yes, I will release you, but you must pay a price."

The Price for Being Freed from Our Self-life: Sowing Ourselves unto Death

The Lord releases us from our captivity by asking us to pay a price.

How does the Lord release us from our captivity? Psalm 126 continues, "Those who sow in tears will reap with a ringing shout" (v. 5). The Lord releases us from our captivity by asking us to pay a price. In this verse the Lord tells us, "Now that you desire to come out of your captivity, it is very simple. You just need to sow in tears." We might ask, what does this mean? What is it that we sow? The Lord would say, "Go and sow yourself." When we sow in tears it means that our self-life is over. We realize that we must sow our very selves into the ground to die. We no longer have any choice. We realize, "If I want to be delivered from my captivity to my self, then I must bury myself and die. That is my future. That is the only road ahead of me."

Sowing Ourselves into the Ground will Cause Us to Be Fruitful

The Lord Jesus was one who sowed Himself into the ground to die: "Truly, truly, I say to you, Unless the grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it abides alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit" (John 12:24). If we wish to be fruitful, then we also must go and die. Psalm 126 is very deep. First there is an initial enjoyment, but then there is a deeper consecration. In this consecration the Lord does not demand that we do anything. He only demands that we die. The Lord doesn't ask us to serve Him. Instead, He asks us to sow ourselves into the ground, just as He did. When we do this, the result is that we "reap with a ringing shout." Death and burial is not the end. When we sow ourselves into the ground, we will reap something. When we sow in tears, we will reap in joy! Praise the Lord for this!

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To purchase the book Journey of Life; the Psalms of Ascent and Song of Songs