Hope Beyond the Walls of the World: Psalm 126
Hope Beyond the Walls of the World Psalm 126 …where tears are the very wine of blessedness. Tolkien Psalm 126 continues the Psalms of Ascent as part of book five of the Psalms, which emphasizes living in obedience and by faith to the King, who reigns “when all of the evidence of life appears to contradict the truth” (Futato). Psalm 126 expresses the Isrealites’ gratefulness for the Lord fulfilling His promise to return them to their land after the exile. While living in exile they had experienced great sorrow, and yet they knew of the promises that God had made to return them to their own land (Isaiah 14:1-3). So when the Lord finally brought them back from exile, they “were like those who dream” (126:1), and they were “filled with joy” (126:3 NIV). However, this psalm is also a prayer for His continued blessing while they wait, as things are not yet as they ought to be. Their fortunes were not yet restored (126:4), and they were deeply dependent on God’s blessing for the f...