Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-10-05
DIR. MARION NTH. HULL.

During the next quarter we shaIi
study the return of the exlles from
Babylon and the events connected with
the restoration of the temple and city
AS a proper introduction to that study
we have today to consider two of the
Psalms connected with that great event
in the nations life--the Eighty-fifth and
One Hundred and Twenty-siXth. The
former is supposed 10 be associated with
the return of the first contingent unoer
ZurubabeI and the latter with the SECOND
group under Ezra.
The One Hundred and Twenty-sixth
Psalm is most interesting on account
of it's connection in the Psalter. 1t is
one of fifteen songs (120-1S4D which
have been called the Songs of Ascents
or the Hymn book of the Pilgrims.
If we had time TO study all OF these,
and they should be studied together we
would find a progression in Them De-
ginning with the cry of the eXlles com
ing through the various stages or the
pilgrimages, until Jerusalem is reach-
ed; then songs of the home life; and
finally, in the last one, the congregation
and the priests who serve II the even
ing watch bidding each other good night
as the former retires from worship.
1t has been thought by some that
these were originally sung by the pill
grims on their return from Babylon
and afterwards were used by the Jews
in making thier annual pilgrimage to
Jerusalem. Others have thought that
they were used by the priests in the
professional as they went up the fiji
teen steps into the temple.
The one before us, the 126th. probably
originated as the early group left Baby
lon; and was sung by the others as
they thought of these as a handful of
grain, looking TO the great harvest which
was to follow later. But since We shall
not have time TO consider both Psalms,
we shall turn our attention to the Soth.
This is a. dramatic anthem consisting
of two StanZaS of praise, then two STAN
zas of appeal, and finally three stanzas
of praise. If we had been writing this
song. in our prosaic way we would have
made the fourth verse the first, and had
the first verse come in after the eighth;
but the orientalism of this beautiful
poem puts it before. The Psalmist bursts
out into song of thanksgiving of what
God had done; then he records the
prayer which God answered in doing it;
and then drops back into an Inscription
of praise again. This is graphically
represented by printing the song as fol-
lows:
Jehovah; Thou hast been favorable unto Tiny
Thou hast brought back the captivity of Jacob.
Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of Thy people;
Thou hast covered all their sin.
Thou hast turned Thyself from the fierceness
Of Thine anger. -
Turn to US. God, of our salvation,
And cause Thine indignation toward us to cease.
wilt Thou be angry with us forever?
Wilt Thou draw out Thine anger to all Eener-
ations?
wilt Thou not quicken us again;
That Try people may rejoice in Thee:
Show us Thy loving Kindness Jehovah,
And grant us Thy salvation.
| will hear what God Jehovah will speak;
For He will speak peace unto His people
And to His saints.
But let them not turn again to folly"
Surely His salvation is nigh them that fear
Him,
That Glory may dwell in our land.
Mercy and truth are met together;
Righteousness and peace have kissed each
other.
Truth springeth out of the earth,
And righteousness hath looked down from
heaven.
Yea, Jehovah will give that which is good
And our land shall yield its increase.
Righteousness shall go before Him;
And shall make His footsteps a way to walk in.
WHAT GOD HAS DONE.
In studying 1t shall change the order
little. VS.. 1-3 show what God has done and
for which the Psalmist is giving praise Three
things we find here as an incentive to thanks
-deliverance, forgiveness and restora-
ton. Hebrew poetry is characterized by paral-
lelism of thought rather than by rhythm and
rhyme. You will notice therefore in expressing
each of these three things the Psalmist uses
two sentences:
Thou hast been favorable Thou hast brough
back
Thou hast forgiven the iniquity." Thou
hast covered the SIM Thou hast taken away
wrath Thou hast turned from anger" each
thought balances the other, and this constitutes
poetry in the Hebrew.
How marvellous was Gods forgiveness! How
marvellous His deliverance! For He took
them completely away from the bondage of
babylon and put them in new place. But
even more marvellous His forgiveness for
dhe word forgiveness" means to lift to
take away, to wipe out; 'iniquity' means crook
tdness. When God fOrgave their iniquity, He
took away all of their croOkedness. Cover
means TO make plump, to smooth over, to re-
move wrinkles, and sin means missing the
mark. When God covered their sim He smooth
cd over every evidence of their missing the
mark and gave them a clean sheet again.
wrath means to be on the other side of and
anger comes from word which means
nostril, signifying the most intense emotion. |
When God delivered them and forgave them,
lie restored them to their former relationship
His nostrils in emotion because Of them; but
became their friends.
WHAT GOD Is READY TO DO NOW.
To bring salvation nigh and have glory dwell
and abide. Because mercy and truth are met
Iogetner, ana righteousness and peace have
kissed each other. God is ready now. that He
has delivered and forgiven and restored Israel, |
tc extend these blessings to them so that they
shall not drop back to their former state.
These are wonderful words which are used |
here; mercy, means to bow down to one as
an equal. In other words, God is willing-the |
marvel Of ito put Himself on a plain of
equality with us! How He do it, Truth |
comes from word which originally meant sta |
bility, trustworthiness. and these two are met |
together Surely with such a possibility Israel I
should not repeat her folly and turn away from |
God.
WHAT GOD WILL DO
Truth will sprout up like a plant from the |
earth, and righteousness Will lean ont Of the |
window of heaven flor these the meanings |
Of these words). God will give good, and |
the land shall increase, Righteousness shall |
60 before, anj He will make His footsteps a |
path for to walk in. What does that mean? |
Why, that God has delivered Israel forgiven |
their sin. restored them TO their former rela-
tionship to Him and is ready to continue His |
Blessings TO them, will bring them into a |
place of fellowship so that they shall walk |
the same path that He walks in,
WHY GOD DID IT.
Because Israel prayed, because in the land |
Of exile and in their distress they repented and
confessed their sins and asked Him to turn |
70 them. and 10 make his anger against them /
Of no effect that they might rejoice in Him. |
promising that now, they were willing to hear |
intelligently what He ready to say. They /
went into captivity because they would not /
hear what He had to say. when they repented.l
and trusted Him and willing to obey |