(note: is it not true that if i come to the place where i am weeping over the sins of others i will have to sow to them the only answer for their great need)
1'when the Lord turned again the captivity of zion, we were like them that dream.
2then was our mouth filled with laughter and our tongue with singing
then said they among the heathen,
'the Lord hath done great things for them.
3the Lord hath done great things for us
whereof we are glad.
4turn again our captivity, O Lord, as the streams in the south.
5they that sow in tears shall reap in joy.
6he that goeth forth and weepeth,
bearing precious seed,
shall doubtless come again with rejoicing,
bringing his sheaves with him.
..taken from the treasury of david by spurgeon, vol 7.12f
..we see here not only that zion
(note: in scripture does not this word always refer to the church redeemed and triumphant? or maybe the church which ultimately will be both redeemed and triumphant? not sure..but think so..)
abides, but that her joy returns after sorrow.
abiding is not enough, fruitfulness is added...
'turning captivity' by no means requires an actual removal into banishment to fill out the idea;
rescue from any dire affliction or crushing tyranny would be fitly described as 'captivity turned'.
indeed, the passage is not applicable to captives in babylon,
for it is zion itself which is in captivity and not a part of her citizens:
the holy city was in sorrow and distress;
though it could not be removed, the prosperity could be diminished.
some dark cloud lowered over the beloved capital and its citizens prayed
'turn our captivity Lord..
..the word 'turn would seem to be the keynote of the song:
it is a psalm of conversion-conversion from captivity;
and it may well be used to set forth the rapture of a pardoned soul when the anger of the Lord is turned away from it.
we will call it,
'leading captivity captive'.
1'when the Lord turned again the captivity of zion, we were like them that dream..'
..being in trouble, the gracious pilgrims remember for their comfort times of national woe which were3 succeeded by remarkable deliverances.
..each man said to himself,
'is this a dream? O if it be a dream,
let me sleep on and do not wake me yet.
..let us look to the prison houses from which we have been set free. oh, me, what captives we have been!
..this verse will have a higher fulfilment in the day of the final overthrow of the powers of darkness..
..when Jehovah appeared he did not merely lift us out of despondency, he raised us into wondering happiness.
2'then said they among the heathen..'...it is a blessed thing when saints set sinners talking about the lovingkindness of the Lord;
and it is equally blessed when the saints who are hidden away in the world hear of what the Lord has done for His church..
3'..we are glad'..there is so little of happiness abroad that if we possess a full share of it we ought not to hide our light under a bushel, but let it shine on all that are in the house.
4'turn again our captivity Lord..'
..nothing strengthens faith more effectually than the memory of a previous experience.
'as the streams of the south'
even as the Lord sends floods adown the dry beds
(note: called wadi..a part of the deathly dry desert areas which, when rain comes, is turned quickly into a flowing, rushing torrent...just as quickly to dry up and die away after the rain..)
of southern torrents after long droughts, so can He sill our wasted and wearied spirits with floods of holy delight.
5'they that sow in tears shall reap in joy'
..'sorrow is our sowing, rejoicing shall be our reaping.
if there were no sowing in tears there would be no reaping in joy.
if we were never captives we could never lead our captivity captive.
our mouth had never been filled with holy laughter
if it had not been first filled with the bitterness of grief..
..when a man's heart is so stirred that he weeps over the sins of others, he is elect to usefulness.
WINNERS OF SOULS ARE FIRST WEEPERS FOR SOULS.
(note: of which i am, horribly, an absolute stranger.)
..when our own hears are broken with grief at man's transgression
we shall break other men's heart:
tears of earnestness beget tears of repentance:
'deep calleth unto deep'..
6..it is somewhat singular to find this promise of fruitfulness in close contact with return from captivity;
and yet it is so in our won experience,
for when our own soul is revived the souls of others are blessed by our labours.
all the above commentary is by spurgeon
1.as by the Lord's permission they were led into captivity,
so only by His power they were set at liberty.. john hume in 'the jewes deliverance, 1628
'the captivity of zion'
..why? what was zion?
we know it was but a hill in jerusalem, on the north side.
why is that hill so honoured?
no reason in the world but this,-
that upon it the temple was built;
and so, that zion is much spoken of and much made of, it is only for the temple's sake.
'when we remembered thee, O zion'
that was their greatest grief.
that their greatest grief and this their greatest joy.. lancelot andrews, 1555-1626
'in Jehovah's turning (to) the turning of zion' meaning
to return to the return, or
meet those returning, as it were, half way.
the hebrew noun denotes conversion, in its spiritual sense,
and the verb god's gracious condescension in accepting or responding to it. joshep addison alexander
..
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