JERUSALEM! A New Song on Psalm 137 by Kathleen Shea Vick of Columbus, Ohio. By way of introduction, I present Don Fortner's sermon to you as a commentary on my new music: "BABYLON'S WOES"http://www.sermonaudio.com/playpopup.asp?SID=42611220394. Please listen, as Pastor Fortner defines the terms according to Scripture - Jerusalem, Babylon, captivity, Zion.
There is a grievous misunderstanding of these words in today's flabby Christian culture. Most everyone thinks that Jerusalem is that little city over there in the middle east. They say, "God will bless all those who bless Israel", and they mean the political nation of Israel! God will bless the people who hate and revile the LORD Jesus Christ, Who Himself is Jehovah God? What utter foolishness!
Oh no. No, that's not at all the Biblical meaning of these words. God is speaking about another Israel, another Jerusalem and another Babylon. The Bible is Its Own Interpreter.
All TRUE BELIEVERS are the Israel of God, the Hebrews. His chosen people are in captivity here in this world, here in Babylon. We look away to our homeland, to Jerusalem, which is Mount Zion above (Hebrews 11:16 and12:22). By faith, we take hold of the Song of Zion, the LORD Jesus Christ, and one day soon, our God will set us free from this captivity and we will be free forevermore.
Yes, we who love God in Spirit and in Truth will be set free! Free from our flesh, which opposes the Spirit of Christ in us. Free from the taunts of the proud Babylonians all around us, who flaunt their holiness according to their own works and have no need of the cleansing, atoning blood of the LORD Jesus Christ.
Babylon is ALL FALSE RELIGION, all man's religion, all religion that endeavors to take hold of glory, honor and praise for man without Christ. The religion of man without the True God of the Bible engulfs this whole world. All those opposed to God in Christ hate the true believer, too, for we have received forgiveness of sin and eternal life in the blood of the Son of God. Christ indwells each redeemed soul, and His presence in us irritates and enrages all Babylonians.
We tell of our LORD and point out the glorious attributes of our LORD Jesus Christ, but who will hear? Isaiah the prophet asked, "Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the Arm of the LORD revealed?" ANSWER: God reveals Himself to His Own, to Jacob's chosen race. These blessed souls learn and speak the language of Jerusalem. No one understands us except other redeemed souls. We are in distress here on earth, for we are so few and we are scattered throughout the kingdom of Babylon.
God's people are tempted and tried in Babylon that our faith may come forth as gold refined in the fire. Our LORD has ordained our servitude for our good and for His Glory. "The just shall live by faith..." (Habakkuk 2:4) And so the believer looks to Christ alone for grace to put away worldly riches, hope in this dying world and the desire to seek after the applause and approval of the sinful Babylonians.
We suffer being tempted to compromise, that we may eat those delicious leeks, onions and roasted quail, which are so plenteous in Babylon! Our flesh says, "Why can't I work and store up riches for myself here, like the Babylonians do?" Our faithful God warns us that when the commandment came for His people to be released at the end of the seventy-year captivity, many Israelites refused to leave Babylon. They stayed, they prospered and they were finally destroyed.
Child of God, as you face each temptation in Babylon, remember - there's a day coming when Babylon will be utterly destroyed, burned with fire into all eternity! All false religion, all will-worship religion, all men who approach God in the filth of their sin without the cleansing blood of the Everlasting Covenant, will be judged.
In that blessed day (O my soul, take heed!), the lovely heavenly city of Jerusalem will sing with shouts of joy to their great God and King, Jesus Christ the Righteous, Who Himself is the Song of Zion!
