“When the Lord restored the well-being of Zion, we thought we were dreaming. At that time we laughed loudly and shouted for joy. At that time the nations said, “The Lord has accomplished great things for these people.” The Lord did indeed accomplish great things for us. We were happy. O Lord, restore our well-being, just as the streams in the arid south are replenished. Those who shed tears as they plant will shout for joy when they reap the harvest. The one who weeps as he walks along, carrying his bag of seed, will certainly come in with a shout of joy, carrying his sheaves of grain.”
— Psalms 126:1-6
Keeping this passage in historical context protects us from over applying or allowing text to make promises that it doesn’t. God rescued Israel and they are confident He can restore their joy again.
Farming verses are parallel in 5-6. Could be literal as an illustration or metaphorical speaking of Israel. We get to the same place either way. God would bless the process of sowing or difficult times with abundant joy.
No, we are not Israel, but we can see Gods faithfulness in the past. Are we guaranteed future success or prosperity or blessing? Well, no. But learning of Him based on experience and how He has interacted with His people before us, this can give confidence in His presence and power and promise to provide. We can have joy, even ultimate joy, and passages like this need to be understood in literary and historical context to help support our faith and Gods character.
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