137:1-3 After the death of David and downfall of Solomon, God's people began to neglect their commitment to God. They began to make their own rules and follow in the way of the world. Though God had taught them humility and justice, they chose power and corruption. Poor choices resulted in the loss of their kingdom. They had walked out of the protective sphere of their faith and it left them vulnerable to enemies. Those enemies took them captive. They no longer had the strength from their faith or the guidance of their God to rescue them from enslavement. They had given those things away. Rejected God. And it left them in a desperate and depressed state.
137:4-6 They were literally and metaphorically in a foreign land. They had lived so long with the blessings of God that life away from them was scary and overwhelming. In fact, the joy previously had by the entire kingdom was difficult to fathom.
137:7 And so they prayed to God to be remembered by Him. In the muck of their mistakes, they remembered the pristine God they neglected.
137:8-9 Once again they began to pray for God's authority over the earth and their enemies. From them, we can learn to never get to that point which we realize how ungrateful we were for God's presence and instruction in our lives. For with His presence and instruction comes blessing and joy, protection and permanence. For the world is a desolate place once we neglect our faith; we realize just how vulnerable we are without all that God provides.
