REMEMBER JERUSALEM
Edited from a PrayerMeeting exhortation by bro Sim Yeow Meng on 28 September 2001
“If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget hercunning.
If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth;
if I prefer not Jerusalemabove my chief joy.”
(Psalm 137:5–6)
Suppose there is something unspeakably excellent and dear to your heart. Andthis thing is greatly afflicted and in much ruin, so that you are deeplyburdened and weighed down by the thought of it, how would you express such aburden in words?
In our text, the psalmist is expressing just such a kind of burden. But thesewords are so heavy and painful that anyone reading them will, no doubt, wonderif there is not a hint of exaggeration on the part of the psalmist.
But when we consider the fact that his words are divinely inspired, he beingmoved by the Spirit of God as he speaks, we have no doubt that he is expressingexactly how he felt.
And this being so, it will surely be profitable for us to seek to understandthe cause behind his great burden. If the psalmist is rightfully burdened,should we also not be burdened as well? And if we should be burdened as well,what is the thing that should cause us to be burdened? What is the occasionthat should bring about this burden in our heart?
Jerusalem is the Church
Even with a cursory reading of the text, it is not difficult to see that thepsalmist is expressing a great affection for Jerusalem. There are two statements in thesetwo verses, and both say the same thing: they speak of the great love and carethat the psalmist has for Jerusalem.
But Jerusalem, as you may know, does not referto the physical city in the Middle East. Itrefers, rather, to the Church of God, or the people ofGod, who made up that city. It is just like when we speak about praying for theChurch, we do not refer to the physical building where believers congregate,but to the members who make up the church, or the “lively stones, that built up[the] spiritual house” (1 Pet 2:5). Thus, Jerusalemis a term signifying the people of God.
The psalmist says, “if I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget hercunning.” In the preceding words, he tells us that he was in Babylon, andthere, the Babylonians required of him and his companions to entertain themwith the songs of Zion. He says in verse 1, “By the rivers of Babylon, there wesat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion.” Then in verse 3, we read,“For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and theythat wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion.”
But how could the servants of the Lord use the songs of Zion for entertainment,much less for the benefit of those who destroyed their beloved Jerusalem andare holding them captive. “How shall we sing the LORD’s song in a strangeland?” (Ps 137:4), the psalmist exclaims.
With this in mind, we see that by the words, “let my right hand forget hercunning” (v. 5), he means losing his skills of playing musical instrument inaccompaniment to the singing of the songs of Zion. And notice that the words“her cunning” are actually in italics in the KJV, which means that they are notfound in the Hebrew text. They were added by the translators to give us a morecomplete sense of the words. Matthew Poole has this to say about the words inthe original:
In Hebrew, it is only forget (i.e.,let my right hand forget), without expressing what, to intimate the extent andgenerality of this wish; Let it (i.e., the right hand) forget or be disenablednot only for playing, but for every action in which it was formerly used.
In other words, let it (i.e., my right hand) lose its function and all skillsthat it possesses. Let my right hand be totally useless.
And not only that, “if I do not remember thee [Jerusalem],” he says, “let mytongue cleave to the roof of my mouth.” That is, let me lose my ability tospeak. This is not merely a handicap of speech, but a total inability to speak.Let me lose my ability to sing and communicate.
Thus, we see, the great burden that the psalmist has for the Church. Should Inot have Jerusalem fill my mind, let these terrible things befall me!
We may ask: Why does the psalmist have such a great love and care for theChurch? To answer this question is to find out why believers ought to love theChurch.
The answer, I believe, may be clearly seen when we consider several truthstaught in the Scripture about the Church.
We must Love the Church
First and foremost, a believer should love the Church because she isthe Church, not of man, but of God. She belongs not to any man, nor to anyrace, people or country, but to God, and solely to Him. Hence, in at leasteight places in the Scripture, she is called “the church of God.” You may findthese in Acts 20:28; 1 Corinthians 1:2; 10:32; 11:22; 15:9; 2 Corinthians 1:1;Galatians 1:13 and 1 Timothy 3:5.
Now, we are able to love God, because He first loved us (see 1 John 4:19), andhas shown us His great unconditional and everlasting love, despite ourlowliness and unworthiness. Not only do we have nothing upright in us but, onthe contrary, we were evil and hated Him. Hence, knowing His great love for us,our hearts melt in a constraining love for Him. And not only for Him, but forall that belongs to Him.
If a child in poverty is often driven to tears whenever he witnesses hisparents’ many great acts of sacrifices and love for him, and is spurred in hisheart to love them and be filial towards them, then how much more should abeliever be moved by God’s sacrificial love for him?
As we love God, very naturally, we will also love the things of Him, that is,all things that pertains to Him. And the Church is not just an ordinarypossession of His. She is His treasured possession. To her, it is said: “But yeare a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiarpeople…” (1 Pet 2:9).
Again, concerning her, the Scripture declares: “he that toucheth you toucheththe apple of his eyes” (Zec 2:8). You may know that the apple of one’s eyerefers to the pupil, and the pupil is the most sensitive and most carefullyprotected part of a person’s body.
As we love God, very naturally, we will also love His Church. Things thatgrieve Him will also affect us. Things that please Him will also bring cheer toour hearts. Things that are precious to Him will also be precious to us.
Secondly, a believer should love the Church because Christ loves her asHis Bride and gave Himself for her. Thus we read, in the entire book of theSong of Solomon, of the love between Solomon and the Shulamite, which is a typeof the love between Christ and His beloved Church.
Notice how in the book of Revelation, the Church is both referred to asJerusalem and the wife of the Lamb:
… Come hither, I will shew thee thebride, the Lamb’s wife. And he carried me away in the spirit to a great andhigh mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descendingout of heaven from God (Rev 21:9–10).
Consider how precious she is to Christ! In Acts 20:28, the Apostle Paul said tothe Ephesian elders:
Take heed therefore unto yourselves,and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, tofeed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
Concerning these words, Richard Baxter once quoted an ancient teacher saying:
Oh, if Christ had but committed tomy keeping one spoonful of His blood in a fragile glass, how curiously would Ipreserve it, and how tender would I be of that glass! If then He has committedto me the purchase of His blood, should I not as carefully look to my charge?What sirs, shall we despise the blood of Christ?
Though to us who are not ministers, God has not committed any congregation toour charge, yet shall we think that the object for which the blood of Christwas shed is not worthy of our love?
Moreover, it has been said by Christ, “as ye have done it unto one of the leastof these my brethren, ye have done it unto me” (Mt 25:40) and “as ye did it notto one of the least of these, ye did it not to me” (Mt 25:45). Whatever good wedo to the Church of God, we do it unto Christ. Similarly, whatever needfulthings we neglect to do to her, we neglect to do unto Christ.
When the Apostle Paul was formerly breathing out threatenings and slaughteragainst the church, the Lord appeared to him and said to him, “Saul, Saul, whypersecutest thou me?” (Acts 9:4). You see here again, whatever we do to her, weare doing to Christ. And whatever we neglect to do for her, we neglect to dofor Christ; she is the beloved of Christ.
The psalmist says,
If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, letmy right hand forget her cunning. If I do not remember thee, let my tonguecleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy(Ps 137:5–6).
Finally, a believer should love the Church of God because he is a memberof this body of Christ. The Church is the mystical body of Christ. Writing tothe congregation at Corinth, the Apostle Paul says: “Now ye are the body ofChrist, and members in particular” (1 Cor 12:27).
And as a member of this body of Christ, a believer, together with fellow saintsand the household of God, both prospers and falls with the Church. Hence, whenHaman the enemy of the people of God secured the king’s approval to destroy thechurch, Mordecai said to Esther:
Think not with thyself that thoushalt escape in the king’s house, more than all the Jews. For if thoualtogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement anddeliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father’shouse shall be destroyed… (Est 4:13–14).
When the Church of God, during the time of Moses, plunged into great unbeliefthrough the report of the ten faithless spies, the entire Church was withheldfrom possessing the promised land until a long 40 years later. Even Caleb andJoshua, men of exceptional and unwavering faith who did not join in thedissimulation of the ten spies, had to suffer the 40 years of wandering withthe rest of the Church.
When the Church of God was in apostasy, what troubles and oppressions couldconfront even the faithful believer! During the times of apostasy in the daysof Elijah, even a man of God like Elijah was so downcast that he prayed to Godthat he might die (1 Kgs 19:4, 14).
Moreover, when the Church of God faces persecution, very often her ministersand teachers are killed or taken away. Stephen was killed (Acts 7:59), so wasJames (Acts 12:2). Overnight, congregations lost their ministers, and were leftwith no one to care for them and instruct them. Believers who were previously well-takencare of suddenly became like sheep without a shepherd. Formerly they were fedwith sound knowledge and teachings of God, but now, suddenly they were deprivedof all these, left to be “tossed to and fro, and carried about with every windof doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness” (Eph 4:14).
A believer should love the Church of God because he is a member of this body,and he prospers and falls with the Church. Like Moses, who “[esteemed] thereproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt,… [having]respect unto the recompence of the reward” (Heb 11:26), a believer’s lot iscast with the Church of God. The believer should feel the same loyalty as Ruthdid for Naomi. What Ruth said concerning Noami, the believer says to theChurch:
Intreat me not to leave thee, or toreturn from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and wherethou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me,and more also, if ought but death part thee and me (Ruth 1:16–17).
Unless the Church progresses in the spiritual realm, a believer could hardlyexpect much progress for his soul, and those of his children. We either prosperwith the Church of God or fall with her.
Seeing then how dear the Church of God is, should we not constantly bear inmind her good and well-being?
Directions for Remembering the Church
First, pray then for her! How needful it is for us to bring her beforethe throne of God always. Prayer for her is something that we ought not toneglect, especially when we gather together. Consider the intimate relation shestands to God: she is the Church of God and the Bride ofChrist. And consider the intimate relation she stands to us, we prosper andfall with her. If we find it needful to pray for individual believers, whatmore the Church of God, the body ofbelievers?
When you look at her today, do you not see how needy and distressed she is? Sheis often afflicted by the world in all the corners of the world. Wherever sheis found in purity, she is in the minority, small and despised. In many places,she is hated and persecuted. And where there is no persecution, then she facesdeception from grievous wolves of false teachers, and starvation from a lack ofunder-shepherds.
Can we watch in silence as she bleeds? Can we hold our peace when we see her,who is purchased by the blood of our Lord, being afflicted with every evil inthe world?
She is one of the most principal things we ought to pray for. We ought to prayfor her safety, for her strengthening, for her prosperity and for her purity.
In praying for her, we are bringing her good help, for then we call upon theAlmighty hand of God to act for her, to bless her, and to prosper her. As wesupplicate for her, we may wait to expect blessings and assistance from heavento be poured down unto her, for our supplication is to a God who hears prayersand who has the power to bring all favourable things to come to pass in her,and is pleased to do so for He purchased her.
Then we shall see the Bride of our Lord, of which we are part, prospering. Weshall see her growing in strength, in understanding and in faith. We shall seeher increasing in consecration, in devotion and in love for her God.
Secondly, pray, pray for her. Pray for the families in her too. Forthere is no prosperous Church without prosperous Christian homes. WhenChristian families break down or decay, the Church degenerates accordingly.
Richard Baxter observes:
We must have a special eye uponfamilies, to see that they are well ordered, and the duties of each relationperformed. The life of religion, and the welfare and glory of both the Churchand the State, depend much on family government and duty. If we suffer theneglect of this, we shall undo all.
Pray for a good government of her families and a diligent instructing of themon the Holy Scriptures, “which are able to make [them] wise unto salvation” (2Tim 3:15).
Thirdly, what shall we say, but pray, pray, and pray for her. Pray forher members too. They are the “lively stones, [that are being] built up into aspiritual house” (1 Pet 2:5). Pray for the perfecting and edification for them.It has rightly been said that the strength of the Christians is the honour ofthe Church.
As her members are built up in evangelical knowledge, understanding and faithin God, the Church will inevitably be strengthened. Every spiritual muscle ofknowledge, understanding and faith that her members attain will add to thehealth and wealth of the Church. Blessings from God for the Church may then beexpected and prosperity near.
Conclusion
“If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning. If I donot remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefernot Jerusalemabove my chief joy” (Ps 137:5–6).
Brethren, even as we assemble week after week to pray, may we learn theselessons, and apply these lessons in our prayers. Let us remember to pray forher.
—Edited by J.J. Lim
