Great Things

Mary’s Song
Here we are at the end of the year. During this week between Christmas and the New Year, I always feel like I am still lingering over the joy of the celebration and looking forward to the coming year with eager anticipation. Of course, as we age, each year becomes a decreasing portion of our life experience which causes a genuine experience of the increase of the passing of time. 

In the account of Mary’s response of praise after finding out that God had chosen her to be the mother of Jesus and that God had given her relative Elizabeth a miraculous conception as well, Mary sings that the Lord has done great things for me (Luke 1:49). In this text, she recognizes the great blessing that she has received, as well as the abundant power, holiness, and mercy that our God has shown to her. But, it is not only for Mary that the Lord has done great things. It is for all of His people. 

Last Psalm

Just as Mary sang of all that God had done for her, the very last Psalm chronologically in the Old Testament also overflows with the accomplishment of God for His people. This final Psalm is Psalm 126. This Psalm was written and sung when the Babylonian captives had returned and rebuilt the city of Jerusalem and the temple of Yahweh. 

In this passage the returning people sang out beginning with the words, “Yahweh has done great things for them.” We might ask who they are? In the context of the Psalm, the captives are recognizing that God has providentially blessed the nations even through their captivity. This would be especially true of the blessing on those rulers and peoples who had been kind to the Lord’s people. One way that the nations had been blessed is through the spread of the knowledge of Yahweh through His people. Remember that what they are talking about is the events of books like Daniel and Esther. In these texts, Yahweh is exalted among the nations.

Their Song

But the next line in the sonnet of praise by God’s joyous people is, “Yahweh has done great things for us!” 

These returning captives are emphasizing the reality that what they are receiving and experiencing is the providential outpouring of God’s grace and not anything that they have earned or deserved. God has kept every promise and every need and they are rejoicing in His kindness. They cry out to God, “We are glad!” This is not a simple statement, but rather a profound profession of their joy that the Lord has restored to them (Psalm 51:12).

Our Song

But this is also the kind of joy that God has for us! Their joy and gladness was the result of their salvation. The Apostle Peter reminds us as believers that we also rejoice with “joy inexpressible and full of glory” (1 Peter 1:8).
But possibly you don’t feel like rejoicing? Maybe you find yourself in a season of struggle and hardship? 

Then let me encourage you to meditate on the words of Psalm 126. 

For the captives also sang of the pattern of sowing in tears to then reap in joy. You may not be looking forward to the coming year because you know of some hurdles and hardships that await you in the new year. But let me encourage you to trust in the Lord that while we as His people may weep as we scatter the seed we know that someday we will shout for joy on the day of harvest.

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