Times in general are demanding. There are the pressures of modern day life. Everyone is in a race to
“keep up with the Jones’.” We buy the latest contraptions and devices. We live among a ‘Please Me’ generation of Americans.
There is pressure on the Church also. A fast paced society demands a church that is keeping up. But if we are not careful we will fall into the trap of
‘competitive worship.’ We will lean towards modernism and not modernization. In other words, we must endeavor to keep the song, but not to change the words.
We hear the term Old Time Pentecost often. The older generation had an experience with old time Pentecost. And oh, some of the songs they used to sing and the worship that went along with it! They had their brush arbors and all night prayer meetings. They knew what it was to live by faith and not by sight. I think every now and then it’s good to pick up the songbook and sing one of the old songs of Zion.
It seems that now what we hear is an attempt to change the words of the song in order to be socially acceptable. Back then folks had the tenacity to worship regardless of the circumstance. We must not lose our song of worship, regardless of the situation or circumstance.
In
Leviticus 23:40 Israel was commanded to worship in this manner:
“And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days.”
They were instructed to worship in 3 ways:
With the thick boughs; These are the support system for the tree. Without the thick boughs the tree will not survive. The thick boughs are connected to the taproot which provides life giving sustenance to the rest of the tree.
With the palm branches; Palm branches lift themselves high and reached heavenward; as such they are symbolic of prosperity. They are indicative of the blessings of God. The palms were stately and regal. It was those boughs that provided a way for Jesus to enter into Jerusalem.
And with the willows; The willows are not strong at all. They are limp and hang downward towards the ground. They are symbolic of times of hardship and trial and leanness. They speak to the poverty and sorrow of a person.
Yet God commanded them to worship Him in all three. In the best of times, in the good times, and in the bad times.
It seems Israel fell into the cycle of being able to worship Him with the thick boughs and palm branches, but not with the willows.
John 12 tells us of the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. The people go before Him worshiping. Men begin to reach into the palm trees and cut off branches. These are then laid before Jesus as He enters the city. The peoples cry of “
Hosanna, Hosanna, blessed is the King that cometh in the name of the Lord” resounds throughout the city.
What an incredible time of worship and rightfully so! It’s easy to worship Him with the thick boughs and palm branches in a time of prosperity.
But what about 3 days later? As Jesus is led away captive the people are no longer worshiping. There are no palm branches being waved on that day. No
“Hosannas to the King.” The same air is now filled with cries of
“Crucify Him, crucify Him.”
You see, they could worship a God of the palms that would be prosperous and make them prosperous, but they could not worship a God of the willows. While everything was going their way they had a song. But when the tables had turned they lost the ability to sing a
“Song In The Willows.”
Israel had not broken the cycle. In
Exodus 15 we read of a time of great deliverance for Israel. If there ever was a time to sing this was it. They had just left Egypt and crossed the Red Sea; Pharaoh's chariots and soldiers had drowned. For the first time in history Israel can sing a song of deliverance!
Miriam grabs a tambourine, Daddy sang bass, momma sang tenor and everybody joined right in there! It was a time of the thick boughs palms if ever there was one. What an incredible God and what incredible worship to Him.
But three days later Israel lost her song. They ran out of water and the tambourine quit jingling, the singers stopped singing and the song died. Words of praise were replaced by words of murmuring and complaining. What a shame that they could have a song of the palms and not a song of the willows!
In
Psalm 137 the Psalmist recounts part of the most tragic events of Israel’s history. For 490 years Israel was in bondage in Babylon. The Sabbath was not observed and the song was lost. There came a day when they sat down by the rivers of Babylon and wept when they remembered Zion.
It takes a whole lot more than a memory to keep the song alive.
The Word says they hung their harps upon the willows. Wait, wait, wait, God didn’t say anything about hanging a harp in the willow tree. He did say you ought to praise Him with the willow branches, though.
What a shame that when the world asked for a song from the Church that she had forgotten the words. Israel was so consumed with their problems that they forgot who their God was. If He had delivered them once could He not do it again? Did they not realize that if they lost their song their children would never know it?
I wonder what did the children think down through the years? Did the grandson ever go fishin’ with his granddad along Babylon’s River? Maybe while leaning back against the riverbank, he looked up in the willow trees and saw an old harp hanging on the branches.
The question came quickly:
“Granddad, what’s that up in the tree?” “Oh, son, that’s a harp we used to play to a song we used to sing.”
“Can you sing it for me now Granddad?” With a weary nod of the head and a faraway look in his eye the grandfather says “
Son, I’m sorry, but I just can’t remember how the words go.” What a tragedy that all they had was tears when their children needed a song in the willows.
What about your song? If there is ever a time to sing a song it’s when you find your life in the willows. It’s great to worship Him in the palms and just about everyone does.
What granddad should have done was reached up into the willow and ripped the harp out of the tree; he should have let his old raspy voice begin to sing, and the frail old body should have started dancing around the willow tree.
Let me ask you,
“Where is your song and harp?” Have you let adversity and trials make you hang it up and forget the words? When is the last time that you danced around your willow tree and sang
“A Song In The Willows?”
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