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How can we sing the songs of the Lord while in a foreign land? (Psalm 137:4)

The writer of Psalm 137 paints a picture of captives being led back to a strange land. On the way to their new home, the captors stop them and want to hear a song. They don’t want to hear it because of it would glorify God, they just decided they wanted some entertainment. Here were some people with musical instruments so why not have us some music?

It made the people of God who were newly captive sad. How can we sing praise in an evil place?

When I was in basic training in the army in 1969, there was a drill sergeant named Charbonneau. He was an unbeliever and was a very worldly guy.

For some reason, lost now in the recesses of time, he decided he would like to hear one of those Christian songs. How about the Old Iron Cross, he said. Sing us the Old Iron Cross.

He picked out four of us and told us to sing. It was a situation that was almost surreal, especially in the remembering.

We sang, of course, the Old Rugged Cross. I do not remember if we sang the whole thing or just a part of a verse, if someone stopped us or what. But I remember the standing there while a fool was laughing at me.

I have never forgotten that event. To sing in that place to a hostile audience was bizarre.

Today, you hear of situations like that and people sue over religious harassment. This being 1969 though, you just did it.

Jesus knew that feeling. When he was before the King of Judea, Herod, at his trial, it was requested of him that he do a miracle. They had always wanted to see one of these miracles they had heard of. Why didn’t he do one for them. It would be neat.

The Bible says that Jesus just stood there and didn’t even bother to answer them. As he had said in the Sermon on the Mount, he was not going to cast pearls before swine. It would have been worthless to reduce him and his power to that of a sideshow with entertainment.

See with your very eyes the man make bread from a rock! Watch as wine is created from water! These and many more tricks from the Son of God!

No.

The Israelites in Psalm 137 felt the same way. In September of 1969, I felt the same way.

I sang that day, but felt like an idiot. Which of course was his purpose. I do not know if the Israelites sang. They probably did, since large people with weapons insisted they do so. Jesus didn’t.

Every time I remember that drill sergeant, I despise him. And I pray for him. He is probably in his late 60’s, early 70’s now. I hope he has found the Lord.

But whether he has or not, one day he will know the reality of the cross.