Being held captive by somebody or something is not pleasant. We want the freedom to come and go, and do as we please within reason. With a few exceptions, in most places slavery does not exist. Yet people still find themselves held captive. Though sometimes it might be in a hostage or kidnapping situation, usually today people are in captivity to some habit or influence that they have gotten into. It could be with some substance such as alcohol or drugs, or maybe a sinful or just plain annoying habit they have. The longer they are in its clutches, the more difficult it is to get free. Our psalm for this week speaks of the joy of having the Lord bring one back from being in captivity.
The people of Israel had been held captive against their will several times in their history. For several generations the Israelites had been slaves in Egypt. God delivered them from this captivity through the hands of His servant Moses, leading them through the Red Sea on dry land. After arriving in the Promised Land, the twelve tribes each took possession of their land. However, over the ensuing years there were times when the surrounding nations, such as the Philistines, came and overpowered portions of the land, bringing some of the people under their power and control. God allowed this to happen as punishment for the people having turned to pagan idolatry. Finally, due to their sin and idolatry the whole nation was taken into captivity by the Babylonians. They remained in captivity for about 70 years, and then God slowly allowed the people to return.
Our short psalm for this week begins with words describing the joy and praise of the people when the Lord set them free from captivity (vs. 1-3). We can imagine how happy slaves were when they were set free from being held in captivity and chains. I remember reading about three girls in Ohio who had been kidnapped and held captive for many years, and how they finally made their escape. There was great rejoicing and happiness that day!
Since slavery or kidnapping are not likely to be our experience, how can we relate to this psalm? Before anyone accepts Jesus as their Savior they are held captive to sin, they are a slave to sin (John 8:34; Romans 6:16). Our sinful desires and lifestyle hold us captive, and ultimately it is the devil who is holding the chains and whip, keeping us in bonds. Ask any recovering alcoholic or drug addict and they will tell you that when they are using the drugs they are in captivity. The same is true with someone addicted to pornography and many other sinful activities.
God does not want anyone being held captive by Satan and sin, and that is why He sent His Son to pay the price for our sins, and set us free. When we turn to the Lord Jesus and accept Him as our Savior, He sets us free from the control of sin in our life, and we are free. We can sing and rejoice just like the Israelites when they came back from captivity.
When the slaves of the South found a way to become free they told others. They told other slaves the different routes and locations of safe houses on the Underground Railroad to freedom in the North. They knew that it was unfair to keep that knowledge to themselves. The same is true when we experience freedom in the Lord Jesus. We need to tell others who are in captivity with their sins of the freedom they can have with Jesus. Jesus compared the spreading of the Gospel with that of sowing seed in His Parable of the Sower (Luke 8:4-15).
As our psalm closes, the writer tells of those who go out sowing seed in sorrow, but will come back again bringing a harvest with joy (vs. 5-6). He wasn’t just speaking about actually planting seed and reaping a crop. As Jesus said, they are sowing the Word of God, and bringing a harvest of souls for the Lord. It isn’t always easy to bring a witness to others, and it can be heartbreaking when they reject the Lord time and again. Yet, we cannot keep the Good News to ourselves. We must go out bringing the Word, and we will come back again with a harvest for the Lord.
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