How Shall We Sing The LORD's Song In A Strange Land?

In Scripture we are often reminded that God's people are presently exiled from their Homeland.

For example, in reviewing the faith of the saints of the Old Testament, the writer of Hebrews tells us that they "... died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city." (Heb 11:13-16)

Augustine expounded on this theme at length, reminding us that the disciple of Jesus, while temporarily sojourning in the city of man is, in reality, already a citizen of the eternal City of God. In that the two cities are utterly opposed to each other, the disciple, insofar as he faithfully represents the City of God in the midst of the city of man, is constantly engaged in a great battle against powers both within and outside himself that oppose the City of God.

The opposition from the world, the flesh, and the devil takes many forms, but all the diverse forms have in common the practical denial of the existence or value of the City of God. For example, if the evil one tempts us, he tempts us with either pleasure or avoidance of pain in this present world. And, if our evil nature, being blind and dead to the things of God, yields to such temptation, it denies in practice the reality and infinite value of the City of God.

So, all opposition that we face, whether from within or from without, is, in reality, an attack on our faith. Not "faith" as a mere mental assent to the proposition that God, being infinite and good, condescended to make (and satisfy) a covenant of grace through the blood of the Cross to save ruined sinners; but faith in the sense of a revelation from God to us that He made and kept a covenant with us to save us from our sins.

The evil one seeks to destroy such faith. Ironically, however, true faith from God cannot fail. It is only false faith that can fail. The only effect that temptation has on true, God-given faith is to prove (when all temptation is complete) that the faith was genuine and well-founded. "For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world -- our faith." (I John 5:4).

When discussing the situation of the Christian in the midst of the world, however, it is misleading to talk exclusively in defensive terms of resisting attack and temptation. While it is certainly true that we are attacked, through faith we understand the greater reality that it is Satan and the city of man that are being invaded. That is to say, it is the Kingdom of God which is invading the kingdom of the devil and that will ultimately supplant it. "The kingdom of the world has become the Kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ" (Rev 11:15).

So what does this mean practically? Or, as the question in the title of this post asks "How shall we sing the LORD's song in a strange land?" (Ps 137:4)

We sing the LORD's song in a strange land by realizing that it is the City of God that is real and the city of man that is the imagination and the dream (Psalm 73:20). We sing the LORD's song by asserting that what is real and true is what God has revealed about Himself, regardless of what appears to be true. "Let God be true though everyone were a liar" (Rom 3:4)

We do not sing the LORD's song by primarily seeking to obey the Law -- although keeping the Law will undoubtedly be a consequence of considering the knowledge of God and His glory to be our highest good. Nor do we sing the LORD's song by seeking primarily to be loving toward others -- although it is certainly true that those who are entranced by God's glory as revealed in Jesus will certainly be loving. We sing the LORD's song, even here in a strange land, by becoming and remaining intoxicated and entranced by the infinite value of God as revealed in Jesus our Lord.

"And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. " (2Co 4:3-7)

Blessings until next time, ...