When the Lord turned the captivity of Zion - sermon, song, lyrics and meaning
It is never the will of God for any of His children to be held captive. This is one reason why God would do anything to bring them out whenever they call unto Him for help. When the Lord turned the captivity of Zion, they could not believe how He did it and the ways through which He rescued them. It was too real to be true for them. You see, God does not have a specific or stereotyped way of assisting or answering the prayers of His children. This is why when you call unto Him, you do not have to dictate to Him how you want Him to help you.
Source: Original
God is amazing in His ways. He has a million and one ways of answering the prayers of His children. For instance, when He wanted to feed the children of Israel in the wilderness, He provided quails so that the people had enough to eat. At another time, when He wanted to feed His servant Elijah, He sent ravens to give him food in the daytime and at night. So many wonderful things He does that are not explainable. This goes on to tell you that when God is involved in your case, He will do it better than you can ever imagine. A reason why we have always been encouraged to trust in the Lord and to put our faith in Him is so that He could do whatever He wants to do for us in the best way that He chooses to.
Remember how God delivered the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt? It was just like a dream. At a time when Moses made attempt to deliver them without the help of God, he ended up killing someone and out of fear of being killed by king Pharaoh, he had to flee for his life. But at the appointed time when God stepped into the situation, it became like a dream. Even King Pharaoh who was strong-headed initially had no option other than to ask the Israelites to go when he could not bear the dealings and tortures of God any longer. In the midst of your challenging situation or whatever serves as your captivity, God is all you should cry to for help.
But what does it mean for God to turn a man's or a city's captivity? Let us explore that in the light of the Scripture.
When the Lord turned the captivity of Zion meaning
Based on the passage where this statement was taken from, we may not really explain why the people of Zion went into captivity. It may be based on their sin or disobedience or something. But then, one thing is clear, their movement into captivity was not for their destruction but to teach them a lesson. It was not for the purpose of consuming them as dross is consumed in a fire but for their transformation just as gold passes through fire so that it could shine better.
More so, from a critical analysis of that verse, it says "When the Lord"; it does not say "If the Lord". This means that there is a time for everything. There is an appointed time for your deliverance; the only thing is that you may not know when. Then, we could look at those words from another angle. It says "When the Lord". This tells of who worked out their deliverance. The Lord is the only person who can turn any situation around. It is only He who has the power to set any captive free. No matter how much you look up to man, if the Lord does not help you, no one else can. It was after the Lord stepped into their situation that there was a change - a turnaround.
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So, the statement "When the Lord turned the captivity of Zion" talks about the appointed time when the Lord looked upon the people of Zion, stepped into their situation, and delivered them out of their captivity. And when He did so, it was a pleasant surprise to them. They were so amazed. It must have come so sudden that at first, they were confused; they could not understand the way the whole event took place. In fact, all that they could say was that they were like those who were dreaming.
When the Lord turned the captivity of Zion sermon
1 When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream.
2 Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The Lord hath done great things for them.
3 The Lord hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad.
4 Turn again our captivity, O Lord, as the streams in the south.
5 They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.
6 He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.
This passage explains to us that there is no help from any man that can last long like that help that comes from God. In the same vein, no victory is ever achieved by the strength of human arms or the whims of the human mind. You can imagine how long the people of Zion, the city of the great King, had been in captivity and in just a moment, when God stepped in, He overturned the whole situation. The people who were once held captives got their deliverance just in the blinking of an eye. The beautiful thing about our God is that when He steps into any situation, it is no longer about whether He would be able to do it because we can rest assured that He will do it. He is the almighty God. He is the all-sufficient King and sovereign Lord. His power is immeasurable.
Source: Original
Imagine how long Sarah had been held in the captivity of barrenness but when God stepped in, she became the mother of a child. She whom the world had written off that nothing good could ever come out of her now became one that people gathered to celebrate. How about Hannah and Elizabeth? These were held captivity to the spirit of barrenness as well, but just when God remembered them and came to their aid, their story changed. It was as though they were dreaming because no one expected that something good could still come out of their lives.
No situation is beyond God's repair. He is the God of change. Joseph had been in prison for not less than thirteen years until God stepped in. Imagine in a strange land, where he had no family or relatives, he was crowned as the second-in-command to Pharaoh. The dream he had for a long time ended up coming to pass. This is to tell you that it is never too late for God to do whatever He has decided to do for you. For years the Israelites were in captivity in the land of Egypt, but when God stepped in, they got their deliverance.
Consider what happened after God stepped into the case of the people of Zion. Verse two says,
"Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The Lord hath done great things for them".
Can you see something there? When God steps into any sour situation, the next thing that would happen is laughter. No matter how bitter your experience may be, when God overturns your situation, you will surely rejoice. Apart from that, the heathen could not but conclude that God did it for them. See, there are certain situations that are beyond argument; you cannot explain them. These are what God alone can do.
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However, to get God's help is never automatic; you have your own part to play and afterward, God commits to playing His own part. When the children of Israel needed deliverance, they had to cry to God. Exodus 2:23 (KJV) says,
"And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage".
If you don't cry to God, He may never show up. You need to call on Him before you can see Him move on your behalf. And when you are doing so, it has to be by faith because it is by faith that we receive from the Lord.
Below are the lyrics of a song that emphasizes the point we have been discussing so far. I hope the song blesses you as you read through.
When the Lord turned the captivity of Zion lyrics
[Stanza 1]
When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion,
We were like them that dream,
We were like them that dream.
[Stanza 2]
Then was our mouth filled with laughter,
And our tongue with singing:
Then said they among the nations,
The Lord hath done great things,
The Lord hath done great things for them.
[Antiphon]
The Lord hath done great things for us;
Whereof we are glad.
The Lord hath done great things for us;
Whereof we are glad.
[Stanza 3]
Turn again our captivity, O Lord, as the streams,
As the streams in the south,
As the streams in the south.
[Stanza 4]
They that sow in tears shall reap in joy,
They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.
[Stanza 5]
He that goeth forth and weepeth,
Bearing precious seed, shall doubtless,
Come again with rejoicing,
Come again with rejoicing,
Bringing his sheaves with him.
[Antiphon]
The Lord hath done great things for us;
Whereof we are glad.
The Lord hath done great things for us;
Whereof we are glad.
[Stanza 6]
When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion,
We were like them that dream,
We were like them that dream.
When the Lord turned the captivity of Zion song
The song "When the Lord turned the captivity of Zion" derived its inspiration from Psalm 126 which talks about the mightiness of God in turning any situation around for good. A beautiful thing about many of these Scripture-inspired songs is that they are capable of impacting anyone who listens to them just as the passage of the Scripture from where they are taken from can. The song emphasizes how the people of Zion felt after God answered them by delivering them out of the hands of their captors.
Interestingly, this is the same thing that can happen to anyone who experiences the awesome power of God. While you may not be able to explain how it happens, all you are left with is laughter. When this happens, people around you will be part of your news-carriers. In fact, they will help you share your testimony that God had actually visited you and done great things for you.
Another inspiration that can be drawn from the song is that no matter how challenging the present situation may be, it will always end in joy. This is expressed in few of the lines of the lyrics where it said,
"They that sow in tears shall reap in joy" and "He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless, come again with rejoicing".
In short, this serves to encourage you that God knows your labour of love and that in due time, you will be rewarded. It may look painful and inconvenient doing the things that God wants at the moment, but as long as you do not give up, you will always get the dividend of your labour.
"When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion" hymn is available on different Christian websites where you can listen to it online or even download to get yourself inspired at all times. You surely need the song to constantly remind yourself that God is able to change or turn your unpleasant situation around for good. Another notable place where you can get the song is on YouTube. There is even a version of the song video which has the lyrics. This makes it easy for you to watch and also sing along.
Based on the title we have considered so far, the truth has been established that only God can help and turn any situation around for good. More so, as He did for the people of Zion, when it happens, it sometimes looks like a dream such that you do not know how to explain the whole event. No matter how sour or how bad things have been, when God's power manifests, it will always turn to laughter. Just as the passage reads that when the Lord turned the captivity of Zion, they were like dreamers, you can also experience the same after an encounter with God's mighty power.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
