The Lodestar

The Old Testament, particularly the Prophets, used the Hebrew word “restore” to indicate a radical change from an undesirable situation caused by divine wrath to a condition of divine favour.

It has been the prayer of people who have faced adversity in their lives. While in exile, the people for their restoration: “Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When the LORD restores the fortunes of his people, let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad” (Psa 14:7).

However, this Psalm begins with thanking God for bringing them back. They could not believe their eyes since it was entirely unexpected: “When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them.” The LORD has done great things for us; we are glad” (Psa 126:1—3). The psalmist had in mind the return of the exiles from Babylon under the leadership of Zerubbabel.

While thanking God for the restoration that has already occurred, the psalmist continues to pray in this verse for a repeat. He may not be implying the return of the people but a renewal of the lives of those who returned, which reformers like Ezra and Nehemiah attempted. He is asking God to repeat history.

The psalmist uses the vivid metaphor of streams in the Negeb to depict what would happen when God favours them by repeating his acts in history. The Negeb is the stretch of barren land between Palestine and the fertile Nile Delta (now part of Egypt). Though dry for most of the year, it is adorned with flora when the first drops of rain land on earth, making small seasonal streams meander through it. Plant seeds are buried in the sands, small creatures hide in deep burrows, and animals that have migrated elsewhere return. That is the kind of renewal that the poet anticipates.

The psalmist has captured the longings of the human soul for God’s touch. When we are spiritually dry, go through the night of the soul, and the connection with the Lord is snapped, this prayer helps us restore what is lost and brings newness and vitality to our lives.

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