◄ Psalm 126:3 ►
The LORD has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.
Study Bible
The LORD has done great things for us;
This phrase acknowledges the divine intervention and blessings that the Israelites experienced, likely referring to their return from Babylonian exile. Historically, the Babylonian captivity was a period of great suffering, and their release was seen as a miraculous act of God. Theologically, this reflects the covenant relationship between God and His people, where God acts on behalf of Israel. This phrase can be connected to other instances in the Bible where God performs mighty acts, such as the Exodus (Exodus 14) and the conquest of Canaan (Joshua 6). It also foreshadows the ultimate deliverance through Jesus Christ, who brings spiritual liberation.

we are filled with joy.
The joy expressed here is a response to the tangible experience of God's faithfulness and deliverance. In the cultural context of ancient Israel, joy was often associated with communal celebrations and worship, as seen in the feasts and festivals prescribed in the Law (Leviticus 23). This joy is not merely emotional but is deeply rooted in the recognition of God's sovereignty and goodness. The joy of the Israelites can be paralleled with the joy of salvation found in the New Testament, such as in Philippians 4:4, where believers are encouraged to rejoice in the Lord always. This joy is a foretaste of the eternal joy promised in the Kingdom of God.

Persons / Places / Events
1. The LORD (Yahweh)
The covenant-keeping God of Israel, who is the source of all blessings and the one who has done great things for His people.

2. Israelites
The original recipients of this Psalm, likely reflecting on their return from Babylonian exile, experiencing God's deliverance and restoration.

3. Babylonian Exile
A significant event in Israel's history where they were taken captive, and their eventual return is seen as a miraculous act of God.

4. Zion (Jerusalem)
The central place of worship and the heart of the Jewish nation, often symbolizing God's presence and blessing.

5. Return from Exile
The historical event that this Psalm likely celebrates, symbolizing God's faithfulness and the joy of restoration.
Teaching Points
Recognizing God's Greatness
Reflect on the "great things" God has done in your life. Acknowledge His hand in both the big and small blessings.

Joy as a Response to God's Work
Understand that true joy comes from recognizing and celebrating God's work in our lives. Cultivate a heart of gratitude and joy.

Historical Context and Personal Application
Just as the Israelites experienced deliverance, consider areas in your life where God has brought restoration and freedom.

Faithfulness in Trials
Remember that God's faithfulness in past trials is a promise of His continued presence and help in current and future challenges.

Community Celebration
Encourage sharing testimonies within your community to build faith and joy, just as the Israelites shared their joy in God's deliverance.
Bible Study Questions
1. What are some "great things" that the LORD has done in your life, and how have you responded to them?

2. How does understanding the historical context of the Babylonian exile enhance your appreciation of Psalm 126:3?

3. In what ways can you cultivate a heart of joy and gratitude in your daily life, even amidst challenges?

4. How can the joy of the LORD be your strength, as mentioned in Nehemiah 8:10, in your current circumstances?

5. How can sharing your experiences of God's faithfulness with others encourage and build up your community of faith?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Psalm 126:1-2
These verses set the context for verse 3, describing the joy and laughter of the Israelites as they returned from exile, emphasizing the miraculous nature of their deliverance.

Nehemiah 8:10
This verse speaks of the joy of the LORD being the strength of His people, connecting the joy in Psalm 126:3 to the strength and encouragement found in God's presence.

Isaiah 35:10
This passage describes the joy and gladness of the redeemed returning to Zion, paralleling the joy expressed in Psalm 126:3.

Ephesians 3:20-21
This New Testament passage speaks of God doing immeasurably more than we ask or imagine, connecting to the "great things" God has done in Psalm 126:3.
Sermons
Christian Gratitude for the Goodness of GodT. Dale, M. A.Psalm 126:3
Grateful Acknowledgment of Divine GoodnessHelps for the PulpitPsalm 126:3
Great ThingsThe StudyPsalm 126:3
Great Things for UsJ. J. S. Bird, B. A.Psalm 126:3
Personal Experience ForcefulH. O. Mackey.Psalm 126:3
A Political Fact that is EmblematicHomilistPsalm 126:1-6
A Psalm of DeliveranceA. Whyfe, D. D.Psalm 126:1-6
Alternations and Contrasts in the Experiences of LifeC. Short Psalm 126:1-6
Captivity and DeliveranceJohn Gaskin, M. A.Psalm 126:1-6
Captivity TurnedR. Davies, M. A.Psalm 126:1-6
Like Them that DreamS. Conway Psalm 126:1-6
The History of a SoulS. Conway Psalm 126:1-6
Our Joy in God a Witness for GodR. Tuck Psalm 126:2, 3
People
Psalmist, Solomon
Places
Jerusalem
Topics
Glad, Joy, Joyful, Rejoiced, Whereof
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Psalm 126:1-3

     7271   Zion, as symbol

Psalm 126:2-3

     1060   God, greatness of
     8287   joy, experience

Library
The Lost Silver Piece
But, my dear friends, the three parables recorded in this chapter are not repetitions; they all declare the same main truth, but each one reveals a different phase of it. The three parables are three sides of a vast pyramid of gospel doctrine, but there is a distinct inscription upon each. Not only in the similitude, but also in the teaching covered by the similitude, there is variety, progress, enlargement, discrimination. We have only need to read attentively to discover that in this trinity of …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 17: 1871

The Scattering of the People
[Illustration: (drop cap A) The Fish-god of Assyria and Babylonia] At last the full punishment for their many sins fell upon God's chosen people. The words of warning written in the fifth book of Moses had told them plainly that if they turned aside and worshipped the wicked idol-gods of Canaan, the Lord would take their country from them and drive them out into strange lands. Yet again and again they had yielded to temptation. And now the day of reckoning had come. Nebuchadnezzar, the great king …
Mildred Duff—The Bible in its Making

The Seed Growing Secretly.
"And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; and should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come."--MARK iv. 26-29. This is the only parable that is peculiar to Mark. The subjects contained in …
William Arnot—The Parables of Our Lord

The Comforts Belonging to Mourners
Having already presented to your view the dark side of the text, I shall now show you the light side, They shall be comforted'. Where observe: 1 Mourning goes before comfort as the lancing of a wound precedes the cure. The Antinomian talks of comfort, but cries down mourning for sin. He is like a foolish patient who, having a pill prescribed him, licks the sugar but throws away the pill. The libertine is all for joy and comfort. He licks the sugar but throws away the bitter pill of repentance. If …
Thomas Watson—The Beatitudes: An Exposition of Matthew 5:1-12

Death Swallowed up in victory
Then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory! D eath, simply considered, is no more than the cessation of life --that which was once living, lives no longer. But it has been the general, perhaps the universal custom of mankind, to personify it. Imagination gives death a formidable appearance, arms it with a dart, sting or scythe, and represents it as an active, inexorable and invincible reality. In this view death is a great devourer; with his iron tongue …
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 2

Of the Necessity of Divine Influences to Produce Regeneration in the Soul.
Titus iii. 5, 6. Titus iii. 5, 6. Not by works of righteousness, which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; which he shed on us abundantly, through Jesus Christ our Saviour. IF my business were to explain and illustrate this scripture at large, it would yield an ample field for accurate criticism and useful discourse, and more especially would lead us into a variety of practical remarks, on which it would be pleasant …
Philip Doddridge—Practical Discourses on Regeneration

Introduction. Chapter i. --The Life and Writings of St. Hilary of Poitiers.
St. Hilary of Poitiers is one of the greatest, yet least studied, of the Fathers of the Western Church. He has suffered thus, partly from a certain obscurity in his style of writing, partly from the difficulty of the thoughts which he attempted to convey. But there are other reasons for the comparative neglect into which he has fallen. He learnt his theology, as we shall see, from Eastern authorities, and was not content to carry on and develop the traditional teaching of the West; and the disciple …
St. Hilary of Poitiers—The Life and Writings of St. Hilary of Poitiers

Psalms
The piety of the Old Testament Church is reflected with more clearness and variety in the Psalter than in any other book of the Old Testament. It constitutes the response of the Church to the divine demands of prophecy, and, in a less degree, of law; or, rather, it expresses those emotions and aspirations of the universal heart which lie deeper than any formal demand. It is the speech of the soul face to face with God. Its words are as simple and unaffected as human words can be, for it is the genius …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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