Psalm 137
God provided for the Israelites, showing them love from the beginning, and offering them guidance for life. Through prophets, God warned them of the damage that would be the result of breaking off a relationship with Him. They ignored this. They rejected God and were taken captive by the Babylonians as a result. They longed for restoration. That is the context for this song of the “blues”. The Israelites sang to bring themselves back into a place of worship, mourning their captivity in Babylon. Their captors wanted them to sing happy songs, but they lamented. They called for punishment on the Edomites and the Babylonians. God answered their cry.