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I. THE DREAM. It was a delightful one.

1. There are many of quite another kind - dreams full of trouble, terror, and distress. Many such are recorded in Scripture (Genesis 40.; Daniel 2.; Job 7:14; Matthew 27:19).

2. But this was full of joy and rapture. So unexpected, so wonderful, was Israel's redemption from exile. They could hardly realize how blessed they were. For it was a reality, not a dream. More often the daylight destroys our dreams; but this joy remained.

3. And their joy was irrepressible. (Ver. 2.) How sadly little of such joy do we see in the redeemed people of the Lord today! If they had not been redeemed at all, they could scarcely be more sad.

4. Their joy compelled the confession of God's goodness to them on the part of heathen nations'. A glad Church is ever a conquering Church. A realized redemption will be rejoiced in by the redeemed themselves, and recognized by others yet waiting to be redeemed. The world wants still to see a joyful witness-bearing Church. When such Church is seen, then, perhaps, the millennium will have come. But let each consciously redeemed soul bear its testimony here and now, not waiting for others. It is what ought to be.

II. THE DREAM MODIFIED BY THE DAYLIGHT. (Ver. 4.) For:

1. The company of exiles who lead come back were but as a handful, as a tiny rill, the wonder of which was that it did not dry up, there was so little of it. Such rills generally did dry up, as the bare water-courses proved. And the company of those returned from Babylon, they were, oh, so few; the great majority were in exile still, and they themselves were threatened with all manner of opposition (Ezra 4:11-24).

2. Hence there rose up the prayer, "Turn again our captivity," etc.; that is, "Bring back our exiles, O Lord, in such strength and numbers, that it shall be with us as with the slender stream when, by the melting of the mountain snows, its waters are swollen into a full, rapid, mighty torrent, bearing all before it; let there be such an increase for us, thy people." And is not this the very prayer the Church needs today? for the com-puny of God's faithful people, are not they in this desert world but as a handful, a little flock, a tiny rill? Let us each say our "Amen."

III. BUT REALIZED AGAIN BY FAITH IN THE PROMISES OF GOD. (Vers. 5, 6.) It might be amid drenching rains the sower went forth to cast into the ground his handful of seed, but the promises of God to such as he never failed, and in due time the glad harvest was given. So the devout psalmist looked now on himself and his little company of fellow-exiles, no longer as a tiny rill ready to be dried up and perish, but as the sower's handful of seed which amid much toil he sowed; but sustained by the sure confidence that the harvest would make amends for all. And for the Christian worker today, the lonely missionary in China, India, Central Africa, and elsewhere; ah! with what tears these servants of God often go forth! But they bear the precious seed, precious in itself, precious in their own experience of its power; and they, too, are sustained, as all true workers for God must be, by the faith that "doubtless," without any possibility of failure, they shall come again to God who sent them forth, bringing with joy the rich results of their present toil and prayer. Let us pray for such sowers let us be such ourselves. - S.C.

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KJV: {A Song of degrees.} When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream.

WEB: When Yahweh brought back those who returned to Zion, we were like those who dream.