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Psalms 87

on Psalms 87

Psalm 87

This is another psalm that extols the glory of Mount Zion (see 46—48, 76, 125, 129, 137). The writer was not indulging in arrogant nationalism but only seeking to glorify the God of Israel and the blessings He bestows. The psalm must be read on two levels. It is a prophecy of the future kingdom, when all nations will come to Jerusalem to worship (86:9; Isa. 2:1–5), and it is also a picture of the heavenly Zion where the children of God have their spiritual citizenship (Luke 10:20; Gal. 4:21–31; Phil. 3:20–21; Heb. 12:18–24). God promised that Abraham would have an earthly family, like the sands of the sea, which is Israel, and a heavenly family, like the stars of the heaven, which is the church (Gen. 13:16; 15:4–5). The psalm was probably written in the time of King Hezekiah, after the Assyrian army had been defeated and Babylon was on the rise (Isa. 36–39). Following this great victory, the neighboring nations, usually hostile to the Jews, honored Hezekiah and brought gifts to him as well as sacrifices to the Lord (2 Chron. 32:23). The psalmist shares three wonderful truths about the city of Jerusalem.

The City Is Built by God

After the battle of the kings (Gen. 14:18), Abraham met Melchizedek, the king-priest of Salem (Jerusalem, “city of peace”; see 76:2), and Hebrews 7 informs us that Melchizedek is a type of Jesus Christ, our PriestKing in heaven. David chose Jerusalem for his capital city (2 Sam. 5:6–10), and the Lord validated that choice by putting His temple there. The nation of Israel was to be separate from the other nations both politically (Num. 23:9) and geographically. That is why God called Jerusalem “my city” (Isa. 45:13) and “the Holy City” (Isa. 48:2; 52:1) and Zion “my holy mountain” (Isa. 11:9; 56:7; 57:13). It is “the city of the great King, the joy of the whole earth” (48:2). It is “His foundation” from which He has built His great work of redemption (Isa. 14:32). “Salvation is of the Jews,” said Jesus (John 4:22), and were it not for Israel, the world would not have the knowledge of the true and living God, the inspired Scriptures, or the Savior. Jesus died and rose again outside the walls of Jerusalem, the Holy Spirit descended on the church meeting in Jerusalem on Pentecost, and it was from Jerusalem that the early Jewish believers scattered to carry the gospel to the nations.

The phrase “the gates of Zion” refers to the city itself, a city God loves above all cities in the Holy Land. (See Deut. 7:6–9; 2 Chron. 6:5–6; Isa. 60:11–12; Zech. 1:14.) In Jerusalem was not only the temple of the true God, but also the throne of David, and it would be the Davidic line that would give us the Savior, Jesus Christ. In the end times, Jerusalem will be a center of controversy and conflict, but the Lord will rescue His beloved city (Zech. 12:1—13:1). But the prophets have written some “glorious things” about the future Jerusalem, and the apostles have written even more glorious things about the heavenly Jerusalem!

The City Is Inhabited by His Children

The Lord is described as a king taking a royal census and registering individual names (“this one … that one …”), but the remarkable thing is that these people are Gentiles and that God is making them His own children and citizens of His Holy City! Even more, the nations named are the avowed enemies of the Jews! The emphasis in all three verses is on birth, indicating that the people who enter the future glorious kingdom will experience a “new birth” and belong to the family of God. Like Paul, they will be citizens by birth (Acts 22:25–29) and not by purchase. The phrase “them that know me” indicates more than an intellectual appreciation of the Lord. It describes a personal relationship with Him, like that of husband and wife (Gen. 4:1; 19:8; 1 Sam. 2:12; 3:7).

“Rahab” refers to Egypt (89:10; Isa. 51:9), Israel’s enemy in the south, and the word means “arrogant, boisterous.” Egypt enslaved the Jews and yet will share with them citizenship in the city of God and membership in the family of God (Isa. 19:18–25)! Israel’s northern enemy, Babylon, would one day destroy Jerusalem and ravage the kingdom of Judah, and the Jews would vow to pay her back (137:1, 8–9), but she, too, will be part of the glorious kingdom! Philistia and Tyre on the west were always a threat to Israel, but they will be included. Ethiopia is “Cush,” a nation in Africa. Of course, of all these nations, only Egypt is still on the map, but the message is clear: when the Lord establishes His glorious kingdom, and Messiah reigns from Jerusalem, Israel’s enemies will be transformed into fellow citizens. Through the preaching of the gospel today, this miracle is happening in His church (Eph. 2:11–22; Gal. 3:26–29). The Old Testament prophets promised that believers from all the nations of the earth would be included in Messiah’s reign (Isa. 2:1–5; Mic. 4:1–5; Zech. 8:23; 14:16–20), and so did the psalmists (22:27; 46:10; 47:9; 57:5, 11; 98:2–3; 99:2–3). “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea” (Hab. 2: nkjv).

The City Enjoys His Abundant Blessings

As citizens of Zion and the children of God, the Jews and Gentiles not only live together but they sing together and play musical instruments as they rejoice in God’s blessings. Jerusalem is one of the few ancient cities that was not built near a great river, and it was always a problem to supply enough water, especially during a siege. To help solve this problem, King Hezekiah had ordered an underground water system constructed (2 Kings 20:20; 2 Chron. 32:30). The word translated “fountains” or “springs” refers to “living water” and not water brought up from a well. A fountain or spring symbolizes the source of something, as Jacob is the “fountain” from which the nation came (Deut. 33:28). All blessings, especially spiritual blessings, will flow from the Lord who reigns in the City of David, just as today we draw upon the wealth found only in our exalted Lord (Rom. 2:4; 9:23; 11:33; Eph. 1:3; 2:4–10; 3:8; Phil. 4:19; Col. 1:27). The image of a river of living water is found also in 36:8–9; 46:4; 89:6; Ezekiel 47; John 7:37–39; and Revelation 22:1–2.