Glorious Zion! Psalm 87:1-7 - Bible Study Workshop · III. These psalms, like the enthronement psalms (Psalm 93; Psalm 95-99), seem to contain three major elements. A. Psalm 93:1-5,

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Commentary By Dr. Clyde M. Miller Questions by John C. Sewell

Glorious Zion!

Psalm 87:1-7

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Glorious Zion!

Commentary

by

Dr. Clyde M. Miller Text: Psalm 87:1-7, 1. He has set his foundation on the holy mountain; 2. the LORD loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. 3. Glorious things are said of you, O city of God: Selah 4. "I will record Rahab and Babylon among those who acknowl-edge me—Philistia too, and Tyre, along with Cush—and will say, 'This one was born in Zion.'" 5. Indeed, of Zion it will be said, "This one and that one were born in her, and the Most High himself will establish her." 6. The LORD will write in the register of the peoples: "This one was born in Zion." Selah 7. As they make music they will sing, "All my fountains are in you." NIV Introduction: I. For the title, see the comment on "A song" in Psalm 76, and for the rest, see Psalm 84. II. This is a song of Zion, which lays special stress on the temple and palace, the spiritual and political capital of the nation (cf. Psalm 24; Psalm 46; Psalm 47; Psalm 48; Psalm 84; Psalm 122).




A. Psalm 24:1-10, The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters. Who may ascend the hill of the LORD? Who may stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false. He will receive blessing from the LORD and vindication from God his Sav-ior. Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, O God of Jacob. Selah Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is he, this King of glory? The LORD Almighty— he is the King of glory. Selah NIV

B. Psalm 46:1-11, God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. Selah There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day. Nations are in uproar, king-doms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts. The LORD Al-mighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah Come and see the works of the LORD, the desolations he has brought on the earth. He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear, he burns the shields with fire. "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah NIV




C. Psalm 47:1-9, Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy. How awesome is the LORD Most High, the great King over all the earth! He subdued nations under us, peoples under our feet. He chose our inheritance for us, the pride of Jacob, whom he loved. Selah God has ascended amid shouts of joy, the LORD amid the sounding of trumpets. Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises. For God is the King of all the earth; sing to him a psalm of praise. God reigns over the na-tions; God is seated on his holy throne. The nobles of the nations assemble as the people of the God of Abraham, for the kings of the earth belong to God; he is greatly exalted. NIV

D. Psalm 48:1-14, Great is the LORD, and most worthy of praise, in the city of our God, his holy mountain. It is beau-tiful in its loftiness, the joy of the whole earth. Like the ut-most heights of Zaphon is Mount Zion, the city of the Great King. God is in her citadels; he has shown himself to be her fortress. When the kings joined forces, when they advanced together, they saw her and were astounded; they fled in ter-ror. Trembling seized them there, pain like that of a woman in labor. You destroyed them like ships of Tarshish shat-tered by an east wind. As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the LORD Almighty, in the city of our God: God makes her secure forever. Selah Within your temple, O God, we meditate on your unfailing love. Like your name, O God, your praise reaches to the ends of the earth; your right hand is filled with righteousness. Mount Zion rejoices, the villages of Judah are glad because of your judgments. Walk about Zion, go around her, count her towers, consider well her ramparts, view her citadels, that you may tell of them to the next generation. For this God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end. NIV




E. Psalm 84:1-12, How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD Almighty! My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young— a place near your altar, O LORD Almighty, my King and my God. Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you. Selah Blessed are those whose strength is in you, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools. They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion. Hear my prayer, O LORD God Almighty; listen to me, O God of Jacob. Selah Look upon our shield, O God; look with favor on your anointed one. Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked. For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. O LORD Al-mighty, blessed is the man who trusts in you. NIV

F. Psalm 122:1-9, rejoiced with those who said to me, "Let us go to the house of the LORD." Our feet are standing in your gates, O Jerusalem. Jerusalem is built like a city that is closely compacted together. That is where the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, to praise the name of the LORD ac-cording to the statute given to Israel. There the thrones for judgment stand, the thrones of the house of David. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: "May those who love you be secure. May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels." For the sake of my brothers and friends, I will say, "Peace be within you." For the sake of the house of the LORD our God, I will seek your prosperity. NIV




III. These psalms, like the enthronement psalms (Psalm 93; Psalm 95-99), seem to contain three major elements.

A. Psalm 93:1-5, The LORD reigns, he is robed in majesty; the LORD is robed in majesty and is armed with strength. The world is firmly established; it cannot be moved. Your throne was established long ago; you are from all eternity. The seas have lifted up, O LORD, the seas have lifted up their voice; the seas have lifted up their pounding waves. Mightier than the thunder of the great waters, mightier than the breakers of the sea— the LORD on high is mighty. Your statutes stand firm; holiness adorns your house for endless days, O LORD. NIV

B. Psalm 95:1-11, Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come be-fore him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, as you did that day at Massah in the desert, where your fathers tested and tried me, though they had seen what I did. For forty years I was angry with that generation; I said, "They are a people whose hearts go astray, and they have not known my ways." So I declared on oath in my anger, "They shall never enter my rest." NIV

C. Psalm 96:1-13, Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth. Sing to the LORD, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day. Declare his glory




among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples. For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the LORD made the heavens. Splendor and maj-esty are before him; strength and glory are in his sanctuary. Ascribe to the LORD, O families of nations, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; bring an offering and come into his courts. Worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness; tremble before him, all the earth. Say among the nations, "The LORD reigns." The world is firmly established, it cannot be moved; he will judge the peoples with equity. Let the heav-ens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it; let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them. Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy; they will sing before the LORD, for he comes, he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his truth. NIV

D. Psalm 97:1-12, The LORD reigns, let the earth be glad; let the distant shores rejoice. Clouds and thick darkness surround him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne. Fire goes before him and consumes his foes on every side. His lightning lights up the world; the earth sees and trembles. The mountains melt like wax before the LORD, before the Lord of all the earth. The heavens pro-claim his righteousness, and all the peoples see his glory. All who worship images are put to shame, those who boast in idols— worship him, all you gods! Zion hears and rejoices and the villages of Judah are glad because of your judg-ments, O LORD. For you, O LORD, are the Most High over all the earth; you are exalted far above all gods. Let those who love the LORD hate evil, for he guards the lives of his faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked. Light is shed upon the righteous and joy on the up-




right in heart. Rejoice in the LORD, you who are righteous, and praise his holy name. NIV

E. Psalm 98:1-9, Sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him. The LORD has made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the na-tions. He has remembered his love and his faithfulness to the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music; make music to the LORD with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing, with trumpets and the blast of the ram's horn— shout for joy before the LORD, the King. Let the sea re-sound, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it. Let the rivers clap their hands, Let the mountains sing to-gether for joy; let them sing before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with equity. NIV

F. Psalm 99:1-9, The LORD reigns, let the nations tremble; he sits enthroned between the cherubim, let the earth shake. Great is the LORD in Zion; he is exalted over all the na-tions. Let them praise your great and awesome name— he is holy. The King is mighty, he loves justice— you have es-tablished equity; in Jacob you have done what is just and right. Exalt the LORD our God and worship at his foot-stool; he is holy. Moses and Aaron were among his priests, Samuel was among those who called on his name; they called on the LORD and he answered them. He spoke to them from the pillar of cloud; they kept his statutes and the decrees he gave them. O LORD our God, you answered them; you were to Israel a forgiving God, though you pun-ished their misdeeds. Exalt the LORD our God and worship at his holy mountain, for the LORD our God is holy. NIV




IV. They:

A. frequently look back to historical beginnings, in this case to the time when David made Jerusalem the spiritual and political capital of Israel.

B. actualize the past in the present praise of Jerusalem because of the wonderful things that occur within her walls.

C. sometimes look to the future glory of Zion when all nations will come and bow before their Creator and Sustainer.

Note: Hence, historical, cultic, and eschatological elements frequently blend in the psalms of Zion. V. The multitudes of Jews streaming to the temple from various na-tions where they had migrated could have prompted the psalmist to re-flect upon the glorious prophecies about the future of Zion.

A. Some of the messianic prophecies in Isaiah (Isa. 2:2-4; 19:19-25; 56:3-8; 60:10-14; 62; 66:7-14) and Jeremiah (Jer. 3:11-18; 23:5-6; 33:15-16) may have influenced the psalmist.

1. Isaiah 2:2-4, In the last days the mountain of the LORD's temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. Many peoples will come and say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths." The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears




into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. NIV

2. Isaiah 19:19-25, In that day there will be an altar to the LORD in the heart of Egypt, and a monument to the LORD at its border. It will be a sign and wit-ness to the LORD Almighty in the land of Egypt. When they cry out to the LORD because of their op-pressors, he will send them a savior and defender, and he will rescue them. So the LORD will make himself known to the Egyptians, and in that day they will acknowledge the LORD. They will worship with sacrifices and grain offerings; they will make vows to the LORD and keep them. The LORD will strike Egypt with a plague; he will strike them and heal them. They will turn to the LORD, and he will re-spond to their pleas and heal them. In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria. The Assyr-ians will go to Egypt and the Egyptians to Assyria. The Egyptians and Assyrians will worship together. In that day Israel will be the third, along with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing on the earth. The LORD Al-mighty will bless them, saying, "Blessed be Egypt my people, Assyria my handiwork, and Israel my inheri-tance." NIV

3. Isaiah 56:3-8, Let no foreigner who has bound himself to the LORD say, "The LORD will surely ex-clude me from his people." And let not any eunuch complain, "I am only a dry tree." For this is what the LORD says: "To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, who choose what pleases me and hold fast to my covenant- to them I will give within my temple and its




walls a memorial and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that will not be cut off. And foreigners who bind them-selves to the LORD to serve him, to love the name of the LORD, and to worship him, all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it and who hold fast to my covenant- these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations." The Sovereign LORD declares— he who gathers the exiles of Israel: "I will gather still others to them besides those already gathered." NIV

4. Isaiah 60:10-14, "Foreigners will rebuild your walls, and their kings will serve you. Though in anger I struck you, in favor I will show you compassion. Your gates will always stand open, they will never be shut, day or night, so that men may bring you the wealth of the nations— their kings led in triumphal procession. For the nation or kingdom that will not serve you will perish; it will be utterly ruined. "The glory of Lebanon will come to you, the pine, the fir and the cypress together, to adorn the place of my sanctuary; and I will glorify the place of my feet. The sons of your oppressors will come bowing before you; all who despise you will bow down at your feet and will call you the City of the LORD, Zion of the Holy One of Israel. NIV

5. Isaiah 62:1-12, For Zion's sake I will not keep si-lent, for Jerusalem's sake I will not remain quiet, till her righteousness shines out like the dawn, her salva-tion like a blazing torch. The nations will see your righteousness, and all kings your glory; you will be




called by a new name that the mouth of the LORD will bestow. You will be a crown of splendor in the LORD's hand, a royal diadem in the hand of your God. No longer will they call you Deserted, or name your land Desolate. But you will be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah; for the LORD will take delight in you, and your land will be married. As a young man marries a maiden, so will your sons marry you; as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you. I have posted watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night. You who call on the LORD, give yourselves no rest, and give him no rest till he establishes Jeru-salem and makes her the praise of the earth. The LORD has sworn by his right hand and by his mighty arm: "Never again will I give your grain as food for your enemies, and never again will foreigners drink the new wine for which you have toiled; but those who harvest it will eat it and praise the LORD, and those who gather the grapes will drink it in the courts of my sanctuary." Pass through, pass through the gates! Prepare the way for the people. Build up, build up the highway! Remove the stones. Raise a banner for the nations. The LORD has made proclamation to the ends of the earth: "Say to the Daughter of Zion, 'See, your Savior comes! See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him.'" They will be called the Holy People, the Redeemed of the LORD; and you will be called Sought After, the City No Longer Deserted. NIV

6. Isaiah 66:7-14, "Before she goes into labor, she gives birth; before the pains come upon her, she de-livers a son. Who has ever heard of such a thing? Who has ever seen such things? Can a country be




born in a day or a nation be brought forth in a mo-ment? Yet no sooner is Zion in labor than she gives birth to her children. Do I bring to the moment of birth and not give delivery?" says the LORD. "Do I close up the womb when I bring to delivery?" says your God. "Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad for her, all you who love her; rejoice greatly with her, all you who mourn over her. For you will nurse and be satisfied at her comforting breasts; you will drink deeply and delight in her overflowing abundance." For this is what the LORD says: "I will extend peace to her like a river, and the wealth of nations like a flooding stream; you will nurse and be carried on her arm and dandled on her knees. As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you; and you will be com-forted over Jerusalem." When you see this, your heart will rejoice and you will flourish like grass; the hand of the LORD will be made known to his ser-vants, but his fury will be shown to his foes. NIV

7. Jeremiah 3:11-18, The LORD said to me, "Faith-less Israel is more righteous than unfaithful Judah. Go, proclaim this message toward the north: "'Re-turn, faithless Israel,' declares the LORD, 'I will frown on you no longer, for I am merciful,' declares the LORD, 'I will not be angry forever. Only ac-knowledge your guilt— you have rebelled against the LORD your God, you have scattered your favors to foreign gods under every spreading tree, and have not obeyed me,'" declares the LORD. "Return, faith-less people," declares the LORD, "for I am your hus-band. I will choose you—one from a town and two from a clan—and bring you to Zion. Then I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will lead you with knowledge and understanding. In those days,




when your numbers have increased greatly in the land," declares the LORD, "men will no longer say, 'The ark of the covenant of the LORD.' It will never enter their minds or be remembered; it will not be missed, nor will another one be made. At that time they will call Jerusalem The Throne of the LORD, and all nations will gather in Jerusalem to honor the name of the LORD. No longer will they follow the stubbornness of their evil hearts. In those days the house of Judah will join the house of Israel, and to-gether they will come from a northern land to the land I gave your forefathers as an inheritance. NIV

8. Jeremiah 23:5, 6, "The days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land. In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which he will be called: The LORD Our Right-eousness. NIV

9. Jeremiah 33:15, 16, " 'In those days and at that time I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David's line; he will do what is just and right in the land. In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusa-lem will live in safety. This is the name by which it will be called: The LORD Our Righteousness.' NIV

VI. The mention of Egypt (“Rahab”) and Babylon (Psalm 87:4), with no mention of Assyria, would suggest a date for the psalm after 612 B.C., when Assyria fell to the Babylonians.

A. Psalm 87:4, "I will record Rahab and Babylon among those who acknowledge me—Philistia too, and Tyre, along




with Cush—and will say, 'This one was born in Zion.'" NIV

VII. The text of the psalm is terse and elliptical, which makes it diffi-cult to interpret.

A. However, the text can be understood without resorting to transposition of verses.

1. Some freedom, however, must be allowed the transla-tor.

Commentary:

Zion, the City of God Psalm 87:1-3, He has set his foundation on the holy mountain; the LORD loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. Glorious things are said of you, O city of God: Selah NIV Psalm 87:1, He has set his foundation on the holy mountain; NIV I. The elliptical Hebrew reads, “His foundation ... in the mountains of holiness”.

A. One must supply something or understand the verse to intro-duce Psalm 87:2.

1. Psalm 87:2, the LORD loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. NIV

B. “Stands” and “city” are supplied in the RSV.

1. God is said elsewhere to be the founder of Zion (Psalm 78:69; Isa. 14:32).




a. Psalm 78:69, He built his sanctuary like the heights, like the earth that he established for-ever. NIV

b. Isaiah 14:32, What answer shall be given to the envoys of that nation? "The LORD has es-tablished Zion, and in her his afflicted people will find refuge." NIV

2. This doubtless refers to God's acceptance of Zion, a choice made by David (cf. 2 Sam. 6:16-19; 7:1-17; Psalm 132), and figuratively to the salvation and protec-tion of Zion, representing by metonymy and synecdoche the nation (cf. Isa. 26:1; 28:16-17).

a. 2 Samuel 6:16-19, As the ark of the LORD was entering the City of David, Michal daugh-ter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing be-fore the LORD, she despised him in her heart. They brought the ark of the LORD and set it in its place inside the tent that David had pitched for it, and David sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before the LORD. After he had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD Almighty. Then he gave a loaf of bread, a cake of dates and a cake of raisins to each person in the whole crowd of Is-raelites, both men and women. And all the people went to their homes. NIV

b. 2 Samuel 7:1-17, After the king was settled in his palace and the LORD had given him rest




from all his enemies around him, he said to Na-than the prophet, "Here I am, living in a palace of cedar, while the ark of God remains in a tent." Nathan replied to the king, "Whatever you have in mind, go ahead and do it, for the LORD is with you." That night the word of the LORD came to Nathan, saying: "Go and tell my servant David, 'This is what the LORD says: Are you the one to build me a house to dwell in? I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought the Israelites up out of Egypt to this day. I have been moving from place to place with a tent as my dwelling. Wherever I have moved with all the Israelites, did I ever say to any of their rulers whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, "Why have you not built me a house of cedar?"' "Now then, tell my servant David, 'This is what the LORD Almighty says: I took you from the pasture and from following the flock to be ruler over my people Israel. I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your ene-mies from before you. Now I will make your name great, like the names of the greatest men of the earth. And I will provide a place for my people Israel and will plant them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed. Wicked people will not oppress them anymore, as they did at the beginning and have done ever since the time I appointed leaders over my people Israel. I will also give you rest from all your enemies. "'The LORD declares to you that the LORD himself will es-tablish a house for you: When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise




up your offspring to succeed you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his fa-ther, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with the rod of men, with floggings inflicted by men. But my love will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be estab-lished forever.'" Nathan reported to David all the words of this entire revelation. NIV

c. Psalm 132:1-18, O LORD, remember David and all the hardships he endured. He swore an oath to the LORD and made a vow to the Mighty One of Jacob: "I will not enter my house or go to my bed- I will allow no sleep to my eyes, no slumber to my eyelids, till I find a place for the LORD, a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob." We heard it in Ephrathah, we came upon it in the fields of Jaar: "Let us go to his dwelling place; let us worship at his foot-stool- arise, O LORD, and come to your resting place, you and the ark of your might. May your priests be clothed with righteousness; may your saints sing for joy." For the sake of David your servant, do not reject your anointed one. The LORD swore an oath to David, a sure oath that he will not revoke: "One of your own de-scendants I will place on your throne- if your sons keep my covenant and the statutes I teach them, then their sons will sit on your throne for




ever and ever." For the LORD has chosen Zion, he has desired it for his dwelling: "This is my resting place for ever and ever; here I will sit enthroned, for I have desired it- I will bless her with abundant provisions; her poor will I satisfy with food. I will clothe her priests with salvation, and her saints will ever sing for joy. "Here I will make a horn grow for David and set up a lamp for my anointed one. I will clothe his enemies with shame, but the crown on his head will be resplendent." NIV

d. Isaiah 26:1, In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: We have a strong city; God makes salvation its walls and ramparts. NIV

e. Isaiah 28:16, 17, So this is what the Sover-eign LORD says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who trusts will never be dismayed. I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the plumb line; hail will sweep away your refuge, the lie, and water will overflow your hiding place. NIV

Psalm 87:2, the LORD loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. NIV I. The Lord is not partial, but Zion is the place where God symboli-cally dwells, and where He meets with His people at the ark of the covenant (cf. 1 Kings 8:1-9:5).

A. 1 Kings 8:1-66, Then King Solomon summoned into his presence at Jerusalem the elders of Israel, all the heads of




the tribes and the chiefs of the Israelite families, to bring up the ark of the LORD's covenant from Zion, the City of David. All the men of Israel came together to King Solomon at the time of the festival in the month of Ethanim, the sev-enth month. When all the elders of Israel had arrived, the priests took up the ark, and they brought up the ark of the LORD and the Tent of Meeting and all the sacred furnish-ings in it. The priests and Levites carried them up, and King Solomon and the entire assembly of Israel that had gathered about him were before the ark, sacrificing so many sheep and cattle that they could not be recorded or counted. The priests then brought the ark of the LORD's covenant to its place in the inner sanctuary of the temple, the Most Holy Place, and put it beneath the wings of the cherubim. The cherubim spread their wings over the place of the ark and overshadowed the ark and its carrying poles. These poles were so long that their ends could be seen from the Holy Place in front of the inner sanctuary, but not from outside the Holy Place; and they are still there today. There was nothing in the ark except the two stone tablets that Moses had placed in it at Horeb, where the LORD made a covenant with the Israelites after they came out of Egypt. When the priests withdrew from the Holy Place, the cloud filled the temple of the LORD. And the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled his temple. Then Solomon said, "The LORD has said that he would dwell in a dark cloud; I have indeed built a magnificent temple for you, a place for you to dwell forever." While the whole assembly of Israel was standing there, the king turned around and blessed them. Then he said: "Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel, who with his own hand has fulfilled what he promised with his own mouth to my father David. For he said, 'Since the day I brought my people Israel out of Egypt, I have not cho-sen a city in any tribe of Israel to have a temple built for my




Name to be there, but I have chosen David to rule my peo-ple Israel.' "My father David had it in his heart to build a temple for the Name of the LORD, the God of Israel. But the LORD said to my father David, 'Because it was in your heart to build a temple for my Name, you did well to have this in your heart. Nevertheless, you are not the one to build the temple, but your son, who is your own flesh and blood—he is the one who will build the temple for my Name.' "The LORD has kept the promise he made: I have succeeded David my father and now I sit on the throne of Israel, just as the LORD promised, and I have built the temple for the Name of the LORD, the God of Israel. I have provided a place there for the ark, in which is the covenant of the LORD that he made with our fathers when he brought them out of Egypt." Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in front of the whole assembly of Israel, spread out his hands toward heaven and said: "O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below—you who keep your covenant of love with your ser-vants who continue wholeheartedly in your way. You have kept your promise to your servant David my father; with your mouth you have promised and with your hand you have fulfilled it—as it is today. "Now LORD, God of Israel, keep for your servant David my father the promises you made to him when you said, 'You shall never fail to have a man to sit before me on the throne of Israel, if only your sons are careful in all they do to walk before me as you have done.' And now, O God of Israel, let your word that you promised your servant David my father come true. "But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the high-est heaven, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built! Yet give attention to your servant's prayer and his plea for mercy, O LORD my God. Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence this day. May your eyes be open toward this temple night and




day, this place of which you said, 'My Name shall be there,' so that you will hear the prayer your servant prays toward this place. Hear the supplication of your servant and of your people Israel when they pray toward this place. Hear from heaven, your dwelling place, and when you hear, for-give. "When a man wrongs his neighbor and is required to take an oath and he comes and swears the oath before your altar in this temple, then hear from heaven and act. Judge between your servants, condemning the guilty and bringing down on his own head what he has done. Declare the inno-cent not guilty, and so establish his innocence. "When your people Israel have been defeated by an enemy because they have sinned against you, and when they turn back to you and confess your name, praying and making supplication to you in this temple, then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel and bring them back to the land you gave to their fathers. "When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because your people have sinned against you, and when they pray toward this place and con-fess your name and turn from their sin because you have af-flicted them, then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your servants, your people Israel. Teach them the right way to live, and send rain on the land you gave your people for an inheritance. "When famine or plague comes to the land, or blight or mildew, locusts or grasshoppers, or when an enemy besieges them in any of their cities, whatever disaster or disease may come, and when a prayer or plea is made by any of your people Israel—each one aware of the afflictions of his own heart, and spreading out his hands toward this temple- then hear from heaven, your dwelling place. For-give and act; deal with each man according to all he does, since you know his heart (for you alone know the hearts of all men), so that they will fear you all the time they live in the land you gave our fathers. "As for the foreigner who does not belong to your people Israel but has come from a




distant land because of your name- for men will hear of your great name and your mighty hand and your out-stretched arm—when he comes and prays toward this tem-ple, then hear from heaven, your dwelling place, and do whatever the foreigner asks of you, so that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your own people Israel, and may know that this house I have built bears your Name. "When your people go to war against their enemies, wherever you send them, and when they pray to the LORD toward the city you have chosen and the temple I have built for your Name, then hear from heaven their prayer and their plea, and uphold their cause. "When they sin against you—for there is no one who does not sin—and you become angry with them and give them over to the enemy, who takes them captive to his own land, far away or near; and if they have a change of heart in the land where they are held captive, and repent and plead with you in the land of their conquerors and say, 'We have sinned, we have done wrong, we have acted wickedly'; and if they turn back to you with all their heart and soul in the land of their enemies who took them captive, and pray to you toward the land you gave their fathers, toward the city you have chosen and the temple I have built for your Name; then from heaven, your dwelling place, hear their prayer and their plea, and uphold their cause. And forgive your people, who have sinned against you; forgive all the offenses they have committed against you, and cause their conquer-ors to show them mercy; for they are your people and your inheritance, whom you brought out of Egypt, out of that iron-smelting furnace. "May your eyes be open to your ser-vant's plea and to the plea of your people Israel, and may you listen to them whenever they cry out to you. For you singled them out from all the nations of the world to be your own inheritance, just as you declared through your servant Moses when you, O Sovereign LORD, brought our




fathers out of Egypt." When Solomon had finished all these prayers and supplications to the LORD, he rose from be-fore the altar of the LORD, where he had been kneeling with his hands spread out toward heaven. He stood and blessed the whole assembly of Israel in a loud voice, saying: "Praise be to the LORD, who has given rest to his people Israel just as he promised. Not one word has failed of all the good promises he gave through his servant Moses. May the LORD our God be with us as he was with our fathers; may he never leave us nor forsake us. May he turn our hearts to him, to walk in all his ways and to keep the commands, de-crees and regulations he gave our fathers. And may these words of mine, which I have prayed before the LORD, be near to the LORD our God day and night, that he may up-hold the cause of his servant and the cause of his people Is-rael according to each day's need, so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD is God and that there is no other. But your hearts must be fully committed to the LORD our God, to live by his decrees and obey his com-mands, as at this time." Then the king and all Israel with him offered sacrifices before the LORD. 63 Solomon offered a sacrifice of fellowship offerings to the LORD : twenty-two thousand cattle and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep and goats. So the king and all the Israelites dedicated the temple of the LORD. On that same day the king conse-crated the middle part of the courtyard in front of the tem-ple of the LORD, and there he offered burnt offerings, grain offerings and the fat of the fellowship offerings, be-cause the bronze altar before the LORD was too small to hold the burnt offerings, the grain offerings and the fat of the fellowship offerings. So Solomon observed the festival at that time, and all Israel with him—a vast assembly, people from Lebo Hamath to the Wadi of Egypt. They celebrated it before the LORD our God for seven days and seven days more, fourteen days in all. On the following day he sent the




people away. They blessed the king and then went home, joyful and glad in heart for all the good things the LORD had done for his servant David and his people Israel. NIV

B. 1 Kings 9:1-5, When Solomon had finished building the temple of the LORD and the royal palace, and had achieved all he had desired to do, the LORD appeared to him a sec-ond time, as he had appeared to him at Gibeon. The LORD said to him: "I have heard the prayer and plea you have made before me; I have consecrated this temple, which you have built, by putting my Name there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there. "As for you, if you walk be-fore me in integrity of heart and uprightness, as David your father did, and do all I command and observe my decrees and laws, I will establish your royal throne over Israel for-ever, as I promised David your father when I said, 'You shall never fail to have a man on the throne of Israel.' NIV

Psalm 87:3, Glorious things are said of you, O city of God: Selah NIV I. The phrase, “glorious things”, has a messianic ring to it.

A. See the third paragraph in the introduction above.

B. It is God who makes the city holy (Psalm 87:1a) and this fact makes the phrase “O city of God” appropriate (cf. Psalm 46:4; 48:8).

1. Psalm 87:1, He has set his foundation on the holy mountain; NIV

2. Psalm 46:4, There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. NIV




3. Psalm 48:8, As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the LORD Almighty, in the city of our God: God makes her secure forever. Selah NIV

Jerusalem, the Mother City

Psalm 87:4-6, "I will record Rahab and Babylon among those who acknowledge me—Philistia too, and Tyre, along with Cush—and will say, 'This one was born in Zion.'" Indeed, of Zion it will be said, "This one and that one were born in her, and the Most High himself will establish her." The LORD will write in the register of the peoples: "This one was born in Zion." Selah NIV Note: This paragraph is in the form of a prophetic oracle with God as a spokesman. Psalm 87:4, "I will record Rahab and Babylon among those who acknowledge me—Philistia too, and Tyre, along with Cush—and will say, 'This one was born in Zion.'" NIV I. “Acknowledge” means to experience, and obey.

A. These nations are pictured as converts to monotheism.

1. Some take Psalm 87:4-6 to refer to Jewish proselytes, while others believe that only Jews who came from these nations to worship at Jerusalem are under consideration.

2. However, the messianic age when all nations have equal access to the kingdom of God is likely under con-sideration.




B. “Rahab” is a reference to Egypt (cf. Psalm 89:10; Isa. 30:7; 51:9), the mighty dragon that devoured Israel during the period of the bondage.

1. Psalm 89:10, You crushed Rahab like one of the slain; with your strong arm you scattered your ene-mies. NIV

2. Isaiah 30:7, to Egypt, whose help is utterly useless. Therefore I call her Rahab the Do-Nothing. NIV

3. Isaiah 51:9, Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of Jehovah; awake, as in the days of old, the genera-tions of ancient times. Is it not thou that didst cut Ra-hab in pieces, that didst pierce the monster? NIV

C. “Babylon” is the other great persecutor of Israel in the days of the psalmist.

D. “Philistia” was a perennial enemy of Israel, and “Tyre” was sometimes an enemy (see on Psalm 83:7). “Ethiopia”(Hebrew: cush]) on occasion had assailed Israel (2 Chron. 14:9).

1. Psalm 83:7, Gebal, Ammon and Amalek, Philistia, with the people of Tyre. NIV

2. 2 Chronicles 14:9, Zerah the Cushite marched out against them with a vast army and three hundred chariots, and came as far as Mareshah. NIV

E. These nations stand as typical of all of Israel's enemies.

II. But, the psalmist envisions a time when they will say of Jerusalem, “This one was born in Zion” (literally, “in her”).




A. This phrase implies the ancient registries in which the names and nationalities of natives and foreigners were kept (cf. 2 Chron. 2:17; Ezra 2:62; Neh. 7:5; Jer. 22:30; Ezek. 13:9).

1. 2 Chronicles 2:17, Solomon took a census of all the aliens who were in Israel, after the census his father David had taken; and they were found to be 153,600. NIV

2. Ezra 2:62, These searched for their family records, but they could not find them and so were excluded from the priesthood as unclean. NIV

3. Nehemiah 7:5, So my God put it into my heart to assemble the nobles, the officials and the common people for registration by families. I found the genea-logical record of those who had been the first to re-turn. This is what I found written there: NIV

4. Jeremiah 22:30, This is what the LORD says: "Re-cord this man as if childless, a man who will not prosper in his lifetime, for none of his offspring will prosper, none will sit on the throne of David or rule anymore in Judah." NIV 5. Ezekiel 13:9, And my hand shall be against the prophets that see false visions, and that divine lies: they shall not be in the council of my people, neither shall they be written in the writing of the house of Is-rael, neither shall they enter into the land of Israel; and ye shall know that I am the Lord Jehovah. NIV

B. The place of registry is Jerusalem (Psalm 87:5), and God is the recorder (Psalm 87:6).




1. The claim made here is too strong to indicate prosely-tism, for these were natural-born citizens.

Psalm 87:5, Indeed, of Zion it will be said, "This one and that one were born in her, and the Most High himself will establish her." NIV I. God not only founded Jerusalem (Psalm 87:1), but He “will estab-lish her”, that is, renew, and sustain her (cf. Isa. 65:17-25).

A. Psalm 87:1, He has set his foundation on the holy moun-tain; NIV

B. Isaiah 65:17-25, "Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create, for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy. I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in my people; the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more. "Never again will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live out his years; he who dies at a hundred will be thought a mere youth; he who fails to reach a hundred will be considered accursed. They will build houses and dwell in them; they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit. No longer will they build houses and others live in them, or plant and others eat. For as the days of a tree, so will be the days of my people; my chosen ones will long enjoy the works of their hands. They will not toil in vain or bear chil-dren doomed to misfortune; for they will be a people blessed by the LORD, they and their descendants with them. Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear. The wolf and the lamb will feed to-gether, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, but dust will




be the serpent's food. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain," says the LORD. NIV

II. The LXX has the additional phrase “my mother”, following the clause “of Zion it shall be said” (cf. NEB).

A. This may be reflected in Gal. 4:26.

1. Galatians 4:26, But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother. NIV

B. The Hebrew word for “my mother” is much like “it shall be said”, which could have caused a scribe inadvertently to omit “my mother”.

Psalm 87:6, The LORD will write in the register of the peoples: "This one was born in Zion." Selah NIV I. God personally registers the peoples born in Jerusalem.

A. This comes close to the idea of regeneration, or a new birth that would give the Gentiles a claim on God.

B. Though the doctrine of regeneration is not explicitly taught in the Old Testament, several passages delineate a similar idea (cf. Psalm 51:6,10,12; Isa. 63:5,8-9).

1. Psalm 51:6, 10, 12, Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sus-tain me. NIV




2. Isaiah 63:5, 8, 9, I looked, but there was no one to help, I was appalled that no one gave support; so my own arm worked salvation for me, and my own wrath sustained me. He said, "Surely they are my people, sons who will not be false to me"; and so he became their Savior. In all their distress he too was dis-tressed, and the angel of his presence saved them. In his love and mercy he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old. NIV

Response to the Glorious Promises

Psalm 87:7, As they make music they will sing, "All my fountains are in you." NIV I. Singing and dancing were two of the most exuberant forms of praise and thanksgiving in Israel (see Ex. 15:20; Jud. 11:34; 21:21; 1 Sam. 18:6; 21:11; 29:5; 2 Sam. 6:14; Psalm 30:11-12; 68:25; 149:3; 150:4).

A. Exodus 15:20, Then Miriam the prophetess, Aaron's sis-ter, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women fol-lowed her, with tambourines and dancing. NIV

B. Judges 11:34, When Jephthah returned to his home in Mizpah, who should come out to meet him but his daughter, dancing to the sound of tambourines! She was an only child. Except for her he had neither son nor daughter. NIV

C. Judges 21:21, and watch. When the girls of Shiloh come out to join in the dancing, then rush from the vineyards and each of you seize a wife from the girls of Shiloh and go to the land of Benjamin. NIV

D. 1 Samuel 18:6, When the men were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out from




all the towns of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs and with tambourines and lutes. NIV

E. 1 Samuel 21:11, But the servants of Achish said to him, "Isn't this David, the king of the land? Isn't he the one they sing about in their dances: "'Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands'?" NIV

F. 1 Samuel 29:5, Isn't this the David they sang about in their dances: "'Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands'?" NIV

G. 2 Samuel 6:14, David, wearing a linen ephod, danced be-fore the LORD with all his might, NIV

H. Psalm 30:11, 12, You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever. NIV

I. Psalm 68:25, In front are the singers, after them the mu-sicians; with them are the maidens playing tambourines. NIV

J. Psalm 149:3, Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with tambourine and harp. NIV

K. Psalm 150:4, praise him with tambourine and dancing, praise him with the strings and flute, NIV

II. “Fountains” are the sources of spiritual life and strength (cf. Isa. 12:3; Psalm 36:9; John 7:38).




A. Isaiah 12:3, With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. NIV

B. Psalm 36:9, For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light. NIV

C. John 7:38, Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." NIV

D. Redeemed Jerusalem is the source of living water because God is in her (cf. Joel 3:18; Zech. 14:8).

1. Joel 3:18, "In that day the mountains will drip new wine, and the hills will flow with milk; all the ravines of Judah will run with water. A fountain will flow out of the LORD's house and will water the valley of aca-cias. NIV

2. Zechariah 14:8, On that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half to the eastern sea and half to the western sea, in summer and in winter. NIV

3. The New Jerusalem is so pictured (Rev. 21:1-4; 22:1-5).

a. Revelation 21:1-4, Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them.




They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." NIV

b. Revelation 22:1-5, Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever. NIV

Application: I. While we do not revere the place of worship, we should treat it with reverence when God is being honored there.

A. God’s presence, even in invisible form, should be revered.

B. Gladness and joy are appropriate there, but these emotions must not be expressed in course and flippant ways.




II. We must “be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with rever-ence and awe, for our ‘God is a consuming fire’” (Heb. 12:28b-29; Deut. 4:24).

A. Hebrews 12:28, 29, Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our "God is a consuming fire." NIV

B. Deuteronomy 4:24, For the LORD your God is a con-suming fire, a jealous God. NIV




Questions

Psalm 87:1-7

(Questions based on NIV text.) 1. “He has set his _______________ on the _______________ _________________; the _______________ _______________ the _________________ of _______________ more than all the _________________ of _______________. _______________ things are said of you, O _______________ of _______________; ‘I will re-cord __________________ and ________________ among those who _______________ me _______________ _______________ too, and _________________, along with _________________ -‘ and will say, ‘This one was __________________ in __________________.’” 2. “Indeed, I _______________ it will be said, ‘This one and that one were __________________ of her, and the _____________________ _______________ _______________ will __________________ her! The _____________ will _______________ in the _______________ of the ___________: ‘This one was ____________ in ____________! As they make _______________ they will _______________, ‘All my _______________ are in you.’” 3. Psalm 87 is a _______________ of _______________, which lays ________________ _______________ on the _______________ and ________________, the _______________ and _______________ _________________ of the nation. 4. What do other references in Psalms say to this matter? __________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________




5. Which psalms are classified as enthronement psalms? Why are they so classified? _________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 6. What three major elements appear to be common to songs of Zion and enthronement psalms? __________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 7. _______________, _______________ and _______________ ele-ments frequently blend in the _____________ of _______________. 8. What may have prompted the psalmist to reflect upon the glorious prophecies about the future of Zion? __________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 9. What messianic prophesies may have influenced the psalmist? ___ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________




10. The mention of _______________ (_______________) and _______________ with no mention of _______________, would sug-gest a date for the psalm after _______________ B.C., when _______________ fell to the _______________. 11. What was God’s relationship with and attitude toward Zion? ____ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 12. Who would be converts to monotheism? See Psalm 87:4-6. ___ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 13. Why may Rahab be a reference to Egypt? Didn’t she live in Jeri-cho? ___________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 14. Why did the psalmist mention Egypt, Babylon, Philistia, Tyre and Ethiopia in Psalm 87? ______________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________




15. What were the special values of being born in Zion? Was a regis-try kept of all residents of Jerusalem? Were all citizens, both Jews and Gentiles, treated equally in Zion? _________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 16. What did God promise to do for Jerusalem? Have these promises all been kept? Are others yet to be kept? _______________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 17. How is the word mother used in Psalm 87? What is the signifi-cance of this? ____________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 18. Were singing and dancing acceptable forms of worship among an-cient Israelites? Explain what the Bible says about this matter. _____ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 19. Explain how fountains and living water are used in Scripture. ___




________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 20. What have you learned from your study of Psalm 87 that will help you live more in keeping with God’s will? _____________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________



Documents

Glorious Zion! Psalm 87:1-7 - Bible Study Workshop · III. These psalms, like the enthronement psalms (Psalm 93; Psalm 95-99), seem to contain three major elements. A. Psalm 93:1-5,