Psalm 87. ZION CITY OF OUR GOD. "Glorious things of Thee are spoken, Zion city of our God." In Hebrews 12 we read, "We have come to Mount Zion." This psalm was written by David, and Zion was the City of the King - the City of David - the City of the Lord - the City of foundations (in the sense that it was in Zion that righteousness was found.) In Zion there was also found Peace and Joy. God chose the place - that is the wonder of it all. He chose the place, fixing it in the Holy Mountains. Consider a few facts about ZION, bearing in mind that they have a spiritual application. The words of this psalm refer to Zion of old, but when we refer to the New Testament, we are there told that we have come to another Zion - SPIRITUAL ZION - the Zion of our God. So, as we consider natural Zion, let us seek the spiritual application behind it. THE GROUNDWORK OF ZION: (Vs.1 of the Psalm.) "His foundation is in the Holy Mountains." The word FOUNDATION can be translated - "that which He hath founded". That which HE hath founded is in the mountains. That which God hath placed is in the Holy Mountains. It is the SANCTUARY - A THEOCRATICAL KINGDOM. I had a man argued with me, one day, that I believed in dictatorship. I denied it. "Well,@ he said, "You believe that Jesus Christ will one day take over all the earth. That will be dictatorship." Now that poor man had done what many do, he had confused my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ with an ordinary man. Jesus Christ is truly man and truly God. He is the Son of the Living God. If he were ONLY man his reign would be a dictatorship. But sine he is The Living Son of God, His reign will be a THEOCRACY. GOD SHALL REIGN. God shall rule!. Some of us are even now learning this on earth, that HE is the one who rules our hearts. We believe in Theocracy. Having discovered this we have truly come to Mount Zion, City of our God. It is called HIS HOLY MOUNTAIN. The range of mountains upon which earthly Zion is built is called The Holy Mountains. There is Mount Zion where David built his own house. There is also Mount Moriah where Solomon built his temple. When the Scripture speaks of the Holy Mountain, they are all included. Mount Zion and Mount Moriah are separated by a valley not more than 200-300 feet deep, but Zion embraces them both, for it is the place where God established His Seat. In the Book of Revelation there is reference to 'satan's seat'. We are concerned only with God's Seat. His seat is Zion. The place where God has established righteousness, and peace, and joy. This is not to suggest that if at present we want peace we go to Israel. But according to the Scripture, the day will come when the seat of all government will be THERE. There are many historical memories which come to life by a visit to Israel now, but the day will come when prophecy will become glorious reality. At present, we have come to Spiritual Zion, and it is in the presence of God we have found righteousness, peace and joy, through our Lord Jesus Christ. THE GATES OF ZION. (Vs.2) "The Lord loveth the Gates of Zion, more than the dwellings of Jacob." The Gates give access to the city. The Gates give power over the city - control the gates and you control the city. The Gates are the place where the elders meet - the place of Justice. When we consider all the spiritual implications, it is a joy to realise that God delights to give us access to His Mighty Presence. He also loves to have access into our lives. The Gates must be open. We first gained access into the presence of God when we allowed Him to have access into our lives. When we accepted His Word, believed in our hearts, we opened the gates that He might enter. When we did that, we surrendered ourselves to Him. In ancient days if a city was at war and the enemy pressed to the very gates, the moment those gates were opened the citizens surrendered. But God is not our enemy. He comes to the gates and we open our hearts and surrender our lives to Him. How wonderful it is to realise that we have freely given God power over our lives. This is the Joy of Mount Zion - God reigns. God made Zion His Centre on earth. The reason why Christian Believers regard Israel as the centre of the earth is because God made it so. He decided to plant His Holy City among the Mountains. Then, one day, they rejected His Son. WHAT A SAD THING. "He came to His own and His own received Him not." But now, we can meet our God anywhere on earth. There is no injunction upon us that if we want to meet out God we must go up to Jerusalem. (This is no reflection upon dear saints who love to visit the Holy Land, to walk where Jesus walked.) There is of course no special virtue in being baptised out there. The important issue is Obedience to God. The day will come, however, when once more all nations will go up to Jerusalem. When Israel accepts her true Messiah, Zion will rejoice. THE GLORIOUS THINGS OF ZION. (Vs.3) "Glorious things are spoken of thee, O City of God, Selah." How glorious it is to be able to open your Bible and see the wonderful story of God's support of His people. God loves Zion. He loves the place of His Honour. There are glorious predictions about Zion. Once again God is going to do something glorious for Israel. I am absolutely positive of that. It is very sad that some Christians have come to the conclusion that God has finished with Israel. If that is so, God must forget, or abrogate, all His Promises. That is not in the nature of the God I love and serve. He will never forget a promise and He will ever keep His Word. There are Glorious Songs of Zion. To sing the songs of Zion is a delight. I am not referring to sudo-Israeli songs.. The Jews have every right to sing the songs of Jehovah, and Christians have the right to sing the songs of Emmanuel, and we BOTH have the right to Glory in Zion, Natural and Spiritual. The songs of Spiritual Zion come from a Redeemed Heart. We glorify the Lord. Some of the glorious hymns of the church move me deeply from within. There are also glorious doctrines of Zion. The basics of all Christian Teaching come from the ministry of our Lord in the Mountains of Zion. There are Glorious Ordinances of worship - Glorious Promises - Glorious privileges. They all pour into our lives from the City of our God. Truly, glorious things are spoken of Thee, Zion, City of our God. In verse four of this psalm, God says, "I will make mention of Rahab (used for Egypt) and Babylon to them that know me, behold Philistia and Tyre, with Ethiopia, THIS MAN was born there." To be born in the places mentioned was no honour to God. But most of us delight in the place where we were born. What really counts with God is the place where YOU were BORN AGAIN. Every city on earth is a 'mean' city compared with the CITY OF GOD. "And of Zion it shall be said, this and that man was born there." Here is a lovely Hebraism - 'this and that man was born there' = A MAN A MAN WAS BORN THERE. This is an expression only Hebrews use. The idea behind the phrase s , a man who was really a man was born there. Born in Egypt? - born in Babylon? - born in Tyre? - so what ?, but of Zion it was said, a man a man was born there. Those born there were God's men. My greatest joy is to be able to say I was born again in Mount Zion - City of our God. I do not refer to Jerusalem, but to Spiritual Zion - City of our God. If you remember the day you were born again, you remember the day you were born in Beautiful Zion City of God. THE GRADUATION OF ZION. "The Lord shall count, when HE writeth up the people, that this man was born there. Selah!".When the Lord counts up his people, I as a born again believer, will be on that record. My name is written in heaven. We have come to the Heavenly Jerusalem. This man was born there. What man was born there? Every regenerate person will be recoded. Born Again - Born of God - these persons' names are on God's register. O what a graduation day it is going to be. Not in order to graduate for scholarly attainment, but to graduate as the Children of Almighty God. If I read my Bible aright, my name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life. What a day that will be to stand before His Throne and hear my name called out. You may never have stood before the University Chancellor to receive your scroll and wear your cap and gown, indicating that you are a B.A. or some other degree. But O the Joy of standing before the Almighty God and hear the Lord, the Christ confess you before all. Jesus Christ has declared that if we confess Him before men, He will confess us before His Father. Jesus Christ is Lord, He will declare, "Father, this man was born again in Zion, the Heavenly Jerusalem." The Psalm ends, "As well as the singers the players on instruments shall be there; all my springs are in Thee!" There is a beautiful incident recorded in the Old Testament, where David, weary in the midst of battle, sighed, longing for a drink of the water from the spring at Jerusalem. His brave escort heard him express his longing, and made the perilous journey through enemy lines to bring water back to the king. It was the cool water from a mountain spring at Zion. When those brave men brought back the sparkling water to the one they loved the most, David poured it out on the ground before the Lord. He regarded hat water as the lives of those brave men and poured it as an libation to the Almighty. He would not drink what belonged to God. I know of One who poured out His life for me. We worship Him the King of Zion the Heavenly Jerusalem. Christ came, and died, and rose again that we should be called the sons of God. "Behold what manner of Love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God." Therefore, We are marching to Zion, Beautiful, beautiful Zion; we are marching upward to Zion, the beautiful City of God. Copyright (c) 1996, Hedley Palmer. All rights reserved. ---------------------------------------------------- file: /pub/resources/text/hpalmer/psalms: ps-087.txt .