Thoughts for the Day

Tuesday, 19th November 2024: Psalm 87

Zion Christians Psalm 87 Heaven Jerusalem

Reading : Verses from Psalm 87

33963-3111854512

* Jerusalem old city today.

The Joy of Living in Zion. Of the Korahites. A Psalm. A Song.

On the holy mount stands the city he founded;
the Lord loves the gates of Zion
more than all the dwellings of Jacob.
Glorious things are spoken of you,
O city of God. Selah

Among those who know me I mention Rahab and Babylon;
Philistia too, and Tyre, with Ethiopia —
‘This one was born there,’ they say.

And of Zion it shall be said,
‘This one and that one were born in it’;
for the Most High himself will establish it.
The Lord records, as he registers the peoples,
‘This one was born there.’ Selah

Singers and dancers alike say,
‘All my springs are in you.’

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)


Thoughts

This short, rather staccato psalm, has much to teach us. The writer calls Jerusalem "Zion", and the hill of Mount Moriah on which it stands a "holy mount", for God dwells in the midst of His people. He says that God loves the city in which He dwells more than anywhere else. While we might find this a difficult concept in this day and age with Israel in the middle of a war, we cannot just dismiss the notion as fanciful, for ironically the city has pulled us all to her, as the centre in which the basis of our faith was played out - the life, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.

For Christians 'Zion' has also become synonymous with 'Heaven'. Saint Paul called it: 'Jerusalem above' who is 'free, and is our mother', and sometimes we use the phrase "Heavenly Jerusalem". Indeed one of the most famous hymns written about the city is 'Glorious things of Thee are spoken', by John Newman, with its wonderful last verse that starts:

'Saviour, if of Zion's city
I through grace a member am,
let the world deride or pity,
I will glory in thy name.'

But it's not just that, for the words in Psalm 87 indicate that Gentiles will be drawn to this Mother-city: Rahab (Egypt), Babylon, Philistia, Tyre and Ethiopia. We read that to God they "know me" which is an infinitely closer phrase than another we find in the scriptures about those "who fear me". It was to be the Gentiles who were to spread the news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ around the world, concerning both the early and the heavenly Jerusalem.

May we all pray this day for the peace of Israel and Palestine: that Jews, Muslims and Christians may live in harmony.


Prayer

Heavenly Father,
our scriptures teach us of the importance
of the city of Jerusalem
as the place where You made a home
with Your people.
So it is important to us also as the city
where the life, death and resurrection
of Your Son occurred.
We pray for all caught up in the present war,
that peace may reign in the region at last,
and we look forward to that Heavenly Zion
where sorrow will no longer hold sway.
Amen.


Follow Up Thoughts

You might like to hear Psalms 51-100, read by David Suchet. You can stop and start it at the psalm you want:

Or play these:

Return to index