Psalm 87

This week we are taking a look at Psalm 87 in the third book of the Psalms. As we look at this Psalm together, it is important to emphasize that this Psalm is placed in book three because book three is dealing with the issue of the exile so we can take that information and see that this Psalm would have been an encouragement for the believers enduring exile from their home lands. In this Psalm, we find that the psalmist is dealing with the privilege of those who trust in God and dwell in Zion and who, being filled with this sense of hometown pride, are so encouraged that they start singing about the blessings that come from Zion.

Now, I think it would be helpful for me to mention that there are two man interpretations of this Psalm. One group views this psalm in a universal light and think that verse 4-6 are insinuating that the Psalmist has an eye toward the future where all the nations will be called natives of Zion. Although I like that idea, I don’t think that’s what the Psalmist is talking about and I’ll show you why in a minute. But first, I want us to look at verses 1-3 which deal with the beauty of Zion.

The Beauty of Zion

As the Sons of Korah think about Zion, or Jerusalem, they can’t help but to explode with pride about all that it entails. You see, for the people of Israel, Zion was a holy place because that is where God chose to place the temple and to manifest His presence in a very particular way. Now, we don’t quite know why God chose that area, but we do know that He did it because, as verse 2 tells us, He loves it. And it’s because of this love that verse three says, “Wow, glorious things are spoken of you, O city of God!”

The Blessing of Zion’s People

The next thing I want you to notice is the blessing of Zion’s people. In my opinion, the writer is forming an inclusio around verse 5 with verses 4 and 6 as a way to emphasize what’s being said in verse 5. In verse 4, God is speaking and it says that He mentions Rahab and Babylon to the people who know Him, which are the people of Israel who trust in Him. One thing I want to point out is who Rahab is. This is not referring to Rahab in the story of Joshua who ended up becoming the great grandmother of the Lord Jesus. Instead, Rahab was the name of a terrifying monster of chaos which was spoken of in ancient times. The name for this monster ended up being applied to Egypt. So, God is bringing to mind the people of Egypt and Babylon, who are powerful world powers. He then mentions Philistia, which was an internal enemy of Israel who regularly pestered them, as well as Tyre, a wealthy city north of Israel, and finally Ethiopia, a distant nation.

Now, as God mentions these nations to Israel, He says, “This one was born there.” The question we have to ask is, “Where is there?” Some believe there is referring to Zion as though God is speaking of the great future expectation where He will bring peoples from all tribes to Himself. And while that is true, He will do that, I don’t think that’s what this passage means. In my opinion, it’s pretty clear that “there” here is in reference to the countries He just mentioned. So, in verses 4 and 6, God is saying that He knows where each is born and reminds those who belong to Zion in verse 5 that they were born in her, that beautiful and blessed city, and that the Lord, the sovereign Himself establishes or keeps her. In short, the kingdoms of this world may seem powerful and some of them seem to be prospering, but you have been born in Zion!

To me this interpretation makes the most sense because, as I said earlier, this psalm is in book three which deals with exile. So, I think the scribes who put this psalm where it is, did this to encourage those who where dealing with darkness. Why would this be encouraging to them? Because there are amazing privileges at hand. First, being a Jew, we know that God promised to use them to bless the whole world in Genesis 12. Second, we know that God established His temple through Solomon in Zion, so the centerpiece of Jewish worship and the focused presence of God was in Zion in a unique way. Such encouragement leads us to our third point

The Worship of Zion’s People

When they remember that they belong to Zion, they can’t help but to explode in worship as the verse says that both the singers and the players of the instruments sang, ‘All my springs are in you.’ In short, they are stating that their joy, their sustenance is in Zion and to joy in Zion, at this time, was to joy in the Lord who made Zion what it was.

So what does this mean for us? Well, in Galatians 4:26 Paul is writing to the Galatians about the freedom that we have in Christ over against the bondage found in Sinai. In that argument, he seems to pull from Psalm 87 and says,

Galatians 4:26 NKJV

26 but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all.

So, why would this psalm be an encouragement to us? Because we who belong to Christ belong to the heavenly Zion, the Church, which is the mother of us all. When we go through hardships, when it seems everyone else has life going for them, we are reminded that we belong to Zion and that is special because the Lord loves Zion, the Church, He is with her, and He protects her. Of all the people, places, and privileges that you could possibly have, belong to the Church through the blood of Jesus Christ is as great as it could possibly great.

Furthermore, in Philippians 3:17-20 we read,

Philippians 3:17–20 NKJV

17 Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern. 18 For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: 19 whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame—who set their mind on earthly things. 20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,

In this passage, Paul seems to be doing something very similar to what the psalmist was doing in Psalm 87. They both call us to think of the world around us, and in Paul’s position, he wants us to remember the sinfulness of the world, and then they both want us to remember that we have prized positions because our citizenship is in Zion. Now, if we apply what Paul is doing here, we can argue that the reality that we are a people with a heavenly citizenship should cause us to be intentional with our lives. To walk in the reality of where we belong and to wage war against our sin.

Finally, in Revelation 21:22-22:5 we read about the glory of the heavenly country we are citizens of and how precious it is. It reads,

Revelation 21:22–22:5 NKJV

22 But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light. 24 And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it. 25 Its gates shall not be shut at all by day (there shall be no night there). 26 And they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it. 27 But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. 1 And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2 In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. 4 They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. 5 There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.

So, this Psalm calls us to see the beauty of the Church, not because it’s a cool gathering, but because God loves her and purchased her, God protects her, and God is with her.