Psalm 87 - All shall Worship the LORD at Zion

Introduction

In Genesis 12:3 the LORD tells then Abram that all the families of the earth would be blessed in him. 1400 years later Paul would point to the promise as scripture foreseeing the gospel justifying the gentiles (Gal. 3:8-9). While the LORD choose Abram —> Abraham and later Israel to covenant with, His purpose was already to bring in peoples for all the earth. We get sort of a prophetic glimpse through this psalm.

Background

Last week we saw David look forward toward the time when all the nations would worship Yahweh. While there is no evidence that he wrote this psalm, the editor(s) of the book of psalms clearly saw this psalm as appropriate after psalm 86.

Exposition

Verses 1 - 3: Scripture makes it clear that Yahweh is everywhere. The LORD fills the heavens and earth (Is. 6:3, Jer. 23:23-24). Yet scripture is equally clear that the LORD has not manifest His presence the same everywhere. Rather the LORD manifested at Mt. Sinai in the wilderness (Ex. 19:18-20) and Mount Zion where the temple is built (2 Chr. 7:16). This is the message of the psalmist here. At that moment in Redemption History it was Jerusalem where the LORD choose to place His name and His temple. It was a place like no other even in all the lands of Israel because from there the LORD of Hosts dwelt with His people. It stands or falls due to the LORD’s presence and favor. Jerusalem is loved only because of God’s sovereign electing grace and loving choice.[1]

Glorious things have indeed been spoken of Mt. Zion. Ps. 46:4-5 describes the LORD dwelling in and securing of Jerusalem and Mt. Zion. Ps. 48:1-3 describes Mt. Zion and the city of Jerusalem as beautiful because the LORD is in its midst. There is not our place on earth that could claim this title.

Verses 4 - 6: It is Jerusalem which will become the spiritual center of worship of the LORD. It is there from which the King of kings will reign for eternity. All nations will look toward a future Jerusalem because the king will be there. Isaiah 2:2-3: tells us that we will worship and learn of God at the temple at Jerusalem. Peoples from every land will worship the LORD of hosts (Rev. 5:9,7:9). Charles Spurgeon, in his Treasury of David commentary puts it this way: “This is the glory of the Church, that into her the fulness of the nations shall enter,—the proud from Egypt, who for her haughtiness is called Rahab,—the worldly from Babylon, the city of confusion,—the wrathful from Philistia, so long the enemies of Israel,—the covetous from Tyre, the rich city of the traders,—and the slaves of ignorance from Cush, and from the land of Ham,—all these shall learn the love of Christ and confess his truth, and shall enter into that all-glorious city, and be admitted and acknowledged as citizens of the celestial Sion.—“Plain Commentary.””[2] He states in his sermon, ‘the Last Census’ that: “Whose name shall be there? We reply, there shall be the name of every soul that ever believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, whosoever fled to the cross for refuge, whosoever turned his tearful eye to Calvary as his hope, whosoever stretched out his finger to touch the hem of the sacred garment, shall find his name surely there as well as the mightiest of the prophets or the chief of the apostles.” [3] The LORD Himself will restore Jerusalem as His place of during.

There are a few more things we should not, again with the help of Spurgeon:

There is no counting by clan or families. Every individual person’s name must be there in the book of life if they are to enter the new Jerusalem.

Salvation is an individual necessity - everyone must repent and believe the gospel for themselves.

There is a time limit. Not a single day is promised to us. It is all of grace. There will be a time when the register will be checked. Delay is not a option.

Verse 7: All of nations of earth will celebrate the awesome work of God in bringing all nations to Himself. We will celebrate the work of Christ brought to fulfillment.

Gospel Application

One glorious thing about the church is how many people whom were enemies of God shall be sons and daughters of God. This was best exemplified in Paul, the chief persecutor of the NT church who would become its greatest apostle. Another glorious thing is that no one is excluded because of who they are or where they are born. The body of Christ, founded on his death and resurrection shall be a glorious testament of the sovereign love of God. Blessed be the name of the LORD.

Bibliography

1. VanGemeren, W. A. (2008). Psalms. In T. Longman III & D. E. Garland (Eds.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Psalms (Revised Edition) (Vol. 5, p. 655). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

2. Spurgeon, C. H. (n.d.). The treasury of David: Psalms 56-87 (Vol. 3, p. 483). London; Edinburgh; New York: Marshall Brothers.

3. Spurgeon, C. H. (1861). The Last Census. In The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit Sermons (Vol. 7, p. 276). London: Passmore & Alabaster.