Video Transcripts: Psalms of Zion
We continue our look at the variety of different kinds of Psalms. The Psalter itself. The 150 Psalms has a number of different types of Psalms, and various scholars have suggested different categories to the Psalms. I'm suggesting that there are at least eight that we ought to take a look at individual laments, communal laments, hymns of praise, songs of confidence, Royal Psalms, Psalms of Zion, thank Psalms and wisdom or priestly instruction. Today, we're going to take a look particularly at the psalms of Zion. This is a fairly small collection among the 150 Psalms. I think there are six psalms in particular that are psalms of Zion. And these are sort of like national anthems that are more than just, hey, we've got a great country here. These are national anthems that praise the earthly residents of YAHWAH. That place called Zion. Zion is this code term that emerges in the Old Testament and it's never fully explained. But it's the idea that when God steps out of heaven, God steps down to earth, and the place where God comes, dwells, appears, is Zion. It's a place of strength, it's a place of glory. And so the temple in Jerusalem certainly and Jerusalem itself, and by extension, through Jerusalem, the whole of the people of Israel, become the place of Zion. It's a it's a bit of a nebulous place. It's kind of like in the King Arthur legends, the idea of Camelot. While Camelot in the King Arthur legends, is touted to be a real place, it's more than that. It's an ideal, it's a it's a concept of fullness and blessing. And so it is with Zion, this idea of a fullness and blessing that comes when God is resident among God's people. So in praise of Zion, we are actually singing of Yahweh as praises of God's own praises, and the manner in which God deals with the nations of the earth. Now, a few examples of a psalm 48 is probably one of the most focused expressions of all of this great is the Lord and most worthy of praise in the city of our God, His holy mountain, beautiful in His loftiness the joy of the whole earth, like the heights of Zion is Mount Zion, the city of the great king. God is inner citadels, he has shown himself to be her fortress. When the Kings joined forces when the advanced together, they saw her and were astounded they fled in terror, trembling seized them there pain like that of a woman in labor, you destroyed them, like the ships of Tarshish shattered by an east wind, as we have heard, so we have seen in the city of the Lord Almighty in the city of our God, God makes her secure forever. Within your temple, oh God and we meditate on your unfailing love like your name of 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 about 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 forever and ever, he will be our guide even to the end. Notice
that God is first affirmed, as ruler of all nations, not merely the God of Israel, but the God of all nations. And then Zion is affirmed as God's earthly home and palace. Zion was the name of the fortress or the castle or the citadel that the Jebusites had, which David conquered, and then made his own capital for the unified nation of Israel, freed from all of its enemies. But David refused to be considered the ultimate authority in Israel, clearly demonstrating that by bringing in the ark of YAHWAH, the Ark of the Covenant, which was Yahweh as throne, bringing it to Jerusalem, so that Yahweh could function as the visible and true king of the nation, even though David built his own palaces. And remember that David wanted to build a temple for Yahweh, the palace of the true King of Israel. Eventually his son Solomon would do that. So Zion becomes the name for the center of God's rule on earth, and Zion should be the object of the delight of those who know and desire to live in harmony with the rule of God. If you believe God exists, if God matters and if God is the Ruler of the nations, then Zion becomes the expression of God come down to be among us. On earth, and to give righteousness and direction to the nations that are otherwise wandering and chaotic and destroying one another, so it's a very powerful thing. Another psalm, this one how lovely is your dwelling place, oh 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 a sparrow has found a hum and a swallow and nests for herself where she may ever young, a place near your altar, oh, Lord Almighty, my King and my God. Blessed are those who dwell in your house, they're ever praising you and you can see that blessing and that praise, continuing to roll throughout the rest of the psalm. This psalm clearly had its origins in the traveling songs for those who were on pilgrimage to Jerusalem. If you note those early verses, they're planning to go up to Jerusalem for one of the great festivals each year. Pilgrim festivals and those were the Feast of Passover which announced the origins of the nation of Israel as it came out of Egypt to the great exodus, the Feast of Weeks, which celebrated the harvest come in when they got into the land and the Feast of booths or tents, which reminded them of the care of God while they traveled through the wilderness. So these three festivals, each year, all of the Israelite adults, especially the male's came up to Jerusalem and on the way they sang songs. Now, there's a collection of those Psalms, Psalms 120, through 134. But here seems to be another one that may have been an earlier one or later one that was added to the collection. Zion is perceived as the residence of Yahweh, the object of their worship, and the fate of the world is understood as linked to the blessings of Yahweh. So celebrating Zion, is to adore the master of Zion, the God of all the King of the universe, the creator
of everything, as goes the fates of Zion, so goes the fate of the world. And if the world wishes to be tied to the good designs of its creator, then the world ought to praise God and the City of God. So Zion comes in, in that manner. A third possibility of the psalms of Zion. Here's Psalm 87, he has founded his city on the holy mountain, the Lord loves the gates of Zion, more than all of the other dwellings of Jacob, glorious things are said of you city of God, I will record Rahab, and Babel, and among those who acknowledged me Phylistia, too 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 will establish her, the Lord will write in the register of the peoples, this one was born in Zion, and they will make music as they make music, they will sing, all my fountains are and you notice these things? Isn't that a marvelous, powerful, missional Psalm? Notice that the extent establishment of Jerusalem as the throne city of YAHWAH, is declared to be God's own initiative. It's not a matter of David choosing the city, it's not a matter of the Israelites, finally, wanting a king, God had this intended all along. And there's sort of two voices that dialogue back and forth in the song. The first voice is that of the narrator who praises God and Gods city, Zion, announcing that all of the nations actually belong to this kings kingdom. Now, that's a striking thought. Because even in the world of the Old Testament nations were fiercely nationalistic, we're the people of Babylon, or we're the people of Persia, or we're the people of Syria, or we're the Philistines or we're the Egyptians. And what this Psalm says, all of our petty national identities need to come undone as we gather together into one larger kingdom. And that kingdom, the only kingdom that matters is the kingdom of God, the Creator of all, and God rules out of Zion. The second voice is actually YAHWAH himself calling for and declaring that people of all known nations actually belong as citizens, to his own kingdom. Fascinating. You're not an if you're not a Babylonian, you're not an Egyptian, you're not a Syrian, you are a member of Zion, you carry a passport of the one true nation of the earth. So it's a very missional song. It announces that the God of Israel is the Lord of all nations, and that the best interests of all peoples are found in league with YAHWAH. If you miss your connection with Israel, if you miss your connection with the temple if you miss your connection with the throne of David, then you miss life itself. These psalms of Zion praise the city where the living Creator takes up residence on Earth, in order to be with the people of Earth who all, all, not just Israel, but all belong to God. So the theological assumptions behind these songs are very, very extravagant. Israel is not special among the nations, in and of herself. But Israel is God's City, God's nation, who is by the creator's right,
the Lord of all the nations. So Zion is the connecting point between heaven and earth, allowing the creator of all to appear in the human arena, and then to take up a rightful place as the king of all the nations. So all peoples whatever citizenships they claim otherwise, should and will gladly and quickly announced the priority of Zions claim on their lives, when they understand who Zions true ruler is. This is a theme which reappears in the New Testament in large doses. Jesus says that he's come to proclaim the kingdom of God, and that kingdom is for all nations. And the Missionaries of the early church go out speaking about the rule of God through the resurrected Christ. So all of these things about the psalms of Zion, echoes throughout the entire Bible as one of the key themes one of the key theological concepts. For more on this you might take a look at my books Here Me Oh God, which is a collection of meditations one on every one of the Psalms, and also a further background to these things in Covenant Documents Reading the Bible Again For the First Time.