Psalm 87 Commentary
The psalm is celebrating Jerusalem as the seat of Israel’s government. Its splendor is evidence of God’s blessing on the nation. Egypt, Babylon, and Cush are long-established civilizations. The fact that they think of Jerusalem as a special city further consolidates Jerusalem’s status.
A thriving Jerusalem delivers the thought of God’s faithfulness. He has kept His promise to Abraham. It is this land and this city that project the overall intention of the LORD. God’s people must take pride in this city. To be born here is a privilege that the neighboring peoples are envious of.
The New Testament saint cannot avoid thinking about the kingdom of God. Belonging to the kingdom of Heaven is a real blessing. Hearing the King speak to you via His written word is a privilege that many don’t have. There are countless elements of the kingdom that saints take for granted. This psalm reminds us to once again reflect on the blessedness of belonging to the household of faith.
The world is envious. They mount counterfeits of all shapes and colors but the real joy is only possible for the residents of the city of God. The LORD God registers the saint’s name in the Book of Life. “This one is born again.”
This psalm speaks to us about the need to return to a place of pride because of our citizenship in the Kingdom of Heaven. Move away from sadness because of fake joy, fake success, fake peace, fake prosperity, and fake pleasure that the world claims to offer. It is all vanity and comes to nothing.
Let the saint know that all the fountains are within the kingdom. And the LORD loves it – the gates of Zion.
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