Psalm 87: Glorious Things are Said of You

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Psalm 87 Glorious Things are Said of You!

• Forest Hills Bible Chapel
• 6 July 2008

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Background to Psalm 87

• This is one of the more difficult psalms to
  translate into meaningful English, as well as to
  interpret.
• A major theme in Scripture Gods people as a
  city of God. Genesis 114 Hebrews 1110
  1222 1314 Revelation 211-4.

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Background to Psalm 87

• Some biblical background is offered in Psalm
  869, and in Isaiah 1923-25.
• 9 All the nations you have made will come and
  worship before you, Lord
• they will bring glory to your name.

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Background to Psalm 87

• 23 In that day there will be a highway from
  Egypt to Assyria. The Assyrians will go to Egypt
  and the Egyptians to Assyria. The Egyptians and
  Assyrians will worship together. 24 In that day
  Israel will be the third, along with Egypt and
  Assyria, a blessing on the earth. 25The Lord
  Almighty will bless them, saying, Blessed be
  Egypt my people, Assyria my handiwork, and Israel
  my inheritance.

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Background to Psalm 87

• Zion a hill in southeast Jerusalem, some 105
  higher than Mt. Moriah. Captured by David from
  the Jebusites he built a palace on it. Later in
  the OT it is used to describe both Jerusalem in
  general, as well as Gods people Israel.

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Background to Psalm 87

• Rahab (v. 4) - insolence pride, a poetical name
  applied to Egypt in Ps. 874 8910 Isa. 519,
  as the proud one.

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Background to Psalm 87
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Background to Psalm 87

• Babylon - the Greek form of BABEL Semitic form
  Babilu, meaning The Gate of God. In the
  Assyrian tablets it means The city of the
  dispersion of the tribes. The monumental list of
  its kings reaches back to B.C. 2300, and includes
  Khammurabi, or Amraphel (q.v.), the contemporary
  of Abraham.

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Background to Psalm 87
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Background to Psalm 87

• Philistia Palestine (q.v.), the land of the
  Philistines (Ps. 608 874 1089). The word is
  supposed to mean the land of wanderers or of
  strangers.

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Background to Psalm 87

• Tyre - a rock, now es-Sur an ancient Phoenician
  city, about 23 miles, in a direct line, north of
  Acre, and 20 south of Sidon. Sidon was the oldest
  Phoenician city, but Tyre had a longer and more
  illustrious history.

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Background to Psalm 87

• Cush - black. A son, probably the eldest, of
  Ham, and the father of Nimrod. From him the land
  of Cush seems to have derived its name. The
  question of the precise locality of the land of
  Cush has given rise to not a little controversy.
  It has been inferred that Cush included Arabia
  and the country on the west coast of the Red Sea.

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Psalm 87 Glorious Things are Said of You!

• 1 He has founded his city on the holy mountain.
• 2 The Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all
  the other dwellings of Jacob.
• 3 Glorious things are said of you, city of God

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Psalm 87 Glorious Things are Said of You!

• 4 I will record Rahab and Babylon among those
  who acknowledge me
• Philistia too, and Tyre, along with Cush and
  will say, This one was born in Zion.
• 5 Indeed, of Zion it will be said, This one and
  that one were born in her, and the Most High
  himself will establish her.

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Psalm 87 Glorious Things are Said of You!

• 6 The Lord will write in the register of the
  peoples This one was born in Zion.
• 7 As they make music they will sing, All my
  fountains are in you.

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Psalm 87 Glorious Things are Said of You!

• Jerusalem is the City of God, and represents
  the heart of Gods people vv. 1-3.
• Gods people are a corporate identity, and not
  just a collection of isolated individuals.
• Spiritual formation and spiritual growth take
  place primarily in the context of a believing
  community.

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Psalm 87 Glorious Things are Said of You!

• For the church of Jesus Christ, there should be
  no such thing as the race issue.
• So-called interracial marriage should not be an
  issue.
• If any people ought not to be racist, it is those
  who profess as the Lord the one who created all
  people!

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Psalm 87 Glorious Things are Said of You!

• 9After this I looked, and there before me was a
  great multitude that no one could count, from
  every nation, tribe, people and language,
  standing before the throne and in front of the
  Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were
  holding palm branches in their hands.

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Psalm 87 Glorious Things are Said of You!

• If any people ought not to be racist, it is those
  who profess as the Lord the one who reigns over
  all people including every nation, tribe,
  people, and language!
• As with everything else, look to Gods word for
  truth, and not to what the popular culture is
  asserting.

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Psalm 87 Glorious Things are Said of You!

• The Church of Jesus Christ exists to be a means
  to the end of glorifying God, and not simply as
  an end in itself.
• Simply put we must constantly be thinking
  beyond our own racial, geographical, and cultural
  borders.

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Pastor Murray and Marjorie Gifkins and family
Hatfield, England