Tuesday: Zion—The Home of All Nations
Daily Lesson for Tuesday 12th of March 2024
Read Psalms 87:1-2. What makes Zion such an esteemed place?
Psalms 87:1-7 is a hymn celebrating Zion as God’s specially chosen and beloved city. The foundation of God’s temple is on Mount Zion (Psalms 2:6, Psalms 15:1). At the end of time, Zion will rise above all mountains, signifying the Lord’s sovereign supremacy over the whole world (Psalms 99:2, Isaiah 2:2, Micah 4:1). Psalms 87:1-7 refers to Zion as “mountains” to highlight its majesty (Psalms 133:3).
Image © Review & Herald Publishing at Goodsalt.com
God loves the gates of Zion “more than all the dwellings of Jacob” (Psalms 87:2, NKJV), expressing the superiority of Zion over all other places in Israel that were special gathering places of God’s people in the past, such as Shiloh and Bethel. Thus, the psalm affirms that true worship of God is in His chosen place and in His prescribed way.
Read Psalms 87:1-7:3–7. What are the glorious things that are spoken of Zion?
The glory of Zion draws all the nations to God, and so, the borders of God’s kingdom are extended to include the whole world. Notice that God does not treat the other nations as second-level citizens, even if Zion is portrayed as the spiritual birthplace of all peoples who accept the Lord as their Savior.
The registering of individuals was done according to their birthplace (Nehemiah 7:5, Luke 2:1-3). Three times the psalm states that the nations are born in Zion, meaning that the Lord provides them with a new identity and grants them all the privileges of lawfully born children of Zion (Psalms 87:4-6).
Psalms 87:1-7 points to salvation of both the Jews and the Gentiles and their being united in one church through Christ’s redeeming ministry (Romans 3:22; Romans 10:12; Galatians 3:28-29; Colossians 3:11). The psalm’s portrayal of the prosperity of Zion is reminiscent of Daniel’s vision of God’s kingdom becoming an enormous mountain that fills the whole earth (Daniel 2:34-35,44-45) and of Jesus’ parable about God’s kingdom growing into a huge tree that hosts the birds of the air (Matthew 13:32).
How does Zion’s readiness to adopt all people find its fulfillment in the church’s Great Commission to preach the gospel to every nation (Matthew 28:18-20)? How does this idea fit in with our call to preach the three angels’ messages?
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It seems somewhat incongruous that this week we are discussing Zion and peace when in that region of the world today Israel and Palestine are belting the living daylights out of one another. What is even more incongruous is that the protagonists are genetically two of the most closely related ethnic groups in the world. This is not an invitation to take sides. There are losers in this war and they are the thousands of innocent people killed in the conflict.
One thing we can learn from this conflict is the futility of man's efforts to bring about peace. The chemistry of sin ensures that we will always have to deal with conflict.
I know that we put an eschatological (That's Theology language for judgement and final resolution) meaning into the Zion Psalms. We think of Zion as referring to the time when sin is destroyed and we are all living in harmony in the new earth. We also understand the futility of attaining peace now. Does that mean we should just give up and pray that the Lord comes quickly?
Jesus said: "Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God." Matt 5:9
We are citizens of Zion and part of our mandate is to be peacemakers now. It is not a utopian future we worship, but a lifestyle choice for the present. We may not be able to solve the world conflicts but we can be agents of peace and contentment in the present within our own horizon.
By this shall all men know...
Maurice – may I suggest to look at Zion, as Perlina pointed out, to be essentially the spiritual birthplace of God manifesting Himself to man - the home God chose to manifest Himself as the Creator God of all mankind. “It is there where man learned of God’s word and to do His Will.” [Jewish Virtual Library – Charting the Holy Land: Jerusalem as the Earth’s Center]
I do not think that it matters who lived there before or if man believes this to be so, it is so because God chose it to be this way. Mt. Zion – Jerusalem is His home where mankind, then and in the future new earth, meets its Creator God – at this location and with/in the spirit of his being.
Zion was chosen long before Abraham became His willing vessel for establishing God’s Will through him and his posterity. In light of our ‘New Jerusalem’ being placed at the same location as the Old Jerusalem, only much bigger, what great mystery is being revealed through its physical location?
There will be no more bloodshed over deciding who will ‘occupy’ Jerusalem - the city of God! It will be given to the followers of the True and only God Almighty, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, His Son and all He gives to Him.
I support the New Testament use of the notion of Sion (Zion). My note to Perlina was simply to give a background to its use in the Old Testament. Mount Zion was a real place - the highest point in Jerusalem, where the Temple was built. That is why it was used as a metaphor is both the Psalms and the New Testament. I repeat that it was Jesus that gives meaning to the metaphor.
The Scriptures speak s about Israel ( spiritually ) not a place. Mount Zion is God’s Church.
Thank the Lord.
That is not quite the full story, Perlina. The first mention of Mount Zion is in 2 Samuel 5:7 when David captured the Jebusite Mount Zion and made it the captial of Canaan. Most of the mentions of Zion in the Psalms refer to it in a national sense.
It is the New Testament and in particular Jesus application of the messianic psalms to himself that gives us a more spiritual application to the references to Zion.
To answer the first question at the end of the lesson, I want to suggest to look within ourselves to uncover any obstacles which might prevent us to be willing to accept all who come to Christ for adoption into the Father’s family and His kingdom.
My answer to the second question - in my opinion, the 'Great Commission/Gospel message' is synonymous with ‘preaching’ the three angels’ messages – they can only make sense when accepted together; living the Gospel message first is important as this can explain the background for the three angels' message.
I suggest to remember that by fulfilling the Great Commission it is not our church people are invited to join, but rather to join us in living in God’s kingdom. The fellowship worships God in Spirit and Truth, honoring Him with love of and commitment to the wellbeing of others. How this manifests itself here on earth among man is left up to the individual.
Personally, I consider the fruit of the Spirit to be the hallmark of the born-again believer - Gal.5:22. As we live in meekness and temperance, these aspects of the Holy Spirit’s work in us are revealed in each believer’s practical ways of living.
It is this practical 'Great Commission' which Jesus Christ appointed/encouraged His apostles to engage in in word and deed. Jesus calls the born-again believer to love their God with all their heart and being and through it be made ready for God’s love to express itself to all those he comes in contact with. Zion - God within; the home of all nations.
Mt. Zion = The Church that doesn't practice racism, nepotism and any form of terming people depending on their birthplace, just like the ancient Temple at Zion did.
Bethel and Shilloh Temples practiced racism and God was not pleased with them.
When the Lesson states, "The Glory of Zion draws all the nations to God," it is an echoing sentiment that was first expressed by an aged Simeon as he held the the eight day old Baby, the Son of God the "Glory of Israel" in his wrinkled hands.
"A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles,
And the glory of Your people Israel.”
Luke 2:32 NKJV