1. His foundation is in the holy mountains. The psalm begins abruptly: the poet’s heart was full, and
it gained a vent on a sudden. Sudden passion is evil, but bursts of holy joy
are most precious. God has chosen to found his earthly temple upon the
mountains. The church, which is the mystical Jerusalem, is founded not on the
sand of carnal policy, nor in the morass of human kingdoms, but on Jehovah’s
Godhead. The church is the chief of all his works.
2. The gates
are put for the city itself. The love of God is greatest to his own elect
nation. God delights in the prayers and praises of Christian families and
individuals, but he has a special eye to the assemblies of the faithful. The
great festivals, when the crowds surrounded the temple gates, were fair in the
Lord’s eyes, and this should lead each separate believer to identify with the
church of God; where the Lord reveals his love the most, there should each
believer most delight to be found.
3. Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God. This is true of Jerusalem. It is yet more true of the
church. We may glory in her without being braggarts; she has a luster which
none can rival. Never let thy praises cease, O bride of Christ, in whom the
Lord himself has placed his delight, calling you by that pearl of names,
Hephzibah—“for my delight is in her.” The years to come will unveil your
beauties to the astonished eyes of all peoples. Selah. With the prospect
of a world converted, and the most implacable foes transformed into friends, it
was fitting that the psalmist should pause.
4. I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon to them that
know me. Zion’s old foes are new-born and
have become her friends, worshiping in the temple of her God. Some consider
that these are the words of God himself, and should be rendered, “I will
mention Rahab and Babylon as knowing me,” but we feel content with our common
version, and attribute the words to the psalmist himself, who anticipates the
conversion of the two great rival nations and speaks of it with exultation. Behold
Philistia, and Tyre, with Ethiopia. These also are to bow before the Lord. This
man was born there. That is, this nation has been born into Zion,
regenerated into the church of God. The new births of nations it is at once a
great blessing and a great wonder.
Many understand the sense of these verses to be that all
people are proud of their native country, and so also is the citizen of Zion.
The passage is not so clear that anyone should become dogmatic as to its
meaning, but we prefer the interpretation given above.
5. And of Zion, it shall be said, This and that man was
born in her. Not as nations only, but one by
one, as individuals, the citizens of the New Jerusalem will be counted, and
their names publicly declared. The individual will not be lost in the mass, but
each one will be of high account. The original, by using the noblest word for
man, intimates that many remarkable men will be born in the church, and indeed
everyone who is renewed in the image of Christ is an eminent personage, while
there are some who, even to the dim eyes of the world, shine with a luster of
character which cannot but be admitted to be unusual and admirable. And the
highest himself shall establish her. When the numbers of the faithful are
increased by the new birth, the Lord proves himself to be higher than all those
who are against us.
6. At the
great census which the Lord himself takes, he will number the nations without
exception. Jehovah’s census of his chosen will differ much from ours; he will
count many whom we should have disowned, and he will leave out many whom we
should have reckoned. Let us pray for the adoption and regeneration which will
secure us a place among the heaven-born.
7. In vision
the psalmist sees the citizens of Zion rejoicing at some sacred festival, and
marching in triumphant procession with vocal and instrumental music. As well
the singers as the players on instruments shall be there. Where God is
there must be joy, and where the church is increased by numerous conversions
the joy becomes exuberant and finds out ways of displaying itself. All my
springs are in thee. Did the poet mean that henceforth he would find all
his joys in Zion, or that to the Lord he would look for all inspiration? The
last is the truest doctrine. The Lord who founded the church is the eternal
source of all our supplies.
Excerpt from:
The Treasury of David
By Charles H Spurgeon
