Psalm 87:2

Psalm 87:2

The gates of Zion

To understand this verse we need to understand the relationship between the Lord God and the land of Israel. God first appears on earth, in the Garden of Eden. As we read Genesis 2:8-14 we realise that the Garden was situated in an area that included the ancient boundaries of Israel. In other words, God had chosen and separated this area of the created world long before the Jews were living in it. Later on, when the Israelites moved in, the Lord made it clear that they were His chosen people, but they did not own the Promised Land, it belonged to Him. “The land must not be sold permanently, because the land is mine and you reside in my land as foreigners and strangers.” Leviticus 25:23.

Nothing changed throughout the Biblical history of the Israelites, and it has not changed today, which is part of the reason why there is so much conflict in that area of the Middle East. It follows that if the land is God’s, then its cities, towns and villages are His too! We first come across the capital city, Jerusalem, when Abraham meets the High Priest and King of Salem and offers him tithes. Genesis 14. The King’s name was Melchizedek, it means “my King is righteousness.” Later in his life Abraham returned to the same place and offered his son Isaac on Mount Moriah which became the Temple site under King Solomon and it is, of course, close to where Jesus Himself was crucified. The gates of this ancient city have welcomed good men and bad over the centuries, Jesus rode through them on His triumphant journey before His crucifixion. Later, He would carry His cross outside the gates. Zion, Jerusalem, Israel – what a land, what a story, what a God! No wonder the Lord loves the gates of this eternal and holy place. 

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