Psalm 87: The City Whose Builder is NOT God

Today’s reading is Psalm 87.

God built and loves Jerusalem, the city on His holy hill Mt. Zion. However, He calls to mind some other cities or kingdoms: Rahab (a poetic reference to Egypt, Isaiah 30:7), Babylon, Philistia, Tyre, Cush.

Egypt and Babylon represented the two bookends of Israel’s enemies in the Old Testament. Philistia was a group of five cities smack in the middle of the Promised Land which were always a thorn in Israel’s side. Tyre was a sometimes friend whose commercial and material prosperity were a stumbling stone for Israelites at times. Cush was beyond Egypt and likely just represents another city/kingdom at the remotest part of the known earth. God says He recalls these cities/kingdoms to His friends. But why?

I can’t help but see “Babylon” in the middle of this list. You may be aware “Babylon” is a transliteration of the Greek name of the city. In Hebrew, we find a far more ancient name: Babel. That’s right, the city and tower built in Genesis 11 by people trying to supplant God with their own unity and technological ingenuity. From that moment on Babel/Babylon became the archetype of enemy for God’s people, God’s kingdom, God’s city. The Bible begins with the contrast between Eden and Babel, and it ends there, too. There is always the city whose builder is God. But there is also always the city whose builder is NOT God.

Surrounding Babel in Psalm 87 are these other cities/kingdoms. Egypt, some of whose cities were built on the backs of Israelite slave labor; Philistia whose five cities were a constant rival; Tyre whose material prosperity rivaled Jerusalem; and Cush a distant city which played little in the history of Israel but represents an unreachable enemy.

While these actual cities/kingdoms don’t exist today (perhaps an argument could be made for Egypt, and Iraq constantly wants to pretend to Babylon), the concept does. Babel constantly wages war with Christ’s heavenly Jerusalem. The pull of unity with the world, supplanting the wisdom of God with the technological ingenuity and philosophies of man, lingers. The Tyrian fixation on commercial and material gain over reliance on God tempts us constantly. The persecution of Egyptian taskmasters trying to browbeat us into submission will not go away. And whether the cities are near like Philistia or far like Cush, the thorn in our side of the staining worldly perspective always threatens.

But, these are not God’s city. Though they mirror, copy, and emulate God’s way, they are mediocre copies at best and deadly, poisonous substitutes at worst. Like Babylon in Revelation, they wage war and try to tempt us away from God’s city and from being God’s bride. But only God’s city wins.

Though these worldly cities attack and tempt, do not be moved. Hang on to Jesus. Stay in His city. In the end, we will win.

Praise the Lord!

Tomorrow’s reading is Psalm 87.

PODCAST!!!

Click here to take about 15 minutes to listen to the Text Talk conversation between Andrew Roberts and Edwin Crozier sparked by this post.

PATHS:
Discuss Today’s Meditation with Your Family

How does Psalm 87 prompt or improve your trust in God?

Judas

Today’s reading is Matthew 27.

There are at least two principles that come out in the New Testament writings which, I believe, have Judas as their background.

First, Paul explains in 1 Timothy 6:9-10, that those who want to be rich fall into temptation and harmful desires which plunge people into ruin and destruction. Further, the love of money has caused some to wander away from the faith and pierce themselves with many pangs. Judas is the supreme example. While we tend to throw Judas under the bus, thinking of him as just completely evil and diabolical, remember what we noted last week. When Jesus told the apostles one of them would betray Him, nobody said, “It’s Judas, isn’t it?” Judas wasn’t any more wicked than the rest of us. He was a disciple, following Jesus, but who let the love of money keep a hold on his soul. In the end, he found out painfully what Jesus had meant when He said we can’t serve God and money.

The key we should take from this is if loving money and desiring to be rich could lead Judas this far astray, it can do the same to us. As they say, money is a great servant, but a terrible master. Let us keep our heart focused on Jesus.

Second, Paul told the Corinthians “godly grief produces repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death” (2 Corinthians 7:10, ESV). I struggle to know the difference between these two griefs when they are occurring. However, I know them when they reach their end result. Judas’s grief was worldly. His grief did not glorify God. His grief did not lead him to turn to God, confess his sin, and find forgiveness in Jesus. His grief led him to greater and greater shame which he handled by killing himself. I have a sneaking suspicion, having experienced a fair amount of guilt, shame, and grief myself, Judas’s struggle was ultimately one of pride. He simply couldn’t live knowing he was the one who had betrayed Jesus so badly. If he had lived and sought forgiveness from God, he would still have had hanging over him the memory of, the reputation of, the accusation of betrayer. He knew all of the other disciples would forever know him as the one who betrayed Jesus. Sadly, to his mind, the only escape from the shame would come in death. He couldn’t see a way to escape shame and guilt through God’s grace.

That is a struggle for me as well sometimes. I don’t know about you, but I wanted to be perfect, or at least, a really, really good person. I don’t like the thought of having to claim I’m an awful, rotten sinner who is wicked because of my sin. But I remember my sins. I remember them all (well…a lot of them). Further, there are plenty of people whom I see and know they remember the times I’ve had to confess sin. Sometimes I feel like there is a neon sign flashing over my head, “Oh, yeah, there’s that guy who did such and such.” If they are thinking that, there is nothing I can do about it. I have to mourn the loss of that person I wanted to be. Instead of trying to regain joy by pretending I’m actually that person or that my sins weren’t all that bad, I have to find joy in forgiveness. But forgiveness is all about how awesome God is and not a bit about how awesome I am. That’s a tough pill to swallow. And some people, even if they don’t commit physical suicide, decide to commit spiritual suicide instead of confessing their own sin and letting God deal with it by the death of Jesus.

Don’t be that person. Give God the glory by confessing your sin. Give God the glory by surrendering to Jesus. Mourn the loss of that person you wanted to be. But rejoice with the person Jesus can make you.

Don’t be Judas.

Tomorrow’s reading is Matthew 27.

PODCAST!!!

Click here to take about 15 minutes to listen to the Text Talk conversation between Andrew Roberts and Edwin Crozier sparked by this post.

Discuss the Following Questions with Your Family

1. What are your initial reactions to the chapter and the written devo above?
2. Why is money such a competitor for our devotion to God?
3. Why is worldly grief easier than godly grief?
4. What other lessons do you learn from Judas?
5. What do you think we should pray for and about in light of this chapter and today’s post?