Showing Off

For the Lord has built up Zion; He has appeared in His glory. Psalm 102:16 NASB Has appeared – Reputation!  That’s the deciding factor.  If God doesn’t fortify His chosen servant/warrior, then God’s reputation among the other kings will be sullied.  “Don’t do it for me,” writes the poet.  “Do it for Yourself.  You will be glorified among the kings…

Metonym

You will arise and have compassion on Zion; for it is time to be gracious to her, for the appointed time has come.  Psalm 102:13  NASB Have compassion – The first description of God’s character in Exodus 34:6 is raḥûm.  It comes from the Hebrew verb rāḥam, a verb that means “to love deeply, have mercy, be compassionate.”  The importance of this…

Change of Venue

By Your favor do good to Zion; build the walls of Jerusalem. Psalm 51:18 NASB Do good – What is this verse doing in this poem? For the last seventeen verses, David has been dealing with personal confession and the agony of his own sin. Suddenly, without warning, the text shifts to a statement about…

Picturing the End

 It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it, and many peoples shall come, and say: “Come, let us go up…