Asaph's Psalms of Mount Zion, Psalms 50 and 76

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Percival Stone
6 years ago
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1 Asaph's Psalms of Mount Zion, Psalms 50 and 76 The significance Mount Zion or Zion is one of the mysteries that God shrouded from the Old Testament saints. In scripture the prophets and the Lord referred to "Zion" as the source of God's power, God's beauty, and God's triumph. During the time of David, the city of Jerusalem (Salem) lay nestled at the eastern foot of Mount Zion, just next to Mt. Moriah. The Tent of the Ark of the Covenant was erected on Mount Zion. After Solomon built the Temple on Mount Moriah, and moved the Ark to that spot, there came to be an misunderstanding among the Jews that "Zion" in the scripture stood for the Temple and by extension all Jerusalem. In this, they did not understand that the Temple on Mount Moriah was only a shadow of God's true Temple and true sacrifice. God had a purpose for allowing this misunderstanding. If the Jews or Satan had understood that the great prophecies and promises must be fulfilled on Mount Zion they would never have allowed Jesus to be crucified anywhere near there. By concealing His purpose God protected His plan. By the time of Christ, Jerusalem covered much of the southern part of Mount Zion, but there was a place just outside the wall on the northern slope of Mount Zion that was used for crucifixions. I can't help but wonder when it began to dawn on Satan that he had helped arrange for Christ to be crucified on the Zion of God's victory. (Isaiah 25:7-8a "On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; he will swallow up death forever.") I also believe that the same spot on Mount Zion that Christ was crucified was the real location of Abraham's sacrifice of Isaac, the location of the burial of Goliath's skull by David, and the site of the Ark of the Covenant in the Tent of Meeting. The use of Zion in its prophetical sense is crucial to the understanding of both Psalm 50 and Psalm 76. Psalm 50 - "From Zion, perfect in beauty, God shines forth." "But to the wicked, God says: What right have you to recite my laws or take my covenant on your lips?'" Written during Solomon's reign. Because of the reference in this Psalm to multitudes of offerings we would place the time of writing after the dedication of the Temple. The reference to trouble with his brothers also places the Psalm early in Solomon's reign. Remember that Solomon had his brother Adonijah killed to secure the Kingdom to himself. [1] Verses 1-6 are a shadow prophecy looking toward the cross, "from Zion, perfect in beauty, God shines forth!" Is this talking about the Temple? No! The Temple was on Mt. Moriah, not Mt. Zion. Is this talking about the Tent of 1 / 5

2 Meeting on Zion where the Ark of the Covenant rested? No, because the Ark was only a shadow of the beauty of the Lord. The perfection of the beauty of God shone forth in 30 AD on Mt. Zion when Jesus Christ died outside the wall, on a Roman cross. To that place and that time all of heaven and earth are summoned to see God judge his people in the person of Jesus Christ. The heavens proclaimed the righteousness of God because God himself who judged his own Son. That was the true sacrifice which all the animal sacrifices merely represented. Verses 7-15 warn the faithful against drawing the wrong conclusions about the covenant by sacrifice. Solomon had performed sacrifices without number completely ignoring the significance of sacrifices. Each animal sacrifice was to be from one person or one family. The purpose of sacrifices was to teach each person that his sin was to be covered by the innocent perfect sacrifice which God himself would provide. The massive sacrifices Solomon had made seemed to think sacrifices were to satisfy the appetite of God. Solomon, a man of great appetites had already begun to think the that God was like him. Verses warns the wicked, specifically Solomon, against the judgement which was to come against him. It is not surprising to find it indicated that Solomon, whose blood line to the Messiah was cut off at Jeconiah, persecuted the blood line which led to the Messiah. That was the line of his brother Nathan, His own mother's son! Verse 23 ends the Psalm with the admonition that the approach to God must be made with a heart of gratitude. Only then can God show us his salvation. Those who approach with a payment like Cain or Solomon will never understand the grace of God. Psalm 50 A psalm of Asaph. 50:1 The Mighty One, God, the LORD, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to the place where it sets. 50:2 From Zion, perfect in beauty, God shines forth. 50:3 Our God comes and will not be silent; a fire devours before him, and around him a tempest rages. [2] 50:4 He summons the heavens above, and the earth, that he may judge his people: [3] 50:5 "Gather to me my consecrated ones, who made a covenant with me by sacrifice." 50:6 And the heavens proclaim his righteousness, for God himself is judge. [4] Selah 2 / 5

3 50:7 "Hear, O my people, and I will speak, O Israel, and I will testify against you: I am God, your God. 50:8 I do not rebuke you for your sacrifices or your burnt offerings, which are ever [5] before me. 50:9 I have no need of a bull from your stall or of goats from your pens, 50:10 for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. 50:11 I know every bird in the mountains, and the creatures of the field are mine. 50:12 If I were hungry I would not tell you, for the world is mine, and all that is in it. 50:13 Do I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats? 50:14 Sacrifice thank offerings to God, fulfill your vows to the Most High, 50:15 and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, [6] and you will honor me." 50:16 But to the wicked, God says: "What right have you to recite my laws or take my covenant on your lips? 50:17 You hate my instruction and cast my words behind you. 50:18 When you see a thief, you join with him; you throw in your lot with adulterers. 50:19 You use your mouth for evil and harness your tongue to deceit. 50:20 You speak continually against your brother and slander your own mother's son. [7] 50:21 These things you have done and I kept silent; you thought I was altogether like you. But I will rebuke you and accuse you to your face. 50:22 "Consider this, you who forget God, or I will tear you to pieces, [8] with none to rescue: 50:23 He who sacrifices thank offerings honors me, and he prepares the way so that I may show him the salvation of God." [9] [1] 1 Kings 2:23-25 [2] Revelation 1:12-15 I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was someone "like a son of man," dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. [3] John 5:22-23 Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son 3 / 5

4 does not honor the Father, who sent him. him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man. John 5:27 And he has given [4] Why do "the heavens proclaim his righteousness?" Because He is the judge and He took the judgement on Himself. [5] 1 Kings 8:3-5 When all the elders of Israel had arrived, the priests took up the ark, and they brought up the ark of the LORD and the Tent of Meeting and all the sacred furnishings in it. The priests and Levites carried them up, and King Solomon and the entire assembly of Israel that had gathered about him were before the ark, sacrificing so many sheep and cattle that they could not be recorded or counted. 1 Kings 8:63 Solomon offered a sacrifice of fellowship offerings to the LORD: twenty-two thousand cattle and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep and goats. [6] 1 Kings 3:1 Solomon made an alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt and married his daughter. [7] This probably refers to Nathan. It was out of Nathan that the true line of Christ came. [8] 1 Kings 11:29-31 About that time Jeroboam was going out of Jerusalem, and Ahijah the prophet of Shiloh met him on the way, wearing a new cloak. The two of them were alone out in the country, and Ahijah took hold of the new cloak he was wearing and tore it into twelve pieces. Then he said to Jeroboam, "Take ten pieces for yourself, for this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: See, I am going to tear the kingdom out of Solomon's hand and give you ten tribes. [9] John 14:21 Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him." 4 / 5

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I want to share a testimony with you from Mark, who shared it with me on Tuesday evening after Bible study.

I want to share a testimony with you from Mark, who shared it with me on Tuesday evening after Bible study. Notes: November 7, 2015 Start: 10 AM Order of service: 1. Meet and Greet 2. Introduction (if new people) 3. Ma Tovu 4. Open in Prayer for service 5. Liturgy Sh'ma + 6. Announcements 7. Praise and Worship