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JULY 23
DAY 22: How does Psalm 87 describe God’s love for Jerusalem?
This psalm describes the Lord’s love for Jerusalem and exalts this city as the religious center of
the world in the coming messianic kingdom (Ps.48).Though the nations of the world (even includ-
ing some of Israel’s former enemies) will worship the Lord then,Israel will still be the favored nation
(Is. 2:2–4; 19:23–25; 45:22–25; 56:6–8; Zech. 8:20–23; 14:16–19).
“His foundation is in the holy mountains” (v. 1). “His foundation” means “His founded city,”
namely Jerusalem, located in the hill country of Judea.“The LORD loves the gates of Zion”(v.2).Zion
is a poetic description of Jerusalem,seemingly used by the Old Testament writers when special spir-
itual and religious significance was being attached to the city. Though God certainly loved other
cities in Israel, He did not choose any of them to be His worship center. The gates represent the
access of the potential worshiper into the city where he could come into a special worshiping rela-
tionship with God.“More than all the dwellings of Jacob.”The other cities in Israel were not chosen
by God to be the place of His special dwelling.
“Glorious things are spoken of you, O city of God!” (v. 3). Jerusalem was God’s city because
there God met His people in praise and offerings.“I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon”(v.4).
Rahab was a monster of ancient pagan mythology and symbolized Egypt in the Old Testament (Ps.
89:10; Is. 30:7; 51:9).Two of the superpowers of the ancient world, fierce enemies of Israel, will one
day worship the Lord in Zion (Is.19:19–25).“Philistia…Tyre…Ethiopia”(Ps.87:4).Three more Gentile
nations, ancient enemies of Israel, whose descendants will worship the Lord in Jerusalem (Is.
14:28–32;18:1–7).This multinational worship is pictured as a great joy to the Lord Himself.“This one
was born there”(Ps. 87:6).To be born in Jerusalem will be noted as a special honor in the messian-
ic kingdom (vv. 5,6; also Zech. 8:20–23).
“All my springs are in you”(v. 7). “Springs” is a metaphor for the source of joyful blessings.
Eternal salvation, including the death and resurrection of Christ, is rooted in Jerusalem. The
prophets also tell of a literal fountain flowing from the temple in Jerusalem which will water the
surrounding land (Joel 3:18; Ezek. 47:1–12).

July 23 7:6 a skilled scribe. Ezra’s role as a scribe was
critical to reinstate the nation since the lead-
ers had to go back to the law and interpret it.
Ezra 7:1–8:36 This was no small task because many aspects
Now after these things, in the reign of of life had changed in the intervening 1,000
7 Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra the son of years since the law was first given. Tradition
Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah, says Ezra had the law memorized and could
the son of Shallum, the son of Zadok, the son
2 write it from recall. the hand of the LORD his
of Ahitub, the son of Amariah, the son of God upon him. This refrain occurs through-
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out the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. Its
Azariah, the son of Meraioth, the son of resounding presence assures the reader that it
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Zerahiah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Bukki, was not by the shrewd leadership skills of a
the son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas, the few men that Judah,with its temple and walls,
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son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the chief was rebuilt in the midst of a powerful Medo-
priest— this Ezra came up from Babylon; and Persian Empire. Rather it was the sovereign
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he was a skilled scribe in the Law of Moses, hand of the wise and powerful King of the uni-
which the LORD God of Israel had given. The verse that allowed this to happen.
king granted him all his request, according to
the hand of the LORD his God upon him. Some
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of the children of Israel, the priests, the Levites, heart to seek the Law of the LORD, and to do it,
the singers, the gatekeepers, and the Nethinim and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel.
came up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of 11 This is a copy of the letter that King
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King Artaxerxes. And Ezra came to Jerusa- Artaxerxes gave Ezra the priest, the scribe,
lem in the fifth month, which was in the sev- expert in the words of the commandments of
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enth year of the king. On the first day of the the LORD, and of His statutes to Israel:
first month he began his journey from Babylon, 12 Artaxerxes, king of kings,
and on the first day of the fifth month he came
to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of To Ezra the priest, a scribe of the Law
his God upon him. For Ezra had prepared his of the God of heaven:
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