The Divine interest in Zion.
Taking Zion as a poetical name for Jerusalem, the temple city, and as the representative of every place where public and united worship is offered to God. Zion is still, for us, the pious name for God's house. The point prominent is this—that we should love God's house and worship is not in any sense surprising; but it is a surprise of condescension and grace that God should love our sanctuaries, and find his pleasure in our worship. Yet even this we are permitted to realize, and this the saints of God have realized. The historical associations of this psalm cannot be fixed. It certainly does not belong to the Davidic age, for its outlook is too wide, its spirit too liberal and too comprehensive. It may reflect the more hopeful feeling of the returned exiles; it does match precisely the feeling expressed in some of the later chapters of Isaiah, notably the sixtieth. But it must be admitted that a rigid exclusiveness rather than a liberal inclusiveness characterized the returned exiles; and the psalm is altogether too generous for them. The suggestion that it belongs to the time of Hezekiah is certainly to be preferred. When the Assyrian power was humbled by the overthrow of Sennacherib, it seemed, to excited feeling, that Judah was to be the world's deliverer, and Jerusalem was likely to become the centre of a confederacy of delivered nations. That was the hope of Hezekiah; it was the promise of the moment, which gains expression in the psalm. In 2 Chronicles 32:22, 2 Chronicles 32:23, the events immediately following on the deliverance from Assyria are indicated. "And many brought gifts unto the Lord to Jerusalem, and presents to Hezekiah King of Judah; so that he was magnified in the sight of all nations from henceforth." Hezekiah piously recognized that all the honour coming to him was really due to God, who had showed such favour to his servant, his city, and his people.
I. GOD IS INTERESTED IN ZION BECAUSE OF WHAT HE HAS DONE FOR IT. Illustrate how those whom we tend and care for—the babe, the invalid creep into our very hearts. So if we join in raising a new church building, how dear it becomes to us! God had given ages of care to his Zion, so it had become inexpressibly dear to him. See the pathetic pleadings, which reveal deep feeling, as in Hosea.
II. GOD IS INTERESTED IN ZION BECAUSE OF WHAT HE CAN BE TO IT. We specially love those for whom we feel we can do all they need. Illust.: mother's feeling for her babe. God can "supply all our need," and it must be infinitely pleasant to be able to make "all grace abound."
III. GOD IS INTERESTED IN ZION BECAUSE OF WHAT IT CAN BE TO HIM. Zion can need, and so draw out his fulness. Zion can trust, and so respond to his trustworthiness. Zion can worship, and so glorify him. Zion Can be beautiful, and so show forth his praise.—R.T.