Scripture Reading: Psa. 73:17, 25-26; 80:17-19; 84:3, 5, 11; 87:1-7; 89:3-4, 19-29, 34-37
Ⅰ
The way of restoration from desolation is to exalt Christ, the full solution to every problem—Psa. 80:17; cf. 1 Cor. 1:9, 24, 30; Hymns, #403:
A
The one thing, the unique thing, in the Lord's recovery is Christ as the centrality and universality of God's economy—John 1:14; 1 Cor. 15:45b; Rev. 1:4; 4:5; 5:6; Phil. 2:2; 3:12-14; cf. Luke 10:41b-42; Psa. 27:4.
B
God's desire is to have a recovery purely and wholly of the person of Christ— cf. 2 Cor. 12:2; 2:10; 3:3; Col. 3:10-11.
Ⅱ
In Psalms Book Three, there are five outstanding psalms:
A
Psalm 73 unveils God as our unique portion—cf. Col. 1:12:
１
"Until I went into the sanctuary of God; / Then I perceived their end"—Psa. 73:17:
ａ
The private and personal sanctuary of God is our spirit; the public and corporate sanctuary of God is the church—Eph. 2:22; Gen. 28:10-22.
ｂ
In our spirit and in the church we receive divine revelation concerning God's economy and obtain the explanation to all of our problems— cf. Prov. 20:27; Rev. 1:20; 4:5; 5:6; 1:10; 4:2; 17:3; 21:10; Isa. 50:10-11.
２
"Whom do I have in heaven but You? / And besides You there is nothing I desire on earth. / My flesh and my heart fail, / But God is the rock of my heart and my portion forever"—Psa. 73:25-26; cf. 2 Cor. 1:8-9, 12:
ａ
To be pure in heart is to have God as our one goal and aim—Matt. 5:8.
ｂ
The one who does not care for God may gain many things and seem to prosper, but anything other than God is vanity of vanities [vapor of vapors and futility of futilities—Eccl. 1:2, Amplified Bible].
ｃ
The one who cares for God will be restricted by God and even stripped by God of many things to be led into the absolute enjoyment of Christ Himself; God is faithful—1 Cor. 1:9; cf. Jer. 2:13; 1 John 5:21.
B
Psalm 80 unveils Christ as the One in the place of preeminence—vv. 17-19; cf. Phil. 2:9-16:
１
We need to give Christ the highest and most prominent position in every area of our life for the sake of the organic Body, the divine kingdom, and the holy city—Rev. 2:4; Col. 1:18b; John 21:15, 17; Ezek. 1:22, 26.
２
Whenever man's need replaces God's testimony, degradation begins and problems arise—cf. Gen. 19:36-38.
３
We should beware of having an "arkless" system; the ark, signifying Christ as the embodiment of God and the presence of God, is not for our health, wealth, and prosperity (safety, peace, rest, and profit) but for the carrying out of God's economy—1 Sam. 3:10, 19—4:22.
C
Psalm 84 unveils Christ as the house of God with the two altars for the "sparrows" and the "swallows"—v. 3:
１
The highways to Zion are the blessed highways to enter into God (through Christ as the reality of all the furniture in the tabernacle) to become God in life and in nature but not in the Godhead—v. 5; Heb. 10:19-22; Rev. 21:16.
２
As we go on in the church life through the valley of weeping, we go from strength to strength, enjoying God as our sun, shield, grace, and glory—Psa. 84:6-11a; Prov. 4:18; 2 Cor. 4:16-18.
D
Psalm 87 unveils the desire of God for Zion, His city, with Christ within it:
１
Christ as God's unique foundation for the building up of His house, the church (1 Cor. 3:11), is built in the "holy mountains," which typify the local churches—Psa. 87:1.
２
Jehovah loves the gates of Zion, the overcoming church; gates are for coming in and going out, signifying fellowship—v. 2; Rev. 21:12, 21.
３
Zion, with Christ and all the saints, is incomparable:
ａ
Rahab was a poetic title given to Egypt, which signifies today's world as a place rich in resources, a place where it is easy for one to make a living (Gen. 42:1-3) and possible for one to make a fortune for his enjoyment (Num. 11:5).
ｂ
Babylon was famous in the realm of human success and glory—Gen. 11:1-9.
ｃ
The Philistines were clever in handling the holy things of God in a human way according to human wisdom (1 Sam. 5:1—6:12).
ｄ
Tyre was a commercial country, a country of merchandise and of high civilization (Ezek. 28:12); their traffic in commerce was their glory.
ｅ
Cush (Ethiopia) was a place from which people came to learn of the holy land (1 Kings 10:1-10; Acts 8:26-39).
ｆ
The people from these five places represent all the people on earth, who boast of the famous persons born there.
ｇ
This One in Psalm 87:6 and this one and that one in verse 5 indicate that Christ Himself (Col. 3:11) and all the saints were born in Zion (Matt. 1:20; Gal. 4:26-31; Heb. 12:22-23a; 11:38a).
ｈ
All the singers and dancers in Zion are for praising God—Psa. 87:7.
E
Psalm 89 unveils Christ as God's Anointed to possess the entire earth—vv. 3-4, 19-29, 34-37:
１
Christ calls God His Father and His God (v. 26) and has become the Firstborn and "the highest of the kings of the earth" (v. 27).
２
God will establish His seed forever and "His throne as the days of heaven" (v. 29), extending the territory of Christ so that He will possess the entire earth (v. 25).