Psalm 87
His foundation is in the holy mountains. The LORD loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God. Selah. I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon to them that know me: behold Philistia, and Tyre, with Ethiopia; this man was born there. And of Zion it shall be said, This and that man was born in her: and the highest himself shall establish her. The LORD shall count, when he writeth up the people, that this man was born there. Selah. As well the singers as the players on instruments shall be there: all my springs are in thee.-Psalm 87:1-7/the complete psalm***Throughout the divinely inspired Scriptures of the Holy Bible, the City of David and Jerusalem are sometimes identified as Zion. Rahab was the woman who helped the Israelite spies in Jericho. Egypt is widely regarded to also have been identified as Rahab. Philistia was the homeland of the Philistines. The Philistines and Phoenicians descended from Ham, and Ham was born to Noah the ark builder. Tyre (Tyrus) was a major seaport city of the Phoenicians. Ethiopia, the ancient kingdom, was sometimes identified as Cush. Cush, the person, was born to Ham. Noah's great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandson Jacob (Israel) was the youngest fraternal twin son born to Isaac and Rebekah. Jacob was also the name sometimes used to identify Israel and the Israelites, the descendants of Noah's son Shem, Shem's great-great-great-great-great-great-grandson Terah, Terah's children Abraham (Abram the Hebrew) and Sarah (Sarai), their son Isaac and his wife Rebekah, and Isaac and Rebekah's son Jacob. Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, and Dinah were born to Jacob and his first wife Leah. Dan and Naphtali were born to Jacob and maidservant Bilhah. Gad and Asher were born to Jacob and maidservant Zilpah. Joseph and Benjamin were born to Jacob and his 2nd wife Rachel. When Jacob was 130 years old, he moved with his entire family from Canaan to Egypt, the country wherein Joseph was second-in-command. Sometime after 147-year-old Jacob died in Egypt and his body was buried in Canaan, and Joseph and his siblings were dead, the Israelites were enslaved in Egypt. Aaron and his brother Moses were from the tribe of Levi. When Moses was 80 years old and Aaron was 83, they led the Israelites away from Egypt, across the divinely parted Red Sea, and into the desert wilderness of Shur, according to the commands of the Lord God. During the 40th year of their journey to Canaan, the Promised Land, 123-year-old Aaron died and was buried upon Mount Hor. Shortly thereafter, in an area near the Jordan River across from Jericho, Moses spoke his last words to the Israelites. Moses told the Israelites that they must only bring their offerings, sacrifices, tithes, and vows to the place in the Promised Land that the Lord God shall choose. When Moses went upon Mount Nebo, the Lord God showed Moses the Promised Land, and 120-year-old Moses died and was divinely buried. Joshua, Moses' successor, was from the tribe of Ephraim, descended from Joseph and his wife Asenath, and Joseph and Asenath's 2nd born son Ephraim, whom Jacob proclaimed to be his own son. Joshua led the Israelites across the divinely parted Jordan River and onto the land that the Lord God promised to give to Abraham, and Isaac, and to Jacob, and their descendants. The City of David and Jerusalem were in the portion of the Promised Land that Joshua and the leaders with him allotted to the tribe of Judah, according to the commands of the Lord God. Over 400 years after 110-year-old Joshua died and was buried in his tribe's portion of the Promised Land, Solomon, the 2nd child born to King David and Bathsheba, became the 3rd king to reign over all of the Israelites. After Solomon built the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem, and all of the sacred items were properly placed inside the temple, and Solomon prayed to the Lord God, the Lord God told Solomon that the temple was the place chosen as a house of sacrifice. Solomon's great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandson Jehoiakim (Eliakim) was the 17th king to rule Judah, the southern nation in the Promised Land. During Jehoiakim's reign, the Babylonians (Chaldeans) invaded Judah and Jerusalem and King Nebuchadnezzar, ruler of Babylon, began looting the temple of the Lord. During the reign of Jehoiakim's son King Jehoiachin (Jeconiah/Coniah), the 18th king to rule Judah, the Babylonians took more prominent Israelites, including Jehoiachin, his wives and mother, to Babylon. During the reign of Jehoiakim's brother King Zedekiah (Mattaniah), the 19th king to rule Judah, the Babylonians conquered Jerusalem, according to the will of the Lord God, due to the idolatry and other wickedness of the Israelites. Over 500 years after Israelites began returning to Judah and Jerusalem, Jesus the Christ, the Son of God, was born. Jesus was conceived of the Holy Spirit in the womb of Mary, a virgin, and Jesus was born into the tribe of Judah, the tribe of David, Solomon and all of Judah's kings, to Mary and her husband Joseph when Mary was a virgin.-Genesis, Exodus, Numbers 20:1-29, 27:12-23, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges 1:1-2:23, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles 1:1-34, 2:1-17, 3:1-24, 6:1-81, 7:20-29, 10:1-29:30, 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts 1:1-26
Reference Information:
count = yispor = saphar/sepher = record
Ethiopia = kus = Kuwsh = Cush/Chush = a son or descendant of Ham, land in the southern Nile Valley
write up = biktowb = kathab = registers
Zion = siyown = Tsiyyon/tsiyyah/tsiyuwn = Jerusalem, a mountain in Jerusalem
Reference Scriptures:
Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the chief of the fathers of the children of Israel, unto king Solomon in Jerusalem, that they might bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of the city of David, which is Zion.-1 Kings 8:1
Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the chief of the fathers of the children of Israel, unto Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of the city of David, which is Zion.-2 Chronicles 5:2
He chose David also his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds: From following the ewes great with young he brought him to feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance.-Psalm 78:70-71
For the LORD hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation.-Psalm 132:13
Blessed be the LORD out of Zion, which dwelleth at Jerusalem. Praise ye the LORD.-Psalm 135:21
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