From Strength to Strength

“They go from strength to strength, appearing in Zion before God.” (Psalms 84:7)

They are the blessed man mentioned in verse 5. “Blessed is the man whose strength is in You; Your ways are in their hearts.” (Psalms 84:5) They are blessed because their strength is in the Lord, not in themselves, not in their might, not in their wisdom which is earthly and limited, not in their knowledge because they have limited knowledge and not in their own understanding because of limited understanding. They are strong in the Lord because they trust God in the midst of the storms which tempts them to trust in what they see, hear and feel, but knowing that God is greater than the storm, greater than what it seems like, greater than the temptation and greater than the circumstances, they live in God’s strength. Their strength is the Lord’s strength. And as other circumstances come up, they go from strength to strength because they wait on the Lord. “...but those who wait on Jehovah shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31) And as Paul described it as going from glory to glory. “But we all, with our face having been unveiled, having beheld the glory of the Lord as in a mirror, are being changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Lord Spirit.” (2Corinthians 3:18) It speaks of us who trust in the Lord. And each time, we grow in the Lord and grow in the knowledge of Him, Who He is and who we are in Him. “But grow in grace and in knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.” (2Peter 3:18)

“Appearing in Zion...” Zion is the mountain of the Lord, which is south of the Temple Mount. David conquered it and was known as the City of David. Zion is known as Jerusalem and Israel as a whole today. To the Jews especially in the captivity, they mourned for the land of Israel. It’s debated whether Psalms 84 was written before or after the captivity. But to those Jews who live throughout the world, they yearn for the land of Israel. As Christians and grafted into God’s people, we spiritually yearn for Zion, the land of God’s blessings and presence. This is the New Jerusalem, that heavenly city that will descend down from heaven and where the Lord will rule and reign. The sons of Korah wrote this prophetic psalm. The people of God, those who are blessed because they do trust in the Lord and lean on His strength will be in the New Jerusalem, spiritual Zion and appear before God Who will be there lighting the city. The Godhead will be there. And God’s glory will be lighting the city, through Jesus. “And the city had no need of the sun, nor of the moon, that they might shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it, and its lamp is the Lamb.” (Revelation 21:23)

This is where we will rule. “And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.” (Revelation 22:5) How this will be hasn’t been revealed to us yet. But we are kings and priests of the Lord. I’m sure it will be along those lines. “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for possession, so that you might speak of the praises of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; you who then were not a people, but now the people of God, those not pitied then, but now pitied.” (1Peter 2:9-10) As royal priesthood we might be leading worship to the Lord and offering praises to Him. “And You made us kings and priests to our God, and we will reign over the earth.” (Revelation 5:10) John in his greeting in his book of Revelation also identifies believers as kings and priests. “John to the seven churches which are in Asia. Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is coming; and from the seven spirits which are before His throne; even from Jesus Christ the faithful Witness, the First-born from the dead and the Ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and made us kings and priests to God and His Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” (Revelation 1:4-6) The church will be kings and priests before the Lord.

Our Scripture of study today tells about us. We get our strength from the Lord as we grow in the Lord and in the knowledge of Him. We yearn to be with Him in the city of the Lord where He will be and where we will be, reigning with Him, leading worship and offering praise to Him.