The Psalmist introduces a subject that gives much room for thought when he says in Psa. 102:14 “For thy servants take pleasure in her stones and favour the dust thereof.” So the question arises in our minds, why should the servants of God take pleasure in the stones of Zion?
It is quite obvious that from the very beginning when man fell that God ordained a form of worship, a set of laws and also a place of meeting so that Adam and his children might meet to offer their offerings before God and to receive atonement for their sins.
The introduction of Melchisedec (priest of the Most High) suggests the pattern of things ordained by God from the beginning — sinners coming before an altar to offer sacrifice — an altar of stones, a place of worship, some sort of an assembly place for the sons of God.
At least it appears so when God told Abraham to go to Mt. Moriah and there construct an altar to offer up his only son. Gen. 22:2. Surely it was not a coincidence that many years later David wrested the city from his enemies and then established his throne and place of meeting with the Lord.
It must have been by divine plan that later he (David) commanded his son Solomon to build here the Temple of the Lord — the great master architect under whose guidance the temple was constructed; each stone being prepared, brought to the site and silently moved into place, finally in perfect beauty reflecting the glory of the divine planner.
At this point we begin to feel that the stones of Zion lead us to accept that God himself has intended that Zion’s stones should play a very important place in his Divine plan. Let us go ahead in history a few hundred years to the time of Nehemiah. Here we see a very sad picture, the stones of Zion have been broken down, the Temple of God laid waste. On a very memorable night we find Nehemiah alone with his thoughts and his God, seated upon an ass in the clear moonlight, picking his way soberly among the stones and rubble of Zion the city beloved. No doubt his eyes were filled with tears as he viewed the desolations.
The good hand of the Lord was upon him and as he mounted those giant stones to the highest pinnacle of the ruins he would have been able by divine revelation to have looked back through the years to the beginning when his God laid the first corner stone.
He would probably have mused over in his mind the psalm of David “For thy servants take pleasure in her stones. For the Lord hath chosen Zion, he hath desired it for his habitation, this is my rest for ever, here will I dwell for I have desired it.”
Would we be wrong in saying that at this time as he sat there alone that he was fortified with a vision into the distant future to a time when the great master builder would appear on the scene to erect the everlasting portals of Zion, and establish her stones eternally as a place of worship, a gathering place for all mankind ?
How alike was this experience in the life of Nehemiah to that of Jesus on the mount. A brief time to see the glory, so with the joy set before him he could return to the dangerous task which lay ahead. Nehemiah, this man of God, most surely knew that the work of restoration of the stones of Zion at this time was only temporary.
The prophets of God, though they loved the stones of Zion, were forced to write of overturning and destruction of her bulwarks. From this point on, the story of Zion is indeed a very sad one. After the days of Nehemiah the children of Zion fell away from serving their God and Gentile kings once again stripped the temple of all her glory.
The next scripture of note on the fortunes of Zion and her stones is to be found when the disciples of Jesus said to him, “Look, teacher what wonderful stones,” Jesus replies “Do you see these great buildings, there will not be left one stone upon another, that will not be thrown down.” It might appear by this statement that it didn’t concern the Master too much that the stones of Zion would once again be thrown down.
Yet if we turn to Luke’s record chapter 19:41 we see Jesus approaching the city on a wave of rejoicing and praise, his disciples and the whole multitude singing “Hosanna to the Son of David.” Here indeed was the Son of David, here indeed was the promised one who should come to sit on David’s throne.
It was he of whom the prophets spake that should raise up the tabernacle of David that was fallen down and restore the breaches thereof. Yes, he knew of that glorious day, but he knew this was not the time.
No, the set time had not yet come. The stones of Zion were to be thrown down. He, Jesus, would die outside her walls. So Luke portrays a sad picture here when he says “When he saw the city he wept over it.”
These stones of Zion, this city of the Great King, this temple of the Lord, all belonged to the glorious future of which Jesus said in Matt. 23:39 “0 Jerusalem, Jerusalem — you will not see me again till you say, Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”
Later, he comforts his disciples with this promise, “There are many abiding places,” “I go to prepare a place for you — I will come again and receive you unto myself.”
We next focus our attention on the 43rd of Ezekiel, verse 3. “I fell upon my face as the glory of the Lord entered the temple by the gate facing east.” This scripture projects us into the future when Jesus returns as he promised to do. “His feet in that day shall stand upon the mount of Olives.” Zech. 14. The cleavage of the mount will reveal the most beautiful stone that will go into the building of the glorious temple of God. Isaiah 60:10 says “Sons of strangers shall build up thy walls.”
Truly our hearts fill with joy and our eyes with tears as we contemplate the stones of Zion. So we join the watchmen of Is. 62:6 which “never hold their peace, day nor night. Ye that make mention of the Lord, keep not silence and give him no rest till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth.”
“Thy servants take pleasure in her stones” says David. This pleasure is most graphically illustrated in Psalm 48:2. “Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth is Mount Zion — God is known in his palaces as a refuge.” So our earnest prayer is that this year may find this the set time to favour Zion.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One