Sunday, November 29, 2015
pm
“We’re Marching to Zion”
#2, Sacred Selections
This being the 5th Sunday, tonight we want to examine another
song. In the times we are
now facing, I find that if we consider the message of this song, it can
help give us the resolve we need to press on toward the goal.
Background. The text was
written by Isaac Watts (1674-1748).
He was a prolific songwriter, who wrote more than 650 hymns, many
of which are still sung today.
Most of his songs were written at an early age where he was
member of the Above Bar Congregational Church in Southampton, England.
The words that he wrote which became our hymn were published as
part of a series of hymns in 1707.
The tune at that time was very different.
The tune in our song book was produced by Robert Lowry in the
late 1800s.The original hymn was 10 stanzas.
Our song book has four of them.
While young, Isaac Watts had smallpox which deformed him and made him a
sickly and frail boy.
He was also very prolific with knowledge having learned Greek, Latin,
Hebrew and French by the time he was thirteen years old.
Perhaps his appearance, as well as his father being a dissenter
of the Church of England and the persecutions it produced (including
imprisonment), were factors in his resolve in some of his songs.
“We’re marching to Zion”, is a
song of resolve regardless of the circumstances we find ourselves in.
Let us examine the message of this song.
a.
We’re marching to Zion
– What is
Zion?
Zion, is one of the names for Jerusalem.
It was actually a portion of the city that was subdued by David
(1 Chronicles 11:4-9). He
then named it, “the City of David.”
The term is found about 161 times in the Bible (7x in the New
Testament).
Throughout the prophets it was a term used to describe Jerusalem, and
more specifically as representative of Judah (or Israel) as its capital
and as God’s people.
Quite often it was used with a dual implication - a double
message – one speaking of the LORD redeeming the physical nation from
captivity or oppression, but its ultimate fulfillment in Christ coming
to establish His eternal kingdom, which is Zion.
In my studies of the word in scripture, I believe the best way to
describe Zion is,
the place where God meets with His people.
Physically that would have been Jerusalem (where the temple was),
but now it is in heaven which is related to the church universal (the
body of all who are saved).
In the New Testament the word is found 7 times
- 2 times in the gospels to
identify the prophecy of Jesus entering the city – Matt. 21:5, John
12:15 (based on Zechariah 9:9);
2 times in Romans – Rom. 9:33 and 11:26 – also OT prophecies dealing
with Israel’s rejection of God and thus salvation is available to all.
And 1 Peter 2:6 where this same rejection is recorded.
NOTICE Hebrews 12:22-24, “But you
have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the
heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general
assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to
God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus
the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that
speaks better things than that of Abel. “
While dealing with the saved, the Hebrew writer speaks of
future hope in heaven.
That Zion is representative of heaven is seen in the various
descriptions of the previous verse.
In Psalm 2:6, a messianic psalm we read, “Yet
I have set My King On My holy hill of Zion.”
This is a reference to Jesus as we continue to read the text it
is directed toward Him (vs. 7-9, Acts 13:33, Hebrews 1:5, 5:5, etc.).
Jesus is NOW seated in heaven at the right hand of God (Hebrews 10:12,
12:2, Romans 8:34, etc.) in heaven (cf. Heb. 9:24 – He has entered into
heaven itself. Heb. 8:1 –
seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens…)
So we see in this that in our song, Zion is representative of
heaven (as in many other songs we sing – which is why we have taken time
to address this).
b.
We’re marching to Zion, beautiful, beautiful Zion…
– while on this earth, we are marching toward heaven.
The idea of marching is that we are moving toward that place.
I think of Philippians 3:12-14 – I press toward the goal.
We are running a race toward the finished line (1 Cor. 9:24-27,
Heb. 12:1-2)
c.
The beautiful city of
God – Heaven
is described as a city. Heb.
11:10, 13-16.
Revelation 21:9-22:5 – the new
Jerusalem coming down out of heaven is described.
It is a spiritual city where there is night, no sun or moon, no
sickness or sorrows, etc.
And it is where the throne of God is found!
d.
Throughout this song, we are reminded that heaven is the goal we are
striving to reach.
a.
Come we that love the
Lord - This is a call to Christians
– Matthew 22:37 – love God with all your heart.
Love Jesus – John 14:15, 1 John 4:19, we love Him because He
first loved us.
Such will obey Him – 1 John 5:3-5
James 1:12 – the crown of life is promised to those who love Him.
b.
And let our joys be known – this song reminds us that in those difficult times, we need
to strive to be joyful - Phil 4:4.
Consider Paul and Silas in prison in Philippi – Acts 16:25 – they
were singing songs.
If one is joyful, sing – James 5:13
c.
Join in a song in sweet
accord – in
this I think of joining together to sing.
Among the thoughts that comes to my mind with this song is the
unity we have in Him.
Worship brings us together.
Singing brings us together – Ephesians 5:19-20, Colossians 3:16 – both
imply a joyful disposition.
It is said that as Israelites went together in groups to Jerusalem for
various feasts that they would sing various psalms (called the psalms of
Ascents – Psalm 120-134).
d.
And thus surround the throne – our singing is a spiritual sacrifice go up to God – Heb.
13:15,
ALSO, let us be reminded that as Christians we have the privilege of
approaching God in heaven – Heb. 4:16.
a.
Let those refuse to sing
who never knew our God
–
1) Those who are of the world do not have the same privileges as
Christians. For example
consider Ephesians 2:12 – they were strangers and without Christ, having
no hope…
2) The world doesn’t care about Him.
They do not have the hope and source of joy that can provoke us
to praise Him even in troubling times.
Let em!
b.
But children of the heavenly king may speak their joys abroad
–
1) We are children of God – 1 John 3:1 – the manner of His love – we are
called children of God
2) We can and should speak of His joys abroad – do not be ashamed of
Him. 1 Peter 3:15 – give a
reason for the hope that is in you.
1 Peter 2:9 as a royal priesthood we proclaim His praises…
Paul constantly glorified God to others – “I thank my God” – Rom. 1:8, 1
Cor. 1:4, Phil. 1:3, 2 Tim. 1:3, Philemon 4, etc. – he was not ashamed
to tell others about Him.
a.
The hill of Zion yields
a thousand sacred sweets
– as Christians on our journey to heaven, we enjoy numerous blessings
even now. Eph. 1:3 – God has
blessed us with every blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. 2 Cor.
1:3 describes Him as the Father of Mercies and God of all comfort, who
comforts us in all our tribulation…
b.
Before we reach the heavenly fields, or walk the golden streets
– this continues to remind us of the same thought.
We are blessed as Jesus said in Luke 18:30 – in this age
blessings, and in the life to come – eternal life.
But also I see the endurance of our journey – we have to stay the course
and compete according to the rules – 2 Tim. 4:7 – we must finish the
race! 2 Tim. 2:5 – compete
according to the rules!
The golden streets is a
reference to Revelation 21:21 where the New Jerusalem is described.
a.
Then let our songs
abound and every tear be dry
- in this world we face toils and
troubles. But in Him we are
not defeated. Be reminded of
2 Cor. 4:7-9 – we are hard pressed but not crushed, perplexed but not
despaired… 1
Peter 5:7 tells us to cast all our cares on Him.
We may groan to be further clothed in Him – 2 Cor. 5:1-5, but we have
hope! Why?
b.
We’re marching through Immanuel’s ground
– Immanuel means, “God with us.”
The name was prophesied by Isaiah (7:14) and applied to Jesus
when He would be born (Matthew 1:23).
IN the case of this song, we are reminded that even though this world is
the dominion of Satan, and He seems to be winning, God is still in
control! 1 John 4:4 – He
is greater than he who is in the world.
If we serve Him, He is with us!
Jesus told His disciples that while the ruler of this world was
coming, “He has nothing in Me.”
(John 14:30)
Romans 8:31 – if God be for us, who can be against us?
1 Corinthians 2:12 says, “Now we
have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from
God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by
God.”
c.
To fairer worlds on high
– even the most grand of places on this earth are nothing to be compared
with heaven! 2 Peter 3:13
speaks of how we are looking for new heavens and a new earth – a new
dwelling place with Him for all of eternity!