Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth, is Mount Zion on the sides of the north, the city of the great King. God is in her palaces; He is known as her refuge. (Psalm 48:2-3)
Jewish tradition teaches that Solomon successfully cultivated every type of fruit, vegetable and plant in the soil in and around Jerusalem. This was done, so the commentators say, in defiance of all the established rules of agriculture because, as you and I know, certain species of plants require specific climate conditions, not to mention many need certain soil types. For example, I’ve always wanted to grow olives, avocados and citrus but my geographical location’s climate and rocky soil prohibits it. So if the tradition about Solomon is true, how was he able to do that? Well, as was noted in the previous devotion, there is something in the dirt.
If Jerusalem was where the Garden of Eden was located — and I am convinced of it — take note that every tree good for food was planted there by the Creator suggesting that its soil and climate were perfect. In turn, the Bible suggests that what originated in Eden, in some way, issued forth and flowed into the rest of the earth. Like the parent tree, it supported all the branches and twigs that grew out from it. But I want to take this matter one step further; every tree must have a seed from which it springs. In this case, the ideal that is Mount Zion is not patterned after temporal things but after the celestial Jerusalem, or as you and I might call it, the New Jerusalem.
From the beginning, it is evident that God has always wanted to dwell among a people who loved Him. This is why He told Moses to have Israel build a Sanctuary for His Presence, that He might dwell among the people of Israel (Exodus 25:8). I believe that is why the Garden of Eden functioned as the first earthly sanctuary — a place where God could commune with man in the cool of the day. So then, just as the Sanctuary was built according to the pattern Moses was shown — no doubt, a pattern of the heavenly Sanctuary — the Garden of Eden, and later Jerusalem, was patterned after what is in Heaven. I believe this is one of the reasons why Jerusalem is so important to God and why it is the city of the Great King.
The point is this: one day, Heaven will kiss the earth once again in a way that will not be undone by sin and transgression. God’s Throne, and consequently His Presence, will forever be upon the earth when the heavenly Jerusalem — the Mount Zion in the sides of the north — comes down from heaven to rest upon the earth. In that day, it will be said, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God” (Revelation 21:3). That we might abide in this glorious city with the Creator of all things is what He desired from the beginning and why the Messiah came to reconcile fallen man to a holy God. It is why every hardship and sacrifice that must be endured today will be well worth it. When this great hope finally becomes reality, we shall all exclaim, “Mount Zion is the joy of the whole earth, because God is in her palaces.”
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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