This psalm is the basis for a well-known hymn by John Newton (1725–1807), which begins ‘Glorious things of thee are spoken, Zion city of our God’. Like the psalm, it celebrates the joy of being one of the people of God, and the grace that has given us such a favoured position.

Zion was the hill on which Jerusalem was built, and it came to be known as the city of God. The psalmist considers it a great privilege to have been born there. Throughout Scripture Zion came to represent the church, and so this psalm speaks to us of the privilege that we have when we are born again and included in the family of God, with our names written in heaven (Hebrews 12:22–24).

For those of us who know God in this way, worship is a natural response to such grace. Music and singing are instinctive responses to the goodness of God and rightly characterise our worship. We find our strength and joy in God. The Spirit within us becomes a spring of water bubbling up, or a fountain overflowing with life (John 4:14; 7:38).

‘We’re citizens of high heaven! We’re waiting the arrival of the Saviour, the Master, Jesus Christ’.¹ Praise God for the privilege and hope of your heavenly citizenship.

A city on a hill attracts attention because of its elevated location. God’s city was founded on Mount Zion. The reason ‘Glorious things’ were said of this city was that God himself dwelt there among his people (vs 1–3). Israel was inclined to interpret this special relationship narrowly, selfishly, arrogantly, enjoying the benefits and blessings of being chosen while ignoring God’s mandate to bless ‘all peoples on earth’.² Jonah, for example, wanted the Assyrians excluded – even exterminated! – and resented God’s ‘concern for the great city of Nineveh’.³

The psalm continues with an unexpected prophecy: Rahab (Egypt), Babylon, Philistia, Tyre and Cush will also enjoy citizenship in God’s city! These nations were enemies and oppressors of God’s people; yet, here is God promising that he will treat them as if they were ‘born in Zion’ and include their names in the registry of his people (v 4). Membership in God’s family or citizenship in God’s kingdom is not conferred on any of us as a birthright but can only be received as a gift, by faith: ‘to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God … born of God’.⁴ Jesus’ love embraces all people, not just those who accept him but even those who oppose him. Our good shepherd relentlessly pursues ‘other sheep that are not of this sheepfold’ so that he may ‘bring them also’ into the fold.⁵ This is how we, who are privileged to be counted among his sheep, must view those on the outside – not as enemies who are excluded but as those who must be warmly, urgently, persuasively and lovingly invited so that they, too, might be included among the inhabitants of God’s city.

‘You’re here to be light … God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill.’⁶ 

¹ Phil 3:20, The Message  ² Gen 12:3  ³ Jonah 4:11  ⁴ John 1:12,13  ⁵ John 10:16  ⁶ Matt 5:14, The Message