Thy mercy, my God, is the theme
of my song. But the Lord likens the daughter
of Zion, his elect remnant, to a besieged city. We can see several
things which come to mind in this illustration. There would
be no need to besiege a city, which is without walls, since
an army could just march in and destroy it. Therefore, we can
see that in order for the daughter of Zion to be besieged, then
it must be a walled city. In that day shall this song be
sung in the land of Judah. We have a strong city. Salvation
will God appoint for walls and bulwarks. The Lord has not fenced
the whole countryside, which he could have if it so pleased
him, but has specifically hedged about his chosen city, that is,
his elect bride, appointing her unto salvation and providing
it as it has pleased him. Behold, I have graven thee upon
the palms of my hands, thy walls are continually before me. There
is nothing that makes the sons of God any different from those
who perish, other than the Lord has chosen them unto salvation.
Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls
a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters. I will
give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off. The
Lord himself has built these walls without the aid of any,
and has taken up a habitation therein. Sing praises to the
Lord, which dwelleth in Zion. Declare among the people his
doings. Violence shall no more be heard in thy land, wasting
nor destruction within thy borders. But thou shalt call thy walls
salvation, and thy gates praise. Now in reading this, the man
who is without understanding might conclude that there is
yet no strife for the sons of God. Yet the same Lord who has
built these walls of salvation, which can never be overcome or
destroyed, has also ordered that it is through much tribulation
that the saints inherit the kingdom. Therefore, the daughter of Zion
is not just a walled city, but is a besieged city. She is completely
safe and amply provisioned inside these walls, yet always exposed
to the danger and malice of that great army which is assembled
outside her gates. This world is not a friend unto
the people of God, despising the Lord and their message. If
the world hates you, ye know that it hated me before it hated
you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own.
But because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you
out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. The Lord is
not seen fit to take his people out of this world, but rather
to demonstrate his perfect salvation of them, in keeping them safe
right in the very teeth of their enemies. The walls of salvation
were devised and built before the world's foundation. Yet it
pleased the Lord to make the world and all of its inhabitants
subject unto His law, in order that He might demonstrate His
purpose of delivering those for whom this city was built. Therefore
the sons of God, who were never appointed under wrath, fell under
the condemnation of the law, even as did those who were appointed
under wrath. Yet he came into the world, born
of a woman as their mighty deliverer, to satisfy the claims of the
law in their behalf, so that he might be both just and the
justifier of them who are manifested in time as those that believe. Though this law is now perfectly
satisfied and rendered completely incapable of condemning the sons
of God, it still from time to time mounts an assault on this
besieged city, causing the inhabitants thereof to tremble, until he
who has prevailed against it and put it out of the way speaks
peace to their frightened souls. Satan himself has marshaled his
forces and arrayed them against the city of God, doing everything
in his power to destroy the sons of God from without, even as
he sought to do to their Lord before them. Even as Peter warned
us, Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil as a
roaring lion walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. We know him
to be a formidable foe who will withhold none of his wiles to
defeat us. Yet we are safely within the walls of an impregnable
fortress, completely out of his reach and clad in an armor which
will repel all of his fiery darts. Yet the most dangerous foe to
the people of God does not dwell outside these walls, but can
be found lurking in the dark shadows of every side street
in the city. He is a most relentless foe who knows the exact weaknesses
and failings of every one of its inhabitants and does not
cease to use this against them. His name is Adam, the father
of our flesh, and that one that Paul recognized would plague
him until the end. He is an insidious foe who purports
to be our friend, but has neither part nor lot in the kingdom of
God, which cannot be inherited by flesh and blood. He is a secret
admirer of the armies which besiege the city from without, and often
employs their aid in his quest to overcome its inhabitants.
Thanks be unto God, however, but he will shortly be forever
put away. in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last
trump. For the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be
raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. If you would
like a free transcript of this broadcast, email us at forthepoor
at windstream.net.