Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread,"
This may not make much sense to you unless you will take the time to read all of the first six verses of Psalm 87. In most translations, it comes across either as pious gobbledygook, or at best as a misty, cloudy poem. It talks about heathen nations such as Egypt, Babylonia, Philistia, Tyre, the Sudan, and heathen people born in them. Then it contrasts the lucky people who get to be "born" in Zion.
As the psalm reads in most translations, it comes across as rather supporting the double predestination theory of strict Calvinism. If you're one of "the elect," you have it made; "Zion" is your natural home for you were born with that silver spoon in your mouth. Otherwise, too bad for you, unless you become a naturalized "citizen" (Good News Bible) of Zion, in which case your passport will eternally read that you were "born" in some heathen land but have been graciously immigrated into "Zion" as a naturalized alien.
But when I discovered an old out-of-print translation by James Moffatt, suddenly Psalm 87 came in focus as a "most precious" Good News message. What Moffatt saw is this: Yes, God is delighted with Zion as His "dear city," and notes that "this follower of Mine and that was born" in those disreputable pagan places. But "every follower of Mine belongs to [Zion] by birth." So when "the Eternal writes of every nation, in His census" (in His final judgment), He actually changes the "birth certificate" of every believer to say, "This follower of Mine was born in Zion!" No second-class naturalized "citizens"! Only genuine "native" ones!
You may object: "But I was born in Egypt or Philistia! I am a sinner by nature! To change my birth certificate isn't right!" Yes, but that is what the Lord proposes to do. A wise writer has said, "Sinful as your life may have been, for His sake you are accounted righteous. Christ's character stands in place of your character, and you are accepted before God just as if you had not sinned."
Yes, your sins have all been cast into the depths of the sea, and are honestly "remembered no more" (Micah 7:19; Heb. 8:12). God has a foolproof method of altering birth certificates. Clutch yours, hang on to it, by faith. Don't wait to see the alteration with your natural eyes; believe it in advance. And bless Him who is so generous.
--Robert J. Wieland
From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: May 31, 1999.
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