Born into a Privileged Position

Psalm 87

As a society we are often hostile towards the idea of privileged position. In almost all areas of life we esteem the self-made man, who from a humble beginning with no advantages, obtains success in his/her given field. We do this in matters of spirituality as well. There is a certain allure to the testimony of the Christian who grew up in a wicked, crazy, and dysfunctional home and yet becomes a solid, spiritually, mature saint. If we take this as the norm and to its radical conclusion, every other generation needs to be wicked in order for the other generation to have maximum spirituality.

This abrupt Psalm knows nothing of disdain for privileged birth. Instead this song praises the very idea of an advantaged position afforded by birth. Before the days of a synagogue, Jews living some distance from Jerusalem might see the temple only occasionally. The physical presence of a temple, the reminder of God's covenant, calling, and intervention for His people could only be seen after a long and expensive pilgrimage. For Jews living far from Jerusalem this was a rare privilege that was enjoyed less often than it would be enjoyed by the poorest dweller of the city of Jerusalem. Even those Jews born in Jerusalem and who had emigrated far from home had carried in their hearts and memory the advantage of the experience of living near the temple.

As incredibly frustrating and irritating as the church (and by this we of course mean the people not the building) can be, there is or at least should be a profound advantage of being born and growing up in the company of God's people. This Psalm is a call for the church to live to the highest standard in our fellowship. Damage done by the people of the church, which undermines the privilege of being in the church, is unconscionable. There ought to be nothing greater than living in the close press of God’s people. The person born into and growing up in the community of a people who love God genuinely and live that out is the highest, privileged birth that one could ever enjoy.