Psalm 48
A Song. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah. Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised in the city of our God! His holy mountain, beautiful in elevation, is the joy of all the earth, Mount Zion, in the far north, the city of the great King. Within her citadels God has made himself known as a fortress. For behold, the kings assembled; they came on together. As soon as they saw it, they were astounded; they were in panic; they took to flight. Trembling took hold of them there, anguish as of a woman in labor. By the east wind you shattered the ships of Tarshish. As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the LORD of hosts, in the city of our God, which God will establish forever. Selah We have thought on your steadfast love, O God, in the midst of your temple. As your name, O God, so your praise reaches to the ends of the earth. Your right hand is filled with righteousness. Let Mount Zion be glad! Let the daughters of Judah rejoice because of your judgments! Walk about Zion, go around her, number her towers, consider well her ramparts, go through her citadels, that you may tell the next generation that this is God, our God forever and ever. He will guide us forever.
The Sons of Korah write this psalm proclaiming God’s great glory. God is not only great, but is also greatly to be praised. The more great something is the more praise it deserves. When people drive around a bend in the road to see a majestic mountain, they all say, “Ooh, ahhh”, but when people walk to the edge of the Grand Canyon they cannot even find words to express their sheer wonder. The greatness of the Grand Canyon or Mount Everest are minimized to that of an ant hill in comparison to the greatness and glory of the God of the Bible. What is most astounding about God’s greatness is that humanity rejects it and refuses to even acknowledge it. While God-hating atheists shout with joy and wonder at the sight of the Grand Canyon, they act as if the glory and greatness of God is not enough to even acknowledge. As God’s people, we ought to be driven to our knees each time we pray knowing that our God is a consuming fire who has poured out his wrath for our sins on his Son so that we might come in confidence to him. As C.S. Lewis said it, we are too easily amused as humans with all the excitement of sin when in fact there is a gracious God who loves us in Christ and deserves our full attention. The Sons of Korah, being in the promised land, were able to see the physical proof of God’s glory in Mount Zion and acknowledge it’s beauty. They declare that God has made himself known as a fortress and rightly so. God’s people throughout history have been known as the persecuted ones and so this picture of God being a fortress is very precious to them. Though we may never have a physical fortress in this life that can never be shaken and will keep us out of harm’s way, we have a fortress in God that can never be moved. Confidence for the Christian ought not come from any physical quality they possess, but ought to come from a deep abiding trust in the God who keeps his promises. There is no onslaught of the devil that can destroy the kingdom God is setting up across the globe. A tale of God’s victory over Israel’s enemies serves to show his true power to protect his people in the midst of the fiercest onslaught. They declare that they have thought on God’s steadfast love. We ought also to think on God’s steadfast love which was so plainly and finally displayed in the sending of his Son Jesus. Just as God’s name reaches to the ends of the earth when he conquered kings and kingdoms in Israel’s day, so much more God’s name and praise goes forth to the ends of the earth as Christ conquers rebellious hearts and turns enemies of the cross into its greatest disciples. Satan may be the strong man who has captured the hearts of humanity, but Christ Jesus is the stronger man who ties him down and unlooses their chains to live for his glory. God’s right hand was seen as his source of power, so the sons of Korah declare that in every way, God acts with righteousness and justice. Now those who once were found to be in dread all their lives of physical enemies, find joy when they confide in God and are enabled then to suffer great persecutions and death for his name’s sake. At the end when they speak of walking about Zion and counting her ramparts, it is obviously not a call to boast in physical walls or fortresses for that would make the whole psalm unnecessary. Just as other nations may count their pillars and find confidence, believers ought to find even more confidence in the God of the Bible who is their fortress and refuge in times of trouble. We ought to reflect on God’s faithfulness in our past and in the history of his people found in Scripture so that we can boast all the more gladly in his cross. We ought also to be those who raise up children in the fear and admonition of the Lord and teach them that our God is great and greatly to be feared. There is never a day in which God will cease to guide us. We can find great joy and hope knowing our God is a constant fortress and guide throughout all the days of our lives and will bring us safely home to him in glory after we breathe our last on this earth. Do you have a confidence that God will bring you home to glory when you die? If you live a life that dishonors God and doesn’t declare to others who great he is, abandon all hope in the here and now and cast yourself before the cross of Christ who alone can save you from the devil’s schemes.
A Song. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah. Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised in the city of our God! His holy mountain, beautiful in elevation, is the joy of all the earth, Mount Zion, in the far north, the city of the great King. Within her citadels God has made himself known as a fortress. For behold, the kings assembled; they came on together. As soon as they saw it, they were astounded; they were in panic; they took to flight. Trembling took hold of them there, anguish as of a woman in labor. By the east wind you shattered the ships of Tarshish. As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the LORD of hosts, in the city of our God, which God will establish forever. Selah We have thought on your steadfast love, O God, in the midst of your temple. As your name, O God, so your praise reaches to the ends of the earth. Your right hand is filled with righteousness. Let Mount Zion be glad! Let the daughters of Judah rejoice because of your judgments! Walk about Zion, go around her, number her towers, consider well her ramparts, go through her citadels, that you may tell the next generation that this is God, our God forever and ever. He will guide us forever.
The Sons of Korah write this psalm proclaiming God’s great glory. God is not only great, but is also greatly to be praised. The more great something is the more praise it deserves. When people drive around a bend in the road to see a majestic mountain, they all say, “Ooh, ahhh”, but when people walk to the edge of the Grand Canyon they cannot even find words to express their sheer wonder. The greatness of the Grand Canyon or Mount Everest are minimized to that of an ant hill in comparison to the greatness and glory of the God of the Bible. What is most astounding about God’s greatness is that humanity rejects it and refuses to even acknowledge it. While God-hating atheists shout with joy and wonder at the sight of the Grand Canyon, they act as if the glory and greatness of God is not enough to even acknowledge. As God’s people, we ought to be driven to our knees each time we pray knowing that our God is a consuming fire who has poured out his wrath for our sins on his Son so that we might come in confidence to him. As C.S. Lewis said it, we are too easily amused as humans with all the excitement of sin when in fact there is a gracious God who loves us in Christ and deserves our full attention. The Sons of Korah, being in the promised land, were able to see the physical proof of God’s glory in Mount Zion and acknowledge it’s beauty. They declare that God has made himself known as a fortress and rightly so. God’s people throughout history have been known as the persecuted ones and so this picture of God being a fortress is very precious to them. Though we may never have a physical fortress in this life that can never be shaken and will keep us out of harm’s way, we have a fortress in God that can never be moved. Confidence for the Christian ought not come from any physical quality they possess, but ought to come from a deep abiding trust in the God who keeps his promises. There is no onslaught of the devil that can destroy the kingdom God is setting up across the globe. A tale of God’s victory over Israel’s enemies serves to show his true power to protect his people in the midst of the fiercest onslaught. They declare that they have thought on God’s steadfast love. We ought also to think on God’s steadfast love which was so plainly and finally displayed in the sending of his Son Jesus. Just as God’s name reaches to the ends of the earth when he conquered kings and kingdoms in Israel’s day, so much more God’s name and praise goes forth to the ends of the earth as Christ conquers rebellious hearts and turns enemies of the cross into its greatest disciples. Satan may be the strong man who has captured the hearts of humanity, but Christ Jesus is the stronger man who ties him down and unlooses their chains to live for his glory. God’s right hand was seen as his source of power, so the sons of Korah declare that in every way, God acts with righteousness and justice. Now those who once were found to be in dread all their lives of physical enemies, find joy when they confide in God and are enabled then to suffer great persecutions and death for his name’s sake. At the end when they speak of walking about Zion and counting her ramparts, it is obviously not a call to boast in physical walls or fortresses for that would make the whole psalm unnecessary. Just as other nations may count their pillars and find confidence, believers ought to find even more confidence in the God of the Bible who is their fortress and refuge in times of trouble. We ought to reflect on God’s faithfulness in our past and in the history of his people found in Scripture so that we can boast all the more gladly in his cross. We ought also to be those who raise up children in the fear and admonition of the Lord and teach them that our God is great and greatly to be feared. There is never a day in which God will cease to guide us. We can find great joy and hope knowing our God is a constant fortress and guide throughout all the days of our lives and will bring us safely home to him in glory after we breathe our last on this earth. Do you have a confidence that God will bring you home to glory when you die? If you live a life that dishonors God and doesn’t declare to others who great he is, abandon all hope in the here and now and cast yourself before the cross of Christ who alone can save you from the devil’s schemes.
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