Psalm 48 comments

 Psalm 48:1 ¶  «A Song and Psalm for the sons of Korah.» Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness. 2  Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King. 3  God is known in her palaces for a refuge. 4  For, lo, the kings were assembled, they passed by together. 5  They saw it, and so they marvelled; they were troubled, and hasted away. 6  Fear took hold upon them there, and pain, as of a woman in travail. 7  Thou breakest the ships of Tarshish with an east wind.

Like many of the Psalms not specifically said to be from David, this seems to have been written after the temple was built by Solomon. The Psalmist prepared this to be sung, praising God and rightly so. Look at the declarations in other Psalms of the greatness of God.

Psalm 86:10  For thou art great, and doest wondrous things: thou art God alone.

Psalm 99:3  Let them praise thy great and terrible name; for it is holy.

Psalm 145:3  Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable.

Psalm 147:5  Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite.

The Israelites worshipped in the temple in Jerusalem, with the place where the temple became to be called Mount Zion, although that can also refer to Jerusalem as well, as some say. This is not only a reminder of that in ancient days but of Christ’s triumphant reign in the millennium from Jerusalem. John Gill says that Jerusalem was north of Mount Zion so that was south of Jerusalem and the temple was built on the north part of Mount Zion.

Isaiah 14:13  For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:

Just compare this with the Beast of Revelation, whom we call the Antichrist.

2Thessalonians 2:3 ¶  Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 4  Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

Just contemplate the prophetic import of this Psalm. God is known in the palaces for a refuge and, indeed, that is spoken of in the Psalms. See in the next verse what a refuge God is understood to be; a very present help in trouble.

Psalm 46:1  «To the chief Musician for the sons of Korah, A Song upon Alamoth.» God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Kings and armies attacked Jerusalem then and will again at the end of human history when Christ destroys them as we will study in the study on Revelation.

Psalm 2:10 ¶  Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. 11  Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. 12  Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.

The ships of Tarshish are supposed to represent the efforts of the heathen to overthrow God’s people. It holds a place for us at the end of Revelation.

Isaiah 11:4  But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.

2Thessalonians 1:8  In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:

2Thessalonians 2:8  And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

Psalm 48:8 ¶  As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the LORD of hosts, in the city of our God: God will establish it for ever. Selah. 9  We have thought of thy lovingkindness, O God, in the midst of thy temple. 10  According to thy name, O God, so is thy praise unto the ends of the earth: thy right hand is full of righteousness. 11  Let mount Zion rejoice, let the daughters of Judah be glad, because of thy judgments. 12  Walk about Zion, and go round about her: tell the towers thereof. 13  Mark ye well her bulwarks, consider her palaces; that ye may tell it to the generation following. 14  For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death.

Following from the last passage commentators have said that the people of Israel witness the destruction of God and Magog. God will preserve, establish, His city forever, which we might think of as the New Jerusalem that descends from Heaven.

Ezekiel 38:2  Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him 

Revelation 20:8  And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.

Revelation 3:12  Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.

Revelation 21:2  And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

Isaiah 2:2  And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD’S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.

Isaiah 62:7  And give him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth.

Psalm 87:5  And of Zion it shall be said, This and that man was born in her: and the highest himself shall establish her.

Isaiah 33:20  Look upon Zion, the city of our solemnities: thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation, a tabernacle that shall not be taken down; not one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed, neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken.

The Israelites hoped for God’s lovingkindness, His favor on their temporal, physical city, and temple while the Christian is the temple of God, and we think of God’s lovingkindness for us.

1Corinthians 3:16  Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

God’s name will be praised in the whole earth.

Malachi 1:11  For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the LORD of hosts.

Zechariah 14:9  And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one.

Jews and Gentiles will be converted and songs of praise will be lifted up.

Isaiah 24:15  Wherefore glorify ye the LORD in the fires, even the name of the LORD God of Israel in the isles of the sea. 16a ¶  From the uttermost part of the earth have we heard songs, even glory to the righteous..

His righteousness and judgments will preserve us. We must not fail, as the Israelites did, to pass on the knowledge of God to the next generations. God will be our God for ever and as Job said;

Job 13:15a  Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him…

On a side note in verse 12 think of tell as count, like a bank teller. It is used this way also in;

Genesis 15:5  And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.

 

Interestingly, I think, in this Psalm we have discussed a physical Jerusalem and a physical temple as well as the Jerusalem that descends from Heaven and a spiritual temple that each Jew and Gentile believer has become with the indwelling of the Holy Ghost.