Daily Devotional Monday 6th February 2023
by William Moody
Psalm 48
Zion, the City of Our God
A Song. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah.
48:1 Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised
in the city of our God!
His holy mountain, 2 beautiful in elevation,
is the joy of all the earth,
Mount Zion, in the far north,
the city of the great King.
3 Within her citadels God
has made himself known as a fortress.
4 For behold, the kings assembled;
they came on together.
5 As soon as they saw it, they were astounded;
they were in panic; they took to flight.
6 Trembling took hold of them there,
anguish as of a woman in labor.
7 By the east wind you shattered
the ships of Tarshish.
8 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
9 We have thought on your steadfast love, O God,
in the midst of your temple.
10 As your name, O God,
so your praise reaches to the ends of the earth.
Your right hand is filled with righteousness.
11 Let Mount Zion be glad!
Let the daughters of Judah rejoice
because of your judgments!
12 Walk about Zion, go around her,
number her towers,
13 consider well her ramparts,
go through her citadels,
that you may tell the next generation
14 that this is God,
our God forever and ever.
He will guide us forever.1Footnotes
[1] 48:14
Septuagint; another reading is (compare Jerome, Syriac) He will guide us beyond death (ESV)
This is a Psalm rejoicing in Zion (Jerusalem) as the place where God dwells and where He protects His city (v1-3). Nations attack but they have been thwarted by God’s intervention so as to keep the city secure (v4-8).
This deliverance and God’s continued faithfulness causes the people praise the Lord and this spreads out to the ends of the earth (v9-11). God is particularly commended for how all His actions and judgments are righteous. This is why God is worthy of praise, He is perfect in all His ways.
The singers are encouraging each other to consider the strength and security of Zion because the Lord is their God (v12-14).
This Psalm speaks of the security today of the New Zion, the church of Jesus Christ. Jesus will build His church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. We can’t though read this Psalm without thinking of how Jerusalem was destroyed. When they turned from the Lord who was their fortress, they became vulnerable. God’s people will only be strong as we remain in Christ.
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