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Our Loving God PSALM 48:1–3, 9–14 (KJV)
Here the writer compares God’s praise to His name — it knows no bounds and is lim- itless. God is qualified to be the recipient of our praise be- cause He is flawless, perfect, and without sin.
The Bible refers to God’s right hand on several occa- sions, in this case stating it holds righteousness or vic- tory (Isaiah 41:10). The right hand is the hand of blessing in ancient Jewish thought, and the author notes here that God has ex- tended the blessing of victory and safety. God exudes pu- rity and worthiness beyond all human comprehension. God’s people understand that His corrective decrees are in- dicative of His love. All au- thority and power belong to God.
Our Eternal God (vv. 12–14)
The writers stress the im- portance of looking for and focusing on what God has done, where He is working, and the coming victory so that future generations may be in awe of God’s greatness and magnitude. The writers state a final declaration in this passage noting that our
God’s name is eternal and that He will be with us forevermore, similar to Jesus’ Great Commission promise (Matthew 28:20).
No matter what hap- pened to this city or its in- habitants, God would remain faithful to His covenants with Abraham, Moses and David – and would therefore never
abandon His people.
Most of us can accept
the idea that God loves us, at least when things are going well. But many have diffi- culty believing that He truly does care for them personally and with a passion that never fails. Some feel unworthy of such love; others feel too ob- scure.
God’s love never fails!
The Scripture:
Psalm 48:1 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.
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 re- joice, 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 bul- warks, 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.
Background
This song to the Lord is one of adoration and praise to our great King who is strong, loving, and everlast- ing. He is the only one de- serving of such accolades. The tone of Psalm 48 is one of celebration, highlighting God’s power and security that is a by-product of trust- ing in Him. Psalm 48 is at- tributed to the Sons of Korah, who wrote ten other psalms.
Korah, a Levite, was a jeal- ous cousin of Moses and Aaron and led an uprising against them (Numbers 16). Consequently, Korah and his congregation were destroyed, but future genera- tions survived and became ministers of music during the time of King David and after as royal musicians (1 Chronicles 6:31–37), pen- ning this timeless anthem to the Lord.
Great Is The Lord (Psalm 48:1–3)
In some Roman Jewish circles, “great” is a noble title denoting a prominent leader or one whose teaching is worth following. These verses also display where
God is to be honored and praised: in His city with His people, on Mount Zion. His city is made up of those who have acknowledged His au- thority over creation, His im- mutable characteristics like His mercy, grace, love, and His judgment.
Here, the city is likened to a lady, a frequent way to per- sonalize cities in the Old Tes- tament. Zaphon was the revered mountain of the Canaanites. Zion was an an- cient fortress or mountain of Jebusite origins, but later conquered by David so that it was called “the city of David” (1 Chronicles 11:5). God is indwelling this space, a safe place for His people to wor- ship, praise, and find comfort in Him from the outside world of temptation, defeat, and powerlessness. Verses 4–8 give more details of how God protects Israel in battle.
Our Righteous God (vv. 9–11)
God’s power is evident in His actions toward His people. While worship and praise can be expressed any- where in creation, the Tem- ple is the place where God said that His name would dwell perpetually (2 Chron- icles 7:16, 1 Kings 9:3). God’s purpose for the activity of the temple was not simply reserved for one people group, but to a beacon of His unfailing love for the world.
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