THE CITY OF OUR GOD

Passage: Psalms 48:1-14

Key verse: 9

NIV

Psalm 48[a]
A song. A psalm of the Sons of Korah.

1 Great is the Lord,(A) and most worthy of praise,(B)
    in the city of our God,(C) his holy mountain.(D)

2 Beautiful(E) in its loftiness,
    the joy of the whole earth,
like the heights of Zaphon[b](F) is Mount Zion,(G)
    the city of the Great King.(H)
3 God is in her citadels;(I)
    he has shown himself to be her fortress.(J)

4 When the kings joined forces,
    when they advanced together,(K)
5 they saw her and were astounded;
    they fled in terror.(L)
6 Trembling seized(M) them there,
    pain like that of a woman in labor.(N)
7 You destroyed them like ships of Tarshish(O)
    shattered by an east wind.(P)

8 As we have heard,
    so we have seen
in the city of the Lord Almighty,
    in the city of our God:
God makes her secure
    forever.[c](Q)

9 Within your temple, O God,
    we meditate(R) on your unfailing love.(S)
10 Like your name,(T) O God,
    your praise reaches to the ends of the earth;(U)
    your right hand is filled with righteousness.
11 Mount Zion rejoices,
    the villages of Judah are glad
    because of your judgments.(V)

12 Walk about Zion, go around her,
    count her towers,(W)
13 consider well her ramparts,(X)
    view her citadels,(Y)
that you may tell of them
    to the next generation.(Z)

14 For this God is our God for ever and ever;
    he will be our guide(AA) even to the end.

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Footnotes
  1. Psalm 48:1 In Hebrew texts 48:1-14 is numbered 48:2-15.
  2. Psalm 48:2 Zaphon was the most sacred mountain of the Canaanites.
  3. Psalm 48:8 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

Zion, the City of Our God

A Song. A Psalm of (A)the Sons of Korah.

48 (B)Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised
    in (C)the city of our God!
His (D)holy mountain, 2 (E)beautiful in elevation,
    is (F)the joy of all the earth,
Mount Zion, in the far north,
    (G)the city of the great King.
3 Within her citadels God
    has made himself known as a fortress.

4 For behold, (H)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 (I)Trembling took hold of them there,
    anguish (J)as of a woman in labor.
7 By (K)the east wind you (L)shattered
    the ships of (M)Tarshish.
8 As we have heard, so have we seen
    in the city of the Lord of hosts,
in (N)the city of our God,
    which God will (O)establish forever. Selah

9 We have thought on your (P)steadfast love, O God,
    in the midst of your temple.
10 As your (Q)name, O God,
    so your praise reaches to (R)the ends of the earth.
Your right hand is filled with righteousness.
11     Let Mount (S)Zion be glad!
Let (T)the daughters of Judah rejoice
    because of your judgments!

12 Walk about Zion, go around her,
    number her towers,
13 consider well her (U)ramparts,
    go through her citadels,
(V)that you may tell the next generation
14     that this is God,
our God forever and ever.
    He will (W)guide us forever.[a]

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Footnotes
  1. Psalm 48:14 Septuagint; another reading is (compare Jerome, Syriac) He will guide us beyond death
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

1. God makes her secure (1-8)

Jerusalem was the city of God. It was situated on top of a high mountain. King David had conquered it and made it his capitol. Jerusalem was the center of the nation's spiritual life, for the temple of the Lord was there on Mount Zion. God dwelt in his city, so she was secure. Even powerful aggressors fled from the gates of Jerusalem in terror. When God is in the midst of his people, the enemy Satan trembles, for God himself is a strong fortress (3).

2. We meditate on your love (9-14)

The temple is a place of prayer for all nations. When we gather in God's house to pray and study the Bible and meditate on God's unfailing love, then God is in our midst. When God's people pray for the nations of the world and seek to share his love with all people, God is pleased to bless and help and protect his people. Let us rejoice in God and tell his works to the next generation. He will be our guide even to the ends of the earth.

Prayer: Lord, dwell in our midst to be our source of life and power for the proclamation of your gospel to the world.

One Word: Pray together for world mission