JERUSALEM, THE JOY OF THE WHOLE EARTH

Passage: Psalm 48:1-14

Key verse: 1,2a

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

The city of God is beautiful in its loftiness; it is the joy of the whole earth (2a). Jerusalem is more than a local capital; it prefigures the Holy City of heaven (cf. Rev. 21:2). The city of God is not beautiful because of its tall walls or well-decorated buildings, but because “God is in her citadels; he has shown himself to be her fortress” (3). When the enemies of God and their kings join forces and advance against her, they are astounded and flee in terror because of its glorious beauty (4).

God’s enemies are destroyed and shattered by the power of God’s glory (7). God’s people have not only heard that it happened in the past, as told by their ancestors, but have also seen it happen in their own generation. It’s God’s unfailing love revealing itself (8).

Draw a mental picture of Jesus making his triumphal entry into Jerusalem. People shouted, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Mark 11:9b). In Jerusalem, however, Jesus was arrested, tried, and condemned to die on the cross for our sins. But God raised him from the dead as his affirmation of accepting his sacrifice for our sins. We sinned, but God redeemed us. It is his unfailing love demonstrated in the holy city.

Prayer: Father, thank you for your unfailing love. You have done wonderful things for us in the holy city. Amen.

One Word: We meditate on God’s unfailing love