An Enduring City

Psalm 48:1-8

A psalm of the descendants of Korah. A song.

1How great is the LORD,

and how much we should praise him

in the city of our God,

which is on his holy mountain!

2It is magnificent in elevation—

the whole earth rejoices to see it!

Mount Zion, the holy mountain,

is the city of the great King!

3God himself is in Jerusalem’s towers.

He reveals himself as her defender.

4The kings of the earth joined forces

and advanced against the city.

5But when they saw it, they were stunned;

they were terrified and ran away.

6They were gripped with terror,

like a woman writhing in the pain of childbirth

7or like the mighty ships of Tarshish

being shattered by a powerful east wind.

8We had heard of the city’s glory,

but now we have seen it ourselves—

the city of the LORD Almighty.

It is the city of our God;

he will make it safe forever.

Interlude

Jerusalem is a glorious city. It is set on four hills, and in David’s time it was fed by an internal spring. Once Solomon built the Temple and the city walls, Jerusalem gained even more character. Ironically, today the the shining domes of Muslim shrines give us a hint of how brilliant the Temple must have once looked, set against the backdrop of this holy city.

Psalm 48 speaks of Jerusalem’s enemies as being so “stunned” and “terrified” that they abandon their attacks on the city. While Jerusalem has had several assaults made on it that might fit this description, the psalmist might also be speaking of a heavenly Jerusalem. Jerusalem has always been regarded as more than merely another fortified capital city. It is where God lives. Because of this, this psalm could be understood as referring to our eternal home with God, “a heavenly city” that has been prepared for those who trust him (Hebrews 11:16).

Sadly, the earthly Jerusalem has been conquered by various foes. Even today there are bombings in markets and bus stations. The city is not yet “safe forever” (verse 8), but we are. God has ensured for us a home with him eternally, and no spiritual foe will ever destroy that.

Glorious things of thee are spoken,

Zion, city of our God;

He whose word cannot be broken

Formed thee for his own abode.

JOHN NEWTON

Bible Networking

The Bible mentions another time when a ship of Tarshish was battered by a storm. Read Jonah 1:1-16. Solomon also had ships of Tarshish, or trading ships. Read 1 Kings 10:22. Some scholars identify Tarshish as the coast of Spain.

Notable Quotable

“Zion is only beautiful and glad because the temple is there, and in that temple the God of heaven made his earthly sanctuary.”

ROBERT ALLEN