Our Guide In God’s City

Psalm 48:9-14

9O God, we meditate on your unfailing love

as we worship in your Temple.

10As your name deserves, O God,

you will be praised to the ends of the earth.

Your strong right hand is filled with victory.

11Let the people on Mount Zion rejoice.

Let the towns of Judah be glad,

for your judgments are just.

12Go, inspect the city of Jerusalem.

Walk around and count the many towers.

13Take note of the fortified walls,

and tour all the citadels,

that you may describe them

to future generations.

14For that is what God is like.

He is our God forever and ever,

and he will be our guide until we die.

If you go to Jerusalem as a tourist, you will probably find a tour guide who will take you around the city and point out the many historical sites: the Wailing Wall, the Temple Mount, Hezekiah’s Tunnel, the Pool of Siloam, the Damascus Gate. You would be doing exactly what verse 12 is talking about—inspecting the city, walking around and counting its many towers. And your tour guide would be doing exactly what verse 13 is talking about—describing these sites to future generations.

It’s fascinating when you think about it, that this psalm assumes the towers won’t last. The psalmist knew these massive stone structures would fall someday. Why else would anyone need to “describe them to future generations”? And that’s exactly what you see in Jerusalem today—ruins of structures that stood strong long ago.

But there’s no note of dismay in this psalm. On the contrary! People should rejoice and be glad because they trust in God, not in earthly fortresses. Sure, they worship in a Temple that will crumble someday, but they also “meditate on [God’s] unfailing love.” God’s love will never crumble. “He will be our guide until we die” and even afterward.

Let strangers walk around the city where we dwell;

Compass and view thy holy ground, and mark the building well;

The order of thy house, the worship of thy court,

The cheerful songs, the solemn vows, and make a fair report.

ISAAC WATTS

Notable Quotable

“I praise God because he not only guides my directions but overrules my mistakes.”

H. NORMAN PELL