Embrace the Word for Friday, April 10, 2026
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Psalm 48 calls for God to be celebrated. The reason for celebrating the LORD is because of what He has done to protect and preserve His city. Psalm 48, as the superscription states, continues the run of Psalms by the Sons of Korah: “A Song. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah.” Psalm 48 is particularly linked with Psalms 45-47. First, there was the King’s wedding (Psalm 45); leading to the promise of the King’s presence (Psalm 46); followed by the ascension of the King to His throne (Psalm 47); resulting in the King’s presence in the city of God (Psalm 48). This progression contains many links between Psalm 48 and the preceding Psalms by the Sons of Korah. Psalm 48 and Psalm 45 share references to beauty (45:2; 48:4-7), the mention of the divine King (45:1,6,11; 48:1), statements about victory (45:4-5; 48:4-7), and notes of gladness (45:7-8; 48:11). Psalm 48 links with Psalm 46 as both speak of a fortress (46:7,11; 48:3), and the safety of the city of God (46:1-7; 48:1-8). Psalm 48 and Psalm 47 each touch on notes of gladness (47:1; 48:11), celebrate God as the great King (47:2: 48:2), speak of the nations being subdued (47:3; 48:4-7), and emphasize God’s rule over all the earth (47:2,7; 48:2). Psalm 48 calls for the praise of the LORD because of His presence in the city (48:1-3), His protection of the city (48:4-8), and His preservation of the city (48:9-14).
Psalm 48 begins with a focus on the LORD’s greatness: “Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised” (48:1a). Psalm 48 pertains to the city of God, but its focus is the God of the city. What makes the city of God what it is, is the presence of the LORD. The city would be nothing special in and of itself; but the fact that God has designated this city to be His, well that’s what makes the city what it is. Should the LORD depart from the city (see Jeremiah 7), then the city would not remain the same. Since it is the greatness of the LORD that makes the city great, then it is the LORD and not the city that is to be greatly praised.
While it is not the city that is to be praised, but the LORD; nevertheless, the city is described: “in the city of our God! His holy mountain, beautiful in elevation, is the joy of all the earth, Mount Zion, in the far north, the city of the great King. Within her citadels God has made himself known as a fortress” (48:1b-3). These descriptions not only tell about the city, they are also reasons for the LORD to be praised, for every one of these features that the city is blessed with is the result of the LORD’s presence. The city that this Psalm is speaking of is Jerusalem. And while no city can contain the LORD (See 1 Kings 8:27), the LORD choose to manifest His presence in a special way within Jerusalem. Jerusalem is regarded as the LORD’s holy mountain, for it is to be the place where the LORD’s anointed King would rule: “As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill” (See Psalm 2:6). The holy mountain is beautiful in elevation. This is not to suggest that it is the highest of elevation, but that its significance is measured by other means. The LORD’s holy hill looks backward to the history of Eden as well as forward to the prophecy of Ezekiel (See Ezekiel 28:13-14). Because of it’s special status, the city is “the joy of all the earth.” The prophet Isaiah locates this city as the place where the nations will come to receive God’s Word: “For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem” (See Isaiah 2:3). People from the far north will gather. In light of all of these features, the LORD has a special protection for this city. God Himself is her protector.
As Psalm 48 opens with emphasis upon the special status of the city, the next movement of the Psalm speaks of an impending threat. Psalm 48 directs us to take a look at the potential crisis that awaits the city: “For behold, the kings assembled; they came on together” (48:4). Reminiscent of what has been stated earlier in the Psalter, the nations threaten to attack: “The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against his Anointed” (See Psalm 2:2). However, not realizing what they were truly up against, the rebel nations came, saw, and fled: “As soon as they saw it, they were astounded; they were in panic; they took to flight. Trembling took hold of them there, anguish as of a woman in labor” (48:5-6). As soon as the rebel nations saw the city, they realized it was the impenetrable city of God. They were horrified, terrified, and abruptly fled. The rebel nations trembled in anguish like a woman who begins her inescapable and unbearable child-birthing pain. The attackers, though mighty, were turned back and destroyed: “By the east wind you shattered the ships of Tarshish” (48:7). Offering an illustration, Psalm 48 likens the rebel nations to Tarshish, which was a sea power with a large number of massive ships. But the power and might of the LORD, who caused an east wind to destroy Pharaoh’s army, sunk the ships of Tarshish (See Exodus 14:21, 15:10). The LORD’s protection of His city was observed in real time by the inhabitants of the city: “As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the LORD of hosts, in the city of our God, which God will establish forever. Selah” (48:8). The inhabitants were aware of the LORD’s reputation, but now they have seen it for themselves. They more fully realize that the LORD is like an invincible array of armies. Thus, they are convinced that the city of God will remain forever.
As Psalm 48 moves to consider the preservation of the city of God, the first thought is not about the city itself, but the LORD: “We have thought on your steadfast love, O God, in the midst of your temple” (48:9). As the Psalm reported on the protection that the city received from the LORD, their first response was to contemplate the durable and devoted love that the LORD has for His people. Furthermore, as the Psalm declares that the city will remain forever, the response to such confidence is to also consider the durable and devoted love that the LORD has for His people. Their praise to the LORD continues: “As your name, O God, so your praise reaches to the ends of the earth. Your right hand is filled with righteousness” (48:10). As the LORD has filled the place of worship in the city of God will His glory, the LORD’s praise is to extend to all the nations. All the nations are to hear of the just acts that the LORD has performed on behalf of His people. What just acts are to be included in the globally proclaimed praise? That the LORD rescues His people through judgment on the enemies of His people. The rebel nations had been destroyed while His people experienced deliverance. Such a proclaimed praise is gladly declared: “Let Mount Zion be glad! Let the daughters of Judah rejoice because of your judgments!” (48:11). Such gladness might feel out of place in light of such judgment, but we must keep in mind that in our vicious, wicked, God-hating world, the deliverance of God’s people comes through destruction.
As the praise has gone forth, Psalm 48 directs the inhabitants of the city to take an inventory of their preserved city: “Walk about Zion, go around her, number her towers, consider well her ramparts, go through her citadels” (48:12-13a). The instructions are clear: walk around the city; make a thorough assessment of its condition; count each tower, and don’t leave any out; think about the engineering of the ramparts; take in all the ways that the city is well fortified. The immediate impact of their investigation would have impressed upon the inhabitants that they are safe and secure because the LORD surrounds them with walls of salvation. But the ultimate point of their investigation was to lead them to testify of the LORD’s faithfulness: “that you may tell the next generation that this is God, our God forever and ever. He will guide us forever” (48:13b-14). The investigation of the city was not merely to produce a glad confidence in the current inhabitants, but to promote a clear accurate account of the LORD’s greatness so that subsequent generations will hear about and truly know this God who guides His people forever.
As we reflect on Psalm 48 we should consider the present as well as future implications of what this Psalm can say to all who belong to the Lord Jesus Christ. First, at present, our safekeeping in the New Covenant is also sure, knowing Jesus dwells in His people by the Holy Spirit. What accounted for Jerusalem’s safety in the Old Covenant was the presence of the LORD. At present, it is Christ’s presence with His people that affords us the protection that we need: “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple” (See 1 Corinthians 3:16-17). At this moment, the church is afforded a protective presence: “As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (See 1 Peter 2:4-5). But there is a future that involves a New Jerusalem. In fact, the Apostle John writing to local churches who were protected by the presence of the Lord, spoke of a heavenly Jerusalem that will come down to earth for the Lord’s people to dwell in: “The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name” (See Revelation 3:12). So along with whatever historical details that Psalm 48 described, it also looks forward to Christ and His people. May such an awareness prompt us to yearn: “For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come” (See Hebrew 13:14).
That’s all for Embrace the Word for Friday, April 10, 2026. I look forward to being back with you for the Monday, April 13, 2026 episode of Embrace the Word as we take a look at Psalm 49.