SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 2/22/2012 8:26:34 AM
My Worship Time Focus: Jerusalem (Peace)
Bible Reading &
Meditation Reference: Psalm 48
Message of the verses: “A Song [and] Psalm for the sons of Korah:
This psalm is entitled a "song psalm," a psalm to be sung vocally; or
"a song and psalm" to be sung both vocally and instrumentally; and is
one of the spiritual songs the apostle speaks of, #Eph 5:19; It was occasioned,
as some think, by David’s spoiling the Philistines, #2Sa 5:17-21; or, as
others, by the deliverance of the people from the Moabites and Ammonites in the
times of Jehoshaphat, #2Ch 20:27,28; or, as others, by the deliverance of the inhabitants of Jerusalem
from Sennacherib in the times of Hezekiah, #2Ki 19:34,35; though as
Kimchi, a celebrated Jewish commentator, owns, it belongs to the times of the
Messiah, as the other preceding psalms; and treats of his greatness, and of the
praise and glory due to him, and gives large encomiums of his church.” (John Gill)
“In Ps. 48,
it often appears that Zion itself is the object of praise. While referring to Zion, this hymn of
confidence (cf. Pss. 46-47) contains several checks and balances showing that
it is ultimately God, who dwells in Zion, who is to be praised. Therefore, this perspective must be kept in
mind as the lines of Ps. 48 flow back and forth with respective emphases on the
city and the great God of that city.
This psalm, sung with orchestral accompaniment, therefore contrasts two
different responses to the God of Zion and the Zion of God.” (John MacArthur’s Study Bible)
“This is
the third of the psalms celebrating Jehovah’s victory in delivering Jerusalem
from the Assyrians (see 46 and 47). The
emphasis is on the Lord and Mount Zion.
Other psalms about Zion are 76, 84, 87, 122, and 132. Believers today are citizens of the Zion that
is above (Gal. 4:21-31; Heb. 12:18-24; Phil 3:20) and rejoice that the Lord
cares for us even as He cared for His ancient people Israel. The various speakers in this psalm deal with four important topics.” (Warren Wiersbe)
God and Their City (vv. 1-3): “1 A Song; a Psalm of the sons of Korah: Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised,
In the city of our God, His holy mountain. 2 Beautiful in elevation, the joy of
the whole earth, Is Mount Zion in the far north, The city of the great King. 3
God, in her palaces, Has made Himself known as a stronghold.”
We see in these three verses
that the people of Jerusalem spoke highly of their city and it is no wonder
that they do this.
When Israel
came into the Promised Land they were instructed by Moses and Joshua who were
told by God that Israel was to destroy the inhabitants of this land that the
Lord was giving them. The reason for the
destruction of these different peoples is because of their sin and that is one
reason why God is helping Israel destroy them.
Of course God loves Israel and will use Israel to write the Scriptures
and to bring into the world the Messiah.
At the end of the book of Joshua Israel had not conquered all of the
land, and it would be up to the children of Israel to have faith in God to
remove the rest of the peoples from the land.
After Joshua died the children of Israel served the Lord until all of
the elders of the tribes of Israel died and then they stopped serving the Lord
as one can see by reading the book of Judges.
In the books of 1st and 2nd Samuel, David come on
the scene and it is David who finally defeats the Jebusites, (a difficult job)
and then makes Jerusalem Israel’s capital city. 2/22/2012 9:03:18 AM
2/22/2012 1:29:50 PM
Just one
more point on David and Jerusalem and that is that David brought the Ark of the
Covenant to Jerusalem, and this made Zion a “holy mountain,” for the Lord dwelt
there. I believe that it is in the book
of Deuteronomy that the Lord told Moses that there would one day be a city that
He would pick out where Israel would go to worship Him, and we know that the
city is Jerusalem.
Now we must
be reminded that the greatness belongs to the Lord and not to the city as seen
in Psalm 47:9, “The rulers of the world have gathered together with the people
of the God of Abraham. For all the kings of the earth belong to God. He is highly honored everywhere.”
The city of
Jerusalem has brought joy to all the earth and that is because it was outside
the gates of Jerusalem that Jesus Christ was crucified and died for the sins of
the world. It was also inside the gates
of Jerusalem that the Gospel of Jesus Christ was first heard. We also know that Jerusalem will be the
center of the 1000 year kingdom age where Jesus Christ will reign from (See
Isa. 2:2ff and also 60:1ff).
One note on
verse two as it appears in the NIV, “It is beautiful in its loftiness, the joy
of the whole earth. Like the utmost heights of Zaphon is Mount Zion, the city
of the Great King.” Dr. Wiersbe points
out that the word “Zaphon” refers to the north, a mountain in northern Syria
where the god Baal was supposed to dwell.
The prophet
Jeremiah who is called the “weeping prophet” wrote in Lam. 2:15 these words
that will show that Jerusalem would not always be the joy of the world, “All
who pass along the way Clap their hands in derision at you; They hiss and shake
their heads At the daughter of Jerusalem, "Is this the city of which they
said, ’The perfection of beauty, A joy to all the earth’?’” Jeremiah was alive when Jerusalem was
destroyed by the Babylonians.
Spiritual meaning for my life today: When we look at the word Jerusalem we can
figure that the word has to do with peace because of how it is constructed
having the word “Salem” in it which means peace. There is one verse in the NT that has the
words blood and peace in it, “Col 1:20 and through Him to reconcile all things
to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I
say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.” It is because of Jesus Christ’s death outside
the city walls of Jerusalem, which means peace that we can have peace through
the blood of His cross. This is
something that we all need to remember and not only remember but to praise the
Lord for this.
My Steps of Faith for
Today:
1. Remember
to be thankful for the salvation that was given to me because of Jesus Christ’s
death on the cross, a death that brought peace to me.
2. Continue
to seek the Lord that He will teach me contentment.
2/22/2012 1:56:30 PM
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