Devotional
Short Note on Psalm 48: Again this Psalm was preserved by the sons of Korah but
it originated with Korah. God is great and to be praised “in the city of our
God, His holy Mountain” (48:2a-b) which is currently in heaven and what is
called Mount Zion. But according to Zachariah 14, at the time of the Great
Battle of God on the Day of the Lord when the executive judgment must take
place, the mountain will split in two and a space will be there for New
Jerusalem to be situated. It becomes a stronghold for the saints inside as the
Warrior Messiah Christ wins the war over all evil. He is the joy of the whole
earth (48:3a) no matter how many parts are the North (48:3b). In the palaces of
Zion God has made Himself known that He is the stronghold (48:4b). The enemy
came against Christ in the Eschaton, “the kings assembled themselves” (48:5a); “they
were amazed; they were affrighted; they hasted away (48:6a-b). Trembling took
hold of them there, pangs as of a woman in travail (48:7a-b). At that time,
what is the area of Tarshish now, regardless of the military hardware that the
enemy will come up with “You break the ships of Tarshish” (48:8b). As was
promised in the prophecies and which the saints heard preaching and teaching
and reading in Scriptures, so they have now seen face to face (48:9a-b). That
was a future promise as 48:9c says: “God will establish it unto eternity” and
that promise is in this Psalm a present reality. He used Selah to indicate the
citation is done. The Psalmist ended this Psalm with that they have thought of “Your
kindness O God in the middle of Your temple” (48:10a-b) which is the Heavenly
Sanctuary. Why kindness? Christ the Highpriest and Advocate are interceding for
all in the midst of that temple since 1844 and is ongoing with that act stigma
removing atonement. Hengstenberg and others tried to seek a preteristically
explanation in the past for this Psalm, as he indicated 2 Chronicles 20:27 but
two phrases are against this interpretation: 48:2a “the joy of the whole earth”
which is not only Jehosaphat’s joy as Hengstenberg had it, and secondly, “God
will establish it unto eternity. Selah” (48:9c) which is not a metaphor or
virtual reality but reality. It is Eschaton arrived.