Psalm 48
Psalms 48:1-21
The city of God is a delight [draft sermon notes]
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Published November 24th, 2022
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Psalms 48:1-14
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Zion, the City of Our God 48 A Song. A Psalm of k the Sons of Korah. 1 l Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised in m the city of our God! His n holy mountain, 2 o beautiful in elevation, is p the joy of all the earth, Mount Zion, in the far north, q the city of the great King. 3 Within her citadels God has made himself known as a fortress. 4 For behold, r the kings assembled; they came on together. 5 As soon as they saw it, they were astounded; they were in panic; they took to flight. 6 s Trembling took hold of them there, anguish t as of a woman in labor. 7 By u the east wind you v shattered the ships of w Tarshish. 8 As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the Lord of hosts, in m the city of our God, which God will x establish forever. Selah 9 We have thought on your y steadfast love, O God, in the midst of your temple. 10 As your z name, O God, so your praise reaches to a the ends of the earth. Your right hand is filled with righteousness. 11 Let Mount b Zion be glad! Let b the daughters of Judah rejoice because of your judgments! 12 Walk about Zion, go around her, number her towers, 13 consider well her c ramparts, go through her citadels, d that you may tell the next generation 14 that this is God, our God forever and ever. He will e guide us forever. 1
Psalms 48:1-15
wlc
48 1 שִׁ֥יר מִ֝זְמוֹר לִבְנֵי ־ קֹֽרַח ׃ 2 גָּ֘ד֤וֹל יְהוָ֣ה וּמְהֻלָּ֣ל מְאֹ֑ד בְּעִ֥יר אֱ֝לֹהֵ֗ינוּ הַר ־ קָדְשֽׁוֹ ׃ 3 יְפֵ֥ה נוֹף֮ מְשׂ֪וֹשׂ כָּל ־ הָ֫אָ֥רֶץ הַר ־ צִ֭יּוֹן יַרְכְּתֵ֣י צָפ֑וֹן קִ֝רְיַ֗ת מֶ֣לֶךְ רָֽב ׃ 4 אֱלֹהִ֥ים בְּאַרְמְנוֹתֶ֗יהָ נוֹדַ֥ע לְמִשְׂגָּֽב ׃ 5 כִּֽי ־ הִנֵּ֣ה הַ֭מְּלָכִים נֽוֹעֲד֑וּ עָבְר֥וּ יַחְדָּֽו ׃ 6 הֵ֣מָּה רָ֭אוּ כֵּ֣ן תָּמָ֑הוּ נִבְהֲל֥וּ נֶחְפָּֽזוּ ׃ 7 רְ֭עָדָה אֲחָזָ֣תַם שָׁ֑ם חִ֝֗יל כַּיּוֹלֵֽדָה ׃ 8 בְּר֥וּחַ קָדִ֑ים תְּ֝שַׁבֵּ֗ר אֳנִיּ֥וֹת תַּרְשִֽׁישׁ ׃ 9 כַּאֲשֶׁ֤ר שָׁמַ֨עְנוּ ׀ כֵּ֤ן רָאִ֗ינוּ בְּעִיר ־ יְהוָ֣ה צְ֭בָאוֹת בְּעִ֣יר אֱלֹהֵ֑ינוּ אֱלֹ֘הִ֤ים יְכוֹנְנֶ֖הָ עַד ־ עוֹלָ֣ם סֶֽלָה ׃ 10 דִּמִּ֣ינוּ אֱלֹהִ֣ים חַסְדֶּ֑ךָ בְּ֝קֶ֗רֶב הֵיכָלֶֽךָ ׃ 11 כְּשִׁמְךָ֤ אֱלֹהִ֗ים כֵּ֣ן תְּ֭הִלָּתְךָ עַל ־ קַצְוֵי ־ אֶ֑רֶץ צֶ֝֗דֶק מָלְאָ֥ה יְמִינֶֽךָ ׃ 12 יִשְׂמַ֤ח ׀ הַר ־ צִיּ֗וֹן תָּ֭גֵלְנָה בְּנ֣וֹת יְהוּדָ֑ה לְ֝מַ֗עַן מִשְׁפָּטֶֽיךָ ׃ 13 סֹ֣בּוּ צִ֭יּוֹן וְהַקִּיפ֑וּהָ סִ֝פְר֗וּ מִגְדָּלֶֽיהָ ׃ 14 שִׁ֤יתוּ לִבְּכֶ֨ם ׀ לְֽחֵילָ֗ה פַּסְּג֥וּ אַרְמְנוֹתֶ֑יהָ לְמַ֥עַן תְּ֝סַפְּר֗וּ לְד֣וֹר אַחֲרֽוֹן ׃ 15 כִּ֤י זֶ֨ה ׀ אֱלֹהִ֣ים אֱ֭לֹהֵינוּ עוֹלָ֣ם וָעֶ֑ד ה֖וּא יְנַהֲגֵ֣נוּ עַל ־ מֽוּת ׃
Psalms 47:1-15
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47 1 ψαλμὸς ᾠδῆς τοῖς υἱοῖς Κορε δευτέρᾳ σαββάτου 2 μέγας κύριος καὶ αἰνετὸς σφόδρα ἐν πόλει τοῦ θεοῦ ἡμῶν ὄρει ἁγίῳ αὐτοῦ 3 εὖ ῥιζῶν ἀγαλλιάματι πάσης τῆς γῆς ὄρη Σιων τὰ πλευρὰ τοῦ βορρᾶ ἡ πόλις τοῦ βασιλέως τοῦ μεγάλου 4 ὁ θεὸς ἐν ταῖς βάρεσιν αὐτῆς γινώσκεται ὅταν ἀντιλαμβάνηται αὐτῆς 5 ὅτι ἰδοὺ οἱ βασιλεῖς συνήχθησαν ἤλθοσαν ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτό 6 αὐτοὶ ἰδόντες οὕτως ἐθαύμασαν ἐταράχθησαν ἐσαλεύθησαν 7 τρόμος ἐπελάβετο αὐτῶν ἐκεῖ ὠδῖνες ὡς τικτούσης 8 ἐν πνεύματι βιαίῳ συντρίψεις πλοῖα Θαρσις 9 καθάπερ ἠκούσαμεν οὕτως εἴδομεν ἐν πόλει κυρίου τῶν δυνάμεων ἐν πόλει τοῦ θεοῦ ἡμῶν ὁ θεὸς ἐθεμελίωσεν αὐτὴν εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα διάψαλμα 10 ὑπελάβομεν ὁ θεός τὸ ἔλεός σου ἐν μέσῳ τοῦ ναοῦ σου 11 κατὰ τὸ ὄνομά σου ὁ θεός οὕτως καὶ ἡ αἴνεσίς σου ἐπὶ τὰ πέρατα τῆς γῆς δικαιοσύνης πλήρης ἡ δεξιά σου 12 εὐφρανθήτω τὸ ὄρος Σιων ἀγαλλιάσθωσαν αἱ θυγατέρες τῆς Ιουδαίας ἕνεκεν τῶν κριμάτων σου κύριε 13 κυκλώσατε Σιων καὶ περιλάβετε αὐτήν διηγήσασθε ἐν τοῖς πύργοις αὐτῆς 14 θέσθε τὰς καρδίας ὑμῶν εἰς τὴν δύναμιν αὐτῆς καὶ καταδιέλεσθε τὰς βάρεις αὐτῆς ὅπως ἂν διηγήσησθε εἰς γενεὰν ἑτέραν 15 ὅτι οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ θεὸς ὁ θεὸς ἡμῶν εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα καὶ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ αἰῶνος αὐτὸς ποιμανεῖ ἡμᾶς εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας
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The city of God is a delight Intro : Cities... City of God vs city of man. Tale of two cities. 1. Beautiful: The LORD is to be praised in his city (v1-3) Great is the LORD, therefore his city is lovely and glorious. City of the great King, Matthew 5.35 The storyline of God's 'place', in the Bible ( Eden; holy mountain; city of God) and also in the Sons of Korah ( links to 46 and 47, and 43 (42). City of God is the city, 'of God'. The whole system which develops around God's revelation of himself - in Christ crucified - at the centre. Not defined by geography or architecture, but by his rule. Thus, the true church of all time make up the people 'of Zion'. And it filters down into the tone and feel of relationships, family life, working relationships, ambitions, and so on. The city of God shows itself in godly ethics, but is not created by ethics. 2. Mighty: The LORD's enemies scattered when they saw his city (v4-8) Psalm 2 and Psalm 46 What is this cryptic language getting at? e.g., 2 Chronicles 20 or other occasions eg Exodus 15.15. Not, they came, they saw, they conquered - but they came, they saw, they were terrified. Ships of Tarshish = very great ships (e.g., manufactured by Tarshish). 3. Eternal: Think about God's steadfast love and trust him forever (v9-14) The heart of it all: pondering, reflecting on his hesed in his most holy place. His name and his fame in all the earth. Let the physical city point the learner to the spiritual truth (v14). Where this leads us in the Bible: to Jesus of Nazareth. FCF. We don't praise God and love his city and long for his place. Since we don't think on his hesed . We aren't glad and rejoice in him. It's not the 'joy of the whole earth'. H1. The city of man. H2. Outwardly the city of God, but our love for the city of man shown in our lack of joy and delight in the Lord and his people. Most subtle, we try to build the city of God on earth - which is actually then the city of man [examples]. Person of Jesus . Joy set before him. Joy in the Father and his people. He himself is the dwelling of God. The knowledge of the Father's steadfast love is revealed in Jesus of Nazareth. Work of Jesus: the kings assembled to crucify the great King. At his return they will be crushed. Since he is the Lord of hosts. In his resurrection, the city has been established forever. In what sense Jesus' cross establishes the city of God? A whole new order, gathered around the knowledge of God's hesed . Union with Jesus. The city of God comes down to earth. We must be in Christ (identification) to be in the dwelling of God (incorporation). And to enjoy his life-giving rule (participation). Invitation / evangelistic call / the call to our mission together. Come and delight in God in his city. Citizenship. Confrontation / how culture is critiqued: the city of man mocks and despises the city of God, but cannot stand against it. cf Mustard seed, etc. In this present age, the power of the city of God is ironic, veiled in weakness, but unstoppable. Shown again and again in history [current examples]. Consolation / and how we encourage one another. Look to the city that has foundations, which will stand forever (Hebrews 11.10 and Hebrews 12.18-24). Although we sow in weakness, we know that God the Lord of hosts is 'in our midst' (Psalm 46). Wrap up : City of God or city of man? Revelation 21; Hebrews 12.18-24. Beautiful, mighty, eternal.
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