Psalms 48:1

“The Joy of the Whole Earth”

Psalms 48:1-3 says “Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness. Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great king.”

Psalms 48 is a Psalms with a lot to say about the city of Jerusalem. There is something different about Jerusalem than other cities. The difference is it is the city where the LORD Jesus Christ was crucified and it is also the city from which one day Jesus will rule this world.

In talking about this region of the world the phrase, “the joy of the whole earth” is used. If anything in the day and age in which we live Jerusalem and the surrounding area cannot be described as “the joy of the whole earth.” It rather is a place ravaged by war, and religious violence. But God has a plan and God’s plan is that one day it shall be the joy of the whole earth.

Psalms 48:3-8 says, “God is known in her palaces for a refuge. For, lo, the kings were assembled, they passed by together. They saw it, and so they marveled; they were troubled and hasted away. Fear took hold upon them there, and pain, as of a woman in travail. Thou breakest the ships of tarshish with an east wind. As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the LORD of hosts, in the city of our God: God will establish it forever. Selah.”

Two reasons that it shall be the joy of the whole earth: God shall be a refuge and that refuge shall last forever. These are great promises. If anything when we look at the area surrounding Jerusalem we should be inclined to think such a place is not a place of refuge because of war. The political circumstances of the middle east seem to be an unsolvable situation but one day God will solve the problems. God will turn it around and it will become the joy of the whole earth.

Psalms 48:9 says, “We hath thought of Thy lovingkindness, O God, in the midst of Thy temple.” It is amazing to think that a situation of violence and war which has lasted thousands of years will one day be solved and peace will be restored to the city of peace. The lovingkindness of God will accomplish this.

If God can and God will turn around such circumstances certainly God can turn around the life of any individual who sincerely bows the knee to Jesus.

Psalms 48:10, “According to Thy name, O God, so is Thy praise unto the ends of the earth: Thy right hand is full of righteousness.”

In this chapter of Psalms another great truth mentioned in connection with the city of Jerusalem is praise. The place where the presence of God is should be a place of praise. What should be praised and what should be talked about is the righteousness of God.

Jerusalem is just a city like any other city, at least right now it is. But once day it will be the joy of the whole earth and that means it will be the centre for praise and righteousness. A lost soul who comes to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour is just like the city of Jerusalem will be. Such a person if they become a true believer in Jesus will be a person who praises God and praises the name of God for His righteousness.

Psalms 48:11-14 “Let mount Zion rejoice, let the daughters of Judah be glad, because of Thy judgments. Walk about Zion, and go round about her: tell the towers thereof. Mark ye well her bulwarks, consider her palaces; that ye may tell it to the generation following. For this God is our God for ever and ever: He will be our guide even unto death.”

These verses are very interesting because they describe walking about the city, looking at the buildings and learning about God from them. A city should be a place where everywhere you go in that city you learn things about God and the things you learn you share with others. Heaven will be like this.

God is eternal man is not. God has no beginning or end. What a comfort it is to know that God is eternal and that there is everlasting life in Jesus. “He will be our guide unto death”

Jesus has amazing things planned for the future. Death is part of the future for all mankind but if you trust in Jesus then the day of your death will be a very special day in which God is there to guide you in a way He never has before to guide into Hi everlasting loving presence.

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