“Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, in the city of our God, His holy mountain. Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth, is Mount Zion in the far north, the city of the great King. God, in her palaces, has made Himself known as a stronghold…. 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 her forever. Selah. We have thought on Your lovingkindness, O God, in the midst of Your temple.” (Psa 48:1–3, 8–9).
Psalms 46–48 share many themes and are clearly related. In these psalms, the divine King is great (Psa 47:2; 48:2) and dwells in the “city of God” forever (Psa 46:4–5; 48:1, 8). He is a “stronghold” (Psa 46:7, 11; 48:3) and the “LORD of armies” (Psa 46:7, 11; 48:8). These psalms are pervaded by an atmosphere of joyful praise (Psa 47:1, 5–7; 48:1, 10–11).
He sees our suffering and knows our pain. In His perfect timing, He will wipe every tear from our eyes, that we may behold the beauty of His face and rest in the comfort of His presence forever.
To fully appreciate these celebratory psalms, we must read them as God’s answer to the agonizing cries of the sons of Korah in Psalms 42–44. There, their souls are parched and cut off from the presence of God, longing to return and praise Him in His temple (Psa 42:1–2, 4-6, 11; 43:3, 5; 44:23–26). Although these psalms express deep despair, they also express a steady faith that, however long the wait or however dark it becomes, lament will one day give way to joy and praise in God’s temple: “… Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him for the help of His presence” (Psa 42:5, 11; 43:5).
Psalms 46–48 show that pouring out our broken hearts to God is never in vain. He sees our suffering and knows our pain. In His perfect timing, He will wipe every tear from our eyes, that we may behold the beauty of His face and rest in the comfort of His presence forever.
“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 her forever. Selah” (Psa 48:8).
