Sing to the Great King! (Part 2)

We should daily glorify God for who He is and what He does in our lives!

September 16, 2018

"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."

Psalm 48:1-2

Yesterday we looked at Psalm 48:1, let’s see what verse two teaches us today.

Part 2

“Beautiful for situation,”
Jehovah’s city Jerusalem was a beautiful city.  The Hebrew word translated “situation” means “elevation, height.”1  The thought here is that as the traveler climbed the elevation into Mount Zion, he could see this stunning city.  For the pilgrim, it was like coming home.

“The joy of the whole earth,”
This is an interesting phrase because in the entire history of the city of Jerusalem it has never been “the joy of the whole earth.”  It has been the joy of Israel and Judah, but not too many peoples outside of Israel, and certainly not “the whole earth,” even though this is where Jesus paid for our sin so we could have salvation.  Could it be that in the future yet, it will become “the joy of the whole earth” when Jesus, the Prince of Peace is seated there on the throne of his Father David?

“Is mount Zion,”
The whole city of Jerusalem is Mount Zion.  This is the place where the ark of the covenant was kept, and Jehovah was worshipped.  This is God’s city.

“On the sides of the north,”
This is said, “poetically for eminent, lofty, distinguished, as the ancients believed the north to be the highest part of the earth.”2  Mount Zion was pictured as being on the highest, most visible part of the earth.

“The city of the great King.”
This King is Jehovah, the great God.  He took up residence in Zion.

“Sing praises to the LORD, which dwelleth in Zion: declare among the people his doings,” (Psalm 9:11).

Believers, as we sing these verses to the LORD, they should take on new meaning for us.  It’s all about our Great God and praising Him!

 

 

1.  Brown, Driver, Briggs. Brown-Driver-Briggs’ Hebrew Definitions, the electronic version in eSword.
2.  Jamison, Fausset, and Brown. Jamison-Fausset-Brown’s Commentary, the electronic version in eSword.