Psalm 48 Summary - 5 Minute Bible Study

Psalm 48 Short Summary:

Psalm 48 was written in honor of the city of Jerusalem and the God who protected it. The sons of Korah invited their readers to observe the city’s architecture and recall God’s generational faithfulness so they could teach their children about the Lord. Many nations had opposed Jerusalem over the years, but God had made it into a fortress.  

Psalm 48 Summary

AUTHOR:

• The Sons of Korah (a family of the Tribe of Levi).

NEW TESTAMENT REFERENCES:

• Matthew 5:35

THEMES:

• Jerusalem is portrayed as the city of God.

• God was worthy of worship for guarding the city and elevating it.

• Jerusalem stood as a testament of God’s generational faithfulness to His people.

DEFINITIONS:

• Selah (47:4) – This word appears over 70 times in the Psalms. Scholars have tried for years to discover the true meaning of the word, but it remains somewhat of a mystery. Some scholars think it’s a musical pause or a literary pause, calling on the reader to stop and ponder what was just stated.  Other scholars propose its meaning is related to worship, an expression of praise to God. Still others suggest it’s a literary device used by the ancients to mark themes that run through the text. The only other book in the Bible where “Selah” is found is the book of Habakkuk.

OUTLINE:

• JERUSALEM, THE CITY OF GOD (48:1-14):

  • Psalm 48 was written in honor of the city of Jerusalem and the God who protected the city.

  • David’s son, Solomon, built a Temple for the Lord in Jerusalem, which became the center point of the nation’s religious life.

  • The psalmist begins by praising the city’s beauty and calling it God’s “holy mountain” (Jerusalem was build on a hill/mountain).

  • God was present with His people in the city, which made it special compared to other great cities of the earth.

  • The psalmist recalled a time when enemy kings gathered to attack Jerusalem, but God scattered them and saved the city.

  • “For the behold, the kings assembled; they came on together. As soon as they saw it, they were astounded; they were in panic; they took to flight” (48:4-5).

  • The Israelites had heard stories of God’s great deeds from their fathers, and those stories were confirmed by their own eyes as they continued to observe God protection of their city.

  • The psalmist concluded by encouraging people to walk around the city and observe its towers, ramparts, and citadels, so they would be able to tell their children about the city’s splendor, or more importantly, about God’s splendor.
    

APPLICATION:

• As disciples of Jesus, we are spread out all over the world and we don’t have a physical city to rejoice in today.

• We don’t live within the walls of a town that physically represents God’s protection and care for us.

• We probably don’t reminisce with our neighbors about God’s goodness to our forefathers while looking at a map of our local town.

• Our town doesn’t have a Temple where God’s presence visibly dwells.

• That said, we do have a place to rejoice in God with other people who love God, and that is in the Church.

• We can worship God for protecting the Church through the centuries.

• We can reminisce with people in the Church about God’s goodness to our forefathers.

• God’s presence dwells within us, the members of Church, and we share that unique fellowship with other disciples.

• 1 Corinthians 6:19 - Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God?

• We shouldn’t just worship God individually, we should worship God collectively, rejoicing in unity with other Christians and worshiping God for making every city a city where His presence can be found.