THE BEAUTY OF TRUE SECURITY FOR BELIEVERS COMES FROM THE LIVING GOD |

March 10, 2017

THE BEAUTY OF TRUE SECURITY FOR BELIEVERS COMES FROM THE LIVING GOD

Psalm 48

Hil Bowman

Central Truth

Human nature has not progressed like the popular philosophy of our time tries to convince us it has. But the good news is God's plan for freedom and security has not changed either. Do you put your trust in an ever-changing culture or a God who will guide forever?

Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised
in the city of our God!
His holy mountain,
. . . .
As we have heard, so have we seen
in the city of the Lord of hosts,
in the city of our God,
which God will establish forever.
. . . .
that this is God,
our God forever and ever.
He will guide us forever.
(Psalm 48:1, 8, 14)

Zion, the City of Our God

A Song. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah.

1 Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised
    in the city of our God!
His holy mountain, 2 beautiful in elevation,
    is the joy of all the earth,
Mount Zion, in the far north,
    the city of the great King.
3 Within her citadels God
    has made himself known as a fortress.

4 For behold, 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 Trembling took hold of them there,
    anguish as of a woman in labor.
7 By the east wind you shattered
    the ships of Tarshish.
8 As we have heard, so have we seen
    in the city of the LORD of hosts,
in the city of our God,
    which God will establish forever. Selah

9 We have thought on your steadfast love, O God,
    in the midst of your temple.
10 As your name, O God,
    so your praise reaches to the ends of the earth.
Your right hand is filled with righteousness.
11     Let Mount Zion be glad!
Let the daughters of Judah rejoice
    because of your judgments!

12 Walk about Zion, go around her,
    number her towers,
13 consider well her ramparts,
    go through her citadels,
that you may tell the next generation
14     that this is God,
our God forever and ever.
    He will guide us forever.^{1

48:14
Septuagint; another reading is (compare Jerome, Syriac) He will guide us beyond death}

Footnotes

[1] 48:14 Septuagint; another reading is (compare Jerome, Syriac) He will guide us beyond death

Progressivism is a philosophy based on the idea of progress, which asserts that advancement in science, technology, economic development, and social organization are vital to improve the human condition. We are taught that the more progressive our culture is, the better our lives will be. But is this true? I know we have made many strides in areas of medicine, communication, and travel, but does that mean everything moves forward and we are constantly getting smarter?

When I study history, it seems that the human condition has not changed, and mankind has always been creative and smart.

When I was at SMU, I took a class explaining how the music industry works. Bottom line—you want to be the song writer and sell your music to the person who wants to be on stage. It is much harder to find a talented song writer than a good singer.

That being said, look at the complexity and balance of Psalm 48 written thousands of years ago.

The song-writing ability of the psalmist is stunning. This song is a celebration of the security of Zion viewed through the eyes of faith. It was probably sung at the temple. Structure and theme are beautifully matched. The first and last verses combine to frame the psalm with comforting confessions about God. The center verse (verse 8) summarizes the main theme of the psalm. The four stanzas have a symmetrical pattern in Hebrew—three lines, four lines, four lines, three lines—and develop the theme.

• The beauty of Zion as God's citadel (verses 2-3)
• The futility of all enemy attacks (verses 4-7)
• Zion's joy over God's saving acts (verses 9-11), and
• Zion as an impregnable citadel (verses 12-13)

The structure, balance, and message of this psalm stood out to me. It shows that God created mankind with the same mental capacity and human nature from the beginning and forever with the purpose of glorifying Him. We are not smarter than people that lived so many years ago. In fact I would say this psalmist is better than most modern song-writers. I need to be reminded everyday that the true guide and protection in our lives is God and He loves us.

1. What are your thoughts about the cultural philosophy of progressivism? How does it relate to your beliefs in Jesus?

2. Have you ever tried to write a song? If so, what was it about, and why did you pick that topic?

3. When you look back on your life, can you see Jesus guiding and protecting you from issues in this fallen world?

4. Does reading the Psalms bring you closer to Jesus? Great music designed to bring you closer to Christ can last for generations. What songs bring you closer to Jesus?