Psalms 48

Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, in the city of our God, in his holy mountain, Wesley: The city—In Jerusalem. Shared with both camps: the LORD is great and greatly to be praised in his own city and holy mountain.

Praise the LORD as great in the city of our God. Join the praise on his holy mountain; refuse a greatness that never gathers his people to worship.

Calvin: Great is Jehovah, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness—Jerusalem happy because God took charge of defending it; separates the Church from the world; when God selects from the whole human race a small number whom he embraces with fatherly love, an invaluable blessing; his glory manifested chiefly in the Church as in a clearer mirror; holy mountain because the ark was placed there by divine appointment, not by any merits of Jerusalem.

Praise the LORD as great where he has set his Church. Receive the holy city as electing gift, not desert; refuse a praise that never distinguishes his people.

Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth, is Mount Zion, on the north sides, the city of the great King. Wesley: The joy—This is spoken prophetically, because the joyful doctrine of the gospel was to go from thence to all nations. The city—Of God, who justly calls himself a great king.

Hear Zion's beauty as joy meant for all the earth through the gospel. Honor the great King's city; refuse a Mount Zion whose gladness never reaches the nations.

Calvin: Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion—not mere climate or sweet fruits, a cold speculation; spiritual beauty after the ark abode there; joy of the whole earth because from thence salvation was to issue to the whole world; Christ appeared with his gospel out of Zion to fill the world with true joy; city of the great King—the prerogative rendered the whole city sacred where God chose his seat to rule over all people.

Seek Zion's joy as the gospel going out from God's city. Rest gladness on his presence, not on the land's climate; refuse a beauty that never becomes salvation for the earth.

God has shown himself in her citadels as a refuge. Wesley: Known—By long experience. Palaces—Possibly he may point at the king's palace and the temple, which was the palace of the king of heaven; which two palaces God did in a singular manner protect, and by protecting them, protected the whole city and people.

Know God as fortress inside the citadels by long experience. Trust his protection of temple and people; refuse walls that never confess him as the true defense.

Calvin: God in her palaces is known for a defense—though the holy city was fortified by strong towers and magnificent houses resembling fortresses, its continued safety was owing to the power and aid of God alone; do not let magnificence shroud the knowledge of his power; worldly wealth tends to make us forget God.

Know God alone as fortress within the citadels. Let every palace preach his aid; refuse a defense that dazzles the eye and hides the Guardian.

For, behold, the kings assembled themselves, they passed by together. Wesley: The kings—Either those kings confederate against Jehoshaphat, or the Assyrian princes; whom they vain-gloriously called kings. Passed—In their march towards Jerusalem.

Behold assembled kings marching on Zion and still under God's eye. Refuse panic that treats confederate power as final.

Calvin: For, behold, the kings assembled themselves, they passed away together—special deliverance; they confederated and conspired to destroy the Church; whether reduced to nothing or undertaking the expedition with one consent, the miracle of their overthrow magnifies God's protecting care.

Read assembled kings as assaults God is used to turning. Expect his care when the Church is besieged; refuse despair at confederate strength.

As soon as they saw it, then they were amazed. They were dismayed. They took to flight. Wesley: Saw it—They did only look upon it, but not come into it, nor shoot an arrow there—nor cast a bank against it. Marvelled—At the wonderful works wrought by God.

Trust that a look at Zion under God can stop the siege before an arrow flies. Marvel at his works; refuse a defense-story that never credits wonder.

Calvin: They saw, so they marvelled; they were frightened, they fled precipitately—as soon as they saw the city they marvelled; struck with amazement at the mere sight, as if God had dazzled their eyes with the splendor of his glory; not Caesar's I came, I saw, I conquered, but I came, I saw, I fled.

Expect God to undo enemies at the mere sight of his city. Hold the miracle; refuse a courage that never waits for his dazzling.

Trembling took hold of them there, pain, as of a woman in travail. Wesley: Fear—At the tidings of Tirhakah's coming against them, and at that terrible slaughter of their army.

Read enemy anguish as God's sudden reverse of pride. Refuse a calm that never trembles when God fights for Zion.

Calvin: Fear seized upon them there, and pain as of a woman in travail—sudden change upon the enemies; from the height of secure and presumptuous pride they instantly fell into terror and fled; it is no uncommon thing if the Church is assailed by powerful adversaries—God's usual way to humble his people and then give striking proofs of his power; a nod alone is sufficient to deliver.

Trust a nod from God more than matching enemy strength. Endure hard assaults without seeking help in every direction; refuse panic that never waits for his sudden reverse.

With the east wind, you break the ships of Tarshish. Wesley: Breakest—Thou didst no less violently and suddenly destroy these raging enemies of Jerusalem, than sometimes thou destroyest the ships at sea with a fierce and vehement wind, such as the eastern winds were in those parts.

See raging foes shattered as ships in an east wind. Ascribe the sudden ruin to God; refuse explaining away the storm.

Calvin: By the east wind thou breakest in pieces the ships of Tarshish—enemies of the Church overthrown and plunged into destruction just as God by suddenly raising storms sinks the strongest ships; not to be wondered at if God, who breaks by winds the strongest vessels, overthrew enemies inflated with presumptuous confidence in their own strength.

Measure enemy pride against the God who shatters Tarshish ships. Refuse trust in inflated strength; rest in the storm he raises for his Church.

As we have heard, so we have seen, in the city of the LORD of Armies, in the city of our God. God will establish it forever. Selah. Wesley: Heard—The predictions of the prophets have been verified by the events. Establish—God will defend her in all succeeding ages. And so God would have done, if Jerusalem had not forsaken him, and forfeited his protection.

Match what you heard with what you have seen in the city of our God. Hold forever-defense as God's will for a faithful city; refuse a forever claim that never fears forsaking him.

Calvin: As we have heard, so we have seen, in the city of Jehovah of Armies, in the city of our God: God will establish it for ever—ancient mercy confirmed by present experience, or promises actually performed; Jehovah of armies joined to our God by adoption; city founded by God continues steadfast amidst the world's revolutions; whatever was spoken of that city belongs to the spiritual Jerusalem dispersed through the world; the safety of the Church, though sorely shaken, can never be so weakened as to fall and be involved in ruin.

Confess the city God will establish forever. Carry heard-and-seen into the spiritual Jerusalem; refuse a forever that can finally collapse.

We have thought about your loving kindness, God, in the middle of your temple. Wesley: Thought—It hath been the matter of our serious and deep meditation, when we have been worshipping in thy temple.

Make steadfast love the deep meditation of temple worship. Refuse a liturgy that never thinks on hesed.

Calvin: O God! we have waited for thy mercy in the midst of thy temple—damam as silent tranquillity of mind; the faithful, though severely afflicted, were not driven from relying upon God's aid; by patience and hope they opened the gate of his grace; temple as seat and pledge of his power and grace, not a fancy of our own inventing.

Wait in quiet faith on steadfast love in his temple. Let patience open the gate of grace; refuse restless unbelief that blocks the help laid up for those who wait.

As is your name, God, so is your praise to the ends of the earth. Your right hand is full of righteousness. Wesley: So—Thou art acknowledged to be such an one as thou hast affirmed thyself to be in thy Word, God Almighty, or All-sufficient, the Lord of hosts, and a strong tower to all that trust in thee. Righteousness—Of righteous actions; by which thou discoverest thy holiness.

Let praise match the name as far as the earth reaches. Trust the right hand filled with righteous acts; refuse a name praised only where it is already familiar.

Calvin: As is thy name, O God! so is thy praise unto the ends of the earth: thy right hand is full of righteousness—wherever the fame of his name is spread, he is worthy of the highest praise; unlike idols renowned without true praise; righteousness as faithfulness in maintaining and defending his people, exhibited completely, not in one specimen only.

Carry his praise with his name to the ends of the earth. Touch his righteousness in the defense of his own; refuse empty fame like the idols'.

Let Mount Zion be glad! Let the daughters of Judah rejoice because of your judgments! Wesley: Judgments—Upon thine and their enemies.

Let Zion and Judah's cities rejoice at judgments on the enemies. Refuse a gladness that never thanks God for vindicating his people.

Calvin: Mount Zion shall rejoice, the daughters of Judah shall be glad, because of thy judgments—Jerusalem and the other cities of Judea have cause to commend God's righteousness; judgment because God, undertaking the Church's cause, openly showed himself the enemy of her oppressors and repressed their presumption.

Rejoice in judgments that prove God the Church's defender. Commend his righteousness; refuse muted Zion when oppressors fall.

Walk about Zion, and go around her. Notice her bulwarks, Wesley: Tell—He bids them mark well her towers, bulwarks, and palaces, with thankfulness to God, when they should find upon enquiry, that not one of them were demolished.

Walk and count towers with thankfulness that none fell. Refuse a tour of Zion that never turns into praise.

Calvin: Encompass Zion, and go round about her, number her towers—look carefully on every side; estimate her palaces as they deserve, that it may be manifest this is a city chosen of God; not that minds should rest in towers and walls, but that they should set them before us as a mirror in which the character of God may be seen—remembering God in her palaces is known for a fortress.

Walk Zion's circuit as a mirror of God's care, not as trust in stone. Number towers to magnify the Chooser; refuse resting the eye in walls alone.

Mark her bulwarks and walk through her palaces, so that you may tell it to the next generation; Wesley: Tell it—That they may continue their praises to God for this mercy, by which they hold and enjoy all their blessings.

Consider ramparts so the next generation keeps praising the mercy that holds their blessings. Refuse a silence that buries thanksgiving with the present age.

Calvin: Set your hearts to her walls… that ye may make report to the generation to come—tacit understanding that the outward city would not always be seen; we belong to that generation to whom these things are reported; since Christ came, the Church has been no less richly adorned with spiritual gifts than Jerusalem under the Law was fortified with walls and towers.

Tell the next generation so faith outlasts visible walls. Receive the report as those in the spiritual city; refuse clinging to stone as if the Church's beauty ended there.

For this God is our God forever and ever. He will be our guide us forever. Shared closing with both camps: the God of Zion is our God forever, and he will guide forever—the end of the walk about the city.

Shared closing with both camps—tell it to the next generation. For this God is our God forever. Trust his forever guidance; refuse a Zion tour that never names him as guide.

Calvin: For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death—demonstrative this distinguishes the only true God from false gods; faith sets a distinct knowledge, not the confusion of superstition; he continues unchangeably steadfast in maintaining his Church; guide and keeper for ever—not abandoning his people in the midst of death.

Shared closing with both camps—confess this God as ours forever and our guide unto the end. Hold distinct knowledge against counterfeit deities; refuse a forever that leaves the flock unguided at death.