Psalm 48: 2 "Mount Zion, the city of the great king, is magnificent in the north and the joy of the whole earth. 」
Psalm 48: 3 "God revealed himself as the refuge of his palace. 」
The background of this article may be that Jerusalem was attacked by enemy allied forces, but was saved by God (2Chr. 20 1-28; 10 8). The themes of Psalms 46, 48, 76, 84, 87 and 122 all praise the holy city of Jerusalem, so it is called "Song of Zion" (137 3).
"North" (verse 2) represents the dwelling place of God (Isaiah 14: 13- 14). Mount Moria is in the north of Mount Zion, and the two mountains are connected. Both the Temple and Solomon's Palace were built on Mount Moriah (3 C1; Wangshangba 1). After the temple was completed, Mount Zion (verse 2) was used to refer to the holy city of Jerusalem (Isaiah 8: 18).
"Palace" (section 3) originally meant "castle, fortress and palace". "Show yourself as a refuge" (section 3) originally meant to "make yourself known as a stable height". "God is in his palace" (verse 3) does not mean that people worship God in Jerusalem's fortified fortress, but that Jerusalem has become a fortified fortress because of God's presence, so God "appears as a refuge". Jerusalem's strong defensive ability depends not on dangerous terrain and strong fortifications, but on the existence of God. Similarly, it is not that Christ needs us to defend his church today, but that Christ himself has become a "refuge" to protect us.
Mount Zion is called "the city of great kings" (verse 2) and "the capital of great kings" (Matt. 5: 35). Because of the presence of God, in the future, "all peoples will flow to this mountain" (Isaiah 2: 2).
Psalm 48: 4 "Behold, kings come together and pass by together. 」
Psalm 48: 5 "As soon as they saw this city, they were amazed and timid, and they fled in haste. 」
Psalm 48: 6 "Tremors and pains seized them there, like a woman in labor. 」
Psalm 48: 7 "O God, you broke the ships of Tarshish with the east wind. 」
Psalm 48: 8 "What we have seen in the city of the Lord of hosts, the city of our God, is just as we have heard. God will build this city forever. Sila. "
"Hui" (the fourth section) originally meant "gathering by agreement", while "Guo" (the fourth section) originally meant "Guo and Xing", which may mean Xing. Verses 4-6 may mean that when Jerusalem was attacked by the enemy Coalition forces, God made the kings panic and be in flight (24: 1 1. 2 1-28; 10 8).
"East wind" (section 7) refers to the dry and hot air from the desert in eastern Israel, which can wither plants and represent destruction. "Tarshish" (verse 7) was located in the south of ancient Spain. "Tarshish's ship" (section 7) refers to a long-distance ship that can cross the Mediterranean and sail for Spain. It was the largest ship in the ancient Mediterranean, symbolizing the strength of the enemy. Man's ability and wisdom, like his ship, are vulnerable to the power of God (Isaiah 2:16; Ezekiel 27: 26), which is unnecessary for God's work (1 Kings 1. 22: 48).
Verse 8 is the core of this poem, proclaiming "what you saw" and "what you heard", which is the testimony of salvation. As the historical witness of Israel shows: when God lives in Mount Zion, "God will build this city forever" (v. 8); The history of the church also proves that when the church is led by Christ, Christ himself will "build his church on this rock; The authority of the underworld cannot surpass him "(Tai 16: 18). Therefore, in the face of any persecution and difficulties, the church should firmly grasp God and make Christ the "head of all things" (col 1: 18), instead of relying on its own "other ships" to deal with the enemy's "other ships".
Psalm 48: 9 "O God, we miss your lovingkindness in your temple. 」
Psalm 48 10 "God, your praise is commensurate with your name to the ends of the earth! Your right hand is full of righteousness. 」
Psalm 48 1 1 "Because of your judgment, Mount Zion should be glad and the cities of Judah should be happy. 」
"Your Judgment" (1 1) here represents God's judgment on the enemy and great salvation for the people.
God's "right hand is full of righteousness" (section 10), and he "judges" those who refuse to believe in the Lord with righteousness, making people have to admit that "what we have received is commensurate with what we have done" (Luke 23: 41); Believers show the grace of forgiveness and redemption through his son (Isaiah 1 1: 4), so those who belong to him "should be glad" (1 1) and "should be happy" (1 1).
Psalm 48 12 "Travel around Zion, bypass and count the towers."
Psalm 48: 13 "Look at her palaces and palaces carefully, so as to tell stories to future generations. 」
Psalm 48 14 "Because this God is our God forever and ever; He will be our guide until we die. 」
"Tower" (paragraph 12) originally meant "tower, high platform"; "Waiguo" (paragraph 13) refers to the outer wall in the original singular; "Palace" (section 13) was originally "castle, fortress and palace". "Tower, Tower and Palace" refers to the defensive forces of Jerusalem.
"Zion" (12) symbolizes God's protection for his people, and believers can be safe in this strong fortress. The poet invited us to all parts of Zion to experience God's conservation and salvation, so as to count and witness God's grace one by one and pass it on to future generations. "Because this God is our God forever and ever" (section 14), he will not only guide us through this life, but also "until we die" (section 14); It will lead us into the "Jerusalem in the sky" predicted by Zion (Lai 12: 22) and "Forever" (Psalm 23: 6).