Don’t expect to see the president while touring the White House. So let’s visit Zion instead.
We haven’t finished with Psalm 48! The first half (vv 1-7)—before the Selah—is focused on the city. The second half (vv 9-14) brings us into the presence of the King. Verse 8 is the transition: “As we have heard, so we have seen in the city of the Lord of hosts, in the city of our God: God will establish it forever.” We wouldn’t want to be like the pussy cat in the children’s nursery rhyme who went “to the palace to visit the Queen” and instead only “chased a little mouse under the chair.” So we join the psalmist in his journey, moving past “the city” and “her palaces” (vv 2-3) to consider the King Himself. Yes, “Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised” (v 1), so let’s do that! “We have thought, O God, on Your lovingkindness, in the midst of Your temple. According to Your name, O God, so is Your praise to the ends of the earth; Your right hand is full of righteousness. Let Mount Zion rejoice, let the daughters of Judah be glad, because of Your judgments” (vv 9-11). Far better than the crenelated walls, the marbled floors, the cedar carvings, or the golden filigree are these eternal treasures. “Your lovingkindness… Your name…Your praise…Your right hand…full of righteousness” and “your judgments.” In a surprise ending, the psalmist takes us on a tour of the world’s most famous city. But like tourists led through a palace only to stumble on its royal resident, the author leaves the stunner for the conclusion. Here we go. “Walk about Zion, and go all around her. Count her towers; mark well her bulwarks; consider her palaces” (vv 12-13). Imagine the ohs and ahs! You’ll want to tell the grandkids about this (v 13)! Then it happens. There He is! “For this is God, our God forever and ever.” And can you believe it! “He will be our guide even to death” (v 14).