Psalms of the Sons of Korah: Introduction (3)

Opening Prayer: Psalm 48.1-3
Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised
In the city of our God,
In His holy mountain.
Beautiful in elevation,
The joy of the whole earth,
Is Mount Zion on the sides of the north,
The city of the great King.
God is in her palaces;
He is known as her refuge.

Sing Psalm 48.1-3
(Cwm Rhondda: Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah)
Great is God, now greatly praise Him in the city of the Lord.
Holy she, His lovely mountain, great and glorious by His Word!
God her King is great within her, He, her Stronghold ever sure!
He, her Stronghold ever sure!

Read Psalm 84

Preparation
1. Where were the psalmists going in this psalm?

2. How did they describe themselves?

Meditation
It stands to reason that a great God would have a great and glorious dwelling place.

The sons of Korah lived and worked in the dwelling place of God, in Jerusalem and on Mt. Zion and in the temple. The temple Solomon constructed was a place of magnificence and glory. It was indeed a lovely place to work (Ps. 84.1). It bore witness to the greatness of God in its intricate carvings, grand structures, gleaming tools and furnishings, splendid surroundings, and careful protocols and rites. The temple said to the world that the God Who lives here is a great God, indeed.

We see this especially in Psalm 45, where the beauty of God’s dwelling place is spelled out for us to see, hear, and even smell, in all its beauty and glory.

The dwelling place of God was for the sons of Korah a refuge, a city refreshed by the constant, flowing Presence of God, firmly established and filled with holiness (Ps. 46.4, 5; cf. Ps. 1, Jn. 7.37-39). Glorious things were spoken of the dwelling place of God, His temple, city, and people (Ps. 87.1-3). From the dwelling place of God, beauty, holiness, and joy radiated to the world, to the praise of His Name, the rejoicing of His people, and the great chagrin of His enemies (Ps. 48.1-7).

So glorious, powerful, magnificent, majestic, and imposing was the dwelling place of God to the sons of Korah, that when they considered it, they thought of God Himself, ever present with His people and guiding them into the fullness of His promises (Ps. 48.12-14).

Believers in Jesus Christ are the dwelling place of God, from whom His glory is to radiate to the world. The more we contemplate Him, dwelling at the Father’s right hand, and yield to Him, dwelling in us by His Spirit, the more the world will be filled with Jesus and through Him, with the knowledge of God’s glory. Yes, the sons of Korah will provide much help for us in thinking about what it means to be the dwelling place of God.

Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
In the Old Testament, God’s dwelling place, both the traveling tabernacle and the temple, were places of beauty and majesty. Even the portability of the tabernacle did not impede its glory.

In the New Testament, churches both in homes and buildings, showed their beauty, holiness, and majesty through their constituency. The people. Us.

God gives us guidelines, as little mobile cathedrals, on how to function properly. His Law, His Word, the life of Jesus, the lives of His prophets and apostles, the lives of His saints, all bear witness to the way this cathedral should roll. And we need to follow the pattern set before us.

Yes, it is a big task. Yes, we have been called to it. And yes, God is willing and able to make it happen! “…do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1 Cor. 6.19, 20).

“…keep yourselves in the love of God…” as you are His dwelling place. “Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to God our Savior, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen” (Jude 21, 24, 25).

Reflection
1. Why does the New Testament refer to both the believer and the church as the dwelling place of the Lord? What makes us as believers God’s dwelling place?

2. Since God is great and beautiful, filled with joy and gladness, what should we expect His dwelling place to be like? What can you do to become more like this?

3. In a sense, believers are gatekeepers into the dwelling place of God. Explain.

Notice all that the verse implies: I long, O Lord, for your eternal dwelling places; my soul yearns and pines for the courts of the Lord; I long for some place to dwell, a nest for my soul and my body. The birds that fly about to and fro with no restraint, nevertheless, after their flight, have a place and a nest in which to rest. How much more ought not my body and soul procure for itself a resting place? Jerome (347-420), Homilies on the Psalms 16

Closing Prayer: Psalm 48.4-14
Thank God for the Church, and for your church. Pray for the leaders and members of your church, that they might desire what God desires for you as a congregation.

Sing Psalm 48.4-14
(Cwm Rhondda: Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah)
Earthly kings, amazed and wond’ring, look upon the Church with fear.
See them flee in dread and anguish, knowing that the Lord is near.
For the city of the Savior God will keep forevermore!
God will keep forevermore!

For Your grace and lovingkindness we proclaim Your matchless worth!
As Your Name is, great and boundless, let Your praise fill all the earth.
Let Your people sing rejoicing for the judgment of Your truth;
for the judgment of Your truth.

Walk about the blessèd city, see her beauty, see her power.
Count her ramparts, filled with glory, look on ev’ry mighty tower.
Tell her glory to the nations: God will guide her evermore;
God will guide her evermore!

T. M. and Susie Moore

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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter (Williston: Waxed Tablet Publications, 2006), available by clicking here.