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The Scriptorium

Glorious City

And we are it. Psalm 48.2, 3

The Lord and His City (2)

Opening Prayer: Psalm 48.9-11
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.

Sing Psalm 48.9-11
(Cwm Rhonda: Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah)
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.

Read Psalm 48.2, 3

Preparation
1. How is God’s city described?

2. What is God to His city?

Meditation
We have seen that the sons of Korah regarded the city of God – His dwelling place – as a “holy mountain” (v. 1). That phrase could be equally translated “the mountain of His holiness”, reminding us that any holiness we know as God’s people and city is because He is holy, and is at work within us to show His holiness in and through us.

In verse 2, two additional qualifiers are indicated. God’s holy city is beautiful, and it is the “joy of the whole earth”. That makes sense because holiness is truly beautiful and joyful. God calls us to be holy as He is holy (Lev. 11.44; cf. Matt. 5.48), so that we might shine with His beauty and bask in His joy. This happens in a church as it increases in Christlikeness. Jesus is building His Church to resemble Him in holiness, beauty, and joy (cf. Matt. 16.18; Eph. 4.11-16). A primary goal of every church must be for its members to increase in holiness and for the congregation to be a source of beauty and joy in its community, for this is what God intends for His dwelling place.

Note the mystery suggested in verse 3. God dwells in His city, but His city takes refuge in Him. God is the “castle keep” of His city, a strong redoubt against every trouble, the source of all our safety and strength, and the maintainer of our spiritual health and salvation. The more we resort to Him, the more He increases in us, and we increase in holiness, beauty, and joy.

What a glorious city, and what a glorious privilege to be part of it because of Jesus.

Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
There’s something about tall buildings that people find exhilarating.

We think of the Empire State Building, the Eiffel Tower, and Burj Khalifa (a fantastic skyscraper in Dubai that our eight-year-old grandson George learned about; and the name is just so fun to say).

We also think of our enemies seeking our hurt through the bringing down of tall buildings like the now destroyed Twin Towers.

The Bible tells us of tall buildings like the Tower of Babel.
And God’s glorious city that is beautiful in elevation—tall, powerful, and majestic.
“The joy of the whole earth” (Ps. 48.2).

God’s architecture inspires worship and comfort.

Jesus tells us that, “in My Father’s house are many mansions” and that He is preparing a place for us (Jn. 14.2).

And “God…has prepared a city” for us (Heb. 11.16).

John relates his vision of the future about a city coming down out of heaven prepared by God. “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God” (Rev. 21.3).

All these beautiful buildings, grand and elevated, waiting for us in eternity.

But there is another building that we need to tend to now, and that is the temple of the Holy Spirit. And that temple is us. As Paul wrote, “your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God…” (1 Cor. 6.19). We are Burj Khalifa. We are called to “shine with His beauty and bask in His joy.”

Jesus says to us, “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.”
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matt. 5.14, 16).

Reflection
1. Why are holiness, beauty, and joy so important for the dwelling place of God?

2. What does it mean for you to take refuge in God?

3. In what sense are you as a believer the temple of God? How do these verses help you to think about that?

The earth is, by sin, covered with deformity, therefore justly might that spot of ground, which was beautified with holiness, be called the joy of the whole earth; that which the whole earth has reason to rejoice in, that God would thus in very deed dwell with man upon the earth. Matthew Henry (1662-1714), Commentary on Psalm 48.2

Closing Prayer: Psalm 48.1-3
Pray for your church, her leaders, and her members, that God might bring revival to the church, and you might begin to realize more of His beautiful, joyful, holy plan for you.

Sing Psalm 48.1-3
(Cwm Rhonda: 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!

T. M. and Susie Moore

You can listen to our summary of last week’s study by clicking here.

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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.

T.M. Moore

T. M. Moore is principal of The Fellowship of Ailbe, a spiritual fellowship in the Celtic Christian tradition. He and his wife, Susie, make their home in the Champlain Valley of Vermont.
Books by T. M. Moore

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