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Scripture Reading: Psa. 46; Psa. 47; Psa. 48
In our study of the Bible, we need to learn to ask questions of the Lord, and we should do this as we come now to Psalms 46—48. We should ask why these three psalms are placed immediately after Psalm 45, a psalm praising king Solomon (typifying Christ) with his queen (typifying the church). If you were the compiler of the Psalms, would you have put these psalms right after Psalm 45?
Psalm 46 does not seem to be a continuation of Psalm 45. However, there is definitely a continuation here. Psalm 45 is on the king, and Psalm 46 is on the city. Surely the king has much to do with the city. If a king did not have a city, what kind of king would he be? A king must have a city. The king in Psalm 45 typifies Christ, but what is the city mentioned in Psalm 46? This city is Jerusalem.
In the previous message we pointed out that in studying the Bible, we need an enlightened and renewed mind. When we study a psalm such as Psalm 45, we should not have any trust in our natural understanding or our natural concept. Instead of relying on our natural mind, we need to exercise our renewed and enlightened mind.
In addition, if we would understand the Bible, we also need to know the spiritual, divine, and heavenly significance of the things in the Bible and the significance of the things concerning Christ. As we study Psalm 45, for instance, we must find out the spiritual significance of the king, the queen, the daughters, and the sons. Likewise, as we study Psalm 46, we must find out the spiritual significance of the city.
The Bible was written not only in letters, and it not only contains many types, but it is a book filled with matters that have a spiritual significance. Consider the first two chapters of Genesis. If we read Genesis 1 and 2 only according to the letters without caring for the spiritual significance, we will not understand these chapters. As we study chapter one, we need to learn the significance of the heavens, the earth, the light, the land emerging from the water, the vegetable life, the animal life, the human life, the divine life, and the matters of image and dominion. If we know the significance of the items in Genesis 1, we will see that man was created according to God's kind to bear God's image and to represent Him.
As we go on to Genesis 2, we see that the man created by God is tripartite. He has a body, made from the dust of the ground; he has a spirit, the issue of the breath of God; and he has a soul (v. 7). The man thus formed by God was put in a garden in Eden and placed before two trees — the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. This chapter also speaks of the river that went out of Eden and of gold, bdellium, and onyx stone. Furthermore, in Genesis 2 we are told that God took a rib out of the man and used it to make a woman. All these things have a spiritual significance, and we need to know this spiritual significance.
The city in Psalm 46 has a spiritual, divine, and heavenly significance. In the Bible as a whole and in this psalm in particular, a city signifies a kingdom. The primary city in the Bible is Jerusalem, and a city that stands in opposition to Jerusalem is Babylon. If we would understand the Bible, we need to understand the significance of both Jerusalem and Babylon.
The Psalms are full of matters that have a spiritual, divine, and heavenly significance. The first matter of significance is the law in Psalm 1. Although the law was exalted according to the human concept of the psalmist, the Spirit came in to correct the psalmist and, in Psalm 2, to turn him from the law to Christ. Psalm 2 is the first station of the unveiling of Christ in the Psalms. Other stations are Psalm 8, Psalm 16, Psalms 22—24, Psalm 40, and Psalm 45.
Through Christ and by Christ we experience the house of God, another matter of spiritual significance in the Psalms. The house of God signifies the church. According to Psalm 23, as we experience Christ in His shepherding, we are brought into the house of God to dwell there forever. The house of God is also emphasized in Psalm 27 and again in Psalm 36. In Psalm 27:4 the psalmist aspires to dwell in the house of Jehovah all the days of his life. In Psalm 36:8 the psalmist speaks of the fatness (signifying the abundance) of God's house, where there is the fountain of life and where we see light in God's light.
In Psalm 31 we have a word concerning the city, and in Psalm 24, a word concerning the mountain, which implies the city. Psalm 31:21 says, "Blessed be Jehovah,/For He displayed His lovingkindness wondrously/To me in a fortified city." Psalm 24:3 speaks about the mountain of Jehovah. In Matthew 5:14b the Lord Jesus says, "It is impossible for a city situated upon a mountain to be hidden." This indicates that, according to the Bible, the mountain is for the city. Book One of the Psalms has turned the psalmists from the law to Christ, and Christ has brought them to the enjoyment of God in His house and city.
In my opinion, Psalm 45 is the greatest and highest psalm concerning Christ. In this psalm Christ, typified by Solomon, is unveiled and praised as the King. Immediately afterward, Psalm 46 goes on to speak not of the house but of the city. The house is a place of dwelling, but a city is a kingdom for ruling. As the One unveiled as the King in Psalm 45, Christ needs a city in which to rule and reign, and we see this city in Psalm 46. We may enjoy Christ as the King, and this King reigns in the city, which is His kingdom. If we are clear regarding this, we may now consider, from Psalms 46—48, the matter of praising God in His greatness and exaltation, particularly in His city.
Psalm 46 speaks concerning a river gladdening the city of God.
God is our refuge, strength, and a help in distress; He is most readily found (v. 1). God is all this to us in the city. Therefore, even though the earth changes and the mountains slip into the heart of the sea, we will not fear (v. 2). In verse 3 the psalmist says, "Let the waters of the sea roar and foam; /Let the mountains shake at its swelling."
"There is a river whose streams gladden the city of God, /The holy place of the tabernacles of the Most High" (v. 4). This river signifies the flowing of the Triune God as life to us, as mentioned in Revelation 22. The streams of this river gladden the city of God, which is the holy place of the tabernacles of the Most High.
God is in the midst of the city to be our high retreat (Psa. 46:7b, 11b). The city will not be moved; God helps her at the dawn of morning (v. 5b). In verses 6 and 7 the psalmist says, "The nations rage; the kingdoms are moved./He utters His voice; the earth melts./Jehovah of hosts is with us;/The God of Jacob is our high retreat." In the city we enjoy God as our place of retreat.
God has made desolations on earth, and He makes wars cease unto the ends of the earth (vv. 8-9). Throughout the centuries, God has made many desolations on earth. For example, He made Hitler a desolation.
"Be still and know that I am God./I will be exalted among the nations; I will be exalted on earth" (v. 10). This is a word to the nations. Today the nations are raging, but one day God, who rules and reigns in the city, will command them to be still and know that He is God.
In Psalm 47 the psalmist speaks concerning God as a great King over all the earth.
In verse 1 the peoples are told to clap their hands and shout to God with the voice of a triumphant sound. For Jehovah Most High is awesome; He is a great King over all the earth (v. 2).
Jehovah subdues peoples under Israel and nations under their feet. He also has chosen an inheritance for them as the excellency (glory) of Jacob, whom He loved (vv. 3-4).
"God arises amidst shouting;/Jehovah, at the sound of a trumpet" (v. 5). When we shout, God arises. If we do not shout, God may not arise.
Next, the psalmist charges us to sing psalms to God our King. He is the King of all the earth, reigning over the nations and sitting upon His holy throne (vv. 6-8).
Verse 9 goes on to say that those who are noble among the peoples have been gathered with the people of the God of Abraham. The shields of the earth belong to God; He is greatly exalted.
Psalm 48 is about the city of the great King.
"Great is Jehovah,/And much to be praised/In the city of our God,/In His holy mountain" (v. 1). In this verse "city of our God" and "His holy mountain" are in apposition. This indicates that the city is the mountain and that the mountain is the city.
Mount Zion, the sides of the north, the city of the great King, is beautiful in elevation. It is the joy of the whole earth (v. 2).
Verse 3 says, "God has made Himself known/In her palaces as a high retreat." The city signifies the church, the universal church, but the palaces in the city signify the local churches. God has made Himself known in the palaces, in the local churches. Thus, if we want to know God, we need to come to the local churches, which are a high retreat. First, God Himself is a retreat, and then the local churches become a retreat. The local churches today are a retreat. If you need a retreat, come to the local churches.
"Behold, the kings have assembled themselves; / They passed by together. / They saw; therefore they were astounded. /They were dismayed; they hurried off in alarm" (vv. 4-5). The kings here are the enemies, who are astounded and dismayed at seeing the city and who hurry off in alarm. They are seized by trembling and writhing, like that of a woman in labor (v. 6).
"As we have heard,/So we have seen/In the city of Jehovah of hosts,/In the city of our God./God will establish it forever" (v. 8). God will establish the city forever.
The psalmist continues by saying that we consider God's lovingkindness in the midst of His temple. As His name is, so is His praise unto the ends of the earth (vv. 9-10). "Let Mount Zion rejoice;/Let the daughters of Judah [the people of Judah] exult/Because of Your judgments" (v. 11).
"Walk about Zion, and go around her;/Count her towers. /Consider carefully her bulwarks;/Pass between her palaces; /That you may recount it to the generation following" (vv. 12-13). Towers and bulwarks are for fighting the enemies to protect the city, and palaces are for the king's dwelling. All these indicate the functions of the church. We should walk around the church, count her "towers," consider carefully her "bulwarks," and pass between her "palaces" that we may recount it to the following generation.
"For this God is our God forever and ever./He will guide us even unto death" (v. 14). Here we see that God is our guide, even our tour guide. Our human life is a tour, and we are tourists who do not know where to go or how to get to our destination. We need a guide, and our guide is God Himself. He will continue to guide us until we die and go to Paradise.
Where do we experience God's being our guide? He is our guide in the church, both in the universal church, the Body of Christ, and in the local churches. We do not know what our next step should be, but He is directing our steps. We do not know where to go, but He is guiding us, the tourists, on our tour of human life. Since God will continue to guide us even unto death, there is no need for us to worry. Instead, we should simply enjoy His presence, guidance, and direction.
God's guidance is an aspect of the enjoyment of God in the city. This enjoyment of God is through Christ, in Christ, and with Christ, and it is in the church and in the local churches — in the universal church as the Body of Christ and in the local churches as the expressions of the Body.
In Psalms 46—48 God is our refuge, our retreat, and our guide. The God whom we enjoy through Christ, in Christ, and with Christ in the church and the local churches is our refuge, retreat, and guide. Have you experienced and enjoyed Him in this way? At present, our experience may be limited, but we thank the Lord for the new "shoots" and "branches" of such an experience of God in Christ that are springing forth. May we all learn to enjoy God in Christ in the church and in the local churches.
Thus far in our life-study, we have covered forty-eight psalms. In which psalm do you intend to linger? Will you stay in Psalm 1 or go to enjoy Christ in Psalm 2, Psalm 8, Psalm 16, and Psalms 22—24? The Christ we enjoy in Psalm 23 is the Shepherd, the One who is shepherding us into the house of God, the local church. Eventually, when we are built up, strengthened, and enlarged, the church becomes the city, the kingdom of God, where the King rules and reigns.
The Psalms indicate that we first need to experience Christ. Then Christ will lead us to the local church to enjoy God. As the house, the church is God's home, the place of His dwelling. As the city, the church is God's kingdom, the place of His ruling. When the church, the house, is enlarged it becomes the city — the kingdom for God's ruling and reigning. In the church as the house, we enjoy God in the aspect of His dwelling. In the church as the city, we enjoy God in the aspect of His ruling and reigning. This is the enjoyment of God in Christ in the church and in the churches.
