Commentary - Psalm 48:12-14

Bird's-eye view

This magnificent psalm celebrates a great deliverance, likely the victory God gave to Jehoshaphat over the Ammonites, Moabites, and Edomites when he sent the choir out in front of the army (2 Chron. 20). The psalm begins with praise for God in His city, Zion, the joy of all the earth. The enemies of God gathered, they saw the city, and they were immediately thrown into a panic. God’s deliverance was swift and decisive. This historical event serves as a type, a picture of the greater realities of the New Covenant. The old Jerusalem was a shadow of the substance, which is the Church of Jesus Christ, the heavenly Zion. In these concluding verses, the psalmist exhorts the people of God to take a victory lap, to inspect the fortifications that God Himself defended, and to do so with a specific purpose in mind: to tell the next generation of the greatness of their God. This is not just any god; this is our God, and His commitment to us extends beyond the grave. He is our guide, even over death itself.

The structure is straightforward. First, there is the command to inspect the city (v. 12). Second, the inspection is to be thorough, taking note of the ramparts and palaces (v. 13a). Third, the purpose of this inspection is didactic and generational (v. 13b). And last, the ground for this multi-generational confidence is the nature of our covenant God, who is our God forever and who guides His people through the ultimate trial of death (v. 14). This is a song of triumph, a catechism lesson, and a statement of eternal security, all wrapped up in one.

Outline

Context In Psalms

Psalm 48 is one of the "Songs of Zion," which celebrate Jerusalem as the city of God and the place of His special dwelling. These psalms often have a strong eschatological and typological flavor. While they are rooted in the historical circumstances of Israel and the physical city of Jerusalem, their ultimate fulfillment is found in the New Covenant church. The New Testament writers pick up this theme, identifying the church as the "Jerusalem above" (Gal. 4:26) and the "heavenly Jerusalem" (Heb. 12:22). So when we read these psalms, we must do so with our New Covenant glasses on. The ramparts and towers we are called to inspect are not made of stone and mortar, but are the spiritual realities of the gospel, the doctrines of grace, and the communion of the saints. This psalm follows Psalm 47, a call for all nations to praise the King, and it provides the reason: this King has a kingdom, a city, that He defends and upholds.

Verse by Verse Commentary

12 Walk about Zion and go around her; Count her towers;

The invitation here is to take a leisurely, confident stroll. This is not a frantic damage assessment after a siege; this is a victory lap. The enemy has been routed, not by the strength of the walls, but by the presence of the God who dwells within the walls. The command is to "walk about Zion." In the new covenant, Zion is the Church. So, the exhortation is for us to consider the Church of God, the assembly of the saints. "Go around her." Look at her from every angle. See the beauty and the strength that God has given her. This is a call to appreciate the corporate body of Christ.

Then, we are told to "Count her towers." Towers are for defense and for watching. They provide a high vantage point. What are the towers of the new covenant Zion? They are the great doctrines of our faith, the pillars of truth that have been defended by the saints down through the ages. Think of doctrines like the Trinity, the incarnation, justification by faith alone, the sovereignty of God. These are our watchtowers. We are to count them, meaning we are to be familiar with them, to know what they are, and to appreciate that they are all still standing. The enemy has assaulted them for centuries, but not one has fallen. We are not to be ignorant of our doctrinal inheritance.

13 Consider her ramparts; Go through her palaces, That you may recount it to the next generation.

"Consider her ramparts." The ramparts are the defensive embankments, the bulwarks. This is a call to look closely at the fortifications. Mark them well. In our context, this means we are to consider the means of grace God has established for the defense and preservation of His people. The preaching of the Word, the administration of the sacraments, the practice of church discipline. These are the walls that protect the flock from the wolves. They are not decorative; they are defensive. We are to consider them, to think deeply about their function and importance.

"Go through her palaces." A city is not just fortifications; it is also a place of habitation. Palaces are the dwelling places of the king and the nobility. The Church is not a grim fortress; it is the glorious household of God. We are all kings and priests in Christ. The palaces represent the rich fellowship, the joy, the beauty, and the glory of life within the covenant community. This is where the King dwells. We are to walk through these palaces and recognize the immense privilege of being citizens of this city.

And why do all this? The purpose is explicit: "That you may recount it to the next generation." This is the engine of covenant succession. We do not study the doctrines of the church for our own intellectual satisfaction. We do not celebrate our heritage for a trip down memory lane. We do it so that we can faithfully transmit this glorious inheritance to our children and our children's children. Each generation has the solemn duty to be a tour guide for the next, pointing out the towers, the ramparts, and the palaces. We must tell them the story of God's faithfulness to His city, so that they too will love her and dwell securely within her walls.

14 For this is God, Our God forever and ever; He will guide us over death.

Here is the foundation for everything that has come before. Why is the city secure? Why should we teach our children about it? "For this is God." The God who delivered Zion from the confederated kings is the God we worship. The character of God is the bedrock of our security. He is not a distant, abstract deity. He is "Our God." This is the language of covenant. It is personal, possessive, and precious. He has bound Himself to us by a promise sealed in the blood of His Son.

And this covenant relationship is not temporary. It is "forever and ever." Our God does not change. His promises are yea and amen in Christ. The security we have in Him is an eternal security. The city He defends will never fall. The inheritance He gives will never fade. This is a profound statement of assurance for the people of God.

The psalm concludes with one of the most glorious promises in all the Scriptures: "He will guide us over death." The Hebrew is literally "unto death" or "even unto death," but the sense of guiding over or beyond it is strong, especially in light of the resurrection. Our God's guidance does not stop at the edge of the grave. Death is the final enemy, the last great trial. And our Shepherd promises to lead us right through it and out the other side. He does not abandon us to the darkness. He is our guide through the valley of the shadow. For the Christian, because of the resurrection of Jesus, death has lost its sting. It has been transformed from a penalty into a passageway. This God, our God, is the one who has conquered death, and He will see us safely home.

Application

The application of this psalm is both corporate and personal, and it is intensely practical. First, we must love the Church. We are commanded to walk about Zion, to appreciate her God-given beauty and strength. This means we must be committed to the local, visible expression of the church. We should know her doctrines (her towers), value her means of grace (her ramparts), and delight in her fellowship (her palaces). A low view of the church is a direct contradiction of the spirit of this psalm.

Second, we have a generational task. Christian education is not an optional extra. We have a mandate to recount these things to the next generation. This happens in our homes, as fathers lead their families in worship and mothers nurture their children in the faith. It happens in our Christian schools and in our Sunday school classes. We must be intentional about raising our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, showing them the glories of the city of which they are citizens by baptism.

Finally, we must live without fear. Our God is our God forever. He is not going anywhere. And He has promised to guide us all the way home, even through death itself. This should fill us with a robust and cheerful confidence. We can face sickness, persecution, and ultimately our own mortality with peace, knowing that our Guide is faithful. He has already passed through death for us, and He will not lose any of those the Father has given Him. So let us walk about our city, count our blessings, teach our children, and trust our God.