BIBLE LESSON

“We have thought on your steadfast love, O God, in the midst of your temple.” —Psalms 48:9

During the reigns of King David and King Solomon, the Lord blessed His people beyond anything they could have ever imagined. As Psalms 48 reveals, the Lord empowered King David to build a fortress on Mount Zion that was so elevated and situated that whenever invading kings approached Jerusalem (up to that time) they panicked, trembled in fear and fled. Jerusalem served as the city of the Great King, where people went and praised the Lord who had delivered them from slavery in Egypt and their enemies in the land the Lord had promised them. The city only became vulnerable to its enemies after God's people turned from the Lord to serve idols; then, the Lord had to discipline them. The psalmist also encouraged the people to go into the presence of the Lord “in the midst of the temple” and think of the steadfast love of the Lord who had blessed them personally and as a nation. The Lord passed judgments that rewarded faithfulness and punished evil; therefore, the psalmist encouraged the daughters of Jerusalem to rejoice.

Today, when believers worship among the people of God they can do as the ancient Israelites: Think of God's steadfast love for them, praise God for His righteousness and rejoice because His judgments are always loving, right and truth. — L.G. Parkhurst Jr.