A MIGHTY FORTRESS IS OUR GOD

It has been said (usually by men) that, “A man’s home is his castle,” or, “a man is king of his own castle.”  To the extent that this may be true, such kingship does not come without the demand of reverence.

Zion (or Jerusalem) on the other hand, is the city that is the castle for the Lord God—so says the writer of Psalm 48.  God is not man that He needs to demand loyalty, and man is not God that he is able to command it.

For centuries, the best place for battle has been (and continues to be) at the uppermost elevations.  Not only will that allow gravity to assist your weaponry, but it will allow you to see enemy works in progress. 

Psalm 48's author explains how those that would even think to attack God are foolish at best, and subject to great pain, shakiness, and humiliating defeat—causing the wisest of would-be attackers to flee as fast as possible.

When I was about 12 years old, I was on a camping trip along with a dozen or so of my peers, and a counselor that had recently come back from serving in reconnaissance as a Green Beret in Viet Nam.  We were in Michigan, and at least at the time, if you were trespassing on another’s property they could shoot at you.  Well, we were—and they did.  We collectively kissed the ground with greater speed than that of the bullet that flew over our heads.  The leader told me (the oldest of the group) to wait for his signal, and when he gave it, we were to run back to the top of a nearby hill, where we had set-up camp.  Soon afterward we heard a scream, followed by his signal.  We ran.  When he met us shortly thereafter, the counselor explained how he had figured where the shooter was, got up behind him, put a bowie knife to his throat, and told him (in so many words) that he’d be headless if he didn’t drop his gun.  The gun was dropped.

Later that night, in addition to worrying about whether the migrant worker land owners would come back to get us, we were concerned about possibly having to fend off one or more coyotes that howled in the dark distance.  Finally, when we were all just nodding off to sleep (except Jim), a bunch of people stormed up the hill and started pulling people out of their sleeping bags.  I’m guessing it took the camp staffer about 1 ½ seconds to get to the top of the hill and throw the first guy down, though not before first breaking his arm for good measure.  That’s when we found out that it was a “midnight raid” from the base camp group.  I have always had nothing but the utmost of respect and appreciation for our men and women in uniform, and those experiences in no way tarnished my thoughts about them—quite the opposite in fact.

As I read Psalm 48, I thought back to how peacefully I slept the remainder of that night, knowing there was a “king” of our “kingdom” that was fiercely capable of protecting it and us—a man who was obviously willing to lay down his life to do so.  I’m glad to say I know the King of Psalm 48 too—the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords—who did lay down His life for us nearly two millennia ago—a King that allows the greatest of peace midst the most trying of circumstances—because He indeed is the King of His castle.  Yes, a mighty fortress is our God.

b(Les)sings

Psalm 48

New King James Version (NKJV)

A Song. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.

 ¹ Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised
         In the city of our God,
         In His holy mountain.
 ² Beautiful in elevation,
         The joy of the whole earth,
         Is Mount Zion on the sides of the north,
         The city of the great King.
 ³ God is in her palaces;
         He is known as her refuge.
   
 ⁴ For behold, the kings assembled,
         They passed by together.
 ⁵ They saw it, and so they marveled;
         They were troubled, they hastened away.
 ⁶ Fear took hold of them there,
         And pain, as of a woman in birth pangs,
 ⁷ As when You break the ships of Tarshish
         With an east wind.
   
 ⁸ As we have heard,
         So we have seen
         In the city of the LORD of hosts,
         In the city of our God:
         God will establish it forever.  Selah
   
 ⁹ We have thought, O God, on Your lovingkindness,
         In the midst of Your temple.
 ¹⁰ According to Your name, O God,
         So is Your praise to the ends of the earth;