Psalm 48

“Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth, is Mount Zion in the far north, the city of the great King!” (v2).  Zion is Jerusalem, Israel’s center of worship.   Established by miracles, this “city of peace” was a light to the world and a sign of God’s power.  Yet, the Old Testament saints knew there was more; they looked beyond an earthly city to “a better country” (Heb 11:16). 

Jesus declared that God can be worshipped anywhere (John 4:21), and by faith in Him we are citizens of the holy city (Eph 2:19).  “Zion” is the joyful union of God and His people.