John Calvin Commentary Psalms 48:9

"We have thought on thy lovingkindness, O God, In the midst of thy temple." — Psalms 48:9 (ASV)

O God! we have waited for thy mercy. This verse teaches us that the faithful were preserved by the power of God; for, when all things were in a state of the greatest confusion, they continued tranquil and patient until God finally, taking pity on them, brought them help.

The Hebrew word, דמם, damam, which we have rendered to wait, properly signifies to be silent, and is here used to denote tranquility of mind. From this we conclude that the people of God were so harassed with dangers that, had they listened to the judgment of carnal sense and reason, they would have been overwhelmed with terror. Indeed, we know that people are in a state of continual uneasiness and are driven here and there by contrary waves, until faith tranquilizes their minds and settles them in true patience.

The substance of what the Psalmist says is that the faithful, although severely afflicted, were not driven from their purpose or prevented from relying on God's aid; but that, on the contrary, by their patience and hope, they opened the gate of His grace. The fact that their expectations of assistance from Him were not disappointed served to magnify and illustrate the greatness of God's grace.

From this we may also draw the profitable warning that if God's aid is withdrawn from us, it is because we distrust His promises and, by our impatience, prevent His grace—which is reserved for those who wait in patience—from flowing to us. But what is meant by the expression, In the midst of the temple? Does it mean that the people of God maintained their faith only in that place, and that each of them ceased to hope as soon as they returned to their own homes?

No; on the contrary, it is certain that they carried home with them the hope they had entertained in the temple, so that they might continue steadfastly to hold to it.

God had promised that this place, where He would be called upon, would be the seat and dwelling-place of His power and grace. Therefore, His people here affirm that, relying on this heavenly promise, they were persuaded beyond all doubt that God would show Himself merciful and gracious towards them, since they had a real and sure pledge of His presence.

We must not assume, merely because our own imagination suggests it, that God will be our deliverer. We are to believe that He will be so only insofar as He freely and willingly offers Himself to us in this role.

Now, if this symbol or pledge of God's presence—which was only a shadow—should have had such influence on the minds of true believers under the former dispensation that it made them hope for life in the midst of death, surely, now that Christ has descended among us to unite us much more closely to His Father, we have sufficient ground for continuing in a state of undisturbed tranquility, even if the world should be embroiled in confusion and turned upside down.

Only, we must endeavor that the service of God may flourish pure and complete among us, and that thus the glory of His temple may shine forth among us.