As we go on to Genesis 2, we see that the man created by God is tripartite. He has a body, made from the dust of the ground; he has a spirit, the issue of the breath of God; and he has a soul (v. 7). The man thus formed by God was put in a garden in Eden and placed before two trees—the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. This chapter also speaks of the river that went out of Eden and of gold, bdellium, and onyx stone. Furthermore, in Genesis 2 we are told that God took a rib out of the man and used it to make a woman. All these things have a spiritual significance, and we need to know this spiritual significance.

The city in Psalm 46 has a spiritual, divine, and heavenly significance. In the Bible as a whole and in this psalm in particular, a city signifies a kingdom. The primary city in the Bible is Jerusalem, and a city that stands in opposition to Jerusalem is Babylon. If we would understand the Bible, we need to understand the significance of both Jerusalem and Babylon.

The Psalms are full of matters that have a spiritual, divine, and heavenly significance. The first matter of significance is the law in Psalm 1. Although the law was exalted according to the human concept of the psalmist, the Spirit came in to correct the psalmist and, in Psalm 2, to turn him from the law to Christ. Psalm 2 is the first station of the unveiling of Christ in the Psalms. Other stations are Psalm 8, Psalm 16, Psalms 22—24, Psalm 40, and Psalm 45.

Through Christ and by Christ we experience the house of God, another matter of spiritual significance in the Psalms. The house of God signifies the church. According to Psalm 23, as we experience Christ in His shepherding, we are brought into the house of God to dwell there forever. The house of God is also emphasized in Psalm 27 and again in Psalm 36. In Psalm 27:4 the psalmist aspires to dwell in the house of Jehovah all the days of his life. In Psalm 36:8 the psalmist speaks of the fatness (signifying the abundance) of God's house, where there is the fountain of life and where we see light in God's light.

In Psalm 31 we have a word concerning the city, and in Psalm 24, a word concerning the mountain, which implies the city. Psalm 31:21 says, "Blessed be Jehovah,/For He displayed His lovingkindness wondrously/To me in a fortified city." Psalm 24:3 speaks about the mountain of Jehovah. In Matthew 5:14b the Lord Jesus says, "It is impossible for a city situated upon a mountain to be hidden." This indicates that, according to the Bible, the mountain is for the city. Book One of the Psalms has turned the psalmists from the law to Christ, and Christ has brought them to the enjoyment of God in His house and city.

In my opinion, Psalm 45 is the greatest and highest psalm concerning Christ. In this psalm Christ, typified by Solomon, is unveiled and praised as the King. Immediately afterward, Psalm 46 goes on to speak not of the house but of the city. The house is a place of dwelling, but a city is a kingdom for ruling. As the One unveiled as the King in Psalm 45, Christ needs a city in which to rule and reign, and we see this city in Psalm 46. We may enjoy Christ as the King, and this King reigns in the city, which is His kingdom. If we are clear regarding this, we may now consider, from Psalms 46—48, the matter of praising God in His greatness and exaltation, particularly in His city.