Essentials Of The Faith / Sunday Morning Bible Study / Summer Psalms

Psalm 46  07/15/01

Intro: A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing!  Ever wonder what a bulwark is? I did. A bulwark is a high wall like structure used for defensive purposes in a battle. The  hymn says God is a mighty fortress, a high wall that never fails, never crushed or destroyed. God stands firm in defense of his people.

     Nothing is as firm and secure as God's care for His people. Not even 'Terra Firma'. Anyone know what that term means? Terra Firma means solid ground. It means the earth is solid, firm and fixed....Is that a true statement? Geologists have found that the continents are actually afloat. They are continually being built and changed by moving tectonic plates. Where these plates join is where we find the most violent earthquakes.

     So, terra firm, planet earth, solid ground is in reality nothing more than a dynamic, changing planet.  If earth is not the solid rock we thought it was, what solid ground can we place under our feet to give us a sense of true security?

     The crisis of this Psalm and in our lives today is instability and insecurity. We all face this from time to time. But beyond the tyranny of the urgent, beyond the devastation of our current situation, beyond the incapacitating fear of the future we find the power and will of the sovereign creator. It is God alone who is in charge, it is God alone who is to be trusted, it is God alone whose word is final and in whose presence is security. God alone lifts our feet from the miry clay and places us firmly on the rock, who is Christ, the Lord.

     Yes, a mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing.

Background: Did you know that Martin Luther wrote that hymn in the 1500's And that it is based on Psalm 46? This was Luther's favorite psalm.  It is said that when Luther would get discouraged  even depressed during the dangerous and difficult time of the Protestant Reformation, he would turn to his friend and coworker Philipp Melancton and say 'Come Philipp, let us sing the 46th psalm.'  It is this psalm, more than any other that brought peace to Luther's weary heart. And it can bring peace to your heart as well.

    If you are going through a difficult time, if you foresee a turbulent road ahead, the Psalmist cries out....no matter what, no matter where, no matter how, no matter why.....in all things, in every way....God Alone! Nothing more is needed.

Trans: The Psalmist was a good Baptist preacher. We know this because he gave us three reasons to trust in God alone. The first is found in verses 1-3...

I. God alone is strength (Ps 46:1-3)
Read: Psalm 46:1

    A. The stronghold to which to flee  (vs 1)
         What I think the Psalmist had in mind here are the cities of refuge mentioned in the Old Testament. They  were designated places where someone who had been accused of  accidentally killing another person could go to escape the vengeance of outraged relatives or friends. There, they could safely await trial. They were not places to escape justice, but places that saw justice was done

         The psalmist is saying that God alone is our refuge, he alone is our fortress or hiding place from the injustice of the world. God alone is the place we run for protection. It is where we wait for God's justice.

Prov. 18:10 ' The name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous run to it and are safe'

        In times of distress and hardship, we often run and hide in many places....family, friends, the job, the bottle, but none satisfy, none protect, none give real lasting strength, except God alone. You may be thinking 'But you don't know what I am going through, you don't know what is in my future. I can't see how I can make it.'

ILL: When Corrie Ten Boom was a little girl in Holland, her first realization of death came after a visit to the home of a neighbor who had died. It impressed her that some day her parents would also die. Corrie's father comforted her with these words of wisdom. 'Corrie, when you and I go to Amsterdam, when do I give you the ticket? Why just before we get on the train, she replied. Exactly, her father said, and our wise Father in heaven knows when we're going to need things too. Don't run ahead of him, Corrie. When the time comes that some of us will have to die, you will look into your heart and find the strength you need....just in time.'

The idea here is that in the nick of time, God's perfect timing, strength is given. God alone is our stronghold to which we flee.

Trans: In verses 2-3 we find that God alone is...

    B. The source of confidence (vs 2-3)
Read: Psalm 46:2-3

        With God alone as our refuge and ever present help in times of trouble, it makes no sense to be afraid. God is our help, even  if the worst possible calamity should over take us, the psalmist is saying.

         Sometimes it seems that the very foundations of our established worlds are shaken....the falling apart of a marriage, the rebellion of a wayward child, the rising of insurmountable debt, the death of a loved one. When confusion and chaos visit us, the psalmist says, we will not fear.

        Then the psalmist says something that seems strangely out of place. Instead of rushing in to tell us why we should not fear, he instead says...selah

    C. Selah, the place of refuge
         No one really knows for certain what the word Selah means. Most believe it is a musical term that has something to do with pausing, taking a breath.

         If this is true than it is very appropriate here. The psalmist is saying yes, it may be very difficult for you right now, it may seem that it is impossible for you to get through this. But don't rush to conclusions, don't rush ...rest, take a deep breath. Pause and think, reflect on the truth that God alone is your refuge, your strength, a very present help in time of your need. Selah, the place of refuge.

Trans: The psalmist gives us another reason to trust in God alone. With great artistic irony, against the picture of chaos in verses 2-3 he paints a new picture of perfect peace and safety in verses 4-7.

II. God alone is  security (Ps. 46:4-7)
Read: Psalm 46:4-7
    A. The river (vs 4)
         Against the chaos of the raging tides of destruction, the Psalmists portrays God as a peaceful river that waters the City of God. He is the river of love and mercy. He is the river of the Holy Spirit and He makes the inhabitants of the city glad.

         The city of God is the place where God dwells. It is the place where God chooses to make his presence known. For the Psalmist, the city of God was the holy city Jerusalem, specifically and Israel in general. Today, God's presence dwells in the hearts of those who are his children by faith in Jesus Christ, specifically and in His church in general. The idea is that the presence of God brings peace like a gently flowing river brings refreshment to those who drink deeply.

    B. The defense (vs 5-6)
         Since God inhabits the city, since he dwells in the midst of his people, the city is safe. God is her stability, her security.
Even when the world roars and attacks, God speaks and all is silenced. The defense of the city of God, the defense of the people of God, is the powerful Word of God. We will examine the Word of God more closely in a few weeks when we look at Psalm 19.

    C. The reminder (vs 7)
         The Psalmist in vs. 7 says, remember, God alone is Jehovah Sabaoth. The Lord of Hosts. The commander of the heavenly armies. And He is with us.

Read: 2 Kg. 6:15-17

         When in the midst of difficult times, when you can't see how you will make it another day, ask God to open your eyes of faith to see that He is Jehovah Sabaoth and that His armies are standing by to help in your time of need. God is not just Jehovah Sabaoth, he is the God of Jacob as well. He is the God of the heavenly armies, and He is the God of the individual....Jacob and you, and you and each one who is in Christ.

    D. Selah, the place of reassurance
         We come again to the word...Selah...rest for a moment in what the psalmist has just said. Take heart that God dwells in the presence of His people and that where the Lord dwells, there is safety...for the whole church of God and for each individual Christian. Pause and be reassured. Selah, the place of reassurance.

Trans: The psalmist gives us the last of three reasons to trust in God alone in verses 8-11.

III. God alone is sovereign (Ps. 46:8-11)
     Although there is some disagreement among scholars, I believe the audience has changed in these last verses. In verses 1-7 the psalmist was speaking to the children of God. In these remaining verses, the audience is the ungodly in the world, those not part of God's family. Those at war with the city of God and its inhabitants. And he tells them that God alone is sovereign.

Read: Psalm 46:8-11

    A. The proof (vs 8-9)
         Speaking now to the ungodly, the psalmist says... Just look at the works of God. Carefully consider what Jehovah God has done...to you .
          -Destruction of what you prize
          -Defeat in battle
         -See how  God has protected His people. You will not prevail against Him, His city, or His people. So then...Be Still!

    B. The command (vs 10a)
         I realize that 'be still and know that I am God' is often used to encourage Christians in difficult times. And perhaps there is application for that. But, I believe the context is the ungodly.

         God declares...Stop! Enough, Cease Striving. His words are similar to the words Jesus spoke when he quieted the raging storm. Quiet, Be Still! Jesus rebuked the winds and waves, here God is rebuking a rebellious and chaotic world and commands it to know that He alone is sovereign, He alone is God.

         To know God means more than just to have an intellectual understanding of who he is. It speaks of knowledge based on familiarity, on relationship.

    C. The result (vs 10b)
         In vs 10 God says ...I will be exalted. Since God's Word is always true this means you might as well do it now, because you will be forced to do it one day. How do I know that?

Read: Phil 2:9-11

         All will bow down to God one day. If you choose now as the time, you will bow in love, but if not, you will bow later in fear. But, God gives the ungodly in the word the opportunity to come to Him...but like Jesus said in  Matthew 23:37

  "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling'

         Are you one of the unwilling? If you don't know Christ as your Savior, accept Him now, ask Him into your life, ask him to forgive your sins. Ask him to be your strength, your security, your sovereign. Exalt Him now in love, rather than later in fear.

    D. The reminder (vs 11)
         Then you can say, the Lord of Hosts is with me, the God of Jacob is my stronghold.

    E. Selah, the place of response
         The psalmist ends once again, with Selah. Rest, pause, think about what the Lord has done and what the Lord will do. Think about what the Lord has commanded and what He has promised. Pause, consider...and respond.

Conclusion:  Life sometimes seems unfair. Have you ever felt that way? It is as if trouble comes to your like dominoes falling one after another.

         Take Job for instance, he lost all his crops, all his cattle, his home, his wealth, all his children and his health. On top of all this, God allows him to keep his unsympathetic wife whose advice to him was, curse God and die. I can hear the cry of Jobs heart...where are you God?

         God is ever present. Even when our feet slip on the temptations to sin, even when our mind wanders in times of great sorrow. Now matter how weak the cry, God still hears because He is ever present.  Do you believe that?

ILL: On the day John Wesley died, he had already nearly lost his voice and could be understood only with great difficulty. But at the last with all the strength he could summon, Wesley suddenly cried out 'the best of all is, God is with us' Then raising his hand slightly and waving it in triumph, he exclaimed with thrilling effect 'The Best of all is God is with us'

Is the Lord of Host, is, Jehovah God with you? Is the God of Jacob your stronghold, your place of refuge as he was Luther and Wesley? Make certain that He is.

 Trust in God alone, our solid rock, and firm foundation for all eternity. And exalt Him before the nations!