Shelter
in a Time of Storm
Psalm
46
Introduction: Day by day the situation is changing, and a lot of
uncertainty still exists about how current events are going to unfold. I am looking forward to when we get back together,
I miss the fellowship! I am also looking forward to getting back to our series
in I Thessalonians, and I do believe that that passage will speak to our
current situation. That letter is about encouragement and hope, and I would encourage
you to read through it this week if you can. However, I’ll wait at least
another week before resuming that study. I got an email from a friend this week
that made reference to remembering Psalm 46. As I looked back at that passage,
I found comfort welling up in my own heart, and so I thought it good to share that
passage with you.
Last week we looked at
Psalm 3, a lament psalm, a prayer of David in the midst of crisis. The focus of
the laments is the transition from confusion and pain, to confidence and hope. Psalm
46, is a psalm of confidence. In this psalm, and those of this genre, the
writer is expressing his assurance, his confident hope, in the face of
uncertainty and tribulation. We need that! The confidence he expresses is
rooted in trust in God, and in the assurance that God always acts consistently
with His character. So, it is not mere wishful thinking, confidence that is
rooted in truth, grounded in good theology. We don’t know what tomorrow may
bring, “BUT GOD…” That changes everything! Right doctrine has a way of calming
our fears and giving us hope. Do you remember this exchange between that famous
theologian, Linus, and his friend, Lucy, in a Peanuts cartoon? They were looking
out the window at a driving rainstorm…
Lucy: “Boy, look at that rain! What if it floods the whole world?”
Linus: “It will never do that… In the ninth chapter of Genesis,
God promised Noah that would never happen again, and the sign of his promise is
the rainbow.”
Lucy: [Smiling] “You’ve taken a great load off my mind…”
Linus: “Sound theology has a way of doing that!”
The Psalms reflect sound theology, right doctrine, in the prayers
and songs of Israel. Psalm 46 is a song that speaks to us in a time of storm
and invites us to find comfort in God. Let’s read the psalm and then pray for
God’s help in hearing its message…
TO THE CHOIRMASTER. OF THE SONS OF KORAH. ACCORDING TO ALAMOTH. A
SONG. 1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in
trouble. 2 Therefore we will
not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the
heart of the sea, 3 though
its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling.
Selah 4 There is a river
whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most
High. 5 God is in the midst
of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns. 6 The nations rage, the kingdoms
totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts.
7 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our
fortress. Selah 8 Come,
behold the works of the LORD, how he has brought desolations on the earth. 9 He makes wars cease to the end
of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the chariots
with fire. 10 "Be still,
and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted
in the earth!" 11 The
LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
Psalm 46 reminds us that assurance of
God’s presence brings peace in the midst of crises, in those moments when we
are prone to discouragement or even tempted to despair. You might feel that
right now. Jesus said, “In the world
you will have tribulation…” (John 16:33). This virus has circled the globe,
and is effecting more than health concerns. Some may feel isolated, alone. Now the
“pause button” is suddenly pushed on our economy, with some saying unemployment
may surge to 20-30 percent, there are many suddenly out of work, and apparently
more to come. There is much uncertainly surrounding the spread of COVID-19, and
much concern for loved ones who would be most vulnerable to this disease… We
can have confidence in the midst of all of it, and this psalm can help steady
our hearts and minds in the storm… This Psalm will affirm that God understands,
he can sympathize with us, he cares about our struggle. That points to…
The Maine* Idea: His presence can bring peace in
the crises that come with life in this fallen world.
I. The presence
of God is the answer to fear: We can be assured that we are not alone in our
trials (1-3).
Because God is with us, we needn’t be afraid when crises come.
1 God is our refuge and strength, a
very present help in trouble. 2
Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be
moved into the heart of the sea, 3
though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling.
Selah
The Psalm begins with
a very positive affirmation: In times of trouble and crisis, God is our
refuge and our strength. I don’t need to ask how many of you have gone
through or are now going through times of trouble. We’re together in this,
right? What is it that brings fear to your heart? Is it the virus reaching
you, or maybe worse, someone you love? Losing work, being unable to make rent
or mortgage payments? The social
disruption and uncertainty? Whatever we are facing, we are not alone! Yes, we
are together in this, but most importantly, God is our...
“Refuge”
implies a place of security, a place we can go when danger threatens, and find
security. In the Ancient Near-East the
cities were generally constructed with high, thick walls around them. The people could withdraw to within the city
gates in times of crisis or danger and know that they were in a place of
relative safety, a refuge. Many of us are spending more time at home these days,
hoping to help stop the spread of this virus. Home is safe, a place of refuge. The
psalmist is saying that for the believer in Jesus, God is our refuge and strength.
He is our shelter, our place of security. I’ve quoted Peanuts, let me
quote Martin Luther who was reflecting on this psalm when he wrote the famous
hymn, A Mighty Fortress is our God… Let me read a couple of lines to
you…
A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing; Our helper
He amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing; For still our ancient foe, doth
seek to work us woe; His craft and power are great and armed with cruel hate,
on earth is not his equal.
Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing;
were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God’s own choosing; Dost ask who
that may be? Christ Jesus it is He; Lord Sabaoth His name, from age to age the
same, and He must win the battle.
Luther reflects the
hope of the Psalmist: God is our refuge, He is our hiding place, in Him
we are secure no matter what the world may be saying to the contrary, our
refuge, “…and our strength…” You remember Paul’s experience with a “thorn
in the flesh.” God showed him his
need, and Paul learned that when he was weak, then he was strong, because then he
trusted in God’s power and presence. We like to be self-reliant,
independent. But when we see our weakness, we look up, we let God work, we
entrust ourselves to Him, we see his power and presence.
“…a very present
help in trouble…” Whatever the storm might be that we are facing, we are
not alone. We don’t have to wonder if God knows what is going on, we don’t need
to wonder if he cares. Jesus promised, “I am with you always…” and, “I
will never leave you or forsake you.” He is present, a “very present
help,” he cares, he is alert and aware, a very present help
in time of trouble.
“…though its
waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling.” V.3
describes the crisis in the poetic language of storm and sea, stability
disrupted, chaos threatening to undo creation, life and limb in jeopardy! Out of what was formless and void, God brought
ordered creation. In the ancient world, many pagan nations feared and
worshipped the storm god… It seems to some scholars that some of the poems of
the Old Testament use this language polemically, to show that only Yahweh, the
one true God, is really sovereign over storm and sea. You remember when in the
midst of the storm the pagan sailors on the boat with Jonah asked him about who
he was and from whence he came. He answered in Jonah 1:9, "I
am a Hebrew, and I fear the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the
dry land." God is sovereign over His creation. In the NT we have this image applied to Jesus himself (Matt 8:23s;
14:22f). As the disciples struggled in
the stormy sea Jesus but speaks and the waves are stilled. What manner of man is this? Only God
can rule over creation!
Wherever we are, the
promise still holds: He is with us always, even to the end of the age. And
all authority has been given to Him in heaven on earth. C. Swindoll, “Nothing
touches us that has not first passed through the hands of our loving heavenly
Father. Nothing.” Assurance of God’s
presence brings peace in our crises… The “selah” here is like a sigh, a deep
breath, and a transition. We rest in His presence and trust in…
II. The Provision
of God: We can be encouraged because God is the source of our life and blessing
and security (46:4-7). Though everything else around us may seem
unstable, God is our rock, our anchor, he never changes.
4 There is a
river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most
High. 5 God is in the midst
of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns. 6 The nations rage, the kingdoms
totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts.
7 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our
fortress. Selah
“There is a river…” We see another very different application of
the image of water. In the stormy sea it
symbolizes chaos and disorder. Here we see a gently flowing river that
irrigates the land and brings life-giving water. It is the source of life and blessing. In an agrarian society, in a rather arid part
of the world, the arrival of rain in the right season, the streams that
supplied water for daily living were essential.
It really can be a matter of life and death. Remember the “blessed man”
of Psalm 1 – he is like a “tree planted by the river…”? Water brings
life, fruitfulness. Charles Spurgeon put this beautifully in The Treasury
of David…
Divine grace, like a smoothly flowing, fertilizing, full, and
never-failing river, yields refreshment and consolation for believers. This is
the river of the water of life, of which the church above as well as the church
below partakes evermore. It is no boisterous ocean, but a placid stream, it is
not stayed in its course by earthquakes or crumbling mountains, it follows its
serene course without disturbance. Happy are they who know from their own
experience that there is such a river of God…
We read in Genesis
2:8-14 – the description of Eden, before the fall. In Gen 2:10 it says that , “A
river flowed out of Eden to water the garden, and there it divided and became
four rivers.” Abundant, life-giving water. The way life should be! That life was disrupted by the Fall. But
finally, at the end of the Bible we read in Revelation 22:1-3,
Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal,
flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb
2 through the middle of the street of the city; also, on
either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit,
yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of
the nations. 3 No longer will
there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in
it, and his servants will worship him.
Abundant life restored! But that is not all future. Look again at
Psalm 46:4,5,
There is
a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the
Most High. 5 God is in the
midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns.
There is a river
whose streams make glad the city of God…
Historically we know that Jerusalem is the chosen City, the place where God
chose that His name would dwell, where He ordained the temple to be built,
where God would be present in the midst of His people. We have seen this theme of the “House of
God” in the Bible. In the Tabernacle and then later the Temple God was
present among His people. When Jesus came, God incarnate, John tells us he “tabernacled”
for a while among us… He spoke of His own body as the Temple: Tear down this
Temple, and in three days I will raise it up… Later Paul speaks of the
church corporately as the Body of Christ, and as the Temple of God. “Do you
not know that you are the Temple of God, and that the Spirit of God
dwells in you?” (I Cor 3,6). In an
eschatological sense it takes us to the end of Revelation and the New
Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven. God’s people in God’s presence!
Until that day, “…you are the Temple of God and that the Spirit of God
dwells in you…”! The psalmist says
in v.5, “God is in the midst of her…”
In the context of the great commission Jesus promised, “Lo, I am with
you always…” If GOD is with us, who can stand against us? If you know Him,
you can trust Him, rest in Him, walk with Him.
God will help, just
at the right time (5b). “When the morning dawns…” Or as another psalm
says, “Weeping lasts for a night, but joy comes in the morning!”
6 “The
nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts.”
It seems to me v.6 looks backward, and draws comfort from God’s mighty acts
in history, while anticipating the victory He will ultimately bring. Remember
what God has done in the past, trust in the present crisis, hope in the future.
Then in v.7 we see a kind of summary statement: “The Lord of Hosts is with
us; the God of Jacob is our refuge…”
God is pictured like a warrior who defeats the enemy, and also like a
fortress that preserves the faithful. No matter what is happening around us,
know this: you are not alone! GOD is with you! He is present, He is the source
of our life and blessing, therefore we find comfort in…
III. The Plan
of God: We can be encouraged because ultimate victory is assured: the same God who has proven himself in the past, will save in the
present crisis. We have victory in Jesus! That’s the two-word summary of the book of
Revelation: “Jesus wins!” The Psalmist says…
8 Come, behold the works of the LORD, how he has brought
desolations on the earth. 9
He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the
spear; he burns the chariots with fire. 10
"Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I
will be exalted in the earth!" 11
The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Although v.8 is
translated in the present tense, in view of the context, it seems to me in the
context to be an invitation, to remind the reader of what God has done in ages
past, and then to encourage them to trust in Him, and to see what God can do in
the present situation, and will ultimately do, as He works out His plan in
history of our good and for His glory. V. 9 anticipates another, future day
when we will really experience eschatological peace. When Satan will be judged and peace will
finally reign. Isaiah (11) uses the
image, of the wolf laying down with the lamb, the leopard with the kid, the
lion and the young fatling together. The Psalm uses the image of God
himself destroying the instruments of war.
V.10 is an oracle,
God himself speaking: “Be still and know
that I am God, I will be exalted among the nations…” Reminiscent of the
Jews at the Red Sea (Exod 14:13). The God who was there, who saved Israel, is
with us. Comfort for us, but a warning to those who don’t know God.
V.11 repeats word for
word v.7. The assurance of God’s
presence, the promise of His protection can bring peace in uncertain times.
What is God
saying to me in this passage? The presence of God, the provision
of God, the plan of God… Though change can be disorienting and
confusing, though trials can tempt us to be discouraged or even to despair, we
can know that the God of the universe is the source of our life and blessing
and he has promised to be with us, and to bring us through the present
crisis. Though everything else may
change, he is constant, he is in control, and he loves us so much that He gave
His Son.
What would
God have me to do in response to this passage? This moment is unprecedented in many ways. I won’t minimize it, I
know it is difficult, but look up, be still and know that He is God, the Lord
of hosts is with you, the God of Jacob is your refuge. We don’t know how things will develop in the coming
days. We can’t control the situation… But
God… Jesus, the same yesterday, today, and forever. He is the great I AM,
the God of Israel, the Lord of Creation. And He knows your name. We can
trust Him. The suffering in this world reminds us why He came. Jesus was
forsaken on the cross, He endured the punishment we deserved, so that we would
never be forsaken. He is with you always, if you know him, He is your refuge
and strength (Mt 28:20). Rev 21:1, says in that day, “…the sea will be
no more…” The day will come when chaos and terror, weeping and death, will
be no more…
I’ve already quoted
Peanuts… and Martin Luther… let me quote here from the Heidelberg Cathecism, Question
and answer 1,
Question:
What is your only comfort in life and in death?
Answer: That I am not my own, but belong—body and soul, in life and in death—to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ.
Answer: That I am not my own, but belong—body and soul, in life and in death—to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ.
He has fully
paid for all my sins with his precious blood, and has set me free from the
tyranny of the devil. He also watches over me in such a
way that not a hair can fall from my head without the will of my Father in
heaven; in fact, all things must work together for my salvation.
Because I
belong to him, Christ, by his Holy Spirit, assures me of eternal life and
makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him.
That is the perspective of Psalm 46… that was Martin Luther’s
perspective, and it expresses sound theology.
Though the oceans
foam and the mountains quake, though the virus sweep through the land, God is
still on the throne, let’s trust Him, “Be still, and know that He is God…” Let’s
take the proper precautions, let’s seize opportunities to love our neighbors, to
help where we can, and let us stay faithful, trusting God to accomplish His
purpose during these uncertain days. He is Lord, and He will work all things
together for our good, and for His glory.
AMEN.
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