Psalm 46

Psalm 46

A glimpse of the news quickly lets us know that we are living in a time of crisis, 12 marines and 1 sailor killed in a bombing outside of Kabul’s airport and a government that has turned its back on citizens and allies. A regime that is incompetent, immoral, and ungodly. But Crisis are not new, we have faced many crises nationally and personally and for the Christian there is always hope for deliverance regardless how desolate things may seem.

In 722 BC the world super power , Assyria conquered the Northern Kingdom of Israel and took them into exile. The Assyrian Army was a foe who seemed unbeatable, in 705 BC at the death of Sargon II Sennacherib became Emperor and continued his quest of domination in the Middle East. In the 14th year of Hezekiah king of Judah, Sennacherib laid siege to Jerusalem and taunted Hezekiah and his servants; you will find this in 2 Kings 18-19 and Isaiah 36-37.

Sennacherib sent a messenger to Hezekiah who shouted this message, “don’t let your God deceive you to believe He will deliver you from the King of Assyria. We have destroyed everyone who stands in our way, look what happened to the nations around you.”

Hezekiah was afraid but he knew where to go and what to do, he went to the temple and prayed to the Lord. Soon after, Isaiah prophet of God delivered to Hezekiah king of Judah a message of His own.

“And this is what the Lord says about the king of Assyria: His armies will not enter Jerusalem. They will not even shoot an arrow at it. They will not march outside its gates with their shields nor build banks of earth against its walls. The king will return to his own country by the same road on which he came. He will not enter this city,’ says the Lord. For my own honor and for the sake of my servant David, I will defend this city and protect it.’ ” (Is. 37:33-45)

Can you guess what happened next? That very night the angel of the Lord came and slaughtered 185K Assyrians while they slept. The Army broke camp and returned to Nineveh. Sometime later Sennacherib was murdered by his own sons while worshiping his god in his temple.

CPS: During times of great crisis the children of God had a place of refuge and security in the arms of the Lord Jesus.

During times of great crisis God is our Refuge (1-3)

Though the earth falls away there is Nothing to fear, God is our refuge and strength a very present help in trouble!

Each Psalm has a central theme and for Psalm 46 it is deliverance in times of distress. We see the central character in this Psalm is God. In Psalm 46 “God” is used 7x it is the Hebrew name Elo-him which means the God of Power, the one who created! The Psalmist sings, though the earth should be removed, in the Hebrew the word “Earth” translates, territory or land and the word “Removed” translates change or exchange. It is the idea of the land changing hands, a very real threat in Hezekiah’s day. They had seen it happen to The Northern Kingdom (Israel) and to the nations around them. But, certainly the God of creation can bring deliverance when the created order around them is falling away.

Even in the midst of this great threat coming upon them (Assyrians) The Psalmist encourages his listeners to not be afraid, even when times are as bad as they can possibly be. Though the earth is removed, fear not! Why, because God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. In Psalm 46 the psalmist uses 3 metaphors pertaining to God, we find the first two in the very first verse, Refuge and Strength.

Refuge is the Hebrew word Mah-se(h) (1x) it means shelter or place of refuge. It is a place of trust where one can get away from the torrent of the storms in life. A refuge is a place of security that covers you as trouble comes your way.

ILL: In the 1960’s there was a very real threat of nuclear attacks, I have heard that in the schools there were Bomb drills where the students take shelter under their desks, not much of a shelter to protect you from the harm your enemy seeks to unleash on you.

However, a great idea arose, Bomb shelters were made, They were able to sustain most anything but a direct hit. In 1999, Brendan Frasier stared in a movie called “Blast from the Past.” The setting began in Pasadena Ca in the mid 1960’s during the Cuban Missile Crisis, his father “Christopher Walken” was so convinced that Nuclear missiles were being launched that he takes his family into their secret fallout shelter that he had built, shut the door and set the time lock for 30 years, they were safe and secure in their bomb shelter and well stocked with all the items they would need. The only problem…. The Soviet Union Had not fired their missiles.

But in Hezekiah’s time the threat was very much real but God proves Himself Judah’s Refuge, a safe shelter in time of trouble. But the Psalmist doesn’t stop his description of Elo-him there; he also refers to Him as the people of God’s strength. The Hebrew word Oz (1x) is used for strength, it means protection and security. Even in the most catastrophic events, God is our security who shields us from the blunt force of what is happening around us. HE IS NOT JUST A SHELTER BUT A STRONG FORTIFIED SHELTER ABLE TO WITHSTAND CLOSE CALLS AND DIRECT HITS!

What a wonderful description of God, our personal refuge and strength but the Psalmist continues to praise God and sings Elohim, is their very present help in trouble. The word trouble can be translated as “in a tight spot.” Have you ever been in a tight spot…

ILL. Several years ago I found myself in a tight spot, I was lost in New York City trying to get back to Newark, with my phone/GPS about to die and no way to charge it and you can ask, did you pray? Oh yes, I prayed ,“God deliver me.” I was wondering where I was, the air condition in the car I was driving was dying, I had the widows down in the dead heat of July and I was sweating bullets! Then I entered into a tunnel and when I came out I saw a sign “Jersey City,” God delivered me from a tight spot.

App: What the Psalmist is saying is this, During times of trouble, when the child of God is in a tight spot, He is always available to be found… a place of refuge and security for those who love Him and seek Him. When things can seem to be the worst, when the enemy is approaching to take away all that is dear, we do not fear because God, Elohim (The God of Power), is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. SEEK HIM and HE WILL BE FOUND!

During times of great crisis God is our Redeemer (4-7)

Though the armies come and besiege us The Lord is enthroned in Jerusalem and will redeem His children.

As the context of this Psalms unfolds and Sennacherib taunts and demands Hezekiah to give up and allow the Assyrians to conquer Jerusalem it is important to remember the strategies of war, besiege the city, cut off their water supply until there is nothing left for them to do but surrender. But the Bible tells us of a river in the city of God that flows bringing constant fresh water to the city. Hezekiah saw the surrounding nations conquered by Assyria and he understood their tactics, knowing the day would come that Assyria would besiege Jerusalem he took steps to ensure that they would have an unfailing water supply regardless how long the besiegement lasted.

The Kidron valley was just to the east of Jerusalem it separated Jerusalem from the mount of olives, there flowed a river “Gihon” which was exposed to enemy attack. Hezekiah diverted the water 1777 feet through hard rock into a reservoir in the city Jerusalem. He then completely covered the ancient river so that the enemy would not know it was there. Throughout the siege there was a river who made glad the city of God!

Water is vital for life and with water Judah could resist the Assyrian’s but that all they could do. Imagine nearly 200,000 thousand of the best armed and trained troops in the world along with their chariots and horses. Judah could resists but they could not conquer, but there was another river, one which all life flows from… God (Elohim) the God of creation was in the midst. The Hebrew word translating “midst” is the idea among the inward parts, the very center was the God of power. THEREFORE JERUSALEM AND HER PEOPLE {GOD’S PEOPLE} WILL NOT BE MOVED! “Moved,” môwṭ, mote which means to be made to stagger or waver.

ILL: God will help her when morning dawns! Sennacherib sent his servant to tell Hezekiah “don’t be deceived your God can not deliver you from me just as the gods of the nations around you could not deliver them from me.” Hezekiah in distress runs to the temple of God the dwelling place of the Most High and prays. It is not long before Isaiah comes to the king and tells him the word of God (Read Isaiah 37:22-36). Now, imagine the king and the people of God in Jerusalem going to bed and seeing so great a foe surrounding them. Then they woke up and there were 185,000 of the best trained and equipped soldiers in the world lying dead on the Ground!

What happened? He raised His voice! The Lord of Host, Lord of heavens armies fought for them! Why, because the Lord of hosts was with them. Now, a closer look and the context reveals a great truth for us to ponder, the Bible tells us (Is. 37:36) it was the angel of the Lord! Who is this Angel of the Lord…. The God who was with them… Immanuel.. God with us…. JESUS! The living water, the water which if drank will cause man to never thirst again! THERE WAS A RIVER WHOSE STREAM MADE GLAD THE CITY OF GOD! HIS NAME IS JESUS!

By grace through faith Jesus delivered His people for His glory’s sake and will do the same for you when you love Him and seek Him in times of distress.

During times of great crisis God is still Ruler! (8-11)

Peace on earth and worldwide dominion

As the Psalm enters it last section the Psalmist praises the Lord and gives his listeners a command to come and behold what the Lord has done. The verb, “behold” means to gaze and contemplate. They can be called to recall the 185k Assyrians slain by the Lord of hosts. They are called to recall all the things the Lord has done in their history, He redeemed Israel from bondage in Egypt, drew back the Red Sea, provided for their needs in the wilderness, destroyed the wall of Jericho, handed the land of Canaan to Israel, He has always been a very present help in trouble bringing desolation to all who oppose His people.

But here we see a glimpse into the future and how all things will one day be, the day is coming and may be here soon that the swords of armies will be turned into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks and there will never be war again! Isaiah 2:4

But the people are called to believe in vs. 10 “be still and know that I am God. This phrase means stop warring and know the person of God, all to often we are busy in life so we don’t make time to know the God of power and the truth that He is sovereign in all times and things. If we don’t know Him we will never come to the realization of His plan, HE WILL BE EXALTED IN ALL OF EARTH! Exalted by Jews and Gentiles, let me let you in on a little secret, God will be exalted regardless of the crisis around His people because even when times seem absolutely desolate He is still securely seated on His throne ruler of heaven and earth.

The people of God can find refuge and security in these very difficult times because the Lord of hosts is with us. Think about that! The Lord with His legions and legions of angelic warriors go out and do battle for us but what is so majestic and downright awesome is the fact that not an angle is with us, not the hosts of heaven being with us, but the Lord is with us! This is o important that the Psalmist tells us twice “The Lord of hosts is with us” and the God of Jacob is our stronghold! The word stronghold is different than refuge and strength it’s the idea of a highpoint and fort built high on an elevated peak, impenetrable by its foe!

Conclusion: During times of great distress Hezekiah turned to God so shall we and confess in faith the very confession of the Psalmist! God is our Refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble, The Lord of Host is with us, the God of Jacob is our stronghold!