Sermon Tone Analysis

*Psalm 46.*

As you know, last time we started to look at the book of Haggai – I gave a bit of an introduction, and today I was going to have a look at chapter one.

However …. in the meantime there has been a bit of a shakeup and all my preparation was on a computer which didn’t work because there was no electricity.

Furthermore, with those intervening events, I felt that a message of rebuke was not really appropriate.

We have been through a bit, so I thought that I’d bring a word of encouragement.

Please turn to Psalm 46 *[P]*.

On the evening of the quake I read this Psalm to Hannah – we are doing a survey of the books of the Bible, but I thought that a personal word was more fitting.

Those who were here last week will know that I read this Psalm and Robin expounded it, bring out some precious things – notably how full of God it is.

It is a lovely Psalm, let’s read it:

/God the Refuge of His People./

For the choir director.

/A Psalm /of the sons of Korah, set to Alamoth.

A Song.

     */1/*/     God is our refuge and strength, /

/1//A very present help in trouble.

/

/     2     Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change /

/And though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea; /

/     3     Though its waters roar and foam, /

/Though the mountains quake at its swelling pride.

Selah.

/

/     *4*     There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, /

/The holy dwelling places of the Most High.

/

/     5     God is in the midst of her, she will not be moved; /

/God will help her //when morning dawns.

/

/     6     The nations made an uproar, the kingdoms tottered; /

/He raised His voice//, the earth melted.

/

/     7     יְהוָה of armies is with us; /

/The God of Jacob is our stronghold.

Selah.

/

/     *8*     Come, behold the works of יְהוָה, /

/Who has wrought desolations in the earth.

/

/     9     He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth; /

/He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; /

/He burns the chariots with fire.

/

/     10     “Cease striving and know that I am God; /

/I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

/

/     11     יְהוָה of armies is with us; /

/The God of Jacob is our stronghold.

Selah./

We love our Bible and love to hear what the LORD has to say to us, especially when we are in difficulty or in a time of crisis – but, as always, we must see the context first before we apply it, otherwise it may not be applicable.

You can come up with totally contradictory advice if you just take verses at random, out of context.

Of course this Psalm had application and meaning to the sons Korah who wrote it – it was written for the choir director, it was a song to be sung by the temple singers.

But the Psalm is quite evidently prophetic.

It is a prophecy referring to the end-times *[P]*.

What makes me say that?

How do I know?

1~/ *Great earthquake: [P] *[Psalm 46:2] speaks of “the earth changing” and “mountains slipping into the sea”; [Psalm 46:3] talks about “mountains quaking” and describes a tsunami.

Evidently there is a mighty earthquake.

When I spoke about the earthquake I mentioned that earthquakes are particularly associated with the end-times, there are 5 in Revelation, there is a huge one prophesied in [*Zechariah 14:4*/ //In that day His feet will  stand on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives will be split in its middle from east to west by a very large valley, so that half of the mountain will move toward the north and the other half toward the south/*.

Zechariah 14:10* /All the land will be changed into a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem/] This, I believe is the same one prophesied in [*Revelation 16:18-20* /Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl upon the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple from the throne, saying, It is done.”

And there were flashes of  lightning and sounds and peals of thunder; and there was  a great earthquake,  such as there had not been since man came to be upon the earth, so great an earthquake was it, and so mighty.

The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell.

 Babylon the great was remembered before God, to give her  the cup of the wine of His fierce wrath.

And  every island fled away, and the mountains were not found./]

It sounds very much like Psalm 46 “the mountains slip into the heart of the sea.” – I believe that all three are prophesying the same end-time event.

2~/ *River of life:* *[P]* In [Psalm 46:4] we read of a “river whose streams make glad the city of God” – this is a description of the millennial temple prophesied by Ezekiel in [Ezekiel 47], where a river flows from under the temple eastward to the rift valley and then into the Dead Sea, bringing it life – fish will be caught there.

You remember the vision of the prophet being told to ford the river, it getting deeper and deeper the further downstream he went.

It is also mentioned in: [*Zechariah 14:8 */And in that day living waters will flow out of Jerusalem, half of them toward the eastern sea and the other half toward the western sea; it will be in summer as well as in winter/.]

This same river of life, or one that it symbolizes, is seen in the new Jerusalem in [*Revelation 22:1-3* /1 //Then he showed me a  river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, in the middle of  its street.

On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

3 There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him/.]

Here is this same river in this Psalm bringing joy to the City of God, the restored Jerusalem.

3~/ *United armies of the nations vanquished by יְהוָה’s direct and personal intervention:* *[P]* Then in [Psalm 46:6] the nations make an uproar and יְהוָה raises His voice against them.

From [Psalm 46:9] it is evident that they were arraigned against Him and His city with a mighty army, but in [Psalm 46:8] יְהוָה destroys them and in [Psalm 46:9] brings an end to war.

This is the context of the beloved [Psalm 46:10]: “/Be still and know that I am God/!” יְהוָה is actually saying “STOP!

CEASE!” – stop your fighting and rebellion.

Man is not God, he is not mighty – יְהוָה is! יְהוָה is exalted over all the nations.

He rules, He is in charge, not man.

This is exactly the same end-time scenario that Zechariah and John describe: [*Zechariah 14:2-3* /For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city will be captured, the houses plundered, the women ravished and half of the city exiled, but the rest of the people will not be cut off from the city.

3 Then יְהוָה will go forth and fight against those nations, as when He fights on a day of battle/.

] [*Revelation 19:11-21*] 4~/ *Millennial peace:* *[P]* Fourthly there is the picture of millennial peace – the rule of Jesus.

In verse [Psalm 46:9] there is that image of the instruments of war being destroyed – we see them being turned into agricultural implements in [*Isaiah 2:2* /Now it will come about that in the last days the mountain of the house of יְהוָה will be established as the chief of the mountains, and will be raised above the hills; and all the nations will stream to it.

3 And many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of יְהוָה, to the house of the God of Jacob; that He may teach us concerning His ways and that we may walk in His paths.”

For the law will go forth from Zion and the word of יְהוָה from Jerusalem.

4 And He will judge between the nations, and will render decisions for many peoples; and  they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks.

Nation will not lift up sword against nation, and never again will they learn war/.

] Jesus is ruling, He stops the fighting, He will not allow the strife, He rules with a rod of iron, exalted above all.

This Psalm closely parallels what is portrayed in the last chapters of Zechariah and Revelation – there are four solid reasons that show that this is end-time prophecy.

That is the context; that is what the Psalm refers to.

It is prophesying end-time events, right near the end when Jesus returns.

We long for Jesus’ return but it is a scary time, a time of upheaval and trouble.

We are not in those times, but they are getting nearer.

We are experiencing a foretaste of it.

The Psalm speaks about the earth changing, mountains quaking – there is trouble around BUT God is our refuge.

Though speaking of end-times there is an application to us.

Now we understand the context, we can apply it.

*[P]*

Is it relevant for us to do so?

Well, we are in end times – not as far on as this Psalm is speaking about.

But there is an end time earthquake – and we have experienced an end-time earthquake, so it is particularly appropriate for us at this time – that is, if He is our God and we are His people.

Because let us be clear that this is spoken to God’s people, the sons of Jacob – the twisting striving man who had a life changing encounter with God and became Israel.

So what is the message for the people of God in the end-times?

Let us be clear, it is a time when they encounter unsettling times, severe trouble: earthquake, war, desolation.

It is enough to make the boldest tremble.

What can you do when faced with such things?

But where is the terror, where is the fear in this Psalm?

There is none – rather there is supreme confidence and safety.

Everyone else is running around in fear, fleeing the city.

But not the people of God! How can this be?! Are they super heroes, are they strong, are they unaffected, are they immune?

No, they go through it.