God Is Still King

Scripture

Psalm 46 KJV 1900

To the chief Musician for the sons of Korah, A Song upon Alamoth. God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah. There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, The holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early. The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: He uttered his voice, the earth melted. The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah. Come, behold the works of the Lord, What desolations he hath made in the earth. He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; He breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; He burneth the chariot in the fire. Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

Psalms is one of the longest books of the Bible, consisting of 150 (or 151) songs or poems. The poems are of several main types: lament, praise, thanksgiving, royal, and wisdom. Some were likely used in public worship; others seem to be private prayers reflecting struggles with sin, requests for help, and praises for God.

Concentration: on Who God is

He is our refuge (shelter, asylum, retreat, harbor)

He is our strength

He is present with us in the “now”

He is our helper in times of trouble

Meditation: on what God does (or will do)

He controls the forces of nature

He prepares a heavenly city for His people

He will bring peace on earth

He will be exalted among the nations of the earth

Revelation: on verse 10

“Be still” - God reveals Himself during our quiet times with Him.

“Know” - True believers can have the certain assurance that God lives, that He draws near to those who draw near to Him (Jas 4:8), and that He enligthen the minds and hearts of His people. James 4:8

James 4:8 KJV 1900

Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

3. “I am” - This is the covenant name of God . . . the One who exists and Who has existed throughout all eternity . . . omnipresent (everywhere at the same time)

4. “God” - The Almighty Creator of the universe watches over His creation (especially mankind), to be our refuge, strength, and present help. He controls nature, brings peace, prepares us a dwelling place in heaven, and shall be exalted, Phil. 2:9-11 . . . omniscient and omnipotent. (everywhere and has all power)

Philippians 2:9–11 KJV 1900

Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Applications: as a Christian, I need to . . .

Schedule a daily quiet time to “be still” before the Lord . . . to worship Him and to hear His words of encouragement and instruction.

Allow God to increase my faith and knowledge of spiritual things by being open to the personal ministry of the Holy Spirit in my life.

Worship my Lord and my God . . . the Creator of the universe.

Thank god for His blessings and provisions for all my needs.

Closing

The first stanza uses the metaphor of unruly waters overwhelming the land, even the mountains, to depict utter chaos, but in the second stanza the waters are under control, a river whose streams make glad the city of God. The city of God is Jerusalem, where the temple is located on the heights of Zion. It is a holy, or consecrated, place, because God (the Most High) makes his presence known there. Thus, it is a symbol of God’s presence with his people, and God’s presence assures the city’s safety. Jerusalem does not have, and never had, a river running through it, so this river is figurative, not literal. The river symbolizes the spiritual sustenance that God’s presence provides. If a river actually ran through the city, its presence would enhance the city’s security. Indeed, Jerusalem’s water supply was always a concern during a prolonged siege. So the poet uses this image of the river to make the point that God’s presence enhances the security of the city.

While the first stanza depicts chaos figuratively, the second stanza describes it in political-military terms. The language of nations in an uproar and kingdoms falling presume warfare. But God is in control of such chaos, and all he has to do is speak (he lifts his voice) and these contentious nations are no more (the earth melts).

Verse 7 is the first iteration of a refrain that brings the stanza to a close, by reaffirming God’s presence with his people that protects them from attack.

The psalmist then invites his hearers to witness God’s work, his work of desolation (connecting back to v. 6b where his voice melts the earth). He makes wars cease by destroying the opposing army. He is, after all, the Divine Warrior who protects his people from attack (Longman and Reid 1995: 52–53). That he makes wars cease is indicated by his destroying weapons and armour (bow, spear, shields).

In verse 10, the poet quotes God, who asserts his sovereignty not only over Israel, but over all the nations of the earth. He commands that their uproar be silenced and that they all recognize that he is God.

The second occurrence of the refrain (v. 11; see v. 7) brings the second stanza and indeed the whole psalm to a conclusion.

In other words, when faced with the chaos of life, the Christian reader of the psalm finds confidence in Christ’s presence with them (‘surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age’, Matt. 28:20). Martin Luther surely read the psalm this way and was inspired to write, ‘A Mighty Fortress Is Our God’, which answers the question of the source of God’s protective strength in our lives by pronouncing in the second stanza, ‘Christ Jesus, it is he.

I AM THAT I AM

1. Jesus is the Bread of Life

2. Jesus is the Light of the World

3. Jesus is the Door

4. Jesus is the Good Shepherd

5. Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life

6. Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life

7. Jesus is the Vine

LET HIM BE / THE I AM OF YOUR LIFE

HE is everything to me.

LET HIM BE EVERYTHING TO YOU