God Our Refuge
Notes
Transcript
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
Life is filled with danger and sources of fear. Nature itself can pose threats in natural disasters, diseases, pestilence, famines and droughts have endangered and even claimed untold numbers of lives throughout history. Worse, the nations and empires of men have often wreaked havoc upon the world. When men strive to conquer and control, violence threatens the weak and defenseless. Life would seem like a fragile thing, and we find many reasons to be afraid. And yet, again and again, Scripture commands us “Do not be afraid.” But why should we reject fear in the face of such obvious and catastrophic danger? Psalm 46 answers that question.
Type and Background of the Psalm
Type and Background of the Psalm
Difficult to define strictly. Considered a “Zion Psalm” and also a “Psalm of Confidence.
No specific historical information is provided to pinpoint the occasion for writing.
Possibly written during the time of Assyria’s empire and conquest, perhaps even during the siege of Jerusalem. Not definitive however.
Outline
Outline
Vv. 1-3: Refuge from Roaring Waters
We will not fear
Vv. 4-7: Fortress against Raging Nations
We are made glad
Vv. 8-11: The Exaltation of God
Behold and Be Still
Refrain: Vv. 1, 7, & 11
Verses 1-3
Verses 1-3
God is…
God is…
A Refuge
A Refuge
A shelter of protection and safety. (cf. “Cities of Refuge”)
Particularly helpful for protection against elements and storms
6 There will be a booth for shade by day from the heat, and for a refuge and a shelter from the storm and rain.
Our Strength
Our Strength
Fear comes from weakness. Strength produces confidence and courage.
Our strength is unreliable, and our weakness evident. But we can overcome fear when we trust in God’s strength and power.
First time this word appears is in the Song of Moses following the destruction of Pharaoh’s army
2 The Lord is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him.
A Very Present Help
A Very Present Help
A strong refuge is only helpful if it is accessible.
18 The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.
7 For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as the Lord our God is to us, whenever we call upon him?
8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
In Times of Trouble
In Times of Trouble
It is one thing to sing about God’s power when all is well. But what about when disaster looms?
Literal: what about devastating disasters? Floods, tsunamis, landslides, earthquakes, etc.?
Figurative: Earth and Mountains would depict consistency, strength, and stability. The sea depicts chaos. The raging sea eroding the earth and toppling mountains is an apt picture of the chaos that often happens—of times when it seems the world is turned upside down by disasters or by men.
How strong is God? So strong, that He strengthens His people to do the opposite of the upheaval they often encounter.
21 And Jesus answered them, “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen.
Verses 4-7
Verses 4-7
In contrast to the raging and foaming sea is a peaceful river.
Jerusalem had no river (a source of trouble and stress at times). But a river depicts God’s presence and provision.
9 You visit the earth and water it; you greatly enrich it; the river of God is full of water; you provide their grain, for so you have prepared it.
Even in times of danger and devastation, God provides for His people.
The River of God from beginning to End
The River of God from beginning to End
Eden
10 A river flowed out of Eden to water the garden, and there it divided and became four rivers.
Ezekiel’s Temple Vision (Ezekiel 47)
Heaven
1 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
Makes Glad
Makes Glad
God’s protection and provision doesn’t just dispel fear, it brings joy!
This joy is possible even amidst the chaos of humanity’s rebellion and the destruction nations cause in their wars for power.
Stability in an Unstable World
Stability in an Unstable World
Instead of roaring waters, there are now raging nations. Instead of mountains trembling, now kingdoms totter.
Kingdoms rise and fall, typically violently. But God is in the midst of His people, and despite the upheaval all around us, we shall not be moved.
Even when evil men seem to threaten, God is a God of deliverance.
“When morning dawns”
an allusion to the timing of God drowning Pharaoh’s army. (“in the morning watch…” Ex.14:24).
Also the time when the defeat of Assyria was seen
36 And the angel of the Lord went out and struck down 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians. And when people arose early in the morning, behold, these were all dead bodies.
5 For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.
The Lord’s Voice
The Lord’s Voice
Amazingly, God is able to melt away all opposition with nothing but His voice!
Verses 8-11
Verses 8-11
Nations and the Earth
Nations and the Earth
The earth and the nations are combined in these verses—God’s power is absolute above all, and is exaltation is above and to be recognized by all!
An Invitation: Come & Behold
An Invitation: Come & Behold
We are invited to come and behold the power of God.
Invitation is for…
God’s People to see how He delivers
God’s enemies so that they may be warned, and choose to come to the Lord
If this Psalm did occasion the defeat of the Assyrian army, what a site that must have been to behold the Lord’s victory!
A Command: Be Still & Know
A Command: Be Still & Know
“Be still” could also be rendered, “Stop!”
The stillness is not necessarily peace and restfulness.
God’s Enemies: Stop their rebellion and submit to God
God’s People: Stop fretting and panicking, and trust in God
God: A Trustworthy Refuge
God: A Trustworthy Refuge
“What matters is not whether you have faith but whether what you have faith in is trustworthy” John Goldingay
The Most High: Position—God is above all
The LORD of Hosts: Power—He is the God of armies. Consider what one angel did to Assyria. Now consider God as the commander of legions of angels
The God of Jacob: Peace—God’s might and strength benefit and protect His people
God in Jacob’s Life: The ladder between heaven and earth. The God who protected Jacob from Laban. The God who protected Jacob from Esau. The God who protected Jacob’s son and delivered Jacob through Joseph. The God who took Jacob down to Egypt, and delivered Israel from Egypt. A God of powerful provision, protection, and promises!
For the Christian, these promises are even greater:
18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
