God is our Fortress

Introduction

750 Engaging Illustrations for Preachers, Teachers and Writers 609: Security

The 3-year-old felt secure in his father’s arms as Dad stood in the middle of the pool. But Dad, for fun, began walking slowly toward the deep end, gently chanting, “Deeper and deeper and deeper,” as the water rose higher and higher on the child. The lad’s face registered increasing degrees of panic, and he held all the more tightly to his father, who, of course, easily touched the bottom.

Had the little boy been able to analyze his situation, he’d have realized there was no reason for increased anxiety. The water’s depth in any part of the pool was over his head. Even in the shallowest part, had he not been held up, he’d have drowned. His safety anywhere in that pool depended on Dad.

At various points in our lives, all of us feel we’re getting out of our depth—problems abound, a job is lost, someone dies. Our temptation is to panic, for we feel we’ve lost control. Yet, as with the child in the pool, the truth is we’ve never been in control over the most valuable things of life. We’ve always been held up by the grace of God, our Father, and that does not change. God is never out of his depth, and therefore we’re as safe when we’re “going deeper” as we have ever been.

This psalm was the starting point for Luther’s hymn A Mighty Fortress is our God.

This Psalm proclaims God’s power over creation, God’s power over the nations, and God’s reign over all things.

But what I hope that we see is that the Psalmist declares these things to us not just to teach us of the sovereignty and the power of our God, but also to instruct us in this central truth,

God is the protector of His people, we are safe in the arms of our God.

We will consider this Psalm by using the natural divisions within the Psalm itself.

Notice the word Selah. This word is used three times in the text.

One may ask, what is the meaning of this word?

It may be a musical word, the best guess is that it is a word that instructs us to pause, maybe to pause and consider the truth that we have just read.

Maybe when the Jews would sing these psalms this would be an indication of a musical interlude before the beginning of the next verse.

Either way this word seems to be a natural break setting this Psalm into three sections.

God is our Refuge and Strength (v. 1-3)

v.1 is the foundation for the rest that is stated in this section.

Three things in this verse

God is our refuge

What is a refuge?

a shelter or protection from danger or distress

God is a source of security, a source of safety. This word is used 11 times in the psalter referring to God

Psalm 62:7–8 ESV

On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God. Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. Selah

He is the Rock in Whom we find shelter.

God is our strength

God being the strength of His people is another theme that we see in the Psalter, at least 8 times.

Psalm 28:7–8 ESV

The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him. The Lord is the strength of his people; he is the saving refuge of his anointed.

Strength carries the idea of empowering us, right? So God not only protects His people but He strengthens His people as well.

He is a God for those who know they are in trouble, for those who know they are in danger, He is a God for those who they are weak and there is nothing they can do to save or protect themselves.

A very present Help in trouble

He is not a God who abandons us when we are in need but He is very present.

Notice the emphasis on God’s presence. Very

Let me ask believer, is there ever a time of trouble that the Lord will leave you to yourself?

Think about this, think about the worst situation possible, what if the earth gives way, what if the mountains are moved into the heart of the sea

What if all of creation seems to be coming undone and everything around you that seemed sure and steady, everything that seemed to be secure and safe is falling apart?

Can you trust in the Lord at that time?

Have you ever felt like that?

Have you ever felt like everything around you that was fixed, that could be depended upon, that was established was coming undone?

Maybe it was being betrayed by the closest of friends, maybe it was the death of a parent or a spouse, maybe it was being given horrible news from a doctor, maybe it is even the changes in our culture so that the world we live in today looks completely different from the world that you grew up in and that you felt safe in

Yes brothers and sisters it is even in these times, maybe especially in these times that we can say the Lord is our refuge and strength, He is a very present Help in trouble.

God is with us (v.4-7)

In v.4-7 we have pictured for us God dwelling with His people.

All around this city the world is in chaos. Notice v.6

The nations rage

The interesting thing about this word rage

it is used in v.3 to speak of the roaring of the oceans

Notice also in Psalm 42 and 43

v.5, 11, and 5

Why are you in turmoil?

It is a picture of chaos of restlessness. Definitely a lack of peace.

This is a picture of the world around us, this is a picture of our culture.

You turn on the news and there are protests, murder, chaos, confusion.

Back and forth between politicians

Is there a place of peace and rest?

But not only is the world not at rest but notice the rest of the verse.

The Kingdoms totter or the kingdoms are moved

This is the same word used in v.2 the mountains are moved into the heart of the sea, in v.5 the city of God shall not be moved

But the kingdoms of the earth shall be moved

That is they are not stable, they are not sure, they will come to an end.

The Lord God speaks and the nations, the kingdoms of the earth will melt like ice in a fiery furnace.

So we see the restlessness of the world and the wrath that is coming upon the world

and

That is in contrast the river and the streams remind one of the rivers and the streams in the Garden of Eden in Genesis. This is the language of restoration and blessing.

A holy habitation, there is nothing unclean here

God is among a people and because of that they will not be moved, there is peace and there is security for those who are the people of God

But who are these people, who are those who know the presence of God? Notice v.7, it is the covenant people of God. Those who are the covenant people of God, they dwell in a city of peace.

Two questions

Who are the covenant people of God?

OT it was Israel but now the church in Jesus

2. When will this ultimately be fulfilled?

already but not yet, Christ is with His Church now in the presence of His Holy Spirit. His Spirit dwells in us and among us, but brothers and sisters there will be a greater awareness of the presence and the glory of Christ when He comes again

The ultimate question is this, are you a part of this people?

God will be exalted over all (v.8-11)

The word behold here is used to refer to seeing with the inner eye like the prophet or the seer.

Come and see by faith, come and consider

This is a call for the believer and the unbeliever,

This is a call to encourage and strengthen the believer and to cause the unbeliever to tremble before God

Come consider the works of the Lord

Consider the flood (He crushed the ungodly and delivered His people)

Consider the exodus (He crushed the ungodly and delivered His people)

Consider the book of Joshua and how the Lord fought for His people

The chaos and the rebellion of the world is coming to an end

All of this is ultimately pointing do the Day of the Lord that is to come

Isaiah 2:2–4 ESV

It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it, and many peoples shall come, and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.

Isaiah 11:1–9 ESV

There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear, but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his loins. The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.

The Lord will overcome the chaos and He will dwell with His people in eternal peace. No matter what may come we are safe in the arms of our God.

And when we see the fulfillment of these great truths in that Day when the Lord Jesus Christ returns to judge the wicked and to welcome the godly into His Kingdom, we will arrive safely in God’s Kingdom because He has carried us there safely in His Arms.

In that day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that He is Lord. He will be exalted among the nations, He will be exalted in the earth.

Believer rejoice in this truth

Unbeliever tremble at this truth and turn to Him, there is forgiveness for all who come in repentance and faith.

And then the psalm ends again with these great and glorious words

The Lord of hosts is with us, He is our fortress.

Oh church of God you are safe in Christ.

Application

Believer there is nothing in creation or in history that can destroy you if you are safe in the arms of Christ. Christ is your refuge.

Believer boast in your weakness because Christ is your strength.

Believer know this, Christ will never leave you nor forsake you, He is an ever present help in trouble.

Believer, Jesus redeemed you not ultimately to forgive you of your sins, justify you, sanctify you, glorify you, but so that you might and now and enjoy the presence of God in the City of God through all eternity.

Believer know this, our God will prevail over the chaos of creation and history and He will be exalted among the nations, He will be exalted in all the earth.

Unbeliever you can know the comfort and the glories of these truths if you will come to Christ Jesus our Lord.