Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

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

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.

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

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.