A Mighty Fortress Is Our God

Introduction

Illustration

-In September of 1967 a new bridge, named the Morandi bridge, was opened in Genoa, Italy. It was known as one of the longest concrete bridges in the world.

-One newspaper boasted that “The bridges concrete structure won’t need any maintenance. Neither will its stayed cables, which are protected from atmospheric agents by their concrete vest.”

-Morandi, the designer of the bridge, became very respected in the architecture world because of this new bridge and its design.

-In the 1960’s little was known about the effects of pollution and climate on corrosion. The volume of traffic was also different as years passed by than there was originally in the 60’s.

-To make a long story short, on August 14, 2018, the bridge that was so boasted about, collapsed. It killed 43 people and left 600 people homeless.

Story of structure failure

A structure that stood for stability and strength, failed and left fatalities. Something that had been trusted for years, decades, that day, failed in being reliable.

Application

While manmade structures will fall apart and fail at some point and crumble, our God will never fall apart and never fail us!

In our passage God is referred to three times, as our refuge. A refuge is a fortress. It is a place of protection from danger or distress.

Historical Context

-The circumstances in which this psalm is believed to have been written, places faith in God being their source of strength and protection.

-While many psalms were written by David, this psalm, as well as the next two, are believed to have been written by King Hezekiah. The events that birthed this psalm are found in .

-I want to give you a high end view of these chapters before going into this psalm because it will shed light on why the psalmist wrote what he did.

-In Chapter 18 we find that Hezekiah takes the throne. As he takes the throne, a revival takes place in Judah. He overthrows the worship of false gods and destroys the idols, and reinstitutes worship to Jehovah God.

We Run to God Because of Who Is (v. 1-3)

spread revival by taking away idol worship and back to God

-We also see he breaks ties with a people that they should not have been involved with from the start, the Assyrians.

-Since the reign of Hezekiah’s dad King Ahaz, Judah was subject to the Assyrians. Every year they would pay tribute to them. When Hezekiah took reign, he sought to release the nation from this relationship.

-So he refused to pay the annual tribute that was due to the Assyrians. This obviously made the Assyrians angry. So they had positioned themselves right next to Judah, taking over Samaria.

This obviously made the Assyrians angry. So they had positioned themselves right next to Judah, taking over Samaria.

So Sennacharib, the king of Assyria, a few years later invaded Judah and headed toward Jerusalem. Hezekiah in , in a moment of weakness gave what the enemy asked for. He gave them gold and silver, and even went as far as cutting off the golden doors that opened to the temple.

After this, Hezekiah is stricken with a disease that turns him back to the Lord. Aren’t you thankful that God can get our attention? And that He’s merciful enough to restore us?

So once again in chapter 18, Assyria is going to flex their muscles against Judah. It starts with verbal warnings that take place. They question the power of their God and His ability to deliver them from the powerful hand of Sennacherib.

Sennacherib even says, “What is this confidence you have?” He tries bribing them with horseman and chariots. He has a message delivered to the people of Judah, speaking of how their king is a fool and that Jehovah God is not trustworthy.

Last time this happened, Hezekiah caved. He gave in. This time, he doesn’t. In verse 35, Rabshakeh, the spokesman for the king says the following to the people:

2 Kings 18:35–36 KJV 1900

Who are they among all the gods of the countries, that have delivered their country out of mine hand, that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem out of mine hand? But the people held their peace, and answered him not a word: for the king’s commandment was, saying, Answer him not.

The people would not bow or bend to what the enemy said. Look at as Hezekiah responds:

2 Kings 19:1–7 KJV 1900

And it came to pass, when king Hezekiah heard it, that he rent his clothes, and covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of the Lord. And he sent Eliakim, which was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests, covered with sackcloth, to Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz. And they said unto him, Thus saith Hezekiah, This day is a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and blasphemy: for the children are come to the birth, and there is not strength to bring forth. It may be the Lord thy God will hear all the words of Rab-shakeh, whom the king of Assyria his master hath sent to reproach the living God; and will reprove the words which the Lord thy God hath heard: wherefore lift up thy prayer for the remnant that are left. So the servants of king Hezekiah came to Isaiah. And Isaiah said unto them, Thus shall ye say to your master, Thus saith the Lord, Be not afraid of the words which thou hast heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me. Behold, I will send a blast upon him, and he shall hear a rumour, and shall return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land.

Deliverance was promised, but it had not yet come. Sennacherib would keep throwing doubts in Hezekiah’s mind, but Hezekiah was fixed on the Lord. He was fixed on the message that the prophet had given to him.

He was holding on to the promise of God and would not let go.

Now, I know that was a long introduction, but think about it, here is a man who is much like you and I. He messed up in the past. He learned his lesson and now he’s put to the test again.

Maybe this morning you are here and you’ve found yourself in the middle of difficulty. Your faith is being tried. The Sennacherib in your life is accusing you and trying to make you doubt God’s power in your situation.

And what you are up against is greater than anything that you can handle yourself. It was in this conflict that this song was written. God is my fortress.

He is my safe place. He is my deliverer. He is my helper. He is my sustainer. He is greater.

Transition

Today we will look at Three Reminders that we must consider as we go through conflict. After each of these reminders is the word Selah, which means, pause and consider it.

That’s what we’re going to do. We are going to pause and consider the refuge we can find in God, and then I will give you a way in which you can respond to these truths.

God is in control (though)

We Can Find A Refuge in the Presence of God (v. 1-3)

We don’t have to fear when the whole world is falling apart and everything is crumbling around us because of what verse 1 says. God is a very present help in our trouble.

That word trouble means to constrict. Just like a boaconstricter would wrap around its prey and suck the life out of it, at times the troubles of life can do the same thing.

Have you ever receieved news that just sucked the life out of you? Things that when you think about it, you can barely breathe? News of the loss of someone you loved. New of an accident.

We Run to God Because (v. 4-7)

News from the doctor you didn’t want to hear. News that you’ve lost your job. News that you’ve lost your home. It’s like the whole world is imploding around you. Disappointment after disappointment. Loss after loss.

Everything that could go wrong does go wrong. How do you deal with that? Where do you go when verses 2-3 seem to categorize your life?

RUN TO THE REFUGE! Find your strength and stability in God. Hezekiah’s name literally means, the Lord strengthens! Hezekiah knew that if he and the people were going to make it through this, they would have to run to God.

Although everything around you might be falling apart, there is a fortress you can run to and be safe!

Psalm 9:9 KJV 1900

The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, A refuge in times of trouble.

Aren’t you thankful this morning that you can run to God and know that He is dependable, know that He is there, and that no matter what storms may come in your life, that He is the shelter in the time of storm.

Illustration

-When I was a teenager I liked to play hide and seek, in the dark, outside. I grew up in rural Indiana so really, there wasn’t a whole lot of other wholesome activities to do.

-So I would have friends over, and it seemed like I would always win at hide and seek. I had my spot, at my house. How many of you had “your spot” in hide and seek?

-We had an elevated deck going into our pool, and from that deck you could get to the roof. I would climb up there, get on the top of the house, and just sit there.

-I’d listen to everyone else scream. Everyone else was being found, but no one could find me. I was safe. I was in my spot. No one could get me.

I have a spot, that when things in life start to overwhelm me, when opposition comes my way. When difficulty is present, I can go to my refuge and know that He will be there.

-At my house the deck is gone, I can’t get on the roof now. It’s torn down. My spot is gone.

But my God is dependable. He’s not going anywhere. He’s not left my side. He is a friend that sticks closer than a brother. We can go to Him any time of day or night and rely on Him to be a very present help in our trouble.

God is in control (though)

We Can Find A Refuge in the Provision of God (v. 4-7)

In verse 4, Hezekiah makes reference to a river. It’s interesting that Jersualem was one of very few cities that was not built on a river.

Hezekiah did build an underground water system to provide flowing water for the city. In fact, he closed this water off from the Assyrians so that they would be without it when they came into their land.

2 Chronicles 32:1–4 KJV 1900

After these things, and the establishment thereof, Sennacherib king of Assyria came, and entered into Judah, and encamped against the fenced cities, and thought to win them for himself. And when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib was come, and that he was purposed to fight against Jerusalem, He took counsel with his princes and his mighty men to stop the waters of the fountains which were without the city: and they did help him. So there was gathered much people together, who stopped all the fountains, and the brook that ran through the midst of the land, saying, Why should the kings of Assyria come, and find much water?

We know, water is precious. Without it we can’t survive. Obviously, one of the things they would do back in Bible days, and even today, as a tactic of war was stop the water supply to the city.

Crops would die. Livestock would die. People would die. Armies would weaken. They would be put into submission.

But here, Hezekiah reminds us that God is the provider of all things. Although they did not have a physical river running through Jerusalem, there was a river, spiritually speaking, that they could drink from and find provision in the battle. A river that would not run dry.

Aren’t you thankful for the provision that God makes for us?

In verse 4, He takes care of our physical needs. In verse 5, He takes care of us spiritually. In verse 6, He takes care of our enemies. In verse 7, He is in charge and oversees the earth.

He is our provider. With Thanksgiving coming this Thursday, the thing that I’m most thankful for is the salvation that Jesus provided for me . How He died, was buried, and rose again.

And as I go through this life I understand that, as I have this salvation, everything that I receive is better than what I deserve. I deserve hell this morning. You deserve hell.

We don’t deserve the goodness of God. We don’t deserve His redeeming grace. But thanks be to God who made a way for us to be saved. If you’re here this morning and you have not been saved.

If you do not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Let me remind you, that there is a fountain that you can drink from and never thirst again!

Revelation 22:17 KJV 1900

And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

We can run to God knowing that He will provide for us. As I consider Hezekiah’s dilemma, I think about how God gave him a message ensuring victory. God promised Hezekiah He would provide victory.

Hezekiah had a choice, he would believe the message by faith and put it in the hands of God, or he would worry and fret while God was working in the background to perform His promise.

The refuge that some of us may need to run into this morning is the refuge of God’s promises regarding His provision.

-This last week has been probably one of the most challenging weeks in my life. This next week, will be even more challenging. I won’t go into details, but it has posed some very difficult obstacles. The verse I keep running to as my refuge is 4:11:

Psalm 84:11 KJV 1900

For the Lord God is a sun and shield: The Lord will give grace and glory: No good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.

I’m not quoting a verse to you in the most flowery time in my life. I am quoting a verse to you in the most challenging time. I am putting my faith in that verse. I am staking my life on that verse.

I think I’ve only had 5 nervous breakdowns this last week. I’m just kidding. Maybe four. But I will say that when I have come to the point of being overwhelmed, I have run back to this verse.

I don’t see how God’s going to provide. I don’t know how God’s going to provide. All I know is what that verse says, and it says He will provide.

That brings peace to me that I can find refuge in God’s provision.

There is a river! There is provision that God gives.

God is Our Refuge (v. 8-11)

WE FIND REFUGE IN HIS PRESENCE, PROVISION, and now HIS POWER.

We Can Find A Refuge in the Power of God (v. 8-9)

(SLOW) OUR GOD IS VICTORIOUS! Our God is all-powerful. Listen to what happened in Hezekiah’s story at the end of chapter 19 in II Kings:

2 Kings 19:32–37 KJV 1900

Therefore thus saith the Lord concerning the king of Assyria, He shall not come into this city, Nor shoot an arrow there, Nor come before it with shield, Nor cast a bank against it. By the way that he came, by the same shall he return, And shall not come into this city, saith the Lord. For I will defend this city, to save it, For mine own sake, and for my servant David’s sake. And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the Lord went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses. So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, and went and returned, and dwelt at Nineveh. And it came to pass, as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons smote him with the sword: and they escaped into the land of Armenia. And Esarhaddon his son reigned in his stead.

II Kings 19:

Does that not sound familiar? It sounds a whole lot like what Isaiah told Hezekiah before it even happened!

2 Kings 19:7 KJV 1900

Behold, I will send a blast upon him, and he shall hear a rumour, and shall return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land.

How great is our God!? What He said, he did! He had the power to take out 185,000 men as if it were nothing. His strength is unlimited and unmatched. He has no rival or equal.

When we find ourselves needing a refuge to run to, we can run into his arms knowing that He has the power to overcome whatever we are up against. Our God is a powerful God.

Illustration

-Friday I was sitting at Nemours with my son Gideon for his follow-up appointment. We were sitting in the room waiting on his doctor to come in, and I noticed the posters on the wall.

-We were there to see his neurologist, so these posters were all about the brain and the nervous system. As I looked at these posters, I was in awe of how intricate the brain is.

-They had a picture of the brain, then they took a section of the brain and broke it down even further. Then broke that section down further. Then broke that section down further. They broke it down to the very things we can’t see with the human eye.

-As I sat there God brought comfort to my heart, and it was as if He said, “Mike, I made that. I’m involved in that. I’m in the very smallest of details. If I could take all of that complicated intricate stuff, and make it work out, I can work out your situation as well.”

We’re not talking about some ordinary person. We’re talking about the Creator of heaven and earth. We are talking about the God who controls the weather.

We are talking about the God who knows the beginning from the ending. We are talking about the God who never grows weary and never tires or sleeps. We are talking about a limitless God!

Friend, if He can be in the biggest of details such as creating a solar system that rotates at just the right angles at just the right time, and if He can be in the smallest of details such as taking proteins and form cells and form tissues, and organs, and body systems.

If our God has the power to be involved in the grand, in the small, and in the in-between, then don’t you think He can be just as involved in your life and in my life?

God does not lack the power to change your situation. Trust in His sovereign hand. Let Him be God and work it out the way He sees best, because He knows best. Run to the refuge of His power.

We find refuge in His presence, He’s a very present help. We find refuge in His provision. He provides our needs. We find refuge in His power. He is working in our waiting.

So, knowing all of this, what do we do? Notice the closing of this chapter in verse 10.

Relax, and Experience God (v. 10-11)

Be still. It has an interesting meaning. Let me give you the technical definition, then I’ll put it in an easy to understand illustration. To be still means to hang limp; be feeble; be in a state of lacking power or force, with a focus that the muscles have lost their muscle tone to flex and so respond to a situation.

What does that look like? When I was a teenager I was pretty strong and in shape. And no, I was not round. I was involved in football and wrestling. I started weight lifting when I was in 5th grade.

Now I lift my weight off the couch instead of the gym, but that’s beside the point. Believe it or not when I was a senior in high school I had a six pack, and no it wasn’t Mountain Dew.

I was buff, I was strong. I could bench 300 pounds. One of my favorite past times was to look at the mirror from a side angle and flex my muscles.

I wanted to see how big my biceps were, how defined my triceps were. How solid my abs were. What are you doing when you are flexing? You are showing how powerful you are.

You’re showing how strong you are.

Now, listen to me because this is where reality hits hard. What do we try to do when we are faced with difficulty. What is our automatic response?

(Flex Muscle) We flex our muscle. We try to figure it out on our own. We try to do it in our own power. And guess what? We’re not strong enough to do it. We are incapable of doing it.

God, I can imagine is chomping at the bit waiting for us to surrender, waiting for us to give it to Him, so He can display His power, so He can receive the glory!

But we’re too busy flexing through it, trying to make it on our own. Trying to figure it all out. The opposite of flexing, is to be feeble.

I’m not saying not to fight, don’t misunderstand. What I’m saying is, let go and let God!

(Flex) Be still (unflex), and know that I am God.

To know God, does not simply mean to read it in a book and have knowledge. It means to perceive directly. It means that you experience God for yourself.

So long as you are flexing through life, you will not experience God like you could. It’s at the point of surrender, where you are at the end of yourself.

Where you have no might, no control, no understanding, no agenda, no plan B’s, where you just simply (rest) surrender, where you will experience that He is God.

You remember, this is where Hezekiah was. He was covered in sackcloth and ashes.

2 Kings 19:3 KJV 1900

And they said unto him, Thus saith Hezekiah, This day is a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and blasphemy: for the children are come to the birth, and there is not strength to bring forth.

He said, “We can’t do it. We don’t have the strength.” When you get to the point where you recognize you can’t do it, your faith must be in the one who can. Be still (rest) relax, and experience who God is.

Let Him be glorified through your situation. Don’t forget, the Lord of hosts is with us.

Conclusion

Illustration

-One of the most famous hymns still sung today is the hymn, “A Mighty Fortress is Our God” by Martin Luther. At the time in which this song was written there were many reasons as to why Luther would have wrote this song.

-Some have called it the “Battle Hymn of the Reformation.” Historians are even unsure as to the exact date it was written and the exact reasoning behind why it was written. We do know that the premise was based off of this psalm, .

-Most scholars believe the hymn was written between 1521-1529. During those years were some of the darkest years of Luther’s life. The hymn may have been used as a battle hymn, but most likely Luther intended for it to be a hymn of comfort.

-In August 1527, a man who followed Luther’s teaching was martyred. In the fall of 1527, a plague broke out in Wittenberg. In December 1527, Luther wrote to a colleague:

-“We are all in good health except for Luther himself, who is physically well, but outwardly the whole world and inwardly the devil and all his angels are making him suffer.”

-A few days later, in January 1528, Luther wrote that he was undergoing a period of temptation that was the worst he had experienced in his life.

-When Luther speaks of “temptation,” he uses the German word. While Anfechtungis translated “temptation” or “trial,” it refers to anything that causes anxiety, doubt, fear, suffering, or terror in a person’s life.

-For instance, in December 1527, Luther’s daughter, Elizabeth, was born sickly. In May 1528, she died. The six months of wrestling with the Lord in prayer to save his sick daughter was a period of temptation (Anfechtung) for Luther.

-He was mentally and spiritually fatigued. He was under the cross of suffering. Yet, he took comfort in the Psalms and trusted in the promises of Jesus.

Out of his suffering and his strength found in , he penned these words:

1 A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing; our helper he, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing. For still our ancient foe does seek to work us woe; his craft and power are great, and armed with cruel hate, on earth is not his equal.

2 Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing, were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God's own choosing. You ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is he; Lord Sabaoth his name, from age to age the same; and he must win the battle.

3 And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us, we will not fear, for God has willed his truth to triumph through us. The prince of darkness grim, we tremble not for him; his rage we can endure, for lo! his doom is sure; one little word shall fell him.

4 That Word above all earthly powers no thanks to them abideth; the Spirit and the gifts are ours through him who with us sideth. Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also; the body they may kill: God's truth abideth still; his kingdom is forever! 

God is our refuge and strength. Be still and know that He is God!

Story of Martin Luther “A mighty fortress”

https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2019/feb/26/what-caused-the-genoa-morandi-bridge-collapse-and-the-end-of-an-italian-national-myth

https://lutheranreformation.org/history/a-mighty-fortress/