February 23, 2020 Covenant

My message this morning is be still and know that I am God and we are going to take a look at Psalm 46. If you got a Bible, please take it out and follow it along. If you don't have a Bible in front of you there's a red Bible the Pew Bible you can open up in term the song 46 often when we're studying the gospels are looking at the Old Testament. You hear stories that are easy to follow simply with your ears. But as we go to the Psalms, we're looking at the songs and poetry that often meaning of which is carried by the the way in which the storm is is written in structured. And so we're continuing over the course of the next several weeks as we move through the hymn book of his real the songs that were sung in worship for different seasons in four different events that often we find these songs as expressions of of of a personal confession or celebration. What God has done other songs are not the expressions of an individual but up the community-at-large off in storms have behind them a historical event that we can read about in the scriptures. You think of David's great confession of sin with Bathsheba that we often use as a confession and worship against you and you only Lord have I send it came out of his personal experience of shortcoming and he rode into a song a potential song that was used not just by David as the King as a testimony to God's graciousness and his own falling this but for his people as a jumping-off point for their own confession as they struggled then wrestled with sin and this morning we're going to look at Psalm 46 a phrase from that song probably very familiar to you be still and know that I am God. Certain phrases or statements that come out from the scriptures that that we seem to know by heart that we learn as a part of our life growing up, but we don't always know where they come from it. So it's interesting to study the songs in Define. The anchors of these Declarations of God's goodness there within the song It's So this morning we're going to take a look at Psalm 46 will read it together. We'll talk about it back drop and then talk about what it teaches us about The God Who alone is our refuge and strength, please a follow along with me with your eyes as I read from Psalm 46. God is our refuge and strength A very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear. Will the Earth gives way? Spell the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea though, its Waters Roar and foam the mountains tremble and it's swelling. There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God the holy habitation of the most high God is in the midst of her she shall not be moved. God will help her when morning dawns. The nation's rage the Kingdom's totter. He utters his voice the Earth melts. The Lord of hosts is with us. The god of Jacob is our Fortress. Come Behold The Works of the Lord how he is brought desolation on the Earth. He makes Wars cease to the end of the Earth. He breaks the bow and shatters the spear and he burns the Chariots with fire. be still And know that I am God, I will be exalted among the Nations. I will be exalted in the Earth. The Lord of hosts is with us. The god of Jacob is our Fortress. I don't know about you, but often as I turned the songs, I turned the songs in my daily devotion and I'll I'll pick one or two Psalms to read as I'm moving through the scriptures and I I don't always take the time to investigate when the song was written or To Whom It Was Written or or what it was about then. Sometimes we have the opportunity to dig a Little Deeper. It it it it colors in the outlines of Psalms that we are often very familiar with no. We're probably familiar with that memorable phrase be still and know that I am God or God is our refuge and strength a very present help in trouble. We may not know the backdrop against which this song was written and I think is we study it will really bring this song. I'm out in the high relief. This song scholars believe it was written against the backdrop of some very familiar characters. I'll finish you open up your Old Testament. You don't know all the characters that you run across you can't know the highlights of the big names, but not always the smaller ones and this particular song involves some of the biggest names that you might recall that in the Old Testament. The Kings of Israel. I'm sure you know them by name chronologically. Let's say them together. Okay? No, okay. But you might be able to name a few head of all the kings of Israel of King David certainly would come to mine King Solomon. But another famous King that you may know his name begins with the age is King Hezekiah write a man who was after God's Own Heart one of those King Soopers who turned the attention of Israel back to the Lord in and struck down the asherah poles than covered God's land with idolatrous Pagan influence and King at the chi is one of the characters that sits in the backdrop of this song with King Hezekiah is a pretty good name the prophets. Of course, these famous men who Proclaim God's word in difficult circumstances. Why don't we do that? Let's name the prophets in order starting from the beginning write the sum of the name. Is there more well-known than others. Of course, I might think if you think of any profit of the Old Testament, you might think of the one that that I think of his name begins with the letter i, Isaiah the prophet that Fame Prophet who told the Virgin that she would be with child from whom we remember so much of the Christmas story told 600 years 700 years before Jesus was ever born in a prophetic evidence of of God's inspired word. Come to pass by Isaiah sits at the back of this song as well. And we certainly wouldn't know it simply from reading through this song but it's a very specific incidents in the life of Israel bitchute the people of Israel the people of Jerusalem to the very core. Probably the most dangerous political event that was ever experienced in the life of God's people may be apart from the work of Pharaoh in Egypt that they've recalled are the events that sit behind this song in order to do a little bit of background worked to laid in the high relief. You got a Bible. I'd like you to turn with me not to Isaiah chapter 36 and you're going to hear a story. I won't tell you too much more. You'll have to listen to how this story unfolds. It's a story of the people of the Southern Kingdom.

Bored into the city for fear of their lives is one of the most powerful armies in the history of the world gathers around the city of God. To bring it to the ground. Isaiah chapter 36 records the events that sit at the back of this song. Isaiah recount the events in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the Fortified cities of Judah and took them. And the king of Assyria sent the rap sheikha from lak'ech to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem with a great Army. I stood by the conduit of the upper pool on the highway to the washers field. Heather came out to him at Lia Kim the son of hilkiah it was over the household and shove nut the secretary and Joe off the son of ASAP the recorder and the rabbit Shaker said to them. Say the Hezekiah thus says the great king king of Assyria. On what do you rest this trust of yours? Do you think that mere words are strategy and power for War and who you now trust that you have rebelled against me behold. You are trusting in Egypt that broken Reed of a staff which will pierce the hand of any man who leans on it such as Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust in him. But if you say to me, we trust in the Lord our God is it not he who is high places and Alters Hezekiah has removed saying to Judah and Jerusalem you shall worship before this Altar and noticed that the sheikah who was the governor one of the commanders of a Syrian knew that has a kayak had taken down the false. Asherah poles Butthead confuse those with the correct fights of worship for the Lord and so he saying, how is your god going to save you when you're the one that came to destroy the places to worship him he goes on is it not he who is high places that alters Hezekiah has removed saying to Judah and Jerusalem you shall worship before this altar. The one in Jerusalem come now, make a wager with my master the king of Assyria. I will give you two thousand horses if you were able on your part to set Riders on them. Housing can you riposte a single Captain among the least of my Master's servants when you trust in Egypt for chariots and four horsemen noticed the Israelites Katie Winfield and equestrian Battalion to come up against the king of Assyria moreover. Is it without the Lord that I have come up against this land to destroy it. The Lord said to me go up against this land and destroy it. Fidelco eliakim shabnur joash said to read chica Watch What Happens here? Please speak to your service and Aramaic for we understand it. You not speak to us in the language of Judah Hebrew within the hearing of the people who are on the wall to get a picture of this. The representative of Assyria is proclaiming these things in Hebrew before the wall fortified city of Jerusalem, and the Israelites for fear of their lives are listening to what the Assyrian Kings generals are for telling it to the leaders of Israel bag that they speak in Aramaic because they understand it that the people may not hear please speak to your servants in Aramaic for we understand it. Speak to us in the language of Judah within the hearing of the people who are on the wall. But the red Shaker said that's my master sent me to speak these words to your master and to you and not to the men sitting on the wall who are doomed with you to eat their own dung and drink their own urine pretty interesting statements in the Bible there, huh? Did Arab Sheikh has stood and called out in a loud voice in the language of Judah hear the words of the great king the king of Assyria dust as the king do not let Hezekiah deceive you or he will not be able to deliver. You. Do not let Hezekiah make you trust in the Lord by saying that the Lord will surely Deliver us. This city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria. Do not listen to Hezekiah king of Assyria. Make your peace with me and come out to me did each one of you will eat from his own Vine and each of from his own fig tree and he will drink the water of his own sister and until I come and take away a land like your own land the land of grain and wine and bread and Vineyards beware lest Hezekiah mislead you by saying that the Lord will Deliver Us Is any of the Gods of the Nations delivered his hand his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria. What do you think the answer that question is? No. Where are the gods of hammatt or r-pod where are the gods of sephiroth sepharvaim have they delivered Samaria out of my hand who among all the gods of these lands has delivered their lands out of my hand that the Lord should jumper deliver Jerusalem out of my hand. But they were silent and answered him. Not a word for the King's Command was do not answer him.

Not sure if you're a student of history, but the Assyrians were the most powerful Army in the history of the world up until this time and not a single Studio City had withstood are there scenes works for hundreds of years the great majority of Kingdoms were surf Tums to the Assyrians and some of the famous leaders of exterior enshrined Even in our own culture. I give her her to the chess game Star gone before you know, Sargon was one of the great strategic Kings and commanders of the Assyrian Kingdom Sargon II overtook the Northern Kingdom of Israel and raised to the ground only 20 years before this and 721 ad and then start on the second was replaced by sennacherib had during that time. It appears that Hezekiah Faithfully serve the Lord and was committed to the power of God to deliver his people decided to to to to build a road. Oh, yeah, he worked with the people from Ashkelon and even the Egyptians to stand up to the neck ribbon Pat possibly overthrow his Rule and this was the response that he received. The most powerful Army in the history of the world gathered around the city of David to destroy it how many of you guys have ever watched Lord of the Rings before have you watched that just a couple of weeks ago Malin and I caught one of the Lord of the Rings shows on Netflix and there's this picture of this horde of kind of gor gor gargoyles around ogres or who knows what they're coming up against the castle. That's that all the people are inside of and they they raise up these great Siege works these three and four story powers that they push up against the castle walls and the begin to pound on the walls and you watch that scene in you're horrified as these non-human creatures try to tear into the kingdom of this of these men and Destroy them. What was the Assyrian two were the ones who used stageworks and engines just like that not in the movies with the overthrow kingdoms and it would bring great Powers three and four stories high four wheels on the ground roll them up to the side of a city wall. And in the middle of the Seas work, they had a rampart that they would bang against the middle of the wall because it was its weakest Point their archers would shoot dead any of the men who stood on the top of the wall to defend the city as the Assyrian King demolish to the city and overtook, its people So often you read about these accounts in the scriptures, but it's not simply in the pages of the scriptures that we read about these accounts. We actually have a picture if you flip one slide Forward Air for me of Stelly of sennacherib, there's three of them that we've Unearthed in if you were to see very closely this picture, you would find drive all the way around it all the kingdoms that's in that crib had conquered one of which was the Kingdom of Israel. This encounter that we read in the scriptures is a historical reality and it sits in the backdrop of Psalm 46. Boca Chica presented the king's demands not just to the leaders of Hezekiah is Kingdom. But so that all the people could hear it and Hezekiah learned of what grab Shaker had said in 2nd Kings 19 2nd Kings 19 verse 14. You read Hezekiah is response. Here's what's recorded in the annals of the king Hezekiah received a letter from the hand of The Messengers of sennacherib and + reddits and Hezekiah went up to the house of the Lord and spread it before the Lord and Hezekiah prayed before the Lord had said, oh Lord. The god of Israel enthroned above the cherubim you are the god you alone of all the kingdoms of the Earth. You have made Heaven and Earth and incline your ear O Lord and hear open your eyes. Oh Lord and see hear the words of sennacherib, which he has sent to mock the Living God. Truly. Oh Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid waste the Nations and their lands in the past their gods Into the Fire for they were not Gods but the work of men's hands wood and stone therefore they were destroyed so now oh Lord Our God save us, please from this hand. They're all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you oh Lord Our God Alone. And then I say I noticed that you're not in the book of Isaiah hear you're in Second Kings Ben Isaiah. The son of a mama's sent to Hezekiah saying God says the Lord remember what I said a crib had his a general safe. Says the king the fascinating contrast isn't the Lord the god of Israel your prayer to me about sennacherib king of Assyria I have heard. This is what the Lord has spoken concerning him. She despises you she scorns you the Virgin Daughter of Zion two-way wags her head behind you the daughter of Jerusalem who had you more often revealed against whom if you raise your voice and lifted your eyes to the height against the Holy One of Israel by your Messengers. You have mock the Lord and you had said with my mini chariots. I have gone up on the heights of the mountains to the far recesses of Lebanon. I failed its call The Cedars its choicest Cypress High entered its farthest lodging place and its most fruitful Forest. I dug Wells and drink Foreign Waters and I dried up with the sole of my foot all the streams of Egypt. Could you not heard that? I determined it long ago. I plan from Days of old but now I bring to pass that you should turn fortified cities in the heaps of ruins inhabitants shorn of strength or dismayed and confounded and had become like plants of the field and like Tinder grass like grass on the house-tops blighted before it is grown, but I know you're sitting down and you're going out and coming in and your raging against me because you have raged against me and your complacency has come into my ears. I will put my hook in your nose and my bit in your mouth and I will turn you back on the way which you came.

Back, did you have any idea that the backdrop of Psalm 46 was this International contest between the god of the heavens and the earth and the God of this world the king of Assyria and yet that's exactly the backdrop that sits behind the mighty words of the Lord be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the Nations. I will be exalted in the Earth. The Psalms are the hymns of Israel song of the Deliverance of God in the most remarkable of circumstances. And this song declares God's Deliverance in a circumstance that was undeliverable completely undeliverable. No one has ever escaped the hand of the Assyrians. In fact, what would usually happen is those walls would fall and the leaders of that Kingdom would be stripped of their Flash and impaled on rods in front of the city streets for all the people to see It certainly that's what mini and Israel may have expected to Hezekiah in faithfulness assured by Isaiah by the inspired word of God's holy spirit had been told spit spit that Center cribs desires would not come to pass and yet they had to wait and watch and see that the Lord was God to be still and watch the Deliverance that he would bring to pass that was interesting as you lead on that Stelly of the events that transpired here from the hand sennacherib himself. Here's what he wrote on that Staley. I think I have it here. He talks about the the overwhelming power that he brought to bear on on the Kingdom of Israel. Like I just don't think that I've got it written down here, but what's fascinating about all that? He writes is at the very end of all that he writes and writes about all the cities 46 that he destroyed and 185000 Men Women children that he killed what he does not right at the end is that he ever set his foot in Jerusalem. It's quite certain that had you done so that would have appeared very plainly on the Stelly that he set before all of history to record is great Deeds. The reason he didn't write those words is because he never did and as we seem from Psalm 46 God brought Deliverance to the people of Israel as he struck down a great multitude of the Assyrian army there in the planes outside of the city of Jerusalem. The Psalm 46 records these events and the Deliverance that the Lord brought and the reason I spend so much time and it's backdrop is because it's only against the backdrop of this great Deliverance that we get a sense of the Grandeur and glory and power of the one who alone is our refuge and our strength. Here's what this song this right? Does he record what God accomplished in that day. God is our refuge the psalmist right and strength. A very present help in trouble.

Therefore we will not fear.

Will the Earth gives way? The mountains be moved into the heart of the sea though, its Waters Roar and foam feel the mountains tremble at its swelling.

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God the holy habitation of the most high God is in the midst of her. She shall not be moved. God will help her when morning dawns. powerful declaration that God is the one who will deliver his people I would take a look at this song as we conclude our study this morning. We see a familiar refrain that comes across many of this song a statement that God Alone is our refuge and strength. You see it here in Psalm 46 you feed in Psalm 18:2. The Lord is my rock and my Fortress my deliverer my God my rock and whom I take refuge my shield and the Horn of my salvation my stronghold Psalm 94:22 what the Lord has become my stronghold and my God the rock of my refuge. Have you ever sought Refuge before? Thankfully that's something that we have to not do not to do on a regular basis. I remember is we moved from California to to Florida and California. If it was going to rain you would know it months in advance. The clouds would Gather in the skies and you could tell that the rain was coming and if there was a cloud about six hours later, you might have a couple of sprinkling drops of rain. You wouldn't usually have to bring umbrellas. But if you did you would know it again hours in advance when we came to Florida, we would go to Bonefish or go to some restaurant as we're sitting in their the clouds would come in the peals of thunder and it was like a bathtub of water was poured out onto the Earth, right and be found ourselves without umbrellas rushing from one little port to another to find Refuge from from the waters pour down upon us that might be the few times that I ever seek. Refuge is when I'm speaking it from the rain clouds of the the Florida Skyline. And get this image of a refuge just one that's used time and time again in the scriptures that God is our refuge. He's the one that oversees Our Lives. He's the one that we can turn to in times of trouble. Not only does he protect us from harm, but he has the power to overcome whatever adversary or Foe who is set against us God is our refuge and strength. A very present help in times of trouble. How do you think the people of the city of Jerusalem fell as they looked in the distance as the clouds emerged Over the Horizon? An army the likes of which they had never seen entering onto the field the battle in setting up camp against them cuz he watching Lord of the Rings my heart sank as the ogres and horde the battle came against heading camped against that castle in that movie. I can only imagine if you watched it take place through your window cut out there in the wall of Jerusalem.

So is the psalmist writes these words were forced to realize that this is not a fairytale. That's simply words of false hope but a declaration that God is our refuge and strength a very present help in time and trouble even when the Earth gives way under our feet. Sometime you read the Psalms and you think what are you so concerned about him and yours isn't my enemies have all risen up against me, you know and I think sometimes it's personal struggles that the storm was is facing maybe ones that we wouldn't think that are cataclysmic but this for certain is a cataclysmic event. That's described. Therefore. We will not fear though. The Earth gives way the mountain moved into the part of the seed of waters Roar mountains tremble at their swelling. It's the image of the world collapsing beneath us. Installments inspired by God's word and proven True by God's action is telling us it doesn't matter what we face. Pretty naughty little trials and tribulations, but the greater ones it that we have ever faced in our lives true trials and tribulations one that told our very lives in the balance that he even when the Earth itself cracks and shakes with the Lord is ever-present in our times of trouble to be our refuge and our strength and that we need not fear. Why did we not fear? Because the Lord is with us? We talked a little bit about parallelism in the Hebrew poetry. We talked about that two weeks ago and you see it here take a look and the Stahlman verse 2 and 3 and 4. Do you see it?

Statements that come up time and time again that are so similar but expand upon what is being faced. Therefore. We will not fear. The one the Earth gives way to the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea or three of the waters Roar and foam or for the mountains tremble at the swelling of the Seas.

No matter how bad things get we will not fear. Is underscoring hear the depths of the circumstances that are faced and why is it that we will not fear? The Strain shift in first for almost like the psalmist went off into a completely different picture a different vision of a completely different event like a scene in the movie were all the sudden that the scenery changes and someone goes from a horrible situation if it's peaceful idyllic one. It catches You by surprise to a certain degree. Here's what he said there is a river. Whose streams make glad the city of God the holy habitation of the most high. It's almost the moment in which someone blacks out from the forcefulness is the world is crumbling before them and catches a vision of a completely different situation. You see that when movies when people are like knocked unconscious and all the sudden Things become so peaceful. It's almost the picture here. Why is it that all the sudden his focus is moved from the shattering of the ground below him to an idyllic picture of the city of God cared for by God's hand by this tiny little creek that provides provision for his people and yet that's exactly what he's done for my eyes that are set on the Assyrian horde to a picture of Jerusalem in the idyllic peaceful setting a river whose streams make glad the city of God a holy habitation of the most high. But certainly the hope of the psalmist is not in the streams of this River. He goes on God is in the midst of her. She shall not be moved. God will be her help. when morning dawns and that's the key of the song. The hear the people of this city are safe because they are the Lord's people. The city is not safe because this River provides provision as the Assyrian cord sit on the other side of the wall with the siege Works aimed against them, but the city is at peace because the Lord is in its midst. How do you sometimes as we look back at the storms and read these Declarations of God's Deliverance? They seem far from us? Our King has not Hezekiah. Our president is Donald Trump. You know our King spokesman is not Isaiah, but it's one of the president's counselors unfamiliar with a land in which the leadership is committed to the lordship of Christ and we can't fully understand how these political battles play out in the spiritual realities and get tier the psalmist makes clear that The God Who is Call of Duty with his people will protect his people and oversee his people. And then today we are not inhabitants of the city of Jerusalem. We are inhabitants of the city of God. Because we are the sons and daughters of the king. We are those in whom God Spirit dwells. He dwells with us. He dwells in a s a we do not fear though the Earth shakes or the ground swells are the mountains fall into the heart of the sea because we are the Lords and our King is Sovereign over the nation's head are skiing is Sovereign over any and every circumstance that we face. The psalmist realizes this is he draws out. The reality that God's covenant. People are under his Covenant protection over 6, the nation's rage. the Kingdom's Carter He's the utters his voice and the Earth melts. It's the same thing that Isaiah said to cenikor ribbon in Second Kings. Have you not heard that I determined that long ago. I plan from Days of old. What now, I bring to pass that you should turn fortified cities in the heaps of Ruin father inhabitants shorn of strength or dismayed. God is the one who is Sovereign over the events of this world. Pacific Rim is oblivious to this and believe that he's brought his power and might to bear on all the kingdoms of the world the lord in an instant brings it to his attention. The God is the one who writes the pages of history that he oversees every generation and decade that comes to pass every inscription that a king escribes on stoneware there truthfully or falsely is in the hands of the Lord and not in the hands of that King. And when the Lord says you shall go no further and you shall not pass because he is the king of kings and the Lord of lords.

Quite frankly. This is a song that you would never expect to turn out the way that it does but we're told from the scriptures as well as we know from the proofs of history that sennacherib never set his foot in Jerusalem what two places that the Lord sent a Great Plague upon the Assyrian army some think it was something like the Bubonic plague. It was said that when they battled the Egyptian mice over ran their camps and historians think that possibly would happen is hundreds of thousands of his soldiers was struck with the disease and ultimately they left that place and then he declared his victory on his Stelly. He never set foot in the city of God. It was that because of the power of Egypt that it come to the help of Israel in that moment or the strength of Hezekiah his armies when he could not even put two thousand men on horses if the king of Assyria had provided them know, According to the Scriptures it is because the Lord was with his people and he delivered them from the Assyrian Kings hands. What challenges do you face in your life? Some of them are small and insignificant frankly and yet we're overwhelmed by them. I'm is overwhelmed. It seems insignificant event as I am by the most significant ones, but sometimes there's events that come into our lives that shake the very Bedrock of the ground on which we stand. We see the difference. Sometimes events come into our lives that they shake things to the very core things that happened that we know. are challenging the very Heart Of Who We Are are the scriptures tell us that God provides for those he loves and those circumstances that he is present and able very present to be our help in times of trouble our refuge and our strength. In those moments God has told us and he has proven it true through the evidence of his Deliverance of his people. We are to be still and know that I am God. That I will be exalted among the Nations that I will be exalted in the Earth. The Lord of hosts is with us. The god of Jacob is our Fortress in our strength. What challenges are you facing today? It might not be a season where you look out your window and seeing the Mysterion Hoards gathered. It might be a season that idyllic and peaceful and yet the seasons shift. And we are promised from God's word. If the Lord will be our refuge and strength and whatever circumstance comes and why is that the case because we are those he's called his sons and daughters and there's no one who will come between him and us because he cares for us and he watches over us that we might know the depth of his love for us in his grace and mercy and even above that that the world might see if there's no one but Jesus who stands is the King of Kings and the Lord of lords what's closed in a word of Prayer?

gracious and holy God We thank thank you for your faithfulness down Through the Ages. a record of your proven trustworthiness to your Covenant people a people who did not deserve to be called by your name. The people who are not greater in number than any other nation of the Earth or better and character. Simply a people who you chose to pour out your grace and mercy upon that your name might be made great to all the nations and SO2 in Christ Lord. We have come to be that people not for any Worth or value or righteousness that we possess frankly Lord for no reason that we can imagine but simply for your grace and you have call this your own. And you promised in this life that no the world itself be shaking beneath our feet that you will be our refuge and our strength a very present help in trouble. It's so we give you thanks. Oh lord for some of us who are facing great difficulty in this season. We give you thanks that you promise to deliver us through those difficult circumstances for those of us who her experiences season a piece we give you. Thanks that that piece is undergirded by the realization that when things become difficult, you will not leave or forsake us. But you are our refuge and strength are very present help our only help in time of trouble. And so we trust in you the Lord of hosts because you are with us in Jesus name we pray. Amen. Let's stand together and sing our closing song.