Calm Down! God's in control!

Psalm 46 CSB

For the choir director. A song of the sons of Korah. According to Alamoth. 1 God is our refuge and strength, a helper who is always found in times of trouble. 2 Therefore we will not be afraid, though the earth trembles and the mountains topple into the depths of the seas, 3 though its water roars and foams and the mountains quake with its turmoil. Selah 4 There is a river— its streams delight the city of God, the holy dwelling place of the Most High. 5 God is within her; she will not be toppled. God will help her when the morning dawns. 6 Nations rage, kingdoms topple; the earth melts when he lifts his voice. 7 The Lord of Armies is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah 8 Come, see the works of the Lord, who brings devastation on the earth. 9 He makes wars cease throughout the earth. He shatters bows and cuts spears to pieces; he sets wagons ablaze. 10 “Stop fighting, and know that I am God, exalted among the nations, exalted on the earth.” 11 The Lord of Armies is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah

Intro:

Last week during the sermon I mentioned a conversation I had with my daughters about 2020. They made this statement “I lot of people assume 2021 is going to be better than 2020 and that 2020 was unique” they said “God never promise that 2021 would be a better year, and that it could be worse than 2021”

Then on 1.6.2021 There was a coup attempt on the Federal Government to stop the constitutionally elected President from officially being named “President of the US” this is the first time a Federal Building of this magnitude had been breached since the war of 1812

Folks were glued to the TV watching the events unfold. Thinking “I never thought I would see something like this in America”

World leaders responded with shock and awe

Russia celebrated what they see the beginning of the end of America dominance in the world.

What was lost yesterday in the news cycle is that 3890 people died from COVID, which was the highest death count since the beginning of this Pandemic.

The Mighty America is split right down the middle in along Party Lines.

Many folks are losing hope in our government believing the government is dishonest and out to get them

There has been a sharp uptick in overall violence in our country in 2020.

Church “what should our response be?” “How are we to interpret the events that are transpiring across the globe particularly in the US.

There is a Word from the Lord.

Psalm 46 Paints a wonderful picture of what or attitude should be in the midst of a Cosmological Chaos, or a Global Catastrophe. It gives us a blueprint for living during uncertain times.

-It is imperative that we do a little work on this Psalm. This Psalm was written in response to God’s goodness during a seige involving the Children of Israel and the Assyrians. This story can be found in 2 Kings 18:13:

2 Kings 18:13–16 CSB

13 In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Assyria’s King Sennacherib attacked all the fortified cities of Judah and captured them. 14 So King Hezekiah of Judah sent word to the king of Assyria at Lachish: “I have done wrong; withdraw from me. Whatever you demand from me, I will pay.” The king of Assyria demanded eleven tons of silver and one ton of gold from King Hezekiah of Judah. 15 So Hezekiah gave him all the silver found in the Lord’s temple and in the treasuries of the king’s palace. 16 At that time Hezekiah stripped the gold from the doors of the Lord’s sanctuary and from the doorposts he had overlaid and gave it to the king of Assyria.

(v.13-16) Hezekiah the King of the Southern Tribes of Israel was in a bad situation. The world Superpower had CONQUERED Judah and now required tribute in the form of Gold & Silver to leave instead of staying as an occupying nation. He wanted 16,000 lbs of silver and 1500 lbs of Gold. Hezekiah had to give up all the Gold that was in the temple it got so bad he had to scrape Gold off the doors to make up the one ton. Hezekiah was willing to do that to get rid of the occupier. Hezekiah had rid Israel of its tendency towards idolatry. He got rid of all the Idols they had added to their temple.

2 Kings 18:17–33 CSB

17 Then the king of Assyria sent the field marshal, the chief of staff, and his royal spokesman, along with a massive army, from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. They advanced and came to Jerusalem, and they took their position by the aqueduct of the upper pool, by the road to the Launderer’s Field. 18 They called for the king, but Eliakim son of Hilkiah, who was in charge of the palace, Shebnah the court secretary, and Joah son of Asaph, the court historian, came out to them. 19 Then the royal spokesman said to them, “Tell Hezekiah this is what the great king, the king of Assyria, says: ‘What are you relying on? 20 You think mere words are strategy and strength for war. Who are you now relying on so that you have rebelled against me? 21 Now look, you are relying on Egypt, that splintered reed of a staff that will pierce the hand of anyone who grabs it and leans on it. This is what Pharaoh king of Egypt is to all who rely on him. 22 Suppose you say to me, “We rely on the Lord our God.” Isn’t he the one whose high places and altars Hezekiah has removed, saying to Judah and to Jerusalem, “You must worship at this altar in Jerusalem” ?’ 23 “So now, make a bargain with my master the king of Assyria. I’ll give you two thousand horses if you’re able to supply riders for them! 24 How then can you drive back a single officer among the least of my master’s servants? How can you rely on Egypt for chariots and for horsemen? 25 Now, have I attacked this place to destroy it without the Lord’s approval? The Lord said to me, ‘Attack this land and destroy it.’ ” 26 Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah, Shebnah, and Joah said to the royal spokesman, “Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, since we understand it. Don’t speak with us in Hebrew within earshot of the people on the wall.” 27 But the royal spokesman said to them, “Has my master sent me to speak these words only to your master and to you? Hasn’t he also sent me to the men who sit on the wall, destined with you to eat their own excrement and drink their own urine?” 28 The royal spokesman stood and called out loudly in Hebrew: “Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria. 29 This is what the king says: ‘Don’t let Hezekiah deceive you; he can’t rescue you from my power. 30 Don’t let Hezekiah persuade you to rely on the Lord by saying, “Certainly the Lord will rescue us! This city will not be handed over to the king of Assyria.” ’ 31 “Don’t listen to Hezekiah, for this is what the king of Assyria says: ‘Make peace with me and surrender to me. Then each of you may eat from his own vine and his own fig tree, and each may drink water from his own cistern 32 until I come and take you away to a land like your own land—a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive trees and honey—so that you may live and not die. But don’t listen to Hezekiah when he misleads you, saying, “The Lord will rescue us.” 33 Has any of the gods of the nations ever rescued his land from the power of the king of Assyria?

(v.17-33) You see the boasting and the bragging in these verses. The Generals of the Assyrian Army are offering the Israelites slavery instead of death. Hezekiah has been holding out and telling the people to trust God for their deliverance. The King of Assyria is saying who can you rely on that is going to protect you from my sword. You don’t have a choice but to serve me because of my great power and might

Chapter 19- Hezekiah holds out and trust the Lord and eventually while all the Assyrian soldiers slept “The Angel of the Lord” most likely an OT appearance of Christ killed 185000 Assyrian Soldiers when the other soldiers got up and saw the carnage they bailed out and the King of Assyria bailed out. No long after the King of Assyria was killed by two of his sons.

-This 46th Psalm was written to celebrate this great victory against all odds. So we might call this a Psalm of Praise!

Always-God is our refuge and strength a helper who is always found in time of trouble

I. God is our shelter in the Storm

Psalm 46:1–3 CSB

1 God is our refuge and strength, a helper who is always found in times of trouble. 2 Therefore we will not be afraid, though the earth trembles and the mountains topple into the depths of the seas, 3 though its water roars and foams and the mountains quake with its turmoil. Selah

(EXE)(v.1) “God is” You know as read the bible it is important that you learn how to “find the verb” “is” is the verb. This is vital to the understanding of this Psalm.

The Psalmist is about to describe who God is not something that he provides.

When we talk about ontology we are referring to someone or somethings essentially characteristics.

Example-“God is Holy” this is description of who he is, not what he does. This statement describes his nature. When we says someone is “Kind-hearted” we are speaking to their character not something they do

(EXE)(v.1) “God is our refuge and strength” Before we put this sentence together let’s define our terms.

Refuge-A shelter, or hiding place

Strength-To be empowered

David picks up on this phraseology in Psalm 18:2:

Psalm 18:2 CSB

2 The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my rock where I seek refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

(v.2) Notice what David says about God. He calls him “a rock, fortress and deliverer” all three of these descriptors are synonyms to the words used in Psalms 46:1-2 and the Beauty is “David wrote Psalm 18 & the Sons of Korah wrote Psalms 46 this tells us that God is a refuge for all, not just the powerful or influential. There is another text in Psalms 91 the gives us powerful Metaphor of the the kind of care God gives to his children.

Psalm 91:1–4 CSB

1 The one who lives under the protection of the Most High dwells in the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say concerning the Lord, who is my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust: 3 He himself will rescue you from the bird trap, from the destructive plague. 4 He will cover you with his feathers; you will take refuge under his wings. His faithfulness will be a protective shield.

What a wonderful promise notice (v.4) He describes his care for us by comparing himself to a momma bird wrapping her wings around her children to protect them from harm.

(EXE)(v.1) “God is our refuge and strength, a helper who is always found in times of trouble”

Now the text tells us what he does “a helper” one who gives assistance. One comes up along side. The NT borrows this term in its description of who the HS is to us. The word “helper” in the NT is “paraclete” and this means “One who comes up alongside” an “Advocate”

Now it is important you realize this “Help” God gives is related to the issue that needs resolving: In the case of this Psalm it was protection from enemy, In other cases it may be food in the middle of a famine, it may be comfort during times of grieving, but essentially God helps us specific to the need that we are petitioning him for

In this Psalm the writer of the song is speaking hyperbolically to help understand the magnitude of God’s care and concern for us. Listen to what he says:

Psalm 46:2–3 CSB

2 Therefore we will not be afraid, though the earth trembles and the mountains topple into the depths of the seas, 3 though its water roars and foams and the mountains quake with its turmoil. Selah

(EXE-v.2-3) “Therefore” Now lets rewind (v.1) since God is our refuge, our rock, our stronghold, our strength, and our helper “WE WILL NOT BE AFRAID”

The Psalmist then begins to describe apocalyptic events in the Cosmos. The Psalmist says “Though the Earth shakes, and the Mountains fall into the sea, and the sea begins to get sick and begin to throw up “WE WILL NOT BE AFRAID”

The Psalmist describes a situation where everything we know to be reality just falls apart. Picture waking up one day and sun no longer gives off light and falls from heaven like a shooting star, then our planet begins to freeze almost immediately causing waters to freeze and shut down our whole water supply, then the moon fails give off light because the sun is gone now the tides of the ocean are all discombobulated. Even if this happens the children of God should be able to say “WE WILL NOT BE AFRAID”

Now the Psalmist breaks off (v.1) with a Break “Selah” at this point most scholar’s believe this is a break in the song for reflection before he move on to the next verse.

Application:

God knows how to take care of children in the midst of cataclysmic events.

Illustration:

Always calling to see if Granny Lou was still here during inclement weather

Open the Doors

Giving

Ephesians 3:20–21 CSB

20 Now to him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us—21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Benediction

1 Timothy 3:16 CSB

16 And most certainly, the mystery of godliness is great: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.

Transition Statement: The Psalmist in v.1 of the song tells us that if the world falls apart “God is our refuge” he then goes right into chaos that is caused by humans

II. God is our refuge in War

Psalm 46:4–7 CSB

4 There is a river— its streams delight the city of God, the holy dwelling place of the Most High. 5 God is within her; she will not be toppled. God will help her when the morning dawns. 6 Nations rage, kingdoms topple; the earth melts when he lifts his voice. 7 The Lord of Armies is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah

III. The God of War is in control

Psalm 46:8–10 CSB

8 Come, see the works of the Lord, who brings devastation on the earth. 9 He makes wars cease throughout the earth. He shatters bows and cuts spears to pieces; he sets wagons ablaze. 10 “Stop fighting, and know that I am God, exalted among the nations, exalted on the earth.”

We can trace the origin of teleology to the Greeks: to teleos, meaning"complete," and its root telos, meaning "result." Then we add the suffix -logy, which means "logic," or "reason." The philosophy itself suggests that acts are done with a foregone purpose in mind — people do things knowing the result they wish to