Unmoved

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Winston Churchill is often cited as the one who coined the phrase, “Those who fail to learn from history are condemned to repeat it.” In a tasty bit of irony, the quote wasn’t original to Churchill. He was slightly altering a quote from a Spanish-born, American-raised, man named George Santayana, and the original statement was, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

Since today is the last Sunday in October, we remember with gratitude how God used Martin Luther to preserve His Church and the preaching of the Gospel for the world. So, today’s sermon is going to be slightly different than most sermons you will hear me preach. First, we are going to consider a little bit of Reformation history especially surrounding the writing of the hymn we just sang “A Mighty Fortress.” Then, we are going to consider the lyrics of the hymn by looking at the Biblical text the hymn is based on, Psalm 46. So first, the history.

As popular as “A Mighty Fortress” is, we actually know very little about it. The earliest hymnal that contains it is from 1533. Historians mostly agree that Luther wrote the hymn sometime during the years of 1527-1528, about a decade after he posted the 95 Thesis on the door of the castle church in Wittenberg.

Now during the first eight years after Luther posted the 95 Theses, Luther was fighting mainly against abuses in the Roman church. It is important to note that Luther wanted to reform the church and not break away from it. However, as Luther repeatedly tried to get the leaders in the Roman Church to return to the pure teaching of the Gospel, they decided to throw him out by excommunicating him. In April 1521, Luther refused to recant of his writings at the Diet of Worms where he famously stated, “Here I stand. I can do no other. God help me.” Luther was supposed to be executed for his teaching, but a nobleman hid Luther in Wartburg Castle for ten months.

When Luther finally returned to Wittenberg in 1522, he found that some radical reformers were taking his teachings too far. Some were destroying statues and art in churches. Some were teaching that the Lord’s Supper was only symbolic. Some claimed to be directly inspired by the Holy Spirit and that they had the ability to reveal God’s will apart from Scripture. So, Luther found himself fighting against these abuses as well.

Beyond that, Luther got very sick around this time. There were national threats as the Muslims were warring their way toward Germany. Catholic armies were threatening Lutheran areas. In August of 1527, a man who followed Luther’s teaching was martyred. That same Fall, a plague broke out in Wittenberg. During that plague, Luther’s wife, Katie, got sick and was quarantined twice. Just a few months later in December, Luther’s daughter, Elizabeth, was born and was always very sick. Things were so bad for Luther that he wrote to a colleague, “[I am] physically well, but outwardly the whole world and inwardly the devil and all his angels are making [me] suffer.” Luther spent the next six months praying that God would save little Elizabeth, but in May of 1528, she died.

Somewhere in the midst of all this, Luther wrote “A Mighty Fortress” based on Psalm 46. He wrote this hymn for himself, his family, and his church. A lot of times, this hymn is called ‘the battle hymn of the Reformation,’ but in one of his publications, Luther called it, ‘a hymn of comfort.’

So, today may we find comfort in the truths of Psalm 46 as they are expressed in “A Mighty Fortress” because we, like Luther then, face pandemic, upheaval, sorrow, uncertainty, and tumult. Follow along with me as we walk through this Psalm.

Psalm 46

1God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

2Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,

3 though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling.

First, notice that this Psalm is mainly written in the plural. God is ‘our’ refuge,’ ‘we will not fear,’ etc. This will be very important when we get to v. 10. Also, did you catch the confidence we have? Because God is our refuge, because God is our strength, because God is a very present help in trouble - we will not fear. “We will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea.”

The devil loves to cause us to fear. Satan loves to whisper into our ears that we should be afraid of all sorts of things. Satan says, “Cases of COVID are rising. You should be afraid.” “The economy isn’t doing well, and your retirement account is shrinking. You should be afraid.” “Trump might get re-elected; Biden might win. You should be afraid.” “There is a lot of violence going on around the country. You should be afraid.” “We found an abnormal growth in your scans and need to do more testing. You should be afraid.” “God hates sinners and judges the unjust. You should be afraid.”

This is all the preaching of the devil. But God puts in our hearts and on our lips these verses. “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” – any trouble. Even in the flood of the troubles of this life, even in the face of our ancient foe, the devil, who seeks to work us woe, God remains our mighty fortress who never fails us.

Why can we have this confidence and fearlessness? Pick up again at v. 4.

4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High.

V. 4 tells us about a river whose streams make glad the city of God. Now, the earthly city of God is, of course, Jerusalem. But that is not and cannot be the city that this Psalm is speaking about because there is no river in Jerusalem. So, the Psalm has to be pointing us to something else. In fact, the Psalm is pointing us to what Jesus says in John 7. In John 7, Jesus is in Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles, and while He is there, He speaks about a river. Jesus says, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water’” (Jn. 7:37-38).

Jesus is the fount, fountain, and the source of this river, and those who have faith in Him have rivers of living water flowing from their hearts.

It is never our strength or good works that provide the rivers of water that we need. It only comes from Jesus. If we confided and trusted in our own strength, no amount of our striving would do us any god. But Jesus, the Man of God’s choosing is on our side. In fact, He has set up His habitation (lit. His ‘tabernalce’) in our hearts (1 Cor. 6:19). He is the never-changing Lord of hosts. He will always win the battle.

We’ll pick up the pace now as we move on to v. 5.

5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns.

God is in the midst of His people as a very present help which means that His people are unmoved. Think about that. God’s church, His kingdom, His people are unmoved while everything we see and know is wavering, tottering, and melting. V. 6:

6 The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts.

While nations rage and kingdoms totter, while the world is filled with devils threatens to undo us, God will triumph. The prince of darkness and all his forces and all his minions will be felled by one little word.

I’ve always wondered what that one little word was that Luther had in mind. What is the one little word that will fell the devil? There is no verse in Scripture that says what word destroys the devil. Certainly, Jesus is the Word of God in the flesh who defeats every craft and assault of the devil. I think in the context of the hymn combined with v. 6 here, any word from God will do. Everything God says exposes the devil’s lies and shows his emptiness.

On to v. 7.

7 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.

This verse will be repeated again in v. 11, and it is an echo of v. 1. The God who is our refuge and strength, a present help in every trouble is the Lord of hosts is with us as our fortress. Whatever threat faces us, we are eternally safe in the kingdom of God.

On to v. 8-9.

8Come, behold the works of the Lord, how he has brought desolations on the earth.

9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the chariots with fire.

God has repeatedly shown that He can and will deliver His people from the mightiest kingdoms, powers, and forces on earth – from Egypt, Midian, Philistia, Assyria, Babylon, Rome, and on and on we could go. Every threat in this world is nothing for you, Christian, because of God’s might.

Now, we need to slow down again as we get to v. 10.

10 “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”

I mentioned as we began to consider the Psalm that it is written in first person plural. The Psalm is rightly said and prayed by any of God’s people. But v. 10 stands out like a sore thumb because here God steps in and speaks. And what does He say when we are surrounded by threats? “Be still.”

Most art that I’ve seen that includes this verse is a relaxing, beautiful, calm, tranquil, idyllic scene. A quiet forest, a pristine beach, a beautiful plain, or a majestic mountain. None of those scenes are anywhere to be found in this Psalm.

Instead, this is what God speaks to us when chaos and evil, when destruction and death surrounds us. And what is it that He speaks to us as we watch everything falling around us, as we see the cosmos melting? What does God speak to us as He fights for us, as He wins every battle, as He defeats all our enemies, as He we find our refuge in Him? God says, “Be still. Cease.”

The only other time God says this is when He speaks to Moses at the Red Sea while God’s people are pinned between Pharaoh’s army and the sea. God says, “Fear not, stand firm. I will fight for you, you have only to be silent” (Ex. 14:13-14).

When everything surrounding you says that you should be afraid, God days, “Stay still. I’ve got everything under control. I will fight for you.” And again, the repeated refrain of v. 11 closes out the Psalm.

11 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Dear saints, because Christ has died and risen again for you, God is on your side. Everything in this life can be taken from you by the devil and his minions, but the truth of God’s Word remains. Because Jesus is on the throne, you dwell in a kingdom that will last forever and ever. Stand strong. Take refuge in Christ. Be still in the midst of all the troubles of this world. You are safe and secure in His eternal kingdom. He will sustain you unmoved. Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.