"A Song Of Holy Confidence In The Holy God” Series

We are going to look at Psalm 46 for a few weeks, a majestic Psalm, which was written to be sung, in fact, many Christian hymns in history have been based on this Psalm. It is one of nine Psalms/ Songs of Zion, the place where God reigns and rules. The Psalm is divided into three stanzas, with breaks after verse 3 and after 7. This Psalm was written around 890BC but it is extremely fitting for us today as we will see. Look at it with me:

1 “God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; 3 Though its waters roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with its swelling.” Selah

4 “There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High. 5 God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God shall help her, just at the break of dawn. 6 The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved; He uttered His voice, the earth melted. 7 The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah

8 Come, behold the works of the Lord, who has made desolations in the earth. 9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariot in the fire. 10 Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! 11 The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah

In 1526, the Bubonic plague which had invaded Europe 200 years before, killing around 60% of its citizens, now returned to Europe, and the plague came to a small university town called, Wittenberg, Germany, where many of its population were told to “get out of town to save your life.” Many students and professors did exactly that, but one famous professor and former monk decided to stay and minister to those who were sick and dying. His name was Martin Luther, who nine years earlier on Halloween eve of 1517 had nailed his 95 Theses to the church door at Wittenberg, accusing the Roman Catholic organization of many heresies. He had narrowly and mercifully escaped death by execution after a trial.

Luther had been excommunicated from the church instead of being executed by the church, and now he and his wife, Katarina, found themselves in the middle of another battle, the Bubonic Plague; He and his wife opened up their own home as an infirmary for the sick, suffering, and dying. The disease almost took the life of his youngest son, his wife was pregnant, and Martin Luther, on once occasion, fainted and had to be put to bed, himself. In August of 1527, he wrote a hymn based on Psalm 46, which would become one of the most famous hymns in the Church, even today:

“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 doth seek to work us woe;

His craft and power are great, and, armed with cruel hate.

On earth is not his equal.”

“God is our refuge and strength.”

Look at the first phrase of the first verse with me: “God is our refuge and strength.” The Bible declares there is only One true God; the word used here is to describe Him is the word, Elohim. It is the plural word for God used in the first verse of Genesis: “In the beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth.” The word in the Bible denotes the Majesty and Glory of the One Supreme God. He is Almighty, He is All-Powerful. Immediately in Genesis 1:2 we see the Spirit of God, hovering over the face of the waters. Then in Genesis 1:3 God speaks and says, “Let there be light and there was light.” Remember John 1:1, where Jesus is described as, “In the beginning was the Word.”

So, Elohim is the one True God who existed before the beginning of Creation; He is the Creator God who acts powerfully, He exists personally, He is Spirit, and He also speaks. We know God to be the Father, Son and Spirit, even has He has created all things.

This God of Genesis 1 is the Supreme Only True God of Psalm 46, and the statement in Psalm 46:1, “God is our refuge and strength”, is a declaration of faith, a statement of personal and unfailing confidence in this Eternal Omnipotent God: This God, the Creator of everything we see and have, the God of billions of stars and infinite power and knowledge, the eternal God who created was before all things, is the same God who is our Refuge and Strength.