A MIGHTY FORTRESS IS OUR GOD
TEXT: Psalm 46:1-11
Psalms 46:1-11 KJV To the chief Musician for the sons of Korah, A Song upon Alamoth. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. [2] Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; [3] Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah. [4] There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. [5] God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early. [6] The heathen 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, what desolations he hath made in the earth. [9] He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire. [10] Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. [11] The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.
I. INTRODUCTION—PSALM 46 AND ITS GROUPING AMONG THE OTHER PSALMS
-The 150 psalms that we have in the Bible are divided up into five “books.” Psalm 1-41, 42-72, 73-89, 90-106, and 107-150. But there are other different “collections” of different psalms that can be found as well.
• Prayers of an individual (Ps. 3-7)
• Praise offered to God for His saving help (Ps. 30; 34)
• Confessions of confidence in the Lord (Ps. 11; 16; 52)
• Hymns of praise of God’s majesty and virtue (Ps. 8; 19; 29; 65)
• The songs of Asaph (Ps. 50; 73-83)
• The songs of Ascent (Ps. 120-134)
-What really should come to our minds when we are spending time with the psalms would be that by taking them to heart we can learn how to pray and praise by allowing Scripture to set the course for our walk with God. The psalms literally are conducive to us being with God!
-Psalm 46 is a response to the lamentations (the sorrow, the heaviness, the despair) that we see in Psalms 42-44. These laments are a picture of a very dejected man until we come to Psalm 46—A Mighty Fortress Is Our God!
-Psalm 46 has a further uniqueness about it as well. It falls into a couple of different groups:
• The songs of Zion, for the City of God (Ps. 46; 48; 76; 84; 122; 126; 129; 137)
• The songs of the sons of Korah (Ps. 42-49; 84-85; 87-88). There are twelve in total.
-That single superscription that names the sons of Korah is remarkable in itself. These men would have been the priestly descendants of Korah who had rebelled against Moses and Aaron which was ultimately a rebellion against God. The story of their ungodliness is told in Numbers 16. It is a horrifying story to say the least.
-Korah was of the tribe of Levi, he was one of the descendants of Kohath. Kohath and his kin were the ones who were responsible for carrying the most holy of all the but their devotion to duty was erased when they overstepped their bounds.
-God swallowed Korah along with Dathan, Abiram, On and some of the Reubenites. They died but the sons of Korah refused to go along with the plans of their father. On a whole different sermon thought would be the implication that Korah’s sons saw through the blighted hypocrisy that their father upheld. They saw him doing one thing in the Tabernacle among the holy articles but when he came home it was a completely different story. Every person among us must pay close attention to our lives so that we do not send mixed signals to our families. This is a day when we need to be holy among the sacred and the secular.
II. PSALM 46—A MIGHTY FORTRESS IS OUR GOD
-As we come to this sacred text, it is important for us to see that Psalms 42-44 are prayers that pour from the mouth of the sons of Korah. There are phrases all through these psalms that key us into the fact that they are prayers:
• So panteth my soul after thee, O God—42:1
• My soul thirsteth for God. . . when shall I come and appear before God—42:2
• I pour out my soul in me—42:4
• I will say unto God my rock—42:9
• Judge me, O God, and plead my cause—43:1
• send out thy light and truth. . . let them lead me—43:3
• We have heard with our ears, O God—44:1
• Thou art my King, O God—44:4
• Through thee. . . Through thy name—44:5
• Thou hast saved us. . . thou hast put them to shame—44:7
• In God, we boast—44:8
-But then the prayer turns to a lament beginning in Psalm 44:10 because of their backsliding but all through the lamentations of Psalm 44 we can hear the cry of a repentant backslider in prayer:
• My confusion is continually before me. . . the shame of my face hath covered me—44:15
• We have not forgotten thee. . . we have not dealt falsely in thy covenant—44:17
• Our heart is not turned back. . . nor have our steps declined from you—44:18
• He knoweth the secrets of the heart—44:21
• Arise. . . cast us not off forever—44:23
• Arise for our help. . . redeem us for thy mercies’ sake—44:26
-Then the prayers burst forth into praise!
-Before actually getting into Psalm 46, it is helpful to know some of the background as to what is taking place that would elicit the psalmist to write it under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost.
-The majority of biblical scholars point to the attack of Sennacherib on Jerusalem when Hezekiah was the king.
• The Assyrians are marching out of the north pushing south through Syria, then Israel, and now have arrived in Judah.
• The Assyrian armies had left in their wake smoke-blackened ruins of cities, strewn corpses of the dead, and great fear of those who remained.
• Hezekiah in Jerusalem had sent tribute money in hopes to buy off this ruthless invader which initially worked until Sennacherib began to have second thoughts.
• He sends in a man named Rabshakeh with a demand that Hezekiah open the gates of Jerusalem and let the invaders in.
• In the meantime, Hezekiah consults the prophet Isaiah. He is directed to refuse the demands of Sennacherib.
• Rabshakeh, once he finds out the news, starts to mock and scorn the people of God. He notifies Sennacherib who takes his entire army and surrounds Jerusalem with 185,000 men.
• But in the night, the Lord sends one angel who devastates the entire army and wipes them out.
-Psalm 46 is what comes out as a hymn of praise. Hezekiah, Isaiah, or an unknown poet of Judah could have written this but chiefly what we should remember is this—in the face of earth-shaking circumstances we will not fear because God oversees everything.
-I am borrowing Steven Lawson’s outline that he uses in his good commentary on Psalms 1-75. The way the outline works is that we can see the word, “Selah.” That helps us to see a refuge, a river, and a ruler.
A. Our Immovable Refuge—Psalm 46:1-3
Psalms 46:1-3 KJV To the chief Musician for the sons of Korah, A Song upon Alamoth. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. [2] Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; [3] Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.
-We see from this psalm first an immovable refuge (vv. 1-3). The Psalmist sets forth immediately with great encouragement—God is a refuge.
-That expression is used nine different times in the Psalms (14:6; 46:1; 61:3; 62:7-8; 71:7; 73:28; 91:2; 91:9). Even in Psalm 18, there is a description of the Lord being a Rock and a Fortress.
-Because the Lord is filling this role for the saint, there is never a need for a child of God to fear
no matter what perils are against him. We are safe when we place our trust in the Lord.
-There are crucial words that show up immediately in the first verse—refuge, strength, and help. But if this psalm shows to us the immovable refuge that God will be for the believer, there must be something that is opposing, threatening, hindering, and battling.
-The Psalmist paints up a picture of chaos:
• The earth is about to be removed.
• The mountains are to be cast into the sea.
• The waters are roaring and foaming.
-Does it really strike us what peace is and can really be? Peace is ultimately the abiding presence of the Lord! Peace means the Lord is with the saint but also, He is against the wicked. The Good Shepherd that John would later define in John 10 brings peace into the life of the child of God:
• Security
• Assurance
• Presence
• Trust
• Calmness
• Awareness of the nearness of God
-The Lord helps us in all our tribulations. They are many that come to us in this life but in every one of them, we must flee to the Lord.
• Job problems
• Personal property under siege
• Catastrophic health events
• Enduring the trials with those we love
• Or any other thing that we must endure
-Paul expressed it in this manner:
2 Corinthians 4:7-18 KJV But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. [8] We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; [9] Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; [10] Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. [11] For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. [12] So then death worketh in us, but life in you. [13] We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak; [14] Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you. [15] For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God. [16] For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. [17] For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; [18] While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
-Yet the greatest tribulation that we all bear is the recognition of our own sin. That is a very serious wound that we cannot really grasp outside of the strong preaching that comes from our conscience and the convicting Spirit of God.
-However, we will not fear even though the earth be moved. There is a remedy the Lord has provided for us! The work of the Cross—the death, the burial, and the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.
-The waters may roar but they will never erode the foundations of the Lord nor our immovable refuge.
B. Our Inexhaustible River—Psalm 46:4-7
Psalms 46:4-7 KJV There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. [5] God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early. [6] The heathen 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.
-We see from this psalm, an immovable refuge (vv. 1-3), and now an inexhaustible river (vv. 4-7).
-This is a reference to a river. This is more than just a creek or brook that runs through the city, but it is a constantly flowing source of refreshment.
-Hezekiah, being a wise king, knew that the assault of the Assyrians wasn’t too far off in the future and had taken some steps to make sure that Jerusalem was prepared if a siege were to take place.
-He was aware of the spring of Gihon that was just below the steep eastern hill of Ophel in the Kidron Valley. He also knew the if the enemy were able to find it and they most certainly would during a time of an all-out siege, that they would either dam it up or corrupt it so that city could not use it.
-So, Hezekiah and group of intelligent engineers diverted the spring to flow directly into the city. But it was hidden from any enemy that might scout the area. They went down through the rock and carved out a conduit that was more than 1750 feet long so that the water flowed underground and under the walls of Jerusalem. At the end of the conduit, the engineers created a reservoir of water that could sustain the city for an indefinite period of time. Once the water had been re-routed, they covered up the old spring and no one who stumbled across it would have been any wiser as to what it had once been.
-For every bit of the cunning ruthlessness of the Assyrians, they knew nothing at all about the inner source of refreshment and strength that came into the city. Without that hidden river, Jerusalem would have certainly fallen if they would have to endure a long siege.
-Spiritual wisdom should tell all of the saints of God that there will be some times in the future that we need to be prepared for. Times that you will not have any ability to get prepared, that is why it is important to prepare now.
-That is what makes the daily disciplines so crucial! Times that we spend in secret prayer, secret worship, secret devotion, secret meditation, and secret Bible reading, those moments when we are alone with God are routing the river into the middle of our soul!
• The streams make glad!
• It secures the holy!
• The foundations will not be moved!
• There is spiritual help available at all times!
• The heathen can rage, the kingdoms can roar but the Lord of Hosts can be with you!
• There is a refuge that is supplied by a river!
-Just as we find encouragement to know that there is a strong river that comes to a strong refuge, there needs to be an element of warning as well. . . There are false refuges that the devil would like for us to put our confidence in:
• Money—Some think that if they can get enough money stashed away that it will bring the security they are looking for. But our Lord reminded us that we all will face our death someday. . . Luke 12:19 gives the warning eat, drink and be merry but the soul will be called to give an accounting.
• Education, Special Training, Skills, Personal Talent—Remember the world is full of people who have encountered sudden reversals and lost everything despite their personal gifting’s and education.
• Families, Friends, and Associates—These are only human supports and they are all very uncertain. There will come a time when nobody will be able to pull any strings or perform any favors that can save you.
-There is another place to place your trust!
Let goods and kindred go,
This mortal life also;
The body they may kill:
God’s Truth abideth still,
His Kingdom is forever.
-To trust in the Lord:
• We have to yield control to God.
• We have to believe that God’s solution is the best.
• We have to be patient.
• We have to walk by faith and not by sight.
-We can trust God for eternity but we sometimes have trouble trusting Him with the days that we live in.
C. Our Invincible Ruler—Psalm 46:8-11
Psalms 46:8-11 KJV Come, behold the works of the LORD, what desolations he hath made in the earth. [9] He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire. [10] Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. [11] The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.
-We see from this psalm, an immovable refuge (vv. 1-3), an inexhaustible river (vv. 4-7), and now an invincible ruler (vv. 8-11). When everything around us seems to be out of control, the sons of Korah have given us a reason to sing.
-They instruct us in v. 8—Look, gaze, focus, see, grasp, comprehend, behold the works of the Lord. Things looked very troubling but the Lord has met the battle head on and he has destroyed the work of the enemy.
• The wars are over
• The bows are broken
• The spears have been cut in two
• The chariots are burning wreckages
-No matter what comes against the church of God or the child of God, in the end, God will be victorious!
-The sons of Korah shift their attention when they come to verse 10—the transition is from the psalmists to the voice of God, He calls out—Be still and know that I am God! When we are still long enough, we can see God at work in every part of our circumstances. The devil wants you to forget that.
-It was at this point, that I was again convicted by the Word and had to repent and ask the Lord to forgive me. If you allow your eyes to get fixed on your surroundings instead of your God, the whole tenor of your soul changes from faith to fear.
-It is easy to become fearful when we find ourselves up against great difficulties or trying to factor through the lies of the devil and his flaming darts. But God is faithful and He will always bring you through!
-A prayer that can be traced directly to this psalm, in fact it is praying the Scriptures:
You alone are my refuge and strength when I am faced with the pains of life. The world can seem to be crumbling around me but I am certain that God is still at work for me! Not so much for me as He is working out His will in a greater fashion than what I can sometimes see or feel. Lord, teach me to look to You as the sole refuge in life. Don’t let me look to an institution or organization but to You and You alone!
III. CONCLUSION—A MIGHTY FORTRESS IS OUR GOD
-There is an old hymn that I am not sure that I have ever heard being sung in Pentecostal churches. But it has a powerful message and is based on Psalm 46. It is written by the old reformer, Martin Luther, when he was at a very troubled point in his life.
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.
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:
Dost 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.
And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath 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.
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.
-Our God is indeed a mighty fortress!
Philip Harrelson
September 14, 2017
