Psalm 46

46 1 לַמְנַצֵּ֥חַ לִבְנֵי ־ קֹ֑רַח עַֽל ־ עֲלָמ֥וֹת שִֽׁיר ׃ 2 אֱלֹהִ֣ים לָ֭נוּ מַחֲסֶ֣ה וָעֹ֑ז עֶזְרָ֥ה בְ֝צָר֗וֹת נִמְצָ֥א מְאֹֽד ׃ 3 עַל ־ כֵּ֣ן לֹא ־ נִ֭ירָא בְּהָמִ֣יר אָ֑רֶץ וּבְמ֥וֹט הָ֝רִ֗ים בְּלֵ֣ב יַמִּֽים ׃ 4 יֶהֱמ֣וּ יֶחְמְר֣וּ מֵימָ֑יו יִֽרְעֲשֽׁוּ ־ הָרִ֖ים בְּגַאֲוָת֣וֹ סֶֽלָה ׃ 5 נָהָ֗ר פְּלָגָ֗יו יְשַׂמְּח֥וּ עִיר ־ אֱלֹהִ֑ים קְ֝דֹ֗שׁ מִשְׁכְּנֵ֥י עֶלְיֽוֹן ׃ 6 אֱלֹהִ֣ים בְּ֭קִרְבָּהּ בַּל ־ תִּמּ֑וֹט יַעְזְרֶ֥הָ אֱ֝לֹהִ֗ים לִפְנ֥וֹת בֹּֽקֶר ׃ 7 הָמ֣וּ ג֭וֹיִם 1 מָ֣טוּ מַמְלָכ֑וֹת נָתַ֥ן בְּ֝קוֹל֗וֹ תָּמ֥וּג אָֽרֶץ ׃ 8 יְהוָ֣ה צְבָא֣וֹת עִמָּ֑נוּ מִשְׂגָּֽב ־ לָ֝נוּ אֱלֹהֵ֖י יַעֲקֹ֣ב סֶֽלָה ׃ 9 לְֽכוּ ־ חֲ֭זוּ מִפְעֲל֣וֹת יְהוָ֑ה אֲשֶׁר ־ שָׂ֖ם שַׁמּ֣וֹת בָּאָֽרֶץ ׃ 10 מַשְׁבִּ֥ית מִלְחָמוֹת֮ עַד ־ קְצֵ֪ה הָ֫אָ֥רֶץ קֶ֣שֶׁת יְ֭שַׁבֵּר וְקִצֵּ֣ץ חֲנִ֑ית עֲ֝גָל֗וֹת יִשְׂרֹ֥ף בָּאֵֽשׁ ׃ 11 הַרְפּ֣וּ וּ֭דְעוּ כִּי ־ אָנֹכִ֣י אֱלֹהִ֑ים אָר֥וּם בַּ֝גּוֹיִ֗ם אָר֥וּם בָּאָֽרֶץ ׃ 12 יְהוָ֣ה צְבָא֣וֹת עִמָּ֑נוּ מִשְׂגָּֽב ־ לָ֝נוּ אֱלֹהֵ֖י יַעֲקֹ֣ב סֶֽלָה ׃

Psalms 46:1-11

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God Is Our Fortress 46 To the choirmaster. Of a the Sons of Korah. According to b Alamoth. 1 A Song. 1 God is our c refuge and strength, a very d present 2 help in e trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear f though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into g the heart of the sea, 3 though h its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah 4 There is i a river whose streams make glad j the city of God, the holy k habitation of the Most High. 5 l God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns. 6 m The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he n utters his voice, the earth o melts. 7 p The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah 8 q Come, behold the works of the Lord , how he has brought desolations on the earth. 9 r He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he s breaks the bow and shatters the spear; t he burns the chariots with fire. 10 u “Be still, and know that I am God. v I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” 11 p The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

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Notes

The LORD of hosts is with us Introduction Remember, remember, remember. Ways of remembering - family history/lore; epic; photos and videos; Scripture and community. The 'Ebenezer' stone. But, you can't make someone remember at the end of the day [cf reminders to 'pick up after your dog']. “Do not build any homes below this point,” it reads. “High dwellings are the peace and harmony of our descendants. Remember the calamity of the great tsunamis.” When the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami devastated Japan, this village sat safely above the high water mark. " A home built high is children's relief / Remember the disastrous giant tsunami / Do not build homes below here." - Aneyoshi, Japan. This refrain is repeated; it's the big idea: the LORD of hosts is our fortress/the God of Jacob is our fortress. How does 46 relate to last week's illustration of the 'metro stop' sequence? In light of the glorious hope of comfort, what do we 'do' with the trials, fears, uncertainties? We remember that this Mighty King is the Mighty Refuge of his people. There are three verses - and even though we don't know quite what it meant, selah marks a structure of some kind. Alamoth? 1. Because God is our strength, we will not fear (v1-3) We won't fear things that are genuinely terrifying. therefore - ie if we believe this - we will not fear. v2-3 language of upheaval, terror, and chaos. Because of who God is and his well-provenness, his 'very much found in trouble'-ness. v1 very present; well proved; exceedingly 'found' in times of trouble. 'More real'. Jesus is the Mighty King and Refuge of his people. He literally stills the sea. 2. God will act for the sake of his people (v4-7) He will comfort v4. v4 what is the river? Of his Spirit? His grace? Constantly supplied. Holy habitation; temple imagery again. It's now not dwelling, holy hill (Ps 43)...it's city (cf Revelation). He will be with us and preserve us v5 He will help us tomorrow as well as today v5b. v5 our confidence; we'll be helped when morning dawns Nations rage, kingdoms totter. Cryptic. cf Psalm 2. He will overcome the world v6-7 . He has done this in Jesus. v6 cf Psalm 2. v7 God of armies. LORD of hosts? God of Jacob? What does that mean? Hosts - armies. God of Jacob: particularly precious term for those who know they are undeserving. Jesus is the giver of the ever-flowing River of Grace. He is the Helper who sends 'another Helper'. He is with us 'always, even to the end of the age.' 3. God, the bringer of peace, will be praised (v8-11) Behold his works and strengthen your faith v8 He makes peace, definitive peace v9 I will be exalted in the earth: what does this mean? Both now and not yet. Contra pessimists. And contra reconstructionists. Shown in book of Acts. Know this - God is exalted in Jesus through his cross, among the nations, today v10 This is our confidence v11. Jesus was desolated at the cross so that he might do away with this present evil age. His resurrection has brought in the eternal age of peace. We will still be 'nations' in the age to come, but enjoying total harmony. God's glory : He is mighty, and with his people FCF : We forget this. Hence the 'well proved' or 'very present' line. Anxiety and fear. Or, a tendency to make the same mistakes. H1. Outright cultural fear; free-floating, always latent, anxiety. H2. Christian fear which clings to familiar forms and institutions (as our functional 'fortress'), and gets furiously defensive if those are threatened. Confidence in the 'Christian stuff' not in our Lord. Some people love and trust Jesus, and thus tolerate the 'forms' of Christian sub-culture. But some people love the forms and tolerate the talk of love for Jesus. Person of Jesus: the bringer of peace. God with us, Immanuel. He brings the certain knowledge of God, since he is very God. He is the LORD of hosts. He himself is the dwelling place of God Most High. Work of Jesus : he does not call his hosts. He suffers the cruelty of human war and ambition. He becomes the one greatly troubled and made desolate at the cross. So that in his resurrection there might be a new order; he has achieved the end of war; wars will cease because he is on the throne. Right now, in Jesus, God is exalted in the earth! Union with Jesus . Identification. Incorporation. Participation. Since we are in him, and he is in us, we know that he is with us. We share in his victory. We can turn away from fear, since we are in our mighty refuge - the risen Jesus. Invitation. Remember the God of Jacob! Confrontation. Turn from restless fear to the Everlasting Rock! Consolation. God will be with us tomorrow, and he will make all trouble cease. Wrap-up Remember this! We will not fear because of who God is; he has acted for his people in Jesus; he is bringing peace through him and so let us praise him.

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