Our Fortress
Exegesis of Psalm 46
1 God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore 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. Selah
4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy habitation of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;
God will help her when morning dawns.
6 The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
he utters his voice, the earth melts.
7 The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
8 Come, 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.
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 fortress. Selah
Sons of Korah were Assir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph they served as gatekeepers at the tabernacle of the Lord (Chronicles 9:19)
The Psalm is divided into three sections, each one proclaiming God as a refuge and a stronghold, and each is separated by a pause, or Selah.
Important word:
Fortress
Fortress - a castle or stronghold, a place of defense and protection against large-scale attacks.
Proverbs 18:10
The name of the LORD is a strong tower: The righteous runneth into it, and is safe.
- As the first section begins, we are reminded of God’s abundant and immediate help, even though all nature is in opposition to us.
1 God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore 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. Selah
- The second stanza depicts the river of God’s presence and the temple of the Lord though the nations rage, and ends with a promise of victory.
4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy habitation of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;
God will help her when morning dawns.
6 The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
he utters his voice, the earth melts.
7 The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
- The final section calls us to see the mighty works of God. These works are presented as desolations — the ruins of the nations who oppose Him.
8 Come, 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.
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 fortress. Selah
Who is singing this psalm and what is the context.
The Sons of Korah who were Israelites.
Isreal is a tiny country that in west Asia that is:
bordered by Lebanon to the north,
by Syria to the northeast,
by Jordan to the east,
by the Red Sea to the south,
by Egypt to the southwest,
the Mediterranean Sea to the west,
the Palestinian West Bank along the east
the Palestinian Gaza Strip along the southwest.
There were more than 80 wars/conflicts in the Mesopotamian period when the writers would have been alive.
Against the: Amalekites, Canaanites, Amorites, Midianites, Jericho, Ai, Perizzites, Moabites, Philistines. etc… Etc…..
https://constantlyreforming.wordpress.com/every-battle-in-the-bible/
In the modern geopolitical landscape there have been approximately 16 wars, one which is ongoing.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_wars_involving_Israel
Isreal is home to the most contested city in the world Jerusalem, and remains one of the most war plagued countries on the planet.
The first war:
After its official globally recognized establishment in 1948 every bordering country (6) attacked Isreal at once.
The war lasted 6 days and when it was over Isreal had more territory than it started with.
Currently:
October 7th 2023 Hamas terrorists led attack on Israel was a series of coordinated incursions to massacre Israeli civilians.
The people who wrote this passage are a people who know war.
They know death they know destruction.
They know hard times.
Continually!
What is Gods response?
Who do they know God to be in times of intense difficulty?
refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear
Even though there are natural disasters all around
There is a city of God
That can never be moved!
It can never be shaken
Although the armies of the nations rage
He speaks…..
The earth melts
The Lord of hosts is with us!
“Be still, and know that I am God.
The god of Jacob is our Fortress
God is the same yesterday today and forevermore!
He says:
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!”
Here is why this is so encouraging for the believer……
Because like Isreal we are besieged on every side.
All of Gods people live in the midst of enemy territory.
John 15:18-20
18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.
1 John 2:15
15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
James 4:4
4 You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God.
We are besieged!
There are external difficulties like wars and inflation
Then there are interpersonal difficulties like betrayals, difficulty in relationships, etc
And there is the difficulty of us! Our fleshly desires that are contrary to God’s
Who is God in the midsts of those times of difficulty?
God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
Although trouble is at your door
You will be still because
Because God is your fortress!
You can run to and be safe!
Here’s how he does it:
8 Come, behold the works of the Lord, (come watch him work)
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 IS A GOD OF WAR AND HE WARS ON BEHALH OF HIS PEOPLE.
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