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Shabbat Shalom. “Tell me what you fear, and I will tell you what has happened to you,” so says psychologist D.W. Winnicott. Many of our fears and anxieties come from things that have happened to us. Hurts and traumas we have suffered through life in this fallen world. These painful experiences create fear and anxiety within us that left unchecked can control our lives. We can also be afraid of the unknown, anxiety that comes from uncertainty in a chaotic world around us.
There are plenty of real reasons to feel fear and anxiety. Every day we are told what these things are. Wars around the world, diseases, natural disasters, governmental overreaches, economic collapse, inflation, and the list goes on.
In America specifically, there are two interesting fears I want to point out. According to a recent study through NPR and Harvard more than 25% of Americans fear being attacked in their own neighborhoods. Also, according to the annual Chapman University Survey of American Fears for the last six years in a row the top fear has been corrupt government officials at 79.6%. The next highest level of fear, fear of people I love dying, was over 20% less at 58.5%.
So, long story short, there are many things to make us afraid. The question then is, “what do we do with our fears?” Now modern psychology has several ways to overcome or process fear. I also think there is a lot of good to be found there. But human understanding and efforts can only take us so far. When disaster comes you need someone to be able to turn to. You cannot chant “I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer” to yourself and hope to endure a tsunami, economic crash, or a war. We need more than ourselves and other people to weather the storms of this life. We need the Lord. A truth that sadly seems to be ignored in our society, in exchange for solutions and places of safety that cannot protect us. But it is a truth we need to be reminded of!
This morning we are going to be looking at Psalm 46. Psalm 46 has no specific occasion attached to it, but most likely was written in response to a war or disaster. Psalm 46 reminds all who belong to the Lord that He is the ultimate source of safety, strength, and help, so we do not have to fear the tragedies of this world. Let’s begin with the superscript.
To the choirmaster. Of the Sons of Korah. According to Alamoth. A Song.
In the Torah, Korah and many others perished after they rebelled against the Lord. But not all his family were killed. King David later appointed his descendants, who were levities, to be singers in the Temple. Alamoth can be translated as virgins or young maidens. This may refer to those who might have sung this psalm, or some other musical tradition lost to time. So, this was a song sung by the sons of Korah in the Temple. Let’s look at the first section of this psalm.
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 Selah’s in this psalm serve as natural breaks in the song. So, I plan to read each section separately, pausing at every Selah, and then going back verse-by-verse.
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Our psalm begins with the simple but powerful truth that the Lord is our refuge and strength. A refuge is a place you retreat to when difficult times happen. The Hebrew word used for refuge is Machaseh. In the physical sense it refers to a place of shelter from rain, storms or even war. Throughout the psalms it is used to describe how the Lord is a place of shelter for His people. Just as we run inside when hurricanes or tornadoes come, the Lord is our place of refuge when terrible situations happen in our lives.
Not every shelter or refuge is built the same. I would not want to try and survive a tsunami in a Sukkah. Even well-built homes and building can have leaks or fail. Foundations will crumble, walls will give out, and windows will shatter. But unlike any shelter, physical or emotional, built with human hands, in Adonai we have a refuge that never fails.
The Lord is also described here as more than a place of safety. He also empowers us with His strength. A strength that will never run out and enables us to move forward in our lives. We can endure and even thrive in this dark and chaotic world. We have inside us the inextinguishable light of the Lord.
Adonai is also our help. He is the supplier of help in times of trouble. In our modern Yiddish we like to use the word Tsuris, which comes from the word here Tzarah, to mean troubles. The Lord is our source of help in all kinds of troubles. Whether it is natural disasters or the messes of our lives. External or internal the Lord is our help, a very present help.
Where human efforts fail the Lord succeeds. He accomplishes for us what is impossible on our own, or even with a group of people. The Lord is always present, always available to His people during times of trouble. Now you might say, “Rabbi Jerry, that sounds very nice, but can we really say that when times are actually tough?” Yes, we can! This psalm was most likely composed during terrible times and has been recited since then as a reminder during so many other difficult situations. The truths of this verse and this psalm have been a comfort to many and can be for us as well. We read on to see what this truth should cause us to feel.
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
Even when earthquakes happen that cause mountains to collapse the Lord is still a refuge. Since the Lord is always available as a shelter we do not need to live in fear of natural disasters. This does not mean we stand in the middle of a hurricane; it means we do not need to live our lives trapped in fear and anxiety of them. But it understandable to feel fear from natural disasters. Tsunami waves have been recorded higher than the empire state building. Imagine a massive wave of that size coming towards you!
We deal with situations in our lives that can seem just as massive as earthquakes or tsunamis. The betrayal of trust from a friend or family member. The death of someone we love. War, murder, embezzlement, adultery, the list could go on forever. Bu no matter how dangerous life may be, the Lord is always there to provide us with help.
Being sheltered does not mean that we will not experience suffering or have difficult times. But what it does mean is that we can endure. That we will not be washed away like the mountains. We will not crumble; we will not lay down and die. We will survive. We see how God’s people can even thrive in the middle of terrible situations.
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
4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High.
There is no river that runs through Jerusalem so what is meant by this verse? In the ancient world there was no easy way to transport water across large distances. Cities therefore needed to have easy to access sources of water, like a river, or in the case of Jerusalem, a well from a spring. Unlike the raging waves of the previous section, the waters of Jerusalem are tranquil and bring joy not destruction. The Lord provides abundantly for His people and having fresh water is another sign of His commitment to protecting and preserving those He loves.
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.
We see a clear contrast between how the Lord protects His people and how life is for those not under His blessing. Mountains may crumble into the sea, nations may rage, kingdoms will fall apart, but Jerusalem, the city of God, will not be moved. The city of Jerusalem is considered blessed not because it was earned but because of the love of the Lord. The history of Jerusalem shows how the Lord has been a very present help in times of trouble.
I believe there is also a future sense to these verses. There will come a new morning when all the kingdoms of the Earth who threaten the city of the Lord and His people will be destroyed with a word. A day that Zechariah says living waters will flow out from Jerusalem. A day when our wonderful Messiah returns like the dawn and with a word ends all wars.
There is a clear connection in the Hebrew between the raging waters and collapsing mountains of verse 2 with the rage of nations and tottering of kingdoms in verse 6. The connection is that as Believers we do not need to fear natural or man-made disasters. All crumble before the Lord.
Nations warring against other nations was a common occurrence in the ancient world and today as well. Kingdoms rise and kingdoms fall, and history moves on. Leaders go about their business, planning and scheming, doing whatever they want until the Lord steps in. When He utters His voice, everything changes. When the Lord speaks all melt before Him.
Every ruler, power, nation, and authority are dissolved and broken by the immeasurable power of the Lord of Armies. All that would challenge His kingship will find themselves destroyed. I mentioned earlier how many people today fear corrupt leaders. These verses are a warning to them and an encouragement to us not to fear. Therefore, all of God’s people can declare the refrain of this psalm.
7 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
As Martin Luther wrote in his famous hymn from this verse, a mighty fortress is our God! Because of all the reasons given and more we can have confidence that the Lord is our fortress and stands for all those who are His people in every generation.
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
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.
All people, the wicked and the righteous, are invited to come and see the works of the Lord. There is a future view to these verses, inviting us to understand how the Lord will bring His enemies on the Earth to an end. That wars and conflicts will be made desolate, completely wiped clean with nothing remaining. In the face of the Lord’s overwhelming power all our supposed human might falls apart. As human beings we try to tame nature itself. But no matter how sophisticated our technology storms, floods, and fire can still ravage our cities. If we cannot control the forces of Earth how much less can we control the One who created and controls them all?
When the Lord reveals His power, every weapon and technology of human warfare will be destroyed and unnecessary. There will be no more armies to wage war, no more wicked rulers, or tyrants. All these things will be brought completely to an end by the Lord of Armies, Emmanuel, God who is with us.
We now move to a message from this King of Armies directly to us all. A command for all to obey.
10 “Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!”
The first part of this verse is quoted often but we really need to understand the context. The context is the ceasing of wars and fighting when the Lord of Armies arrives. To cease our desire to control and dominate other people and know that there is only one God, Adonai.
The Lord is calling out to all those who are waging their wars, obsessed with their conflicts and schemes to stop. The Lord thunders and decrees that all will acknowledge His authority. We see something similar during the life of Messiah Yeshua, who is Emmanuel. At the end of Mark 4 there is a terrible storm, with roaring waters. His Disciples, afraid for their lives, wake Yeshua up to shelter and help them. We read what happens next in Mark 4:39-41:
39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. 40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith? 41 They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”
The message of Mark 4 and Psalm 46 is the same. Why should we be afraid? Do we not have faith? Because it is not politicians, we should have faith in. It is not generals or nations or armies. It is not gurus or youtubers or economists or grifters. And we certainly cannot rely on ourselves to save ourselves. Only Adonai is an immoveable fortress. Only Messiah Yeshua can command the waves and raise the dead.
Because of the Lord’s sheer glory and majesty, it is only right to exalt Him. To give Him the praise and honor that He is due. This is not a polite suggestion or a choice we can ignore, the Lord will be exalted. Even when the enemies and mockers of God do not want to. Even when prideful leaders and Satan himself refuses to. Their supposed might will be broken and there will be only one response.
We know a day will come when every knee will bow, in heaven, on earth and under the Earth. Then every tongue will confess to the glory of God the Father that Messiah Yeshua is Lord. The Lord will be exalted, He is not asking us, He is telling us. Our psalm concludes with the refrain once again. A triumphant declaration of hope in the middle of difficult times.
11 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
Rabbi Paul writing hundreds of years later, considered the same issues of fear and suffering in Romans 8. In that chapter He talks about how our present sufferings are producing for us future glory. After considering the glory, strength, and love of the Lord he reaches one powerful conclusion in verse 31: What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
If the Lord of all creation, all-knowing and all-powerful stands with us then why should we fear? There are many things we can put our trust in: fame, money, love, leaders of all kinds, but all these powers fail. They are all crushed and forgotten. But for those who call Adonai father have a fortress that can never be moved. A fortress that endures and prospers when all other strongholds fail and fall. The Lord is in our midst and is still our very present help in times of trouble!
So how do we take the truths of Psalm 46 and apply it to our lives. The first question we all must ask ourselves is if God is our fortress? When tsuris comes are we running towards our heavenly father or towards something or someone else? To answer that question here are a few others to diagnose where we are spiritually.
First, have you made a commitment to the Lord through faith that He will be your refuge? Have you received the strength of the Lord found only in Messiah Yeshua through the Holy Spirit? Are you turning to Him in prayer like in this psalm when tsuris comes? These are the questions I ask myself as I contemplate Psalm 46 and I hope you will as well.
The reality is that the source of much of our fear in this life is found in placing our trust, our faith, in fortresses that fail. Our society tells us that we can be the masters of our own destiny. We can depend on ourselves, communities, and institutions, to safeguard us when trouble comes. But repeatedly in human history and our own lives we see how they topple. We see the raging of so many groups and then the leaders falling apart. If you place your trust in people, you will be fearful when they fail. Trusting in the Lord will lead you to peace that surpasses the troubles of this world. In Messiah Yeshua we find real rest for our souls. In Him alone we can endure and thrive through a fortress that will never fail us. If your answer to the earlier questions was no, then make it this day to find a very present help in times of trouble. Today, place your trust in the only shelter that endures forever.
If the answer to those questions was yes, then hopefully you are securely in the fortress of the Lord. But there can still be seasons when fear and anxiety creep in. At these times it is good to remember the saving power of the Lord. What He has done throughout history, but also personally in our lives as well. To remember times when He has shown us how He is our refuge and to still our anxious hearts with His mighty acts. We can turn to psalm 46 and reaffirm, “The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.”
It is my prayer this morning that each of us would be able to declare that Adonai is our fortress with joy and not fear. May each of us have peace beyond the circumstances in our lives found only in the Prince of Peace, Messiah Yeshua. May we all look forward to the day when the Lord will bring all war to an end and be exalted throughout all the Earth.