The Sons of Korah whose psalms are most closely tied to Jerusalem and the Temple wrote one to be sung that would encourage a panicked people to focus on the steadfast protection of a non-slip Lord! Since the psalm is short, I will quote it all here.
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| Photo: Greg K, Dueker |
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 (ESV)
God is our Refuge
This psalm contains some of the most familiar phrases from the entire Book. Specifically, in verse 1,
God is
our refuge and strength,
a
very present help in trouble.
And also the admonition of verse 10a “Be still
and know that I am God” are often quoted in sermons and Christian
literature alike. If we know that God is our fortress, then it will enhance our
ability to “be still” in trusting the Lord
through tumultuous times.
Nature Gone Wild
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| Photo by Yosh Ginsu on Unsplash |
Nations Run Amok
From perhaps a more historical-culturally informed
perspective, we see earth and sea, mountains and waters, used as multiplied metaphors
used to describe the chaotic and seemingly unstoppable advance of an enemy army
like the Tsunamic waves of the sea that swallow up cities and strongholds
(mountains) along the way. Peter Craigie, in his commentary, explains how the
Lord both aspects of nature and nations fit, and yet there is also an
eschatological element to be considered.
In the psalm, the natural implication of this creation theology is drawn out and expressed in a statement of confidence. Because God controls both history and nature, the chaotic threat which both may offer to human existence may be faced fearlessly. The very worst manifestation of chaos is merely a threat, for the Creator has mastered chaos. And yet, as Gunkel rightly observed, there is an eschatological element in the psalm, though it is implicit rather than explicit. The order of creation has been established, and yet the reality of human existence is that there continue to be manifestations of chaos. Faith in God's protection, expressed so profoundly in this psalm, is both present and proleptic, reaching forward to the time of God's ultimate conquest of chaos and establishment of peace.[1]
In verse 6a, we see the connections as “the nations raged”
much as the waters “roar and foam” (v.3a) and the kingdoms tottered much as the
mountains had been “moved into the heart of the sea” (v.2b). In light of these
parallel images, it is likely that the context for this psalm was God’s
deliverance of Judah from the Assyrian army at the time of Hezekiah and Isaiah
(à2
Kings 18-19; Isaiah 36-37 for the narrative). Such was a time when Jerusalem
certainly would have fallen if not for the intervention of the Lord on their
behalf. The Assyrians had amassed an impressive undefeated record as they
marched toward Jerusalem like a slow-motion tsunami.
Are We Fearful or Glad?
Like with the citizens of Jerusalem, our fears cry out for
us to worry and hide. Yet our pride cries out that we can handle it on our own.
We fight and grab and protect our own little slices of the world. Yet, in doing
so we eventually become discouraged and are tempted to despair if we don’t put
our faith in the Lord God.
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| Photo: Greg K. Dueker 2021 |
Knowing that sooner or later the Assyrian army would besiege Jerusalem, Hezekiah had taken wise and practical steps to ensure that Jerusalem had an unfailing water supply, no matter how long the siege. The spring of Gihon, located below the steep eastern hill of Ophel in the deep Kidron Valley, Jerusalem's most ancient water supply, was exposed to enemy attack. Hezekiah diverted the spring through a conduit, 1777 feet long and hewn out of solid rock, into a reservoir inside the city's walls. He then completely covered the ancient spring so that the enemy would not know it was there. Throughout the fearful siege, there was "a river, the streams whereof made glad the city of God." The psalmist tells us of this river, how impassive was its flow (46:4), and how impotent was its foe (45:5-7).
For all his great strength and cunning, the enemy knew nothing of this unfailing source of inner refreshment without which the city could not have lasted more than a month or two. Without that hidden river Jerusalem would have fallen, not from the strength of the foe without, but from weakness and failure within. Instead, the city had a secret river that kept it strong. [2]
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| Hezekiah's Tunnel with a constant flow of water Davidbena, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons |
As this psalm makes clear, God is our fortress whether we
are facing geologic turmoil, political strife, or both. God is still God, and his
plans and purposes will be established. Everything else that we think to be
solid and safe isn't. Earthquakes and invasions both have a way of shifting our
stance and our perceptions regarding what is solid.
Also, if this
historical setting is correct, then the “works” and “desolations” that the Lord
has brought would refer to the overnight destruction of the Assyrian army (2 Sam
19:35; Isa. 37:36).
And that night the angel of the Lord went out and struck down 185,000 in the camp
of the Assyrians. And when people arose early in the morning, behold, these were
all dead bodies.
A biblical faith,
such as that encouraged here, acknowledges our trust in God's character and
power despite the overwhelming problems we face, then it quiets our hearts and
directs our gaze, expectantly, to watch God work! And it is much better for us if his name is
exalted... that means that we would honor and value and lift up his character
as the greatest good. If we who claim to follow him did that consistently, just
think how different the world would be!
Quite A Ride
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| Photo by Jacob Kiesow on Unsplash |
I am so glad, in light of the string of recent events in
2020-21 that we can hope in something more stable than the earth itself,
someone more steadfast than a political party, and some place where no attack
against us can prosper! Even today, we can "be still” and know that the Lord is God"! Yet have we made God
our refuge and strength or are we still trying to fight our battles or pull off
an epic escape by doing it ourselves?
The key to being still is trusting that there is no need for
us to fear...for we are in God's hands. We are neither alone nor undefended. God
doesn't promise a trouble-free life, but he is a "very present help in
trouble”! And this world is not all that there is to the life that he shares
with us.
With Us!
Did you notice that the promise of verse 1 is recast and
twice repeated as a chorus (in verses 7 and 11) in this psalm? This chorus
should ultimately inform our understanding of the psalm and the steadfast
approach to life it describes. It reads,
The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Patrick Henry Reardon in his work on the Psalms notices this
refrain and comments as to its Christological significance.
“The twofold refrain says that God is “with us” in Hebrew ‘imannu. A close look at that word shows it to be most of the name of the Messiah, “Immanuel,” which literally means “with us God.” “God with us” is, of course, Christ our Lord, abiding in our midst all days, even to the end of the world.” [3]
As we head towards the Advent season, let us find our
stability and our gladness in the presence of Immanuel, the Lord Jesus Christ,
who is indeed God with us! He invites all who are thirsty to come and drink!
And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. (Rev. 21:6)
The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price. (Rev. 22:17)
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