Psalm 46
This Psalm was a song that the children of Israel used to sing in the temple of the Lord. It is known as the sublime song of faith. If ever a time we need more songs of faith is today. Too many hearts all around us are failing for fear. No wonder the Scriptures repeatedly call upon us to “Fear Not.” It is referred to as the “Divine Fear Not” of Scripture. Knowing our natural tendency to fear, the Almighty repeatedly admonishes us not to fear, especially in these last moments of peril and terror on planet earth. In the Psalm, the phrase or verse recurring at intervals is verse 7 and verse 11 – “The Lord of hosts is with us,The God of Jacob is our refuge.” It is also strongly felt that the refrain of verses 7 and 11 appeared after verse 3 but for some reason was dropped as time progressed. Therefore, by the recurrence of these verses, we can assuredly say that this Psalm is a Psalm of confidence – The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge.
Here we are cautioned against panic, worry, and needless fear. There should never be chaos, confusion, and pandemonium in the church, regardless of how scary and catastrophic things may appear to be in our own lives and all around us. Now is no time to fall apart. To the contrary, we must hold together and keep looking up. With great determination we declare, “Therefore will not we fear…” (v.2). We plain refuse to panic and despair. We are determined not to act and respond as the world. The people of God are guided by a greater light and knowledge. He is with us!
In this short refrain we are told some very profound things about God with which to encourage our souls and which we should always keep in mind. Here, the author sheds light on the fact that he who protects us is also known as the Lord of hosts or the Lord of an innumerable company of angels. He is the God of angel armies. He is Jehovah-Sabaoth. It reinforces the thought that He is a God of war, and He protectively surrounds us. As the warfare between good and evil continues, we are certainly encouraged by the fact that He has never lost a battle.
Here in this Psalm, the message is powerfully conveyed that when trouble comes, God knows how to hide and protect our souls. Our God is fearless. He is never afraid of trouble, trouble engineered by man or trouble manufactured by demons. In fact, the Psalm asserts that God is a help always ready in trouble. He is ready or prepared for the next crisis that is ready to blow up in our lives. It graphically begins by stating, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (v.1).
Though the psalmist sees the sea in turmoil, the waters roaring, the mountains shaking, the earth moving yet he declares “Therefore will not we fear…” (v.2). Even as he looks, sees, and describes events of cataclysmic proportions and has apocalyptic visions of the worst kind yet he refuses to allow himself and the church to give way to panic and despair. He confidently declares that the supernatural, eternal, glorious God of the ages is still our refuge and our stronghold and affirms most of all that He is with us. He is with us all the way through thick and thin, good, and bad, high, and low, for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, in peace and in war. Saints, may we never forget to rejoice in the supreme knowledge of this fact, that we are never alone or forsaken. The Lord of hosts is with us, and the God of Jacob, the covenant-keeping God, is still our refuge! This is our sublime song of faith!
Leroy V Greenaway
Presiding Bishop – Northeast Region
