“He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the chariots with fire. “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”

Psalm 46:9-10 ESV

We live in a troubled world.

A world in which we are faced with seemingly insurmountable problems. We look in horror at issues beyond our ability to change or control. Not only in the world but ultimately the cause of chaos – the chaos in our hearts. Through this Psalm, God speaks into these issues and reminds those who believe in Him that in a time of cosmic and political collapse, He is a refuge and help in trouble. Perhaps written after God had defeated the enemies of His people during a time of war, He calls them to “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” (46:10). God summons His people to contemplate Him.

“He shows in this that the true and proper proof of our hope consists in this, that, when things are so confused, that the heavens seem as it were to fall with great violence … and the mountains to be torn up from their very foundations, we nevertheless continue to preserve and maintain calmness and tranquility of heart.”

John Calvin

The first stanza of the Psalm begins with vivid imagery of cosmic collapse.

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling.”

In Jewish poetry, the sea conveyed a sense of chaos and unrest. The sea is roaring and foaming, and the defensive mountains and a picture of all that represents stability are thrown into the sea. This is a picture of circumstances that appear impossible to overcome. What are we to do when faced with such calamity? We must remember that God is our refuge and strength and a very present help in trouble. We should not fear because God steps onto the scene and rescues His people. He is not an unconcerned deity standing at a distance like the capricious gods of Norse mythology.

As the Psalm moves into the second stanza, we see a shift from chaos to peace.

“There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns. The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.”

After His disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray, He reminded them,

“What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

In the gospel of John, Jesus connects the rivers of living water with the Spirit of God (see John 7:38-39). Only those indwelt by the Spirit can know absolute stability and peace amid the chaos of this world (see Gal 5:22).

As Jason Van Vliet writes, “The second stanza shifts our attention from the raging seas to the quiet waters of a river with its streams. There is a deep irony in water. When it rises and rages it can cause destruction and death. Yet when it flows gently it sustains life, refreshes the parched tongue, and even gives joy to an entire city.” (1). Jerusalem had no literal river. There was a river in Eden (see Gen 2:10), and there will be a river of life in the new Jerusalem (see Rev 22:1-2). We are reminded that amid the chaos of this world, God’s people enjoy the security and peace of the eternal city that is to come. That is why we do not yield to fear even in such wild confusion. We can join with Martin Luther, the great reformer who used to say in times of trouble, “Come, let us sing the 46th Psalm, and let them do their worst.”

In 1984, the singer Lionel Richie released the song Hello. It reached number one in the UK singles chart and stayed there for six weeks. As a teenager, I remember becoming increasingly annoyed, wondering if the song would ever be replaced by something else, but eventually, it was. In the last two years, the world has been dominated by COVID-19. With the Russian invasion of Ukraine, COVID-19 seems to have lost its number one spot. The world goes from one disaster to the next. This is the cycle of a world ruined by sin and sinners. As we look on in horror at the heartbreaking scenes of war-torn countries, of which Ukraine is the latest, there would be nothing worse than a God who was indifferent to the plight of humanity. But He is not indifferent! God is not a distant deity. He intervenes amid the chaos. He is a very present help to those who trust in Him.

As the third and last stanza of the Psalm begins, the big idea is reinforced. God is sovereign and intervenes in history, providentially working all things according to His will (see Eph 1:11, Rom 8:28).

“Come, behold the works of the Lord, how he has brought desolations on the earth. He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the chariots with fire. “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.”

In the same way as we might view those heartbreaking images from Ukraine, we can imagine the people of God huddled together in fear as military forces surround the city. Suddenly, God dramatically intervenes, and the attack ceases. The word cease is translated elsewhere as Sabbath. The word means to rest, to cease from labour. God intervenes and gives His people an otherwise impossible victory.

“A mighty fortress is our God,
a bulwark never failing;
our helper he, amid the flood
of mortal ills prevailing.”

Martin Luther

Once, when Martin Luther was depressed, his wife Katharina dressed herself and her children in black. When Luther came in, he exclaimed, “Who is dead?” Katharina replied, “Why, doctor, have you not heard that God is dead? My husband Martin Luther, would never be in such a state of mind if he had a living God to trust to.” Luther laughed, saying, “I have been acting as if God were dead, and I will do so no more.” Christians today can face the same temptation. We can walk around as if God is dead. As we look at ourselves, the church, and the world, we can begin to lament how insignificant we seem. As this Psalm is applied to our hearts and minds, it calls us to step back and look from another perspective. We must remember that God is on His throne, high above our circumstances. Without minimising personal struggles, if God can intervene amid the cosmic collapse described, surely He can help us if we trust Him. After all, isn’t it God’s modus operandi to use that which the world sees as insignificant for his glory?

In the refrain, “The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.” (46:7, 11‬), we are pointed to Jesus, who is called Immanuel, which means God with us (see Is 7:14, Matt 1:23). In the Old Testament God was present with His people, but in the New Testament God became flesh! The coming of Jesus was the ultimate intervention. Jason Van Vliet again writes, “Believers today have even more reason to be confidently calm since our Saviour has ascended the throne at God’s right hand, been given the name above every name, rules over all authorities, and will one day hear every tongue confess him as Lord” (see Phil 2:9-11), (2). Only through submission to the rule and reign of King Jesus can we know God as our refuge. The chaos we see in the world today is ultimately a result of the chaos in our hearts caused by sin. With God’s own Son as our intercessor, divine help is always close at hand. Our sin can be dealt with beneath the cross. In the proper knowledge of God and His deliverance, there is peace.

Has God, through the person and work of His Son, become your refuge and strength?

Notes

1. https://reformedperspective.ca/on-psalm-46-an-excerpt-from-christs-psalms-our-psalms-study-resource/
2. Ibid.

All scripture quotations are from the ESV.