Psalm 46
This is a psalm of consolation. Israel, in great peril (Verses 1-3,
6, 8, 9), consoles herself with the thought of God’s might, his protecting
care, and his ability to shatter all the combinations that her enemies may form
against her. There is nothing to determine absolutely what particular peril is spoken
of; but, on the whole, the allusions seem to point to the invasion by Sennacherib,
rather than to any other event in Hebrew history.
We can see in this psalm, two contrasting
thoughts.
- Instability of the earthly refuges
- Stable nature of God.
Instability of every earthly refuge
Public calamities
- Depression of trade.
- Wars – Don’t know whether one more war is coming or not.
- War expenditure.
- Cannot trust in the things that we see around. Outwardly it may look solid but it may not.
Personal troubles
Sometimes the
earthly things may stand but it can happen that without any warning personal
troubles or accidents come into our life - causing pain and agony.
The private foundations of your health,
fortune, happiness, hope, may fail with brief or no warning, and all your
earthly welfare be laid in ruins.
Or it may be doubts arising about our
faith and convictions that can wreck our faith life and personal life.
Stable Nature of God
- V1 – GOD IS THE ALL-SUFFICIENT, NEVER-FAILING REFUGE OF HIS CHILDREN.
The psalm shows the confidence of the
Israelites about the unchangeable nature of God.
The Hebrew for “very present” means literally “greatly found;”
not far to seek, but nigh at hand; not difficult to find, but offering himself;
found by experience to be all that he promises, all that we need. Human
ministry can do much in the lesser troubles of life; it is God’s appointed way
of help. But when “the mountains” are removed — in the great crises and
overwhelming sorrows, dangers, burdens of life, nothing will serve short of
this — “underneath are the everlasting arms.”
- V4 –
Jerusalem had no river, unlike Thebes, Damascus, yet it talks about a
“river”. Here the river serves as a metaphor for the continual outpouring
of the sustaining and refreshing blessing of God, which makes the city of
God, like the Garden of Eden. That makes the city of
- Even the public calamities are under the control of God. He makes the war to cease. V8
Our response
·
Be fearless in the midst of
greatest difficulties
·
Be glad and joyful – That God
will help in the right time
·
Be obedient to the omnipotent
God
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