Psalm 46: The God of Jacob is Our Refuge

 

God the Refuge of His People and Conqueror of the Nations To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. A Song for Alamoth.

1 God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. 

2 Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; 

3 Though its waters roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah 

4 There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High. 

5 God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God shall help her, just at the break of dawn. 

6 The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved; He uttered His voice, the earth melted. 

7 The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah 8 Come, behold the works of the Lord, Who has made desolations in the earth. 

9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariot in the 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 refuge. Selah 

My Commentary

The God of Jacob is our Refuge 

    Circumstances in life can often cause us to become frozen with fear and uncertainty. This present moment in history (the pandemic, elections, racial tension in America) can just add to the anxiety and fear that many of us battle with from day to day. 

   However, this Psalm in particular reminds us where our focus should remain. 

1 God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. 

God has promised to be our refuge. The word in Hebrew is Machaseh or Machseh. It describes refuge, shelter, hope and trust. It describes a physical structure that shelters you from rain, storms, and danger. But it also goes beyond that and describes a place of hope and trust. We can confidently expect God to bring us out on the other side better than ever. We can Trust that He know the end from the beginning and this pandemic is under His control. 

 He is then described as being a very present help in trouble. God promises to be there with us through thick and thin. He will never leave our side. He is a very present help meaning we do not have to go wandering around wondering “Where is He”, but He is ever present with us. 

2 Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; 

Because God is our place of refuge, shelter, hope and trust we have no need to fear. Though, scientists can only predict, and doctors can only give medical advice based on what they know, God is our stabilizer. It does not matter what is going on around us, we have no need to fear. We may even have to take some physical steps to relieve fear such as spending more time in prayer and study, limiting our intake of media, getting enough rest, discovering new hobbies, etc. 

3 Though its waters roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah 

Trouble has a way of making a lot of unnecessary noise just to row you up. I can recall walking a trail one day and hearing a lot of rustling coming from the bushes. It sounded like a gorilla was shaking the bushes, I was afraid it was some sort of big animal when I saw that it was only little birds. That is how trouble is, it may appear much bigger than what it truly is. 

4 There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High. 

Jerusalem is known as the “City of God”, one of the oldest cities in the world and a holy place in the Abrahamic religions. However, it is not known for having major water sources such as a river, only the Gihon spring that was Jerusalem’s main source of fresh water. However, the prophets in the Bible look forward to the day where water would literally flow from God’s sanctuary. Ezekiel 47:12 

So spiritually God wants to water those dry areas in our lives that lacks life, substance, nourishment. He is the seat of Divine majesty and Power. 

 5 God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God shall help her, just at the break of dawn. 

God is in the midst of us, and we shall not be moved. Whenever challenges come we do not have to be tossed to and fro. We can stand firmly planted, rooted and grounded in Him. God promises to help us. 

 6The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved; He uttered His voice, the earth melted. 

Our circumstances may try to rage, people around us may rage, kingdoms around the world may rise and fall, however God is the Sovereign One. The Message Bible translates it as “Godless nations rant and rave, kings and kingdoms threaten, but the Earth does everything He says. 

 7 The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah “Hosts” comes from the Hebrew Word, tsaba- which means army, war, warfare. The word tsaba also describes an organized host of Angels, the sun, moon, and stars, and the entire creation. All of Heaven is behind Him so we can find refuge in the God of Jacob.

 8 Come, behold the works of the Lord, Who has made desolations in the earth. 

Behold the works of the Lord. He makes desolations in the Earth. Remember after the Pandemic started there were reports of less pollution, more animals out an about, and even the ozone layer closing because human activity ceased. So when there are “desolations” in our life sometimes God is allowing something to cease so some area of our life can rest and renew itself. 

 9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariot in the fire. 

Just as God causes physical wars to cease, He also causes spiritual ones to cease. He makes them to cease, He renders the weapons of the enemy useless and of none effect. 

 10 Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! 

All God asks us to do is to Be still and know that He is God. When we face troubled times we can trust in Him to bring us through. He will be exalted in our times of trials. He will be exalted among the naysayers. 

11The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah 

Just remember that God will move Heaven and Earth on the behalf of His children.  I hope you were blessed by this teaching.