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“Be still, and know that
I am God”
Psalm 46:1-11
22nd November 2015
Historical Background on Psalm 46 cf
2Kings 18-17, 2Chron.32, Isaiah 36-37
The Time - when Jerusalem was
surrounded by the army (180,000
soldiers) of Sennacherib, king of Assyria
When king Hezekiah of Judah prayed,
God answered him through the prophet
Isaiah with these strong words for king
Sennacherib in Isaiah 37:23,
The Time - when Jerusalem was
surrounded by the army (180,000
soldiers) of Sennacherib, king of Assyria
“Against whom have you raised your
voice and lifted your eyes in pride?
Against the Holy One of Israel!”
And in one night, the angel of the LORD
defeated king Sennacherib by killing the
180,000 soldiers of his army
Psalm 46 was written as a Psalm of trust
and thanksgiving to God for His
deliverance
Psalm 46 was the favourite Psalm of
Martin Luther and it inspired him to write
this famous hymn,
“The Mighty Fortress Is Our God”
Psalm 46 relates to anyone who is facing
trouble today or to anyone who may face
trouble in the future
Psalm 46 equips us on what to do when
things don’t go well with us
Yet, we have false teachers, claiming
that it is God’s will for people to be in
perfect health and be in prosperity. But
God’s Word never teaches such thing
Psalm 46 teaches that God is our help in
trouble, and not that He will exempt us
from trouble. The abundant life we
possess is not a trouble-free life on earth
In Psalm 46, 3 things are outlined for us
when things don’t go well with us
I. Be still, and know that I am the God
of Refuge (Ps.46:1-3)
Therefore, we shall not fear
In the 1st scene, we have the assurance
that “God is our refuge and strength, a
very present help in trouble” (v1), even
though the whole earth is changed…
Today, we are facing a global economic
uncertainty, a rising concern over global
security, a challenging environment
1.
A global economic uncertainty
S.T. Wed.26 August 2015
When China devalued its currency in Aug.
2015, “it wiped out more than US$5 trillion
(S$7 trillion) from the stock market
around the world.” “Richest Asian lost $5
billion in Black Monday’s share sell-off.”
S.T. Sat.14 November 2015
“Uncertainty over United States interest
rates sent major Asian markets tumbling
yesterday.”
2.
A rising concern over global security
S. T. Sunday, November 15, 2015
Paris terror attacks - “The security
nightmare that all cities face … Attacks in
Paris a reminder of how difficult it is to
protect any urban centre from acts of
terror.”
S. T. Wednesday 18, 2015
“South-east Asia is on high alert to prevent
a repeat of last Friday’s deadly attacks, as
the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS)
threatens to launch more strikes.”
2.
A rising concern over global security
The S.T. October 26, 2015
“While conflict seems too frightening to
contemplate, there is no question that
Asia is heading towards a more
dangerous place as the United States,
Japan and India move to confront a more
assertive China …
Many Asean states could potentially be
caught in the middle of this
competition.”
3.
A challenging environment
The S.T. October 27, 2015
Special Report on the Rising perils of
climate change - the “Impact will be felt
by all as sea levels rise, people migrate
and food sources dwindle.”
“As extremes grow, everyone will be
affected, from the poorest in Africa and
India to those in well-off cities such as
Singapore, New York and Hong Kong.”
3.
A challenging environment
The S.T. October 27, 2015
“Singapore is not immune and is
vulnerable to rising sea levels, hotter
temperatures and changes in rainfall
patterns.”
“Climate change can also affect
investments Singaporean make in other
countries.”
I.
Be still, and know that I am the God
of Refuge (Ps.46:1-3)
Therefore, we shall not fear
1. God, our divine Helper is continually
available for us in time of trouble
2. God, our Helper is not only
continually available, but He is
thoroughly adequate
3. God, our Helper is readily accessible
as well to His people, “a very present
help” He is our omnipresent Helper
I.
Be still, and know that I am the God
of Refuge (Ps.46:1-3)
Therefore, we shall not fear
If God is truly “our Refuge and
strength and a very present help in
trouble”
Then fear is illogical and there is no
logical ground for fear
“Therefore we will not we fear…”
(v2)
When Things Don’t Go Well
II. Be still, and know that I am the
God of Security (Ps. 46:4-7)
Therefore, we will not be moved
The 2nd scene describes the city
of God, Jerusalem under attack.
Nations & kingdoms had risen
against her … yet “she shall not be
moved” cf vv 4-5
II. Be still, and know that I am the
God of Security (Ps. 46:4-7)
Therefore, we will not be moved
In the O.T., ancient Jerusalem
was a picture that the Most High God
was Resident in the Tabernacle,
dwelling among His people. The
omnipotent presence of Jehovah is
their safety and true security
II. Be still, and know that I am the
God of Security (Ps. 46:4-7)
Therefore, we will not be moved
In the N.T., we have a clear & vivid
illustration of Ps. 46:5 in Matt. 8:23-27
when the disciples were facing a
threatening windstorm in the Sea of
Galilee & Jesus was sleeping in the ship
Luke 8:23, “they were in jeopardy”
Mark 4:38, “Master, carest thou not that
we perish”
II. Be still, and know that I am the
God of Security (Ps. 46:4-7)
Therefore, we will not be moved
Before & after calming the windstorm &
the sea, Jesus rebuked them, saying,
In Matt. 8:26, “O ye of little faith?”
Mark 4:40, “Why are you so fearful? How
is it that you have no faith?”
In Luke 8:25, “Where is your faith?”
In Mk.4:36, “there were also with him
other little ships”
II. Be still, and know that I am the
God of Security (Ps. 46:4-7)
Therefore, we will not be moved
As long as God was in the boat, the
disciples should not have been moved,
for the Lord Jesus Himself was in the
midst of them
So, what should we do when things
don’t go well with us ?
II. Be still, and know that I am the
God of Security (Ps. 46:4-7)
Therefore, we will not be moved
1. Reckon that God is ever watching
over us, guiding, leading,
directing and supporting us with
great care & compassion. He is
always with us & will never
forsake us
II. Be still, and know that I am the
God of Security (Ps. 46:4-7)
Therefore, we will not be moved
2. Reckon that the most High God
who is seated in the heavenly
Throne is above all thrones as
the One who is ordering the
universe. He alone is our
heavenly Security
II. Be still, and know that I am the
God of Security (Ps. 46:4-7)
Therefore, we will not be moved
3. Reckon that “The Lord of hosts
is with us; the God of Jacob”
The refrain in Ps.46:7,11 help us
to know God in 2 aspects:
i. Know Him as “The Lord of
hosts”
ii. Know Him as “the God of Jacob”
II. Be still, and know that I am the
God of Security (Ps. 46:4-7)
Therefore, we will not be moved
Why did God addresses Himself as
“the God of Jacob” & not “the God of
Israel?” Jacob = supplanter, cheater,
deceiver, cunning schemer
The point is, it speaks of God’s
sovereign grace. God is not ashamed to
associate with Jacob’s past . He chose &
saved Jacob on the basic of His grace
II. Be still, and know that I am the
God of Security (Ps. 46:4-7)
Therefore, we will not be moved
Thus, His help in time of trouble is
not conditioned on our performance, but
on His great grace, mercy, love
And the lovely things about the God of
Jacob is that He is a God of unbelievable
patience with all of us. We should always
depend on the “Lord of hosts; the God
of Jacob” as our Refuge & Security
When Things Don’t Go Well
III. Be still, and know that I am the
God of Peace (Ps. 46:8-11)
Therefore, we will not strive
When we are in trouble, we need to
view what God has done, “Come, behold
the works of the LORD, what desolations
he hath made in the earth.” (v 8)
The greatest desolation God had done is
to look at the empty tomb. He had raised
our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead
III. Be still, and know that I am the
God of Peace (Ps. 46:8-11)
Therefore, we will not strive
“Blessed be the God…which according
to his abundant mercy hath begotten us
again unto a lively hope by the
resurrection of Jesus from the dead.”
1Peter 1:3 & In Eph.1:7,
“In whom we have redemption through
his blood, the forgiveness of sins,
according to the riches of his grace;”
III. Be still, and know that I am the
God of Peace (Ps. 46:8-11)
Therefore, we will not strive
“In whom we have redemption through
his blood, the forgiveness of sins,
according to the riches of his grace.”
“Therefore, being justified by faith, we
have peace with God…” “Now the Lord
of peace himself give you peace always
by all means. The Lord be with you all.”
(Eph.1:7, Rom.5:1, 2Thess.3:16)
III. Be still, and know that I am the
God of Peace (Ps. 46:8-11)
Therefore, we will not strive
Beloved, in the calming of the great
windstorm, remember that when the
blessed Lord Jesus “rebuked the wind,”
He “said unto the sea, Peace! be still.
And the wind ceased, and there was a
great calm. And he said unto them…how
is it that ye have no faith?” Mark 4:39-40
III. Be still, and know that I am the
God of Peace (Ps. 46:8-11)
Therefore, we will not strive
1. Remember what God has done
(Rom.8:32) Let’s rejoice that God
will be exalted among the nations
in the earth
2. Remember this very remarkable
command, “Be still, and know
that I am God”
III. Be still, and know that I am the
God of Peace (Ps. 46:8-11)
Therefore, we will not strive
This command is given in the
context of trouble. “Be still” literally
mean to “relax,” “don’t panic” or
“stop striving” with God
The point is - God is in full control, so
let Him handle our situation & trust
Him to do what He intends to do
III. Be still, and know that I am the
God of Peace (Ps. 46:8-11)
Therefore, we will not strive
Remember what Moses
commanded the children of Israel to
do - “… stand still, and see the
salvation of thre LORD.” Ex.14:13
But, in today world, with its rapid
pace, the last thing anybody would
want to do is - to “Be Still”
III. Be still, and know that I am the
God of Peace (Ps. 46:8-11)
Therefore, we will not strive
Beloved, when we obey God’s
command, we will discover victory in our
trouble as we commit the matter to Him
But the message will be totally irrelevant
to a person who wants a quick answer to
his trouble and doesn’t want to
acknowledge the Lordship of Christ in
his life and submit to Him (1Cor.15:57)
III. Be still, and know that I am the
God of Peace (Ps. 46:8-11)
Therefore, we will not strive
1Cor.15:57
“But thanks be to God,
which giveth us the victory
through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Beloved, our God is greater than
our greatest trouble!