Proof of History; Pronouncement of Faith

The point: Get your spiritual bearings and keep them, no matter what storms may rage or clouds may break.

Psalm 46 provided consolation to Luther and his companions during the Reformation, serving as an example of its power in troublous times.

What is a child of God to do when facing impending danger and living in the midst of grave peril? What is the church to do when its enemies rage, and when its enemies bear the fangs of open hostility to the people of God? Well, Psalm 46 is a watershed of biblical principles which answer such questions as these. This particular psalm, so full of consolation to Luther and his companions during the period of the Reformation, has well been entitled the song of faith in troublous times.

1:17 - 2:00 Read in full sermon

Driving home: The history of Israel is a constant and monumental proof of these assertions of faith.

The raging of nations is pictured as a wounded lion stomping, bearing fangs, roaring, and bellowing, conveying intense, violent opposition.

means to make a great sound, a commotion, to be tumultuous. And it's the picture of a wounded lion in a cage stomping back and forth and bearing his fangs, and roaring and bellowing. That's the picture involved in the statement of the psalmist. The activity of men is an activity of raging. Psalm 2

8:58 - 9:22 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin delves into verse 6, presenting it as the 'proof of history' that buttresses faith. He contrasts the 'activity of men'—nations raging and kingdoms moved—with the 'answer of…

Martin quotes Spurgeon's vivid description of general confusion, falling crowns, roaring thrones, and powerful empires falling like uprooted pines, illustrating the 'kingdoms were moved' phrase.

as a kingdom comes to a place of prominence and it begins its conquest and its attempting to conquer the people of God, in the course of that conquest there is a shaking of the very kingdoms. The comment that Spurgeon makes on this I think is excellent and I shall quote it. A general confusion seized upon society. The fierce invaders convulsed their own dominions by drawing the population to urge on the war. And they

10:37 - 11:11 Read in full sermon

Driving home: He uttered his voice and the earth melted. Do you catch something of the tremendous contrast?

The invasion of Judah by Sennacherib and the Assyrian army (2 Kings 18-19) is presented as a possible historical setting for Psalm 46, demonstrating how kingdoms were moved.

You have a description of this in one part of the old testament which may well be the historical setting of this psalm and I ask you to turn please to 2 Kings. 2 Kings and in chapter 18 we have a description of the invasion of Judah by Sennacherib and the hordes of the Assyrian army. Chapters 18 and 19 of 2 Kings and in 1911 we hear the claim of Sennacherib and his army. Behold thou hast heard what the kings of Assyria

11:38 - 12:22 Read in full sermon

Driving home: He uttered his voice and the earth melted. Do you catch something of the tremendous contrast?

All opposition to God's voice is described as melting away like wax before the burning sun, emphasizing God's effortless power.

of the tremendous contrast? Here are men with all the amalgamated might of military genius and personnel and equipment raging, moving, tottering kingdoms, but at the appointed time when God would still the enemies of his people, he utters his voice and all of the opposition is nothing more than wax before the burning sun it melts away into nothing. That's the description the Psalmist gives us of the answer of God. Now what is this voice of God? And

14:22 - 15:06 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Because God is committed in covenant faithfulness to preserve his church Zion city of God at the appointed hour one word from his mouth and all his enemies must melt and fly away.

An author's illustration of Niagara Falls instantly freezing at a command is used to convey the instantaneous and absolute power of God's voice to quell all tumult.

quells them all. As will the instantaneous weakness that dissolves the seeming solid substance when the breath of his lips smites it. And then this particular author gave a vivid illustration. Can you imagine mighty Niagara with all of its force and all of its tonnage of water and all of its roaring and foaming.

16:25 - 16:50 Read in full sermon

Driving home: God is concerned to forever preserve in her mind that the real captain over the nation of Israel the real sovereign over that people is Jehovah himself.

Martin quotes an author's collation of biblical material explaining the significance of 'Jehovah of hosts' as God's rule over heavenly armies and His protest against eclipsing His sovereignty with earthly kings.

It is computed that this title of God occurs some 260 times in the Old Testament but it is not found in any of the books written or compiled before the time of first Samuel. In the New Testament it is found only once James 5 and verse 4. The glorious title with which Isaiah who uses it some 60 times and Jeremiah some 80 times have especially made us familiar represents Jehovah the eternal one as ruler over the heavenly host that is over the angels and over the stars. The idea of the invisible God friend being the sovereign master of a host of those

20:53 - 21:38 Read in full sermon

Driving home: God is concerned to forever preserve in her mind that the real captain over the nation of Israel the real sovereign over that people is Jehovah himself.

The story of Elisha and his servant seeing the mountain full of horses and chariots of fire (2 Kings 6) illustrates that the 'Lord of hosts is with us' with unseen, powerful armies.

And you have a wonderful example of this in 2nd Kings chapter 6 verses 14 and following the incident will be familiar to many of you I am sure the prophet and his young companion are in a situation of danger and we read in 2nd Corinthians chapter 6 beginning with verse 14 therefore sent he thither horses and chariots and a great host here is the invading Syrians not Assyrians but Syrians horses chariots and a great host there is the key phrase a great host

24:26 - 25:11 Read in full sermon

The point: Be reasonably and intelligently informed about general circumstances to know how to pray, but do not let fear of calamities dominate your mind.

The unexpected collapse of a communist takeover in Indonesia is cited as an example of God's ability to melt international conspiracies with a breath from His mouth.

or to be reasonably and intelligently informed about general circumstances that we may know how to pray granted but listen if God can utter his voice and melt all of his opposition can't he melt any international conspiracy with a breath from his mouth surely he can he has who can explain what happened in Indonesia a few years ago who can explain that natural when the stage was fully set for a communist takeover and God blew upon it within days and toppled the whole business God can do the same whenever he chooses

33:27 - 34:10 Read in full sermon

The point: Act faith upon God as the Lord of hosts when facing dangers involving the might of enemies, and as the God of Jacob when cast down by a sense of sin and failure.

Martin uses the term 'heel snatcher' for Jacob to help believers identify with Jacob's unworthiness and find comfort in God as the 'God of Jacob' despite their own failures.

faith upon him as the Lord of hosts as we think of impending dangers that involve the amassed wisdom and might and power of the enemies of the church we need to think of him in terms of his character the Lord of hosts who has at his disposal all the armies of heaven and can with the word of his mouth discomfit and disperse his enemies there are other times when we are cast down with the sense of our sin and our failure and we say yeah he is Lord of hosts but why would he ever include me within the sphere of his protection then I need to act faith upon him as the God of Jacob Lord I am just an ...

37:07 - 37:52 Read in full sermon

The point: Read the history of the church to be encouraged that God vindicates His cause, rather than despairing when things look bleak.

The Evangelical Awakening, the Log College, and the movements of God's Spirit in New Jersey are cited as historical examples of God vindicating His cause when all seemed lost.

vestige of gospel light and gospel truth and just when it seems he just about had his way in the midst of what are called those dark periods of the church what did God do he laid hold of a man here and a man there and preserved that light until it was his time to do what to come and vindicate the cause of his son in a mighty and in a greatly extensive manner and when this spiritual impetus of that movement had begun to wane and there was a declension of life and power that looked as though all might be lost God came forth again in the period of the evangelical awakening and to these shores cam...

42:16 - 42:58 Read in full sermon