Repetition of Pronouncement of Faith

Introduction: The Repetition of Faith in Psalm 46

0:03 We turn again this morning to the 46th psalm for this, our sixth and final exposition of this choice portion of God's holy word, Psalm 46.

0:22 We've reminded you that this psalm has often been called Luther's psalm since he and his compatriots in the Reformation period derived continual strength and solid encouragement from the truth contained within the boundaries of this psalm. But we can bless God it is not the private possession of any one child of God, not even so noble a child of God as Luther. But it comes within the scope of those gracious promises that are yea and amen in Christ Jesus to all of his saints so that we may sing with some degree of, I trust, spiritual perception every promise in the book is mine. Every chapter, every verse, every line.

1:14 Psalm 46. I shall read the entire psalm, spend just a few moments catching the main threads of thought and then focus our attention upon the final statement found in verse 11.

1:30 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear though the earth do change and though the mountains be shaken into the heart of the seas though the waters thereof roar and be troubled though the mountains tremble with the swelling thereof there is a river the streams whereof make glad the city of God the holy place of the tabernacles of the Most High. God is in the midst of her she shall not be moved. God will not be moved.

2:07 God will not be moved. God will not be moved. God will not be moved. God will help her and that right early.

2:11 The nations raged. The kingdoms were moved. He uttered his voice. The earth melted.

2:20 The Lord of hosts is with us. The God of Jacob is our refuge. Come, behold the works of the Lord what desolations he hath made in the earth. He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth.

2:37 He breaketh the bow and cutteth the spear in sunder, he burneth the chariots in the fire. Be still, back off, let be, 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 refuge. I have suggested in our study of this psalm that it breaks itself down into what we might call, in terms of our own hymnody, a three-stanza hymn of praise to God, affirming his presence and protection to his people, particularly in times of trouble. The concern of the psalm is indicated by that little phrase that God is refuge and strength and present help in the

3:47 midst of trouble. And so it is this three-stanza hymn of praise to God, the song of faith in troublous times. I've suggested that the broad areas of concern are progressive. In verses two and three, there is this concern with what we might call the natural order of things, the most stable commodities we know of, the earth beneath our feet, the mountains that have been set in their positions for millennia. Yet if even the earth begins to be moved, and though mountains begin to skip and jump into the sea, and though the residue of the mountains tremble with the foaming of the seas, the psalmist declares, we'll not be afraid of the earth. We'll not be afraid of the sacred. Because of who God is, and because of what he is to us as his people. The second stanza, verses four to seven, envisions the people of God as a besieged city, Zion's city of God, under attack from her enemies. And yet there is gladness because of the gracious provisions of

5:01 God, the gladdening river, the indwelling keeper, and the timely helper. And this is proved, by the history of God's people in verse 6, when Zion has been under siege in previous periods, and the nations raged, and in their confederation of rage against the people of God, kingdoms have tottered and been moved, and God at the appointed time has just opened His mouth and spoken, and the earth is melted. And so the affirmation of faith comes forth in verse 7, the Lord of hosts is with us, the God of Jacob is our refuge. In the third stanza, which we are presently studying, the vision is now yet broader, and we see something beyond the natural order, something beyond Zion under siege, and we have a vision that encompasses the ends of the earth, and we are commanded to go forth and behold the works of God in making desolations to the ends of the earth, in causing wars to cease. We are then charged to contemplate the being of God and to contemplate the being of God We are then brought near to hear what God declares to the nations of His own decree and purpose that He shall be exalted unto the ends of the earth. And now we come in verse 11 to what I'm calling a repetition of the pronouncement of faith.

6:27 The psalm closes with exactly the same words that we encountered in verse 7, words that are very similar to the sentiment expressed in the very opening of the psalm. In the very opening words of the psalm, God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. And so we have then this repetition of the pronouncement of faith. And we might ask at the very outset, why this repetition?

Reasons for Repetition: Checking Forgetfulness

6:56 Why should the psalmist give us exactly the same words in verse 11 as we have in verse 7? Particularly since the scriptures teach that unnecessary words and unnecessary verbiage is sin, that idle words are taken into account by God, that idle talk is reprehensible. Why the repetition of precisely the same words? And I would answer at least three reasons for this repetition.

7:28 The first is because repetition is a God-ordained means of checking the inbred tendency to forgetfulness, which in turn, is the mother of unbelief.

7:42 Forgetfulness is the mother of unbelief.

7:46 When we forget who God is, when we grow unmindful of His relationship to us, His people, when the history of His dealings with His people fade, when the realities of His covenant engagements with His people grow dim, it is then that unbelief makes its inroads into the hearts of men. And one of the ways to check this tendency to forgetfulness, which is the mother of unbelief, is by repetition. God said again and again to Israel when He gave them the terms of His covenant relationship to them, Beware lest ye forget. Beware lest ye forget.

8:31 Peter states it in these words in 2 Peter chapter 1. He said, I think it necessary as long as I'm in this tabernacle to stir up your minds by way of remembrance. For you see, it is the truth that holds your mind in the present that molds your life in the present.

8:55 It's not a great doctrine of a great God held in the past that will enable you in the midst of present duress to sing the song of faith. It is your present awareness of a present God and the reality of present relationships to that God and present realities of God's relationship to you. And so we need a repetition of that which is the very heart of the psalm. The ability to be able to say in any circumstance as the pronouncement of faith the Lord of hosts is with us.

Reasons for Repetition: Fresh Response to New Support

9:38 The God of Jacob is our refuge. We need repetition reason number one because repetition is the God-ordained means of checking the inbred tendency to forgetfulness. Secondly, because each new support to faith demands a fresh response of faith. In verse 7 the statement came at the end of that vivid figure of besieged Zion still supplied with the gladdening river protected by the indwelling keeper and sustained by the timely helper.

10:20 The psalmist has just declared that there is this river. He has looked back upon this historical incident in which Zion under siege has been wonderfully delivered by the breath of God by the uttering of the voice of God. That measure of perception of God's provision and God's protection demanded the response of faith. The Lord of hosts is with us.

10:47 The God of Jacob is our refuge. But in verses 8 through 10 the vision has broadened beyond the boundaries of Zion's city of God. That little place where the people of God dwelt under the pressure of the heathen hordes. The vision of verses 8 to 10 is universal.

11:08 Here's the God who makes wars to cease to the ends of the earth. The God who is the God who is said I will be exalted in the earth. I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted in terms of my purposes for Zion.

11:22 And because you see there is a new and broader base of support for faith it demands the fresh response of faith. Not a qualitatively new response but a richer a broader a more intelligent response. The whole scope of history is laid before us in verses 8 to 10. The purpose of God encompassing the entire earth has been asserted.

11:51 Now the psalmist can say not as a vain repetition but with a depth of understanding with a breadth of perception that he could not say before the Lord of hosts is with us not merely to protect Zion from her enemies but through Zion to inherit the nations. Through Zion and the activity of the people Zion's king to be exalted in the earth the Lord of hosts is with us. You see the new support to faith demanded the fresh response of faith. Let me illustrate it this way.

12:26 Suppose there is someone here this morning and we have reason to believe there would be such who sits here ignorant of what it is to be forgiven by the grace of God in Jesus Christ. You know nothing of the blood of the new covenant purging your sins. You know nothing of the Holy Spirit giving you a new heart. What if under the preaching of the word today and God grant that it should be so the Lord seizes upon your conscience with an awareness of your utter sinfulness.

12:58 Something of the reality of your accountability to God and your estrangement from God because of sin bears down upon your conscience with a grip that you cannot escape. And under the preaching of the word the same Holy Spirit by the word sets Jesus Christ before you in the glory of his person and the perfection of his work. And you are enabled right there in your seat today savingly to embrace the Lord Jesus so that you could say at the end of this hour today Jesus Christ is my Savior. Jesus Christ is my Redeemer.

13:39 Jesus Christ is the one who has taken away the torment the torments of conscience I will look unto him as he's been presented in the gospel I have found peace with God. That would be a genuine confession if God had worked that in your heart. It would be a valid confession. Christ is my Savior.

13:59 Christ is my Redeemer. But suppose then under the instruction of the word you began to understand something about the great truth that the reason God laid hold of you this morning was because he had you in his heart from eternity. And when the Lord Jesus went to the cross you were in him. He had you upon his heart.

14:20 You were there with him in his death. When he went back to the right hand of the Father he did so that he might intercede for all of his own. You begin to understand something about the great concept of being loved from eternity. Being saved within the framework of God's covenant promises to his Son.

14:42 Being kept by the faithful intercession of Christ. Now having come to understand that you may say the same words. Jesus Christ is my Savior. Jesus Christ is my Redeemer.

14:56 You're saying the same words. Ah, but they mean something not qualitatively different but quantitatively more. Do they not? Same words but the new perception of what it means for Christ to be Savior gives a richness to the affirmation of the affirmation of your faith.

15:15 Now that's precisely what we have here. The psalmist is not simply tacking on the same thing as he did in verse 7 though he uses the same words. He's saying these words the Lord of hosts is with us. The God of Jacob is our refuge as the response of faith to the new dimensions of the support of faith which he has described in verses 8 to 10.

Reasons for Repetition: Common Means of Emphasis

15:43 And so repetition of essential confessions of faith are necessary because our understanding grows there is this broadening of the significance of that confession. And then thirdly the repetition is necessary because it is a common means of emphasis. You as a parent are going out for an hour and you're leaving the children at home they're of sufficient age where it's not tempting God to leave them for an hour and so you give a list of instructions. Now no rough playing we don't want one of you getting a cut on the head and need to be rushed to the emergency room while we're gone.

16:20 No wrestling. No opening the door for strangers. No snitching at the ice cream. No doing this and do this do this and you say above all else remember what we told you don't open the door to any stranger.

16:35 And what do you do? The thing that is at the top of the list in priorities you repeat it. You underscore it for emphasis. Now you hope they'll remember everything else and not only remember but do what you've said but you're saying in essence if you forget everything else above all other things don't open the door to strangers.

16:55 We use this all the time. Now grace does not negate that common little element of human conversation and human interaction. Repetition is a common means of emphasis and so the psalmist wants us to know that as we think of all these possible contingencies disruption in the natural creation the earth changing mountains shaking seas roaring mountains trembling Zion under siege wars unto the ends of the earth tumult in the nations above all else he says be able to say if you've missed everything else if you haven't laid hold of all of the subtle and rich nuances of the concept of the river and the indwelling keeper and the timely helper and if you've missed the significance of much else don't miss this Jehovah of hosts is with us the God of Jacob is our refuge and so the repetition you see is not meaningless or mindless it is there to check the inbred tendency to forgetfulness the mother of unbelief it is there as the fresh response of faith to the new dimensions of faith support it is there because repetition is a common means of emphasis alright then having established that the words are there with calculated purpose

The Presence of the Lord of Hosts: Almighty Conqueror and Provider

18:23 what do they say to us the exposition of these words as we found them in verse 7 was very brief a few weeks ago because it came at the end of a study of the preceding verses and the bulk of our time had been taken up with them so I will repeat briefly what we covered the second verse the statement of the Lord of hosts is that we seek to enlarge on the significance of these words we have then in these statements this repetition of the pronouncement of faith two divisions of thought one we have this statement concerning the presence of the Lord of hosts the Lord of hosts is with us and secondly this statement concerning the protection of the God of Jacob the God of Jacob is our refuge or our refuge our high tower. Now the first. Here is a repetition of the pronouncement of faith concerning the presence of the Lord of hosts. The Lord of hosts is with us. This title that is peculiar

19:31 in the Psalms to the Korahitic Psalms, the Psalms that have in their title a psalm of the sons of Korah. And this descriptive title of God occurs first of all in connection with the establishment of the kings in Israel. It is first found in 1 Samuel chapter 2 and then throughout those books and then on into the prophetic utterances. Jeremiah uses it the most, Isaiah secondly. But there are some 260 usages of this phrase, the Lord of hosts is with us. In the Old Testament, only once is it found in the New Testament in the book of James. And it pictures Jehovah, the covenant God of his people, as the king over the armies of God, the host of God being the angels of God, the invisible yet mighty host who served Jehovah as he carries out his covenant commitments to his elect people. And we must never forget that.

20:38 You see that it's not Jehovah of hosts in some general sense, but Jehovah of hosts in his peculiar covenant commitment to his people, the people to whom he promised a land and an inheritance, an inheritance that could only be gained against great opposition and maintained in the midst of great opposition so that the people of God need to know that they are standing above and beyond and behind and outside of their armies. The Hehuva is the army of God, over which God himself reigns as the five-star general. The God who imparts his gracious power to his people, as he commits himself and fulfills the commitments of covenant faithfulness. Now the psalmist says that This Jehovah of hosts is with us, that is, He is among us as committed to his cause in us. Now we use the term in a very light sense. We say we are so delighted to have so-and-so with us today.

21:44 What do we mean? We just mean they park their carcass in the same geographical area. So-and-so is with us today. It is so nice to have so-and-so with us.

21:54 Is that all the psalmist is saying? The Lord of hosts is with us. He happens to be where we are. No, no, no, no.

21:59 That would bleed this of all of its significance as a pronouncement of faith. The Lord of hosts is with us. That is, He is among us, fully committed to His own purposes for us, to us, and through us. He is with us then as an almighty conqueror and provider committed to accomplish all of His designs for Zion, city of God.

22:29 Go back to verses 2 and 3. Do the mountains dislodge themselves? Jehovah of hosts is with us. Let every mountain in the earth be cast into the sea, but Zion, the mountain of God, shall stand.

22:43 Because God is with us. God is with us. Committed to the preservation of Zion. Go to verses 4 to 7.

22:53 Do we see the armies of the hordes of Gentile nations coming upon Zion, seeking to obliterate it from the face of the earth? Do we see the nations of the earth gathering against the Lord and His people, and His anointed saying, let us break their bands asunder? The Lord of hosts is with us. He is committed to the preservation and provision of all that Zion needs in order to accomplish the purpose of God for Zion in the earth.

The Presence of the Lord of Hosts: Almighty Controller and Governor

23:25 And this concept, the Lord is with us, bears the full weight of that understanding that I've tried to convey when we just trace it through the scriptures. And I shall only give a couple, a couple of instances of it from the Old Testament. Turn to 2 Chronicles, chapter 32, if you will please. 2 Chronicles, chapter 32, beginning with verse 1.

24:01 After these things, and this faithfulness, Sennacherib, king of Assyria, came and entered into Judah, and encamped against the fortified cities, and fought to win them for himself. When Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib was come, and that he was purposed to fight against Jerusalem, he took counsel with his princes and his mighty men to stop the waters of the fountains which were without the city, and they helped him. See? Let's cut off the water supply.

24:32 We can do that. We've got them. So there was gathered much people together, and they stopped all the fountains and the brook that flowed from the midst of the land, saying, why should the kings of Assyria come and find much water? He took courage and built up the wall that was broken down and raised it up to the towers and the other wall without, and strengthened Milo in the city of David, and made weapons and shields in abundance.

24:56 And he set captains of war over the people, and gathered them together to him in the broad place at the gate of the city, and spake comfortably to them, saying, be strong and of good courage. Be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him. For there is a greater with us. Then with him.

25:21 With him is an arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God, to help us and to fight our battles. And the people rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah, king of Judah. You get an index of what it means to have the Lord with us from the use that is made concerning those that were with the leader of the armies of Assyria. When the man of God, the leader of the armies of Assyria, was with the people, he was with the people of Israel.

25:49 Now God says, when the king says that there is greater with us than with him, in what sense were men with Sennacherib, king of Assyria? Well, they were committed to his cause. He was determined that he would conquer the cities of the people of God. They were actively, positively, with all of their military might, wholly committed to his cause.

26:14 That's what it meant to be with him. Now he says, greater is he that is with us. Not just in our presence, not just among us as some kind of a luxurious companion, but wholly committed to the defense of his people. And so we may say, as we trace this through other portions, time will not permit it, that this is the significance of the words, the Lord of Hosts is with us.

26:41 God is in the midst of his people. God will help her in that right early. If the natural order is disrupted, if Zion is under siege, God will help her in that right early. If the natural order is disrupted, if Zion is under siege, God will help her in that right early.

26:50 If the natural order is disrupted, if Zion is under siege, if we see the very nations trembling and raging, what do we as the people of God need to know? The Lord of Hosts is with us as the almighty conqueror and provider committed to accomplish all of his sovereign designs for Zion, city of God. Secondly, he is with us as the almighty controller and governor of everything that touches Zion, city of God. What did he do in the past?

27:20 Why, at the appointed time, all he did was open his mouth, utter his voice, and all the opposition melted. You see, if God can just open his mouth and speak and cause the opposition to melt, why did he allow it in the first place? Because he has lessons to teach Zion, and all of the enemies of Zion are God's servants to teach lessons to Zion, to discipline Zion, to teach Zion the greatness of her God. That's one thing, for God to consume the hordes before they ever come within the vision of Zion, and then have somebody say, hey, you know what God did out there in the plains of so and so?

28:02 It's another thing to look over the wall and see the glistening helmets like a sea of soldiers, to see the weapons of war, and to see sitting there these heathen hordes waiting to pounce upon Zion like some helpless prey before a mighty attack. a stronger beast of prey than to wake up the next morning and see nothing but prostrate bodies for as far as the eye can see.

28:35 165,000 slain in one night.

28:40 And you've never lifted a sword.

28:43 You learn something about Jehovah's host is with us. You see? And so the whole history of Israel was this. God could have opened up the Red Sea in front of them before the army caught up.

28:55 Why did God let the army catch up? Because he wanted his people to feel that their deliverance was not in themselves. Mountains to the left, to the right. Armies of Pharaoh behind us.

29:08 What shall we do?

29:11 God says, no big problem for me.

29:15 Go across. You're standing on the other side and the army's still coming. What shall we do? God says, no problem for me.

29:24 He drowns the host and their dead, bloated bodies float up in the shores in the days ahead, a monument that the Lord of hosts is with us. Not only is almighty conqueror and provider committed to accomplish his purposes, but almighty controller and governor of all that touches Zion, city of God.

29:45 If he can keep a river flowing and come as the timely helper, then everything that touches his people is ordered by a wise and a loving providence and all things do work together for good to them that love God. To those that are called according to his purposes, Ephesians 1.23 is true that he has made Christ head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all. It is true that God has given Jesus Christ authority over all flesh to the end that he may impart life to his own.

30:27 His great concern in the earth is Zion, city of God, his people, his elect who've been appointed, upon his heart from eternity and all the motions of men and nations and armies and upheavals in the earth are all governed by that one who said all authority hath been given unto me in heaven and in earth.

The Presence of the Lord of Hosts: Most Prized Possession

30:50 The Lord of hosts is with us. With us is almighty conqueror and provider. With us is almighty governor and controller of all things, but I believe the heart of the text in its truth. It's true.

31:05 Distilled essence is to be found in this third concept. He is with us as himself the most prized possession of the citizens of Zion.

31:18 The heathen nations could copy every single facet of the life, worship, and ways of the people of God except one. And that one was the foundation of all the rest. There wasn't a nation in Canaan that could not have copied the tabernacle, the temple, there wasn't a nation that couldn't have copied the priesthood, had a day of atonement, slain a lamb. All of this could be copied.

31:51 The whole genius of the life of Israel under the headship of the Lord of hosts, all of the external things, not the whole genius, but all the external trappings could be reproduced by any heathen nation, but there's one thing they could not reproduce.

32:10 After they built that temple by the direction of God, it says the glory of God himself entered it. After the tabernacles erected, the glory of God comes down upon it. And Moses understood that this was the fundamental mark of distinction for the nation of Israel. It was the sign that God had committed himself in covenant faithfulness.

32:34 Notice how he pleads this with God in his prayer recorded in Exodus chapter 32.

32:42 In Exodus chapter 32, sorry, chapter 33, and verse 12, and Moses said unto the Lord, the people have sinned and God threatens to depart from them. See thou sayest to me, bring up this people and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name and thou hast found favor in my sight. Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found favor in thy sight, show me thy ways that I may know thee to the end that I may know thee.

33:20 That I may find favor in thy sight and consider that this nation is thy people. And he said, my presence shall go with thee and I will give thee rest. And he said unto him, if thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence for wherein now shall it be known that I have found favor in thy sight. What will be the distinguishing mark that you are amongst your people?

33:48 Is it not that thou goest with us so that we are separated I and thy people from all the people that are upon the face of the earth? What separated them? Not their circumcision. Not their system of worship.

34:07 Not their system of sacrifices. Not all the trappings of the ceremonial and civil law. What was the one mark of distinction almighty God had taken up his dwelling with that people? I will be to you a God and ye shall be to me my people.

34:26 I will dwell among you. Now, read Psalm 46, 11 in that light. The Lord of hosts is with us. The God of Jacob is our refuge.

34:40 With us as sovereign protector of us, yes. With us as sovereign governor and director of all events, yes. But with us more especially as our most prized possession. Follow me now.

34:59 The most prized possession of Zion's city of God was not natural tranquility.

35:08 They were glad when they had it but the psalmist says let God take it away and let the mountains begin to play leapfrog. And I'm not going to be afraid. My most prized possession is not the creature comfort that comes when all is going well in the natural. My most prized possession is not when God has blown upon his enemies and given Zion's city of God a little period of respite.

35:36 Let the nations continue to rage. Let them bear the fangs of their hatred and opposition to Zion and to Zion's king.

35:46 By my most prized possession is not any gift that the God of Zion gives in the administration of his government in the earth. It is Zion's God himself who dwells in the midst.

36:02 The Lord of hosts is with us.

36:09 Let the seasons of tranquility give birth to seasons of tumult. Let quietness become tempestuous and the Lord of hosts is with us. There's a touching incident from the life of John Wesley. It is said that on the Tuesday that he went into the presence of God he was breathing with great difficulty and made many efforts to speak to those who were there to witness his entrance into the presence of God.

36:43 And though he failed in his attempts to speak at last summoning together all of his strength and probably animated by a special strength imparted by God for the moment he burst out with the words the best of all is God is with us. And again raising his hand triumphantly he exclaimed with an electrifying effect to all who stood about his bed and best of all God is with us. My friends that man learned the lesson of Psalm 46.

37:22 That enemy that's going to track us all down had John Wesley in its grip and his bony fingers were tightening about the neck of that servant of God but he said best of all God is with us. I'm a citizen of Zion and my God will not forsake me in the hour of my death. Yea though I pass through the valley of the death I will fear valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil why? For thou art with me.

Application: What is Your Most Prized Possession?

37:54 Let me ask you a very pointed question this morning. What is your most precious possession right here this morning? Now we all have many possessions. What is your most prized possession?

38:09 Is it the peace that allows you to go home and sit down with your family and enjoy a meal? Is it the material blessing that makes that meal possible? Is it the domestic tranquility that gives us these liberties thus to meet my friend? If those are your most precious possessions what will you do if God strips them away and crush them and die?

38:34 Child of God says no. My most precious possession is Jehovah of hosts. Jehovah the God of covenant mercy the great I am but he's Jehovah of hosts God who is defender and protector of his people who has become my God.

38:52 Listen to the words in Hebrews chapter 13 written to a people many of whom had already felt the disruption of much that marked life prior to their embrace of the gospel opposition persecution have come upon them the dividing of homes the stripping away of material possession what is their attitude to be? Verse 5 of Hebrews 13 Be ye free from the love of money content with such things as ye have for himself hath said I will in no wise fail thee neither will I in any wise forsake thee so that with good courage we say the Lord is my helper I will not fear what shall man do unto me? You see what the writer to the Hebrews is saying? Alright things are getting rough what's your attitude to be? Content with such things as you have why?

39:54 Why? You have something greater than anything you have the living God as your possession I will never leave thee nor forsake thee it's a neutralizer of fear it's a deterrent to discontent it's a destroyer of timidity with boldness we say I will not fear what can man do to me?

40:16 I'm a citizen of Zion the Lord of hosts is with me blessed be God he dwells in me by his spirit and oh dear God dear child of God we can understand the 46th psalm in a way that the sons of Korah could never understand for we're able to say the Lord of hosts is with us because we know him who is Emmanuel who came to us in a true humanity and who in that humanity suffered and died and rose again and who when he was about to go back to heaven as the glorified God man said lo I am with you always even when you're even to the consummation of the age and what will that age be marked by and with? there will always be opposition to Zion city of God there will be greater or lesser degrees of upheaval in the natural order there are periods of tranquility followed by periods of intense upheaval and disruption there are times when the enemies of God seem to be sleeping other times when they all seem to be awake sometimes they stand in the distance sometimes they all come in their conglomerate strength against Zion but it matters not what period we live in or live through it cannot alter the truth that the Lord of hosts

The Protection of the God of Jacob: Our Refuge

41:43 is with us and so there is this repetition of the pronouncement of faith a faith that dares to pronounce the presence of the Lord of hosts but secondly that makes a pronouncement concerning the protection of the God of Jacob look at the words the God of Jacob is our refuge the God who made a covenant with Abraham renewed it in Isaac and with greater definition renewed it with Jacob the wily heel snatcher whom God loved because he loved him not because he was lovable but because he was a gracious and a sovereign God that God the psalmist says is our refuge is our high tower it's a different word from verse one it means a stronghold an impregnable fortress so what is this saying the psalmist is saying I anticipate that to the end of my days I'm going to be in a state of warfare Zion will know greater or lesser degrees of being besieged and attacked by her enemies the people of God will be harassed but thank God he says the God of Jacob the God of covenant grace and faithfulness is a high tower now running into a tower is not the activity of heroes

43:09 you see some guy running for his life and running into a big tower and shutting the big iron door behind him you aren't about to pin a metal on him for being a hero well God's not in the business of making heroes of anyone but himself here's a confession if the God of Jacob is high tower it means that I'm weak I cannot face my enemies of myself I have no strength against the enemies and my safety is in the acknowledgement of my weakness and in the laying hold of the God of my strength my safety is in not trying to be a big shot out in the battle the name of the Lord is a high tower the scripture says the righteous runneth into it and is safe and that's the concept that the psalmist lays before us and I say to you dear child of God in the world ye shall have tribulation for all that you may have a well beaten footpath to the fortress who is nigh who is with you who has graciously saved you and prove experimentally that the God of Jacob is your high tower and that's the concept of the psalmist now the tower

Closing Considerations: Broad Spectrum of Troubles and Facts

44:38 cannot be budged it cannot be changed because it is God himself and as we conclude our study in this psalm what I wish to do is now just to bring in several broad considerations that I hope will tie up all the loose ends and make this by God's grace a permanent possession within your mind and heart often to be read and meditated upon and called to remembrance in time of need and the first thing I would say in our closing considerations is this note the broad spectrum of the troubles envisioned in the psalm it's a psalm of faith in troublous times what kind of troubles well the vision of the psalmist touches the natural upheavals in verses 2 and 3 the spiritual conflicts of the state of Zion in verses 4 to 6 international plots and schemes and the activities of the people of nations at war you see there is a vision a perspective that is as broad as any contingency that you and I can imagine and yet in the midst of this the psalmist says God is God is refuge the Lord of hosts is with us the God of Jacob is our refuge now unless you and I

46:06 are totally oblivious to the hour in which we live there is in society at large and amongst the people of God in particular a deep sense of something foreboding something almost spooky we wonder how long can things hold together and not totally come apart at the seams how long when every man is doing that which is right in his own eyes can we have any kind of domestic tranquility how long can there be anything other than the blood bath the bath of the blood of the blood of the blood of the blood of the blood of the blood with nations acting like petulant children each one concerned to have his own way and to protect his own marbles how long there is that sense child of God feed your mind upon this psalm when you hear news of earthquakes in diverse places when you hear of famines throughout the earth read the 46th psalm when you see Zion under vicious attack and everything related to the truth of God and sacred things vilified and caricatured and Zion is being subjected to the pummeling of all her enemies when we see the nations actually in movements that seem to be leading in their

47:35 train other nations to an inevitable path of encounter and bloodshed in war what are we to do we are to look in the face of all that and say God is refuge and strength the Lord of host is with us the God of Jacob is our refuge God has not ignored any possible area of contingency and this psalm gives that broad spectrum and secondly notice the broad spectrum of facts which are given to support our faith this is the thing that struck me with freshness in meditating upon the psalm this week what do we have upon which to rest our faith some pious little platitudes from the preacher saying chuck up you know everything will be all right it's going to be fine no no we have the facts of the God who is look at all the names by which he is described in this psalm Elohim Jehovah Jehovah of host all of the figures to show his relationship to us in redemption he is refuge he is high tower present age supplier of his people oh dear people look at the broad spectrum of facts given to support our faith the facts of who God is the facts of

49:02 redemptive relationship the facts of history and the facts of prophecy the facts of divine decree I will be exalted I will be exalted in the earth dear child of God to take the posture of faith in troubleous times is not the position of a fool it's the only reasonable position to take in the light of what God has said he's given us as the buttress in support of faith all of these blessed facts you know what unbelief is unbelief is a form of deicide it's a form of deicide it's a form of killing God and if you profess to be a Christian and you're fearful because of the upheavals in the natural order because of attacks upon Zion because of the because of upheavals in the international order if anything in the world without causes you materially to be affected I don't mean the momentary passings but in the deep-seated regions of the soul you are guilty of a form of deicide you're saying God no longer is and because he no longer is he is no longer refuge strength present help in trouble the river has dried up

50:31 God no longer supplies it what will we do if we lose this privilege and if we lose that privilege and if we no longer have this opportunity and that what will happen there is a river and that river will flow as long as the church militant is here upon the face of the earth there is a river the streams whereof make glad the city of God God is our refuge God is with us may we look upon unbelief for what it really is and every temptation to unbelief as an inducement to the foulest kind of evil it's amazing how if some wicked thought entered our minds under the darks of the devil or the stirrings of our own flesh to go out and commit a bloody murder how long would you entertain such a thought I hope you'd resisted at the first dawning of consciousness and yet we sit and use and turn over doubts concerning God God can only get his work done if this is so and if that is so and if this remains and that remains the psalmist says no let the earth on which the whole scene of God's redemptive purposes has been carried out let the whole thing come apart at the seams we will not hear

51:58 that's the message of the psalm and dear people unbelief is a wicked thing and when you read the history of the church in her periods of greatest duress and opposition from the enemy of God the thing that astounded and amazed the enemies of God's people is how they could do nothing materially to affect them and disturb them take away their wives take away their husbands take away their children take away their goods take away their possessions take away their liberties and all these crazy fools do is continue to praise their God what can you do to a crowd like that but kill them get them out of sight and then as they die they bless the very hands that killed them because in the world herds found etched in that covenanter tomb all they could do was chase them up to glory and what can you do in a crowd like that you just gotta get rid of them and that becomes the goad in the conscience against which some souls of Tarsus find it hard to kick and I say it is a disgrace to the God of Heaven you and I who claim to have the Lord of Hosts with us are found guilty of the kind of carnal fears that mark poor worldly who know nothing else

Closing Considerations: Inclusiveness and Exclusiveness of Benefactors

53:24 I say it's a mark of shame and disgrace may it not be named amongst us and then I remind you in closing to note the inclusiveness and the exclusiveness of this psalm as to its benefactors who can say the Lord of Hosts is with us just the Mr. Great Hearts the Mr. Valiance for Truth the Mr. Faithfuls no, no every life is for the last citizen of Zion the little babes who walk the streets of Zion who don't know their left hand from the right they drink of the water of that river which makes glad the city of God the Lord of Hosts is with them to protect them to preserve them to bring them safely home to glory it includes all of the citizens of Zion all of the blood bought ones into whom God has entered with whom God has entered in the world entered into covenant in the person of his son oh dear child of God don't reason yourself out of the comfort of this verse by setting up standards that God never set up it includes all the citizens of Zion but my friend it excludes every Gentile dog

54:51 and if you're not a citizen of Zion the city of God you can't have what this psalm talks about until you become a citizen of Zion you say preacher what in the world are you talking about how in the world I'm an American citizen I want to get oh my friend look we're talking in terms of biblical imagery biblical figures of speech to be a member of Zion means to be a Christian to be a member of the kingdom of God over which the Lord Jesus is the king of grace rules with a sector of grace and power and there's only one way to get into that kingdom we'd love to be able to open the doors to it we can't we'd love to be able to say go to this place and take out papers and enter but there's only one way to enter you must bow to the king who rules over that city and you must bow to him acknowledging that you desperately need the merit of his own death upon the cross the merit of his own life of obedience you must be willing to have him strip you of every last shred of anything you think that can commend you as a possible citizen of Zion you see the mark of every citizen of Zion is they've been stripped at the gate stripped and all the rags of external sin ah but something more than that all of the beautiful finery in our eyes

56:20 of external morality God says what looks beautiful to me to you is ugly to me for I see woven through every fabric of human construction sin sin pollution defilement all of it all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags how do I get into Zion? you stand before the king and say Lord Jesus you said in your word that you came to save sinners you didn't come for righteous you didn't come for people already clothed you came to clothe the naked oh Lord Jesus you've shown me my undone-ness what does it mean? it means to say Lord Jesus the wounds in your hands and in your feet are wounds received when you died for sinners such as I have and I see in that death upon the cross a sufficient payment for all my sins and I'm willing to cast the whole weight at the problem of my guilt upon the infinite merit of your own death Lord Jesus I hear in that voice that speaks from heaven this is my beloved son in whom I'm well pleased I hear the father's approval upon your life of obedience I want that life of obedience to be put to my account I would be covered in your obedience in your death in your righteousness

57:47 it means that you bend then beneath his scepter of authority and say I'm prepared to take your yoke upon me to come into Zion and live by the rules of Zion's king rules of righteousness and holiness rules of equity and justice my friend that's the only way you'll get into Zion but thank God that is the way you can get into Zion for Zion's door stands open and the king of grace stands and bids you come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden all that the father giveth me shall come to me and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out my friend with all my heart I would love to know that you can go out of this place today with ground solid grounds to sing the song of faith in troubleless times and you can if you become a citizen of Zion become a child of God a subject of King Jesus but apart from that you'll be a part of that earth that trembles and you with others if you die in that state of impenitence will cry to the trembling heaving rocks and mountains to fall upon you and hide you from the face of him that's in the midst of the world upon the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb

59:14 Zion's king is going to leave his place by the door and he's going to go out in aggressive and holy vengeance against his enemies for the scripture says in flaming fire he will destroy those that obey not the gospel don't tempt him don't tempt him he stands in grace at the gate of Zion today he is soon coming with awesome power to crush the enemies who refuse to come through Zion's gates and chose to remain in the ranks of Zion's enemies which are you this morning? are you safe within the walls of Zion?

60:05 are you outside those walls part of the hordes of the ungodly? say well I'm somewhere in between my friend as a dear friend of ours says there just ain't no such a thing no it's not no it's not no it's not he that is not with me is against me says the Lord Jesus he that gathereth not with me scattereth he that believeth on the Son hath life he that believeth not the Son of God the wrath of God abideth upon him oh my friend I plead with you this morning to cry to know the way to Zion and give yourself no rest till you know you've entered Zion's city of God then join me in praying as we sing this song of faith learn to sing with us God is our refuge and our strength very present help in trouble therefore will not we fear for the earth be moved the mountains shaken into the heart of the sea let the nations rage when it pleases God and he'll melt the bunch of them oh that God will give us some of that reckless abandonment of those who believe that the Lord of hosts is with them and that God will give us God of Jacob is their refuge. What is God going to bring upon us in days ahead? I don't know. But one thing I know,

61:31 if we learn to sing this song of faith from the heart and with the understanding by God's grace, this band of believers will be a force to be reckoned with and cannot be ignored. May God make us such for His glory. Let us pray.