God is our refuge and our strength,
Our ever present aid,
And, therefore, though the earth remove,
We will not be afraid…
. – The Psalter 1912
How often I have sung those words and wondered: “Would I be afraid? How could I not be?”
“We will not fear,
. – though the earth be shaken,
. – though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
. – though its waters roar and be troubled,
. – though the mountains shake with its swelling.” (Psa 46:2-3)
Really?
Shaken
I have never experienced a real earthquake.
When living in Kenya, above the fault line of the Rift Valley, we were occasionally awakened during the night by the odd tremor.
Back in Cronulla, in 1989, we felt the ground tremble from the Newcastle earthquake almost 200 kms away.
But to experience a real earthquake: the ground liquefying, buildings collapsing, mountains being carried into the midst of the sea… I would be afraid.
Of all things on earth, the earth you stand on (you like to think) is the most stable.
It is dependable, stable; it is the same yesterday, today and forever. If you can’t depend on the earth to be there, what can you depend on?
Yes, I would be afraid.
We fear when the foundation we depend on is shaken.
The foundation isn’t supposed to shake – that’s why it is called a “foundation”: it is the solid base that is always there that you can build on.
This is true of more than the earth we stand on.
In Hebrews 12:26-27 God says:
Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven” – indicating “the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain.
What is this “shaking”?
Certainly it refers to the final judgment.
But referring to Noel Weeks’ comments in my last post:
“There is a close relationship or similarity between the final act of judgement and redemption, and provisional acts of God during history. Every coming of Jesus in judgement or blessing is an illustration, on a small scale, of the final coming.”
The message to Jewish Christians in Hebrews is to warn them against returning to the pictures and types of the temple, now that the reality, Christ, has come. There is coming “the removal of those things that are being shaken” – which indeed took place (after a 40 year probation period following Christ’s ascension) in 70 AD, with the destruction of the temple and the permanent removal of those types.
It was not the physical earth that shook. But everything the Jews of those days depended on as their foundation was shaken.
How were the Jewish Christians to respond?
“Now the just shall live by faith; but if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.” (Heb 10:38)
“If the foundations are destroyed…”
Today, the foundations of our society are being shaken, by a series of disasters reminiscent of the Plagues of Egypt:
♦ Here in Australia we have had “unprecedented” bush fires. God’s people prayed, and God sent an “unprecedented” (and entirely unexpected) rain event to put the fires out.
♦ There followed the present “unprecedented” pandemic.
(Not sure why this is “unprecedented”: many such pandemics have dotted human history, such as the frequent devastating bouts of the Black Death: 1347-51, 1360–1363; 1374; 1400; 1438–1439; 1456–1457; 1464–1466; 1481–1485; 1500–1503; 1518–1531; 1544–1548; 1563–1566; 1573–1588; 1596–1599; 1602–1611; 1623–1640; 1644–1654; and the Great Plague of 1665–1667.
But, as Matthew Payne has noted: “We have mostly succeeded in banishing death to the margins of our society. Today death, severe illness, and end-of-life matters are mostly managed within institutions of various sorts, away from society’s gaze. We have hidden sickness and death out of sight and out of mind, and this has allowed us to live a fantasy. Now the threat of death shocks us whenever it appears; it isn’t part of our daily lives as it was for our ancestors.”)
♦ The present pandemic has precipitated an “unprecedented” crash on the stock market, with one’s life savings disappearing overnight.
♦ And “unprecedented” panic, fighting over rolls of toilet paper. (This one, at least, deserves the epithet “unprecedented” I think).
Some of these events have brought out the worst in fallen human nature, as seen in horrible examples of selfish hoarding and fights over basics in supermarkets.
But they have also shone a light on God’s common grace in our fallen race, with many examples of kindness in caring for others in the present crisis, and “mateship” during the bushfires, as well as those who seek to encourage each other in isolation by singing from their balconies in Italy.
Many Christians have embraced the current crisis as yet another opportunity to love their neighbours, looking out for those in special need.
Eg. In Wuhan, where the plague began, Christians took to the streets “handing out masks and other protective gear their church received from donations across the world” along with “quotes of John 3:16 and calls for the salvation of souls.”
It reminded me of the example of many Nonconformist ministers, 2000 of whom were ejected from their churches in the Great Ejection of 1662, perpetrated by that Great Deceiver, Charles II.
Three years later, the Great Plague at its peak was killing 7000 people a week in London. Charles II, and many of the wealthy, ran away.
But several of the ejected Nonconformist ministers stayed to help the sick and dying.
As someone said: “The best thing you can do in the present crisis is care for one another”
Shaken, not stirred
“The year 1665 gave occasion for the display of the piety and zeal of several of the ejected ministers.” One such was Thomas Vincent:
“He thought it absolutely necessary that the vast numbers of people then dying, should have some spiritual assistance, and that he could never again have such a prospect of ministerial usefulness as now presented itself…
“During all the time of the plague, he preached every sabbath in some of the parish churches. He chose the most moving and important subjects, and treated them in the most pathetic [stirring] and searching manner. The awfulness of the judgment then before the eyes of all, gave great force to his addresses…”
Many were stirred up through the faithful ministry of such men, during this and the calamities that followed, to fear and to seek God:
“Many learned from him the necessity of salvation, and the way to heaven through the blood of Christ. He visited all who sent for him, and it pleased God to take especial care of his life.”
Such was the effect of God’s judgments upon many back then.
J. B. Marsden, in his History of the Later Puritans, writes:
“If it be presumptuous to fix upon particular occurrences as proofs of God’s displeasure, yet none will deny that a long, unbroken course of disasters indicates but too surely, whether to a nation or a church, that His favour is withdrawn. Within five years of the Ejection of two thousand Nonconformists, London was twice laid waste, first by pestilence [the Great Plague], then by fire [the Great Fire}… But other calamities ensued, more lasting and far more terrible.”
Yet, in the present “long, unbroken course of disasters”, though many are shaken, few are stirred.
“All our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; our iniquities, like the wind have taken us away. And there is no one who calls on Your name, who stirs himself up to take hold of You.” (Isa 64:6-7)
When God sent the plagues upon Egypt, even the magicians recognised: “This is the finger of God.”
But “Pharaoh’s heart grew hard, and he did not heed them.” (Exod 8:19)
Most in Australia follow Pharaoh.
When Christians cried out to God for relief from the recent disastrous bushfires, God sent “unprecedented” rain.
The ABC ran a story with the headline: “Prayers answered as NSW rainfall extinguishes 74-day Currowan bushfire”.
Thousands of comments poured in, expressing anger that the ABC dared to use the word, prayer.
- “Prayers have no place in journalism.”
- “Prayers had nothing to do with it. Please delete this offensive tweet.”
- “Prayers answered ???”
- “Seriously get this religious propaganda out of your lexicon. The rain came because science. Nothing more nothing less.”
When Your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness. But let grace be shown to the wicked, yet he will not learn righteousness. (Isa 26:9-10)
The same sun that softens the wax hardens the clay.
Stirred, not shaken
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, even though the earth be shaken, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
Though its waters roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with its swelling.
(Psa 46:1-3)
How can we not fear when our earthly foundations are shaken and collapse, as we see happening today?
. – when a pandemic threatens the whole world’s way of life,
. – when one’s life’s savings disappear overnight,
. – when employment that we depended on, that contributed to our identity, is suddenly terminated.
What about when the foundations of earthly relationships disappear?
. – when parents, who have been there all our lives, are taken from us,
. – when one’s husband, or wife, with whom we had hoped to spend the rest of our life, is no longer there,
. – when left painfully bereft of our spiritual family after church troubles fail to be resolved.
What do we do when the moral foundations of society are destroyed: “If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” (Psa 11:3)
. – when society is slowly (?) being corrupted through a flood of pornography on the internet,
. – when the holy institution of marriage is sodomised,
. – when “gay pride” flaunts itself in the streets.
“There is a river…”
“There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God…” (Psa 46:4)
What is this “river” that “makes us glad”, even when the very foundations are shaking?
The motif of a river flowing from and through “the city of God” runs through Scripture:
- It is there in the first Paradise (Gen 2:10).
- Ezekiel, in a vision, saw a river flowing out of God’s dwelling, swelling to a healing flood so deep that no man could cross (Ezek 47:1-12).
- In the last Paradise too, a river “proceeds from the throne of God and of the Lamb”, beside which is “the tree of life” whose leaves “are for the healing of the nations” (Rev 22:1-2).
- Jesus spoke of such a river when He cried out: “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” This (John tells us) “He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive.” (John 7:37-39)
This is the river of God’s grace. Abundant grace! (John 10:10)
Abundant grace that flows into, and out of, our heart; and that makes the heart glad, even when the foundations of our society are being shaken to their very core.
As W.S.Plumer says: “The streams of spiritual blessing flowing from God, through Jesus Christ, by the Holy Spirit, make glad the city of God continually”
“We are justified by faith, and have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
“We glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.”
“Such hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” (Rom 5:1-5)
We need not fear.
“My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” (Phil 4:19)
There is a river of God’s grace whose streams make glad.
God with us
Most precious of all, there is: God!
We are thankful for His gifts that make us glad.
But we never forget that “every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights.” We are thankful for His gifts.
But most of all, we are thankful for Him.
We worship the Giver, not the gifts.
The greatest blessing of all is God.
The greatest blessing is that this God is “with us”.
In Psalm 46:
♦ God is “with us” in the beginning: He is a “very present” help in trouble. (v 1)
♦ God is “with us” in the middle: “God is in the midst of her.” (v 5). And: “the Lord of hosts is with us” (v 7)
♦ God is “with us” at the end: “the Lord of hosts is with us” (v 11)
The greatest blessing that we have is God.
God’s presence!
The presence of a God who is always there, who is not shaken and who does not change!
“Who are You?” Moses asked God. “What is Your name?” (Exod 3:13)
God had just told Moses, “I am with you.” (v 12)
So God tells Moses: “I am who I am”.
“I said ‘I am with you’ – I am what I said I am. I am the God who is with you.”
“It is not merely the existence of God that is to encourage Moses, but the fact of his active and committed presence to help his people. That is his character, and it is on that basis that they may have confidence for the present and the future.” (John MacKay)
This is our God: He is “God-with-you.”
No wonder Moses later pleaded: “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here.” (Exod 33:15)
“No one has seen God at any time.” (John 1:18)
But when Jesus came, He came as God-with-us: Immanuel (Matt 1:23)
“The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.”
And Jesus has promised: “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matt 28:20)
“To the end of the age” – then, at last, we shall see God (Rev 22:4)
But in the meantime our stability, in these unstable times, is that God is with us:
♦ The Holy Spirit has come to “dwell with you forever” (John 14:16-17).
♦ And the Father and the Son have promised the believer: “We will come to him and make Our home with him.” (John 14:23)
The earth shakes. (Psa 46:2)
The mountains shake. (v 3)
The nations rage, the kingdoms are shaken. (v 6)
But:
“There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God. God is in the midst of her, she shall not be shaken.” (vv 4-5)
That is our great comfort when the foundations are shaken.
Sometimes it is our only comfort: “God with us!”
♦ “God is a very present help in trouble.”
♦ “God is in our midst”
♦ “The Lord of hosts is with us”
When the foundations are shaken our faith is sorely tried. We find ourselves wondering, “Is God enough?”
We profess He is enough:
Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You.
My flesh and my heart fail; but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
(Psa 73:25-26)
Is God enough, when our earthly foundations are knocked out from under us?
Yes, enough!
It is enough that:
♦ God is our Father,
♦ Christ Immanuel is our Saviour,
♦ The Holy Spirit is our Comforter.
Be still, and know that I am God…
The Lord of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our refuge. (Psalm 46:10-11)
Still my soul be still
And do not fear though winds of change may rage tomorrow
God is at your side
No longer dread the fires of unexpected sorrow
God You are my God
And I will trust in You and not be shaken
Lord of peace renew a steadfast spirit within me
To rest in You alone
. – © Stuart Townend , Keith Getty & Kristyn Getty