Blog Detail

Where will we find help when the world turns against the Jews and Christians?

Psalm 46:1-11 (ESV) To the choirmaster. Of the Sons of Korah. According to Alamoth. A Song. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.  (2)  Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,  (3)  though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah  (4)  There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High.  (5)  God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns.  (6)  The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts.  (7)  The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah  (8)  Come, behold the works of the LORD, how he has brought desolations on the earth.  (9)  He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the chariots with 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 fortress. Selah

— This is a song of worship, praise to God and comfort for God’s people… – We need to understand the art involved.

— What does Selah mean? – It is a Hebrew word meaning a suspension (of music), the order to pause in the singing…

— Such a pause is meant to cause an emphasis in what has been presented, to cause us to ponder that thought before moving on to the next phrase.

— This is important in that it separates one thought from another using a pause to make that distinction. 

…So, let us use that model to separate these phrases for study.

(Mark all you think correct.)

— Vs. 1-3… God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.  (2)  Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,  (3)  though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah

Q1. What times in our lives do these verses describe?

O – Good times.     O – Bad times.     O – Times of celebration and partying.

 

Q2. Why are we called to have courage and faith in these times?

O – Because God is our protection and source of strength.

O – Because we have the right President/Prime minister in power.

 

Vs.4-7…  (4)  There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High.  (5)  God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns.  (6)  The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts.  (7)  The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

— As the writer changes thoughts, we see that Vs.4-5 refer to God’s city…

Q3. Which city in the Bible is referred to here as the city of God?

— There can be two lines of thinking in answer to this question:

1/ Since it states that this city is the “the holy habitation of the Most High” … It must refer to the ‘New Jerusalem’ on the New Earth as in Revelation 21.

2/ However, bearing in mind the Old Testament times this is written in, the Jewish writer and all the Jewish nation considered their own Jerusalem as God’s city. – this aligns well with the following verse 6-7, which give us a picture of the nations of the world desiring to attack this city.

 

Vs.8-11…  Come, behold the works of the LORD, how he has brought desolations on the earth.  (9)  He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the chariots with 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 fortress. Selah

– Again, the word Selah calls us to a new phrase, and a new line of thought…

Q4. What changes occur here after we see in the nations are raging (from Vs. 6)?

O – God makes the wars to cease.     O – God calls a new election for President/Prime minister.

O – In a broken world, God brings an end to fighting.     O – God causes all to know that He is God.

O – God causes His name to be exalted all over the earth.

 

I would like to refer you to the end-times scriptures of Revelations 19 & 20…

Revelations 19:16-21 (ESV) On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.  (17)  Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and with a loud voice he called to all the birds that fly directly overhead, “Come, gather for the great supper of God,  (18)  to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all men, both free and slave, both small and great.”  (19)  And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army.  (20)  And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur.  (21)  And the rest were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse, and all the birds were gorged with their flesh. …(This account is carried on in chapter 20)

Revelations 20:1-6 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain.  (2)  And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years,  (3)  and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while.  (4)  Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.  (5)  The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection.  (6)  Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.

Q5. For discussion: Does this not align well with what is briefly described in Psalm 46:8-11?

 

In closing: Even though these last scriptures draw a picture of great turmoil and destruction…

Q6. How are we to handle the thought of these coming end-times?

O – With wailing, moaning and great anxiety.     O – With calls to overthrow our governments.

O – With the knowledge that God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. (Ps. 46:1)

Do you have a sense of peace in this struggling world?

— Do you desire to have that peace and assurance? – It is found in giving your life over to Jesus, turning from the earthly ways of striving, worrying, and pressure. If you will repent of following the sinful ways of this world and turn to accept Jesus as your Salvation, your Savior, just ask Him right now to forgive your sins and accept His sacrifice as payment for those sins, and you will be set free.
– Then you need to act on that commitment to turn from the world to follow Jesus. Seek out Christian friends and fellowship, read the Bible (I suggest starting in the New Testament) and let us know of this great news so we may pray for you. (Just send us a comment at the end of these pages. …KK)