Third Presbyterian Sunday Morning Bible Study - June 20, 2021

Below is the Bible Study written by Jim Rudiger for his Sunday School Class which meets at Third Presbyterian Church, Norfolk, Virginia. It's based on Psalm 46:1-7.

I’ll bet everybody here played hide and seek when they were kids.  In fact I’ll bet you played later with your own kids and grandkids.  The first thing my great granddaughter use to do when she came over was grab my hand and tell me to start counting to ten.  What were the rules for the game?  (1) The person who is “it” shuts their eyes counting up to some number while standing by a tree or on a porch which will be “home” while everybody else hurries off to find a safe place to hide.  (2) The “it” person, we’ll call the hidee, has to find the hider.  (3) When the hider is found, there is a race back to “home” and if the hider wins then he gets to hide again.  If he loses, they change places - the hidee becomes the hider and the hiider becomes the hidee. Two important things for the hider is finding a good place to hide and beating the hidee back to the tree or porch.  

There were other games we played where there was a safe place you could go to.  In baseball, if you are standing on the base, the fielder can’t tag you out.  In kick the can the can is the safe place - you kick it and you are free to hide again.  

There were other safe places that involved a lot more.  Growing up during the war, in England there were bomb shelters to go to.  People packed down in underground bunkers to protect themselves from bombs falling outside.  After the war there came the nuclear threat and kids learned to sit in the hall hunched over with their heads down between their knees and hands over their eyes.  I remember people digging bunkers in their backyard to crawl into when the Russians dropped the atomic bomb on us.

Even today we have instructions about safe places to go in times of danger.  What are some of the dangers?  Tornadoes.  Poor Dorothy couldn’t get down in the storm cellar with Auntie Em and landed in Oz.  Hurricanes.  What do you do in a hurricane?  Tape up the windows.  Get into the bath tub with a mattress over our heads.   Floods.  Where is the safe place?  Higher ground.  

In today’s study the psalmist talks about his safe place and actually it is our ultimate safe place too.

Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.  2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea;  3 though it's waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with it's tumult.    Selah

When the Psalmist wrote this song, he included instructions for the choir and choir director so they didn't mess up what he wrote. And ad-libbing wasn't allowed. The instructions started with: 

“To the choirmaster.  A Psalm of the sons of Korah.  According to Alamoth.”  It is an instruction to the guy leading the singing telling him how the song should be sung.  It appears that at some time earlier, there was a group of singers started by a guy named Korah and they must have had a unique way of presenting a song.  The psalmist is telling the choir director that he wants his song to be sung like the Korah group would sing it.  It would be like a song writer saying that he wanted his song sung like The Beatles would do it.  This writer of the Psalm has even a more precise idea about how the song should be sung because he says it should be according to Alomoth.  “Alomoth” literally mean girls.  The psalmist was probably saying that the song should be sung with high pitched voices.  In other words it should be sung by women or a boy’s choir or a sissy  So, as we read this song, imagine it being sung by sopranos.

What does the psalmist say God is?  Our refuge and strength.  What is a refuge?  A safe place like a locked house, a bunker in the ground or a storm cellar. But it has to be more than safe, it has to have strength.  In the psalmist’s day a strong refuge would be a fortified city.  If an invading army was coming, people living in the country side packed up and moved inside the city’s walls.  The walls would be an obstacle to the coming army and the stronger the walls the better chance there would be for survival.  So, we have a fortified city which really could be called a to withstand an attack.  The psalmist is saying that God is our fortress.  Martin Luther took this idea from this Psalm and wrote a famous hymn.  Any guesses on the name of that hymn?  We have sung many times here at Third.  “A Mighty Fortress Is Our Lord.”  See what you have already learned about this Psalm.  When we re-open the church, we'll have to do this hymn with only you women singing.

When we go into a storm cellar or a fortress we are looking for shelter or protection from enemies.  The psalmist says that whatever the refuge is - a cellar or a fortress - it is all about trusting the life of a person or a community to God when there is danger.  We can do this because God is reliable.  We can trust God because he has proven himself to be trust worthy over and over again.

Something else is interesting about how the psalmist approaches the idea of God being a fortress.  Does the psalmist say God is my refuge?  No, he says God is our refuge.  We are included in the psalmist’s community.  He is saying we - you and I - can trust God to protect us when danger is knocking at the door.  We aren’t alone.  We all share in God’s protection.   And God can be counted to always be there.  He is ever present.  He is never going to be too busy to help out when we are in trouble.  It is almost like the psalmist is hearing Paul when he wrote in Romans, “If God is for us, who can be against us?”

Now the psalmist goes on to list the worst disasters that could happen as he sees them.  Do you see what all of these disasters have in common?  They are all natural disasters.  What are some of the worst natural disasters you have seen in your lifetime?  Hurricanes Andrew, Isabelle and Katrina,  Mount Saint Helens, the tsunami a few years ago that hit Sri Lanka caused by an earthquake under the sea that had the energy of 23,000 Hiroshima-type atomic bombs.  And will we ever forget the world wide pandemic that changed our lives, possibly forever.

For the last few weeks we have talked about how the ancient Hebrews viewed the universe and the earth.  The earth was more or less a flat disc.  The roots of the mountain were anchored in the land with waters below the land.  The mountains were like giant pillars that supported the dome that covered the earth, what the Bible calls the firmament.  And what was on top of that dome?  More water.  So the dome was the only thing protecting the people on earth from all of that water above the dome.

In the psalmist’s day, nothing struck fear in people like water.  Remember when God started his creation there was chaos with the water covering everything.  The chaos was brought under control when land separated the waters.  Land was the first safe haven from the chaos brought by waters.  Here was the psalmist biggest fear.  Earthquakes so strong that the mountains that he saw as pillars holding up the firmament are shaken and start to fall.  What is going to happen if the mountains fall?  The earth’s protective dome will be gone and all that water above the dome will deluge the people on earth.  

He paints a picture of a rolling sea foaming and running wild.  When you read these words you can’t help thinking about watching the bay as a hurricane approaches.  Waves toss about, foaming as if everything is going crazy.  Wind blowing the foam up on the shore.  It’s a scary thing isn’t it?  He says, “Now imagine those safe havens - land - being swallowed up again by the water.  The return of a watery chaos.  It would be a thousands times worst than the pictures we got of that tsunami destroying everything as it rushed over the land.  This is the psalmists greatest fear.  What are your personal fears?  

With the catastrophes that the psalmist describes, he is saying that even if the world is in danger of falling apart, we will not fear.   Notice it is the “we” business again.  All of us are united in this.   How can he make this claim about no fear?  The psalmist is convinced that God rules the universe.  That being so, no matter what happens or threatens to happen, God is in control and can be trusted to do the right thing. And take it from me, he ain't talking about taping windows.

He finishes this section with a strange word.  What is that word?  Selah.  We don’t have the foggiest idea what that word means.  It appears to be another direction given to the choir director.  The psalmist might be telling him to increase the volume or pause before going to the next verse or now would be good time to quote some appropriate scripture.  It might be like when we do cantatas and have readings introducing the songs.  Whatever the meaning, the song is divided into three parts and each part ends with this word.

Psalm 46:4 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 the city; it shall not be moved; God will help it when the morning dawns.  6 The nations are in an  uproar, the kingdoms totter, he utters his voice, the earth melts.  7 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.              Selah

The psalmist shifts from talking about overcoming fear and starts talking about a city.  How is this city described?  The city of God - the habitation of the Most High.  What city did the Hebrews associate with God?  Jerusalem.  The Temple was in Jerusalem and God was always present in the Holy of Holies.  So it isn't a reach if the Hebrews considered Jerusalem as God’s hometown.

What makes the city glad?  A stream.  Now here is the catch.  Jerusalem was built on several hills and all of the hills were made of stone.  There wasn’t a natural river or a stream flowing through the city.  What does he mean by talking about a stream?  

There are two possible answers here.  He was using the river as a symbol just like when Ezekiel talks about a river flowing from the throne of God.  In the psalmist day, where was the throne of God?  In the Temple in Jerusalem.  So that same symbolic river Ezekiel talked about was flowing from God’s throne in the Holy of Holiest in the Temple in Jerusalem.  Why is the picture of flowing water so important in connection with Jerusalem?  For the people back then and for a lot of people in the Middle east right now, water meant life.  Without water there is no life.  So the water the psalmist is talking about is a symbol for all that is alive.

Another possibility is that while there wasn’t a natural river flowing through Jerusalem, there was water flowing into the city.  When Jerusalem was first founded, there were no springs within the city’s walls.  To get water, people had to leave the city and go up on a hill outside of town to a natural spring called Gihon which means “Gusher” so it must have produced a lot of water.  This was all right during peaceful times, but presented a problem if the city was subjected to a siege.  All the army surrounding Jerusalem had to do was wait for the water stored in the city to run out.  So this is what happened.  A pretty sharp king named Hezekiah recognized that not having a water supply into the city was a recipe for disaster. 

It just so happened that Assyria was on the march and were heading for Jerusalem.  To prepare for the probable siege, Hezekiah had two groups of men start digging a tunnel between Gihon and a low spot in Jerusalem.  One group would start at Gihon and the other would start in Jerusalem.  To make matters more difficult, it wasn’t going to be a straight shot.  At one point there was an S bend due to the layers of rock.  With crude tools the men would start out picking their way through solid rock.  No high class surveying instruments to help keep the two efforts aligned.  Yet, when they met half way, they were only inches off of one another.  At that mid way point, one of the workers etched in the stone wall when the break through took place and his inscription is still there today.  

Water was now able to flow through the tunnel and feed a pool inside the walls of Jerusalem which they called the Pool of Siloam.  With this source of water, Jerusalem was able to withstand the siege of the Assyrians and they finally gave up and went back home.  Later, Isaiah will write about walking by the stream flowing into the Pool of Siloam.  This might have been the stream the psalmist was talking about.

So, Jerusalem, as far as the Hebrews were concerned was the home of God and nobody was going to serve God any eviction notices.   He was there to stay.  And if he is staying then his city is staying.  Our scriptures describe Jerusalem as not being moved.  The psalmist isn’t using "Move” like in changing an address.  He is talking about not being moved like in not shaking or tottering.  Just as God is firmly planted, so, is his city Jerusalem.

So far, the troubles that the psalmist was talking about in verses 2 and 3 involve nature on the rampage.  Now, he lists other non-natural disasters.  What non-natural problems have we had?  Wars, wars and more wars.  Except for only a few years, all of my life has had a backdrop of war.  What are the wars we have lived through or are still living through?  In verse 6 when the psalmist talks of nations being in an uproar and kingdoms teetering on the edge of destruction, he is talking about wars. In other words everything is unstable, the natural world, the political world and the social world.  Everything is a mess.  If we stopped right here, we might as well give up and crawl down into any storm cellar we can find and hope that the bombs fall someplace else.

The psalmist finds a silver lining even when the “woe is me” crowd starts spreading their fear.  Even the possible collapse of everything doesn’t frighten the believer.  Because the believer is confidant that the Lord of hosts is with us.  The God of Jacob is with us.  How does believing that help us?  First, what does it mean to call God the Lord of hosts?  Hosts as used here means an army.  So, God is the leader of an army.  The Commander in Chief.  The Top Gun.  But, not a two bit little army from Iran, but, the most powerful army that the world has ever or will ever see.  An army so big and strong that no country could muster enough strength to just march out to the field of battle.  Who makes up God’s army?  Angels and anybody else who God wants to serve and that might mean you and I.  So don’t throw away your draft registration card yet.  Also, for Jews the Lord of hosts is tied to the Ark of the Covenant.  The Ark is described as the throne of the Lord of hosts.

The God of Jacob is mentioned.  Why?  The psalmist is trying to point out to his people that God has been with them for a very long time.  They are part of a special relationship between themselves and God.  It hasn’t ended.  They might have fallen down on their commitments, but, God remembers the covenant he made with Abraham and Jacob and is keeping up his end.  The covenant calls for the people to grow and multiply.  That can’t happen if a natural disaster or a war comes along and wipes them out.  The bottom line is that the fortress is still there.  The safe refuge is waiting.  As sure and trustworthy as ever.

In verses 8-11, the psalmist tells his listeners to look at all that God has done so far.  It appears that he includes all of Israel’s surrounding nations in the invitation.  God isn’t a passive being.  He has the power to shape history and he has a goal in mind.  

All of these powerful countries think they are so strong with their weapons.  But, God will take those weapons and break them into little pieces.  He’ll take all of the missile shields and throw them into the fire.  The message is very clear from this part of the song.  God wants wars to disappear.

The psalmist then quotes God as saying, “Be still, and know that I am God.  I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth.”  Normally, when we hear “be still” it’s like telling your children to be quiet for a while, calm down and stop jumping around like a monkey.  Based on the verse that came before it, about destroying the implements of war, it seems more like God is telling to us to stop solving all of your problems with wars.  Live a less violent life.  There is only one power that rules the nations and the earth.  Who is that power?  God.  So, depend on God and not so much on our self.  If you really look at what the psalmist is saying in this song, it is that God is the ultimate warrior and he’s fighting for peace.  

Are there any safe places left?  Can we hide where the hidee can’t find us?  A storm cellar wasn’t there when Dorothy really needed it.  Bomb shelters have been filled in.  There was some degree of comfort when we were at war with a country.  We knew where it was.  We knew what their uniforms looked like, what their air planes looked like.  The world has gotten too sophisticated for conventional enemies.  Our fears have transformed into terror as people are willing to kill themselves just to get a crack at killing us.  Warfare has changed a lot since the psalmist wrote this song.  But, no where does it say that God has given up.  We have to continue to believe that God is still in control even as planes crash into the Twin Towers.  We don’t know what his battle plan is or how long the war will last.  But, we can be sure that when the last terrorist blows himself up, God and his people will still be here.

Prayer: Lord, there is so much to fear in our world today.  Fill our hearts with the psalmist view that proclaims your dominance over this corrupt world and your provision of a safe place.  Amen.