“Our God, a Refuge” (Psalm 46)

Psalm 46

 

Pastor Tom Johnson, October 25, 2015

In almost every instance, the evidence we have for any civilization that has existed are the fortresses and walls that protected her people. Remember the Alamo? You can still visit its fortified walls and buildings today. They say you can see the Great Wall of China from space. It served to protect millions of people from foreign raiders. The Morro fortress in San Juan Puerto Rico was constructed by the Spanish to preserve and defend lives within from threats by land and water. Its walls can withstand cannon blasts. Jericho is the oldest fortified city. They have found layer after layer of different generations and peoples who worked hard to protect their lives and possessions. And then there is Jerusalem, which our Psalm talks about, which has some of the largest stones in her walls the world has ever seen. One stone in particular is called “The western stone.” It is considered by some to be one of the wonders of the world. It is one of the heaviest objects ever lifted by human beings without powered machinery. It is 517 tons and 13.6 by 3 by 3 meters. How bit is that? It is about as wide as the distance between the Pulpit and Altar. It is about as high from the floor to the bottom of the Cross on the wall. And it is about as long as from the Chancel wall to the last row in our sanctuary.

Jerusalem was a fortress. It was a refuge for God’s people. It was a stronghold to find protection from the enemy attacks that would last for weeks and months. Hezekiah constructed a secret tunnel to channel water from a spring into the city so that people could survive a long siege—“a river whose streams make glad the city of God.” Jesus predicts a time when those Jerusalem walls would fail and fall. And, in a few decades it did.

By the 15th century the Ottomans found a way to blast through even thick, stone walls when they sieged Constantinople with cannons. Today we still talk much about building walls. Whether they are the barbed wire trying to keep Syrian refugees out of Hungary, the fence on the Mexican-United States border to keep immigrants out, or the cement wall going right through Palestinian communities in modern day Israel; we still build refuges and fortresses. These castles, walls, and moats are a constant reminder of evil in the world—or, at least, our fear of evil in the world. Since 9/11 we have Homeland Security. Its goal is simple and clear—to keep America safe. And on a smaller scale, we lock our doors, install security alarms and cameras in our homes, and we pay law enforcement to work day and night so that we can lie down at night in relative peace.

The gift and beauty of the Reformation is that Luther clearly defined who the true enemy is and where our true refuge is found. Luther found in Psalm 46 the words and the prophetic vision of a true fortress against a formidable adversary. “Our God is a refuge and strength.” A refuge and strength against whom? Foreign nations are not the enemy. In fact, the psalm celebrates the reconciliation of the peoples of the world: “I will be exalted among the nations; I will be exalted in the earth.” Martin Luther’s hymn takes it a step further and identifies the enemy: the enemy is us, our own captivity to sin, the nameless spiritual evil that is a universal threat to all peoples—loss of possessions, reputation, loved ones, and death itself. With this Psalm and Luther’s hymn, we celebrate the assurance of grace. We call it the Gospel or Good News, the reassurance that we need.

Our God accepts us. He loves us. He cares for us. And he sent his Son Jesus to fortify our salvation in him. Our sin has been washed away by the water, Word, and Spirit that flows through the city of God. We are made glad as we are now clothed in the righteousness of Jesus of Nazareth. He will safely take us through the veil of tears into the New Jerusalem whose River of Life flows from the Lamb. Christ has overcome the threat of death on every side by his death outside the city gates and walls of Jerusalem. He has buttressed and reinforced our eternal life by his rising from the dead from a tomb hewn out of solid rock. And even more than that, he gives us a vision of his goal for this world that he loves: “he will make wars cease in all the world. He breaks the bow, and shatters the spear, and burns the shields with fire.” He will reconcile the nations, peoples, and tribes of the entire planet. He will bring an end to nuclear proliferation and complete disarmament. He will melt down lead bullets, brass canisters, and firearms. He will shatter security cameras and tear down walls, fences, and barbed wire.

A mighty fortress is our God, A trusty shield and weapon;
He helps us free from ev’ry need That hath us o’ertaken,
The old evil foe Now means deadly woe;
Deep guile and great might Are his dread arms in fight;
On earth is not his equal.

With might of ours can naught be done, Soon were our loss effected;
But for us fights the valiant One, Whom God Himself elected.
Ask ye, Who is this? Jesus Christ it is,
Of Sabaoth Lord, And there’s none other God;
He holds the field forever.