Psalm 46-50

Wednesday Evening Bible Study

November 12, 2003

Introduction

Psalm 46-48 are songs of celebration of how God delivered the nation over some foreign enemy.

It is possible that the historical context may have been that time when the Assyrian armies surrounded Jerusalem during the time of Hezekiah, and God delivered them. Even if they were written at a different time, the events of Hezekiah’s deliverance give us an idea of what may have been behind the psalms.

(Isa 36:1-10 KJV) Now it came to pass in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah, that Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the defenced cities of Judah, and took them. {2} And the king of Assyria sent Rabshakeh from Lachish to Jerusalem unto king Hezekiah with a great army. And he stood by the conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the fuller's field. {3} Then came forth unto him Eliakim, Hilkiah's son, which was over the house, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah, Asaph's son, the recorder. {4} And Rabshakeh said unto them, Say ye now to Hezekiah, Thus saith the great king, the king of Assyria, What confidence is this wherein thou trustest? {5} I say, sayest thou, (but they are but vain words) I have counsel and strength for war: now on whom dost thou trust, that thou rebellest against me? {6} Lo, thou trustest in the staff of this broken reed, on Egypt; whereon if a man lean, it will go into his hand, and pierce it: so is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all that trust in him. {7} But if thou say to me, We trust in the LORD our God: is it not he, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and said to Judah and to Jerusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar? {8} Now therefore give pledges, I pray thee, to my master the king of Assyria, and I will give thee two thousand horses, if thou be able on thy part to set riders upon them. {9} How then wilt thou turn away the face of one captain of the least of my master's servants, and put thy trust on Egypt for chariots and for horsemen? {10} And am I now come up without the LORD against this land to destroy it? the LORD said unto me, Go up against this land, and destroy it.

After hearing of the Assyrian taunts, Hezekiah asked Isaiah the prophet to pray, and Isaiah received a word that the Assyrians would be sent away, which they were. But they came back and wrote a pretty scary letter to Hezekiah.

(Isa 37:14-20 KJV) And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it: and Hezekiah went up unto the house of the LORD, and spread it before the LORD. {15} And Hezekiah prayed unto the LORD, saying, {16} O LORD of hosts, God of Israel, that dwellest between the cherubims, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth: thou hast made heaven and earth. {17} Incline thine ear, O LORD, and hear; open thine eyes, O LORD, and see: and hear all the words of Sennacherib, which hath sent to reproach the living God. {18} Of a truth, LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations, and their countries. {19} And have cast their gods into the fire: for they were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone: therefore they have destroyed them. {20} Now therefore, O LORD our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the LORD, even thou only.

God sent another message through the prophet Isaiah. God said that He would take care of things, that He would defend the city …

(Isa 37:33-36 KJV) Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning the king of Assyria, He shall not come into this city, nor shoot an arrow there, nor come before it with shields, nor cast a bank against it. {34} By the way that he came, by the same shall he return, and shall not come into this city, saith the LORD. {35} For I will defend this city to save it for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake. {36} Then the angel of the LORD went forth, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians a hundred and fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses.

And with this we look at Psalms 46-48 …

(only read the first three verses of Ps. 46, we’ll do this psalm on Sunday morning)

Psalm 46

:1 To the chief Musician for the sons of Korah, A Song upon Alamoth.

Alamoth – ‘Alamowth – young women, soprano? Could this have something to do with vanilla ice-cream on hot apple pie?

:1-5 God’s Help

:1God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

refuge – machaceh – refuge, shelter; from rain or storm, from danger

strength – ‘oz – might, strength; material or physical; personal or social or political

very – m@‘od – exceedingly, much

present – matsa’ – (Niphal) to be found; to be encountered, be lighted upon, be discovered; to appear, be recognized; to be discovered, be detected; to be present; to prove to be; to be found sufficient, be enough

help – ‘ezrah – help, succour, assistance; one who helps

trouble – tsarah – straits, distress, trouble – literally a “tight spot”

:2 Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;

be carried – mowt – to totter, shake, slip

Villagers in India will go out and try to drive big stakes into the ground when an earthquake occurs, trying to stabilize the earth.

:3 Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.

roar – hamah – to murmur, growl, roar, cry aloud, mourn, rage, sound, make noise, tumult, be clamorous, be disquieted, be loud, be moved, be troubled, be in an uproar

be troubled – chamar – to boil, foam up

Lesson

Fearful times.

We face times when everything around is us shakey.

Illustration

Ernesto Cordova, Turin Italy. 72 years old, he supposedly died, and was taken to the mortuary. But 24 hours later, he revived. He had not completely died. He sat up and saw two men and spoke up, “Who are you and where am I?” They looked at him and told him he was in a mortuary and they were workers in the mortuary. He had a heart attack and died.

:4 There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.

the city of God – Jerusalem?

tabernacles – mishkan – dwelling place, tabernacle

What river is this? Jerusalem does not have a river running through it.

Jerusalem is unique among ancient cities. Ancient cities were usually built on the banks of a river for a water supply. Not so to Jerusalem.

Could this refer to the tunnel that Hezekiah dug from the Gihon spring?

Hezekiah would hide the Gihon spring from the Assyrians. The water would be hidden from the enemy, while the city would be refreshed by it.

(Jn 7:37-39 KJV) {37} In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. {38} He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. {39} (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

(Eze 47:1-2 KJV) {1} Afterward he brought me again unto the door of the house; and, behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward: for the forefront of the house stood toward the east, and the waters came down from under from the right side of the house, at the south side of the altar. {2} Then brought he me out of the way of the gate northward, and led me about the way without unto the utter gate by the way that looketh eastward; and, behold, there ran out waters on the right side.

The further the river flows, the deeper it gets. It starts from the altar.

The Lord will take you as deep as you want to go.

Steven Curtis Chapman – going deep, diving in …

:5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.

in the midst – qereb – midst, among, inner part, middle

be moved – mowt – (Niphal) to be shaken, be moved, be overthrown

Same word used in verse 2,

(Ps 46:2 KJV) Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;

shall help – ‘azar – to help, succour, support

right – panah – to turn; (Qal) to turn toward or from or away; to turn and do; to turn and look, look, look back or at or after or for

early – boqer – morning, break of day

“at the turn of day”

(Ps 46:5 NASB95) …God will help her when morning dawns.

:6-11 Be still, God works

:6 The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted.

heathen – gowy – nation, people; usually of non-Hebrew people

raged – hamah – to murmur, growl, roar, cry aloud, mourn, rage, sound, make noise, tumult, be clamorous, be disquieted, be loud, be moved, be troubled, be in an uproar

Same word is used in verse three of the waters roaring:

(Ps 46:3 KJV) Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled

moved – mowt – to totter, shake, slip

Same word used in verse 2, 5 of mountains moving.

melted – muwg – to melt, cause to melt

:7 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

refuge – misgab – high place, refuge, secure height, retreat; stronghold

LORD of hosts

God is the head of the armies (hosts) of heaven.

One single angel wiped out 185,000 Assyrians.

God of Jacob

Jacob was a pretty tricky guy, yet Yahweh was his God as well.

:8 Come, behold the works of the LORD, what desolations he hath made in the earth.

desolations – shammah – waste, horror, appalment

:9 He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire.

to cease – shabath – to cease, desist, rest

:10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.

Be still – raphah – (Hiphil) to let drop, abandon, relax, refrain, forsake; to let go; to refrain, let alone; to be quiet

know – yada‘– (Qal) to know; learn to know; to perceive and see, find out and discern; to discriminate, distinguish; to know by experience

exalted – ruwm – (Qal) to be high, be set on high; to be raised, be uplifted, be exalted; to be lifted, rise

(Jn 12:32-33 KJV) {32} And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. {33} This he said, signifying what death he should die.

Lesson

Be quiet and know God

:11 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

Psalm 47

:1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm for the sons of Korah.

chief Musician – natsach – to excel, be bright, be preeminent, be perpetual, be overseer, be enduring; (Piel) to act as overseer or superintendent or director or chief

:1-4 Praise God – He’s victorious

:1O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph.

shout – ruwa‘– to shout, raise a sound, cry out, give a blast

See how God has delivered us from the Assyrians.

:2 For the LORD most high is terrible; he is a great King over all the earth.

terrible – yare’ – (Niphal) to be fearful, be dreadful, be feared; to cause astonishment and awe, be held in awe; to inspire reverence or godly fear or awe

Lesson

A reason to praise

We don’t clap for God because He needs your applause, like He’s insecure.

We don’t clap as if He’s Tinkerbell either, that He needs to know if you believe in Him.

We don’t clap in order to cause God to deliver us.

We praise Him because He is great.

:4 He shall choose our inheritance for us, the excellency of Jacob whom he loved. Selah.

God will give us our inheritance.

Jon Courson: “God will give His best to those who leave the choice up to Him.”

It’s every bit appropriate to pray like Jesus, “Thy will be done”. It doesn’t lack faith.

:5-9 God is king of all

:5 God is gone up with a shout, the LORD with the sound of a trumpet.

is gone up – ‘alah – to go up, ascend, climb

shout – t@ruw‘ah – alarm, signal, sound of tempest, shout, shout or blast of war or alarm or joy – related to the word used in verse 1 “shout unto God”

Lesson

Praise leads to victory

Even though we don’t praise Him to bring victory, praise does bring a victory in our lives.

Many times Satan simply wants you discouraged and walking away from God.

When you praise God, you are making a statement that you are going to trust God no matter what happens.

Satan can’t stand that.

That reminds me … have you heard of the dyslexic devil worshipper? He sold his soul to Santa.

Praising God leads to our liberation. It sets us free.

Jericho – they shouted BEFORE the walls came down. Could it have been a shout of praise?

(Josh 6:20 KJV) So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets: and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city.

:7 sing ye praises with understanding.

Lesson

Praise with your mind

Think about what you’re singing.

Where is your mind as you’re singing to the Lord? Are you thinking about driving on the freeway? That argument you got in at work?

Sometimes we don’t really pay attention to the things we’re singing. If we did, we might be forced to change the words of some of the songs.

Illustration

Hymns -- The Way We Might Sing Them, If We Were Honest!! Do you know what the real names are?

Fill My Spoon, Lord

I Love to Talk About Telling the Story

Take My Life and Let Me Be

When the Saints Go Sneaking In

Sit Up, Sit Up for Jesus

A Comfy Mattress Is Our God

Pillow of Ages, Fluffed for Me

When Peace, Like a Trickle

I'm Fairly Certain that My Redeemer Lives

Sweet Five Minutes of Prayer

Psalm 48 – Song for Jerusalem

:1-7 God’s city

:1 greatly to be praised in the city of our God

the city of our God – Jerusalem

:2 Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King.

It was said that after Solomon built the temple, that the gleam of the gold in the temple could be seen on a clear day from 100 miles away.

sides of the north – the north was the one place of vulnerability for Jerusalem. The south, west, and eastern sides were protected by valleys.

:3 God is known in her palaces for a refuge.

God is the one who protects the city.

(Isa 12:6 KJV) Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee.

:5 They saw it, and so they marvelled; they were troubled, and hasted away.

Sennacherib withdrew his army after losing 185,000 men in a single night.

:7 Thou breakest the ships of Tarshish with an east wind.

(Ps 48:4-7 NIV) {4} When the kings joined forces, when they advanced together, {5} they saw her and were astounded; they fled in terror. {6} Trembling seized them there, pain like that of a woman in labor. {7} You destroyed them like ships of Tarshish shattered by an east wind.

Some have suggested that this is referring to God’s great deliverance of Jerusalem from Sennacherib.

:8-14 Praise God in Jerusalem

:9 We have thought of thy lovingkindness, O God, in the midst of thy temple.

Lesson

Where do you go for help?

Hezekiah went to the Temple to ask God for help.

Another Psalmist was having a struggle with how wicked people around him were prospering, until he went into the sanctuary:

(Psa 73:17 KJV) Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end.

:13 Mark ye well her bulwarks, consider her palaces; that ye may tell it to the generation following.

Lesson

Remember the victories

After the battle, you look for the damage from the war.

Yet after this battle, there was no damage. God had wiped out the Assyrians.

I wonder if sometimes we seem to forget some of the things God has done in our lives.

When Israel crossed the Jordan River to conquer the Promised Land, they set up a pillar of stones to remember that God had done that day.

When God brought a great victory over the Philistines in the days of Samuel, they remembered it by setting up a special stone as a memorial:

(1 Sam 7:12 KJV) Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpeh and Shen, and called the name of it Ebenezer, saying, Hitherto hath the LORD helped us.

Psalm 49

:1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm for the sons of Korah.

Author and situation is unknown about this psalm.

How come some people prosper?

:1-5 A wise song

:4 I will open my dark saying upon the harp.

dark saying – chiydah – riddle, difficult question, parable, enigmatic saying or question, perplexing saying or question

:5 Wherefore should I fear in the days of evil, when the iniquity of my heels shall compass me about?

This is the question that a wicked, rich person might ask themselves.

They wonder what they have to worry about because they have money.

This is the thing that the Psalmist is struggling with.

:6-14 Even the rich dies

:7 None of them can by any means redeem his brother

You can’t buy God off with your money

The story of the priest who kept coming back to pray for a widow woman’s husband out of purgatory …

:8 (For the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth for ever:)

precious – yaqar – to esteem, be prized, be valuable, be precious, be costly, be appraised

A soul is redeemed by blood, not money.

(Le 17:11 KJV) For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.

We know that the only way a person can be redeemed from their sins is through the precious blood of Jesus.

(1 Pet 1:18-19 KJV) Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; {19} But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

:10 and leave their wealth to others.

The saying goes, “You can’t take it with you”.

You leave it all behind.

:11 they call their lands after their own names.

They think that they’re going to live on, perhaps name their lands after them.

Rockefeller Center – a recent poll showed that only 4% of New Yorkers even knew who the Rockefellers were or what they did (they made their money in oil).

:12 Nevertheless man being in honour abideth not: he is like the beasts that perish.

honour – y@qar – price, value, preciousness, honour, splendour, pomp; speaking of the wealthy man.

abideth not – they don’t last forever. They will die.

:13 yet their posterity approve their sayings

People like to say things that cause wealthy people to like them.

:15-20 Don’t fear the wealthy

:15 But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave

The Psalmist is trusting in God’s salvation.

:16 Be not thou afraid when one is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased;

(Ps 49:16 The Message) So don’t be impressed with those who get rich and pile up fame and fortune.

(Ps 49:16 NLT) {16} So don’t be dismayed when the wicked grow rich, and their homes become ever more splendid.

:20 Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish.

honour – y@qar – price, value, preciousness, honour, splendour, pomp

Very similar to verse 12, but with a small little change, substituting “abideth not” with “understandeth not”.

Lesson

Understand – get the picture

A wealthy person doesn’t have to die and go to hell. They can learn to trust the Lord.

(1 Ti 6:17-19 KJV) {17} Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; {18} That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; {19} Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

Some people in the world would consider every single person in this room as a wealthy person.

Lesson

Be careful about what you’re looking for

Some of us get caught in the trap of wishing we had just a bit more money …

J.D. Rockefeller was asked how much money would make a man happy. He replied, “Just a little more”.

(Php 4:12-13 NASB95) {12} I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. {13} I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

Learning the secret of being content in our circumstances.

Psalm 50

:1 A Psalm of Asaph.

A teaching song.

:1-6 Court called to order

:1 called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof.

(Ps 50:1 NLT) The mighty God, the Lord, has spoken; he has summoned all humanity from east to west!

God calls to all mankind. Court is in session.

:4 He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that he may judge his people.

God calls the angels. He is getting to judge.

:5 Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.

God is asking for all His Israelites to gather to be judged.

:6 And the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself. Selah.

God will judge His people, Israel.

Lesson

God is my judge

Does God have the ability to say tough things to you?

Can God point out your faults and you not reject His accusation?

:7-15 God doesn’t delight in sacrifice

:7 Hear, O my people, and I will speak; O Israel, and I will testify

testify – ‘uwd – (Hiphil) to testify, bear witness; to cause to testify, take or call as witness, invoke; to protest, affirm solemnly, warn, exhort or enjoin solemnly, admonish, charge

God is not only the judge, but the chief witness in this case.

:8 I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices or thy burnt offerings, to have been continually before me.

reprove – yakach – (Hiphil) to decide, judge; to adjudge, appoint; to show to be right, prove; to convince, convict; to reprove, chide; to correct, rebuke

God is not going to complain that they haven’t been bringing sacrifices to Him.

:10 For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills.

God owns everything. He doesn’t need anything.

Lesson

God isn’t needy

Some ministries can give you the idea that God is broke and that if you don’t give, God’s work is going to cease.

I do believe it’s important that people learn to support the ministries that help them.

And though a ministry may be needy, God is never needy.

:13 Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats?

Lesson

God isn’t hungry

God wasn’t sitting up in heaven hoping His people would sin so they would turn around and offer up an animal and God would get to have another sacrifice.

:14 Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High:

This is what God desires rather than sacrifice.

:15 And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.

God wants us to be people who are counting on Him, looking to Him.

Lesson

Love, not obligation

God wants us to have a relationship with Him where we come to Him out of love, not the obligation of sacrifice.

The people had developed their sense of “religion”, but had left their relationship with God.

(Isa 29:13 KJV) Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:

:16-23 God hates wickedness

:16 But unto the wicked God saith

Here we see God’s indictment against hypocrisy.

:21 These things hast thou done, and I kept silence

Lesson

God’s silence isn’t approval

Because God allows us to get away with sin at times doesn’t mean that He approves or that He doesn’t care.

God is showing us patience.

(2 Pet 3:9 KJV) The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

:23 Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I show the salvation of God.