Sunday
Morning Bible Study
November 16, 2003
Don’t Be Afraid
It seems we have lots of things to be afraid of.
Years ago we used to hear these dooms-day prophets talk about a great California
earthquake and the entire state falling off into the ocean. That sure used to generate a lot of fear.
We’ve all heard of various “phobias” such as “altophobia”, the fear of
heights, perhaps even “nyctophobia”,
the fear of darkness. But have you heard of …
Bolshephobia - Fear of
Bolsheviks.
Bromidrosiphobia - Fear of body
smells.
Coulrophobia - Fear of clowns.
Dentophobia - Fear of dentists.
Geniophobia - Fear of chins.
Hippo-poto-monstroses-quip-pedalio-phobia
- Fear of long words.
Homilophobia - Fear of sermons.
Pentheraphobia - Fear of
mother-in-law.
Scolionophobia - Fear of school.
Illustration
Here are some more things to be afraid of.
Very afraid.
If everyone keeps stacking National Geographics in garages and attics
instead of throwing them away, the magazines' weight will sink the continent
100 feet sometime soon and we will all be inundated by the oceans.
If beachgoers keep returning home with as much sand clinging to them as
they do now, 80% of the country's coastline will disappear in 10 years....
[They have also] reported the
striking discovery that pickles cause cancer, communism, airline tragedies,
auto accidents and crime waves. About 99.9% of cancer victims had eaten pickles
sometime in their lives.... So have 100%
of all soldiers, 96.8% of communist sympathizers and 99.7% of those involved in
car and air accidents. Moreover, those born in 1839 who ate pickles have
suffered a 100% mortality rate. And rats
force-fed 20 pounds of pickles a day for a month ended up with bulging abdomens
and loss of appetite.
-- Barry Siegel, “World May End With
a Splash,” Los
Angeles
Times, October 9, 1982
For King Hezekiah, there was something very real to be afraid of.
The Assyrian Empire was the big bully on the block. They had conquered much of the known world at
that time and had arrived at Jerusalem
to demand their surrender. The Assyrians
were known around the world for their cruelty.
When they conquered a nation, they tortured the people by cutting off
their ears or their noses, or pulling their tongues out. Those captives they didn’t kill would have a
ring put through their nose and then be marched naked to a foreign land.
We think that it’s in the context of a situation like this that Psalm 46
was writte.
Psalm 46
:1 A Song upon Alamoth.
Alamoth – ‘Alamowth –
young women, soprano? Could this have
something to do with vanilla ice-cream on hot apple pie?
:1-3 God’s Help
:1God is our refuge
refuge – machaceh – A
place you flee to for safety, like finding shelter from a rainstorm. It’s used to describe fugitives or men at war
seeking a place to hide from their enemies up in the hills and the rocks. God
is the place to run to from the rainstorm.
He is the place to hide when the enemy is chasing after you.
There’s a different word translated “refuge” in verses 7,11.
refuge – misgab – high
place, refuge, secure height, retreat; stronghold; The main idea is that of
height – things up high are more secure and safe.
It’s like the ancient Israeli fortress of Masada -
the huge mountain fort that was the last to fall to the Romans in A.D.70. It was impenetrable because there was no way
to attack such a high, steep, mountain.
(masada used in Ps.18:2;
“fortress”)
Lesson
A place of safety
We all need a place to run to when we are afraid, like hiding under the
covers.
Solomon wrote about some very wise creatures, including the “conies” or
“badgers”
(Prov 30:26 KJV) The conies
are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks;
These are very wise creatures because they know where to
go when they’re afraid. In fact they
make their home in the Rock.
:1 and strength
strength – ‘oz – might,
strength; This word is used in the sense of one person being able to prevail
over another. God is our strength because
He is able to prevail over our troubles.
Lesson
Strength
Twice in this psalm God is called the “God of Jacob” (vs. 7,11).
Jacob was a tricky guy, always trying to pull the wool over someone’s eyes
or deceive his way out of a situation.
But as he was finally coming home after twenty years, with his wives,
children, and flocks, he was met by something that made him very afraid. His brother Esau who had sworn to kill him
was coming to meet him with an army of 400 men. The night before Jacob would
meet Esau, he met someone, we believe it was Jesus:
(Gen 32:24-28 KJV) And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled
a man with him until the breaking of the day. {25} And when he saw that he
prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow
of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him. {26} And he said,
Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except
thou bless me. {27} And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob.
{28} And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel:
for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.
Jacob would have power, and he would prevail, but it only came first after
having lost his wrestling match to God.
God’s strength comes when we are weak.
(2 Cor 12:9 KJV)
And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is
made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my
infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
God is our strength, but we need to let Him win over our hearts first.
:1 a very present help in trouble.
very present – literally, “exceedingly findable”
help – ‘ezrah – help, assistance;
This word often speaks of military assistance, help with an enemy.
trouble – tsarah – literally
a “tight spot”
Lesson
He’s exceedingly findable
Paul preached to the people in Athens
when he said that God had
(Acts 17:26-27 KJV) …made of
one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and
hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;
{27} That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and
find him, though he be not far from
every one of us:
He’s not that far.
God spoke through Jeremiah,
(Jer 29:12-13 KJV) Then
shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken
unto you. {13} And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me
with all your heart.
Illustration
A mother was startled to find her seven-year-old daughter going through a
new Bible storybook and circling the word “God” where ever it appeared on the
page. Stifling her urge to reprimand the
child for defacing the book, the mother quietly asked, “Why are you doing that?” The little girl answered matter-of-factly,
“So that I will know where to find God when I need Him.”
That’s not a bad idea. Do you know
where to find Him? He’s closer than you
think.
:2-3 Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed…
Lesson
How do you handle fear?
What do you do when life is falling apart?
Some people only look to God in their times of trouble, though they don’t
trust Him the rest of the time:
(Jer 2:26-29 KJV) As the thief is ashamed when he is found, so
is the house of Israel ashamed; they, their kings, their princes, and their
priests, and their prophets, {27} Saying to a stock, Thou art my father; and to
a stone, Thou hast brought me forth: for they have turned their back unto me,
and not their face: but in the time of
their trouble they will say (to
God), Arise, and save us. {28} But where are thy gods that thou
hast made thee? let them arise, if they can save thee in the time of thy
trouble: for according to the number of thy cities are thy gods, O Judah. {29}
Wherefore will ye plead with me? ye all have transgressed against me, saith the
LORD.
God wants us to learn to trust Him all the time, not just when we are in
trouble.
To be honest, the Bible warns us that there are even more fearful times
ahead.
(Lk 21:26
KJV) Men’s hearts failing them for fear,
and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the
powers of heaven shall be shaken.
We call these coming times the Great Tribulation period.
(Rev 6:12-17 KJV) And I beheld when he had opened the sixth
seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as
sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; {13} And the stars of heaven
fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is
shaken of a mighty wind. {14} And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is
rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.
{15} And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the
chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid
themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; {16} And said to the
mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth
on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: {17} For the great day of his
wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
Some people will handle their fear by trying to run away and hide in caves.
It would be better to run and take shelter in The Rock, Jesus Christ,
rather than in a cave.
He is the One who loved you so much He gave up His life to
pay for your sins. He paid for your sins
by dying on a cross so you wouldn’t have to be judged and punished for your
sins.
You can either be for Him or against Him. The choice is up to you.
Are you running FROM Him or TO Him?
It’s these three things that cause us not to be afraid – He’s our refuge,
strength, and very findable. We’ll see a
couple more things in this psalm.
:4-7 The River
:4 There is a river …
What river is this? 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.
Jerusalem does not have a river
running through it.
Ezekiel speaks of a river appearing during the Millennium, flowing from the
altar in the Temple (Eze. 47:1-2).
John saw another river in the New Jerusalem, flowing from the throne of God
(Rev. 22:1-2).
It could refer to Hezekiah’s tunnel.
In preparation for the Assyrian invasion, Hezekiah had his engineers dig a
150 foot tunnel through solid rock from the Gihon spring outside the city walls
to the pool of Siloam inside the city walls.
Then they covered up the Gihon spring so the Assyrians would have no
water supply. The water would be hidden
from the enemy, while the city would be refreshed by it.
Lesson
The River
I think this is a bit of a picture of what we as believers have in the face
of troubling times. We too have a river
to sustain us when the enemy surrounds us.
(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.)
The river is the work of the Holy Spirit in our individual
lives, flowing out of us and soaking us and those around us.
:5 God shall help her, and that
right early.
right early – Literally, “at
the turn of day”, “when morning
dawns”
For Hezekiah, God’s help came in the morning:
(Is 37:36 KJV) 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.
:8-11 Slow down
:9 He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth
Near and far fulfillment.
There was a “near” fulfillment, as God destroyed the Assyrian army gathered
around Jerusalem.
There will be a “far” fulfillment when Jesus comes back at the end of the
Tribulation and destroys the armies that are gathered together to fight against
Him (Rev. 19:11-21).
Lesson
God’s Plan
Another help in times of trouble is to remember what God’s plans are for
us.
God will ultimately defeat all of His enemies. And you’re on His side.
:10 Be still, and know that I am God
This is how we get a hold of all the things in this Psalm and find God’s
peace in times of trouble.
Be still – raphah –
(Hiphil) to let drop, relax, to let go; let alone; to be quiet
know – yada‘– (Qal) to
know; to perceive and see, to know by experience
Lesson
Slow down and listen
Sometimes life just gets a bit too hectic and we have a tough time keeping
up.
Illustration
Some time ago, a newspaper in Tacoma, Washington,
carried the story of Tattoo, the basset hound. Tattoo didn’t intend to go for
an evening run, but when his owner shut his leash in the car door and took off
with Tattoo still outside the vehicle, he had no choice.
A motorcycle officer named Terry Filbert noticed a passing vehicle with
something that appeared to be dragging behind it. As he passed the vehicle, he
saw the object was a basset hound on a leash.
“He was picking them up and putting them down as fast as he could,” said
Filbert. He chased the car to a stop, and Tattoo was rescued, but not before
the dog reached a speed of twenty to twenty-five miles per hour, and rolled
over several times.
(The dog was fine but did not ask to go out for an evening walk for a long
time.)
There are too many of us whose days are marked by “picking them up and
putting them down as fast as we can.” We must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from
our lives.
-- John
Ortberg. Leadership, Vol. 17, no. 4.
We need to learn to slow down
(Luke 10:38-42 KJV) Now it came to pass, as they went, that he
entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him
into her house. {39} And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus'
feet, and heard his word. {40} But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and
came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to
serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. {41} And Jesus answered and
said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:
{42} But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall
not be taken away from her.
Sometimes I get the feeling that when God speaks, He
speaks slowly. And if I don’t take the
time to slow down and listen, I’m not going to get the message.
Too often I find myself wanting to skim through my
devotions, and though some of us may be able to speed-read, I don’t think God
“speed-talks”.
Slow down and let God work.
Illustration
An interesting thing about flight in outer space is that you must “slow
down in order to catch up.” If two
satellites, or spacecraft, desire to rendezvous, the one that is making an
approach cannot accelerate, it must decelerate.
If it increases its speed, the craft goes into a higher orbit, but if it
decreases its speed, it will drop into a lower orbit and actually gain on the
craft ahead of it. Most rendezvous are
designed so that the approaching craft comes in from a higher orbit and “slows
down, in order to catch up.” As a
result, it drops into place by decelerating.
In a sense this is how we best discover God’s will for our own
life. If we struggle spiritually and
emotionally to please God, we only make it hard on ourselves and will probably
move further away from God’s perfect will.
The best way to serve God is to submit our lives to his control. The more we yield ourselves to his power, the
more power is available to use for service.
It’s a case of “If you lose, you win; if you give in, you won’t give
out.”
God wants to rendezvous. Be sure you
aren’t flying too high or too fast. Slow down and talk with Him.
(Jer 33:3 KJV) Call unto me,
and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou
knowest not.