Thursday
Evening Bible Study
March
10, 2016
Introduction
Do people see Jesus? Is the gospel
preached? Does it address the person who is: Empty, lonely, guilty, or afraid
to die? Does it speak to the broken
hearted? Does it build up the church? Milk – Meat – Manna Preach for a decision
Is the church loved? Target 3300 words
Video = 75 wpm
The English word psalm comes from a Greek word that means “a poem
sung to musical accompaniment”, or in particular, “stringed instruments”.
The Hebrew name is tehillim, which means “praises.”
The book of Psalms is the hymnbook of God’s people.
It’s also the “Him” book as well. It’s all about Jesus.
The writer of Hebrews quotes from
Psalm 40:8 when he writes,
(Hebrews 10:7 NKJV) Then I
said, ‘Behold, I have come— In the volume
of the book it is written of Me— To do Your
will, O God.’ ”
The author was talking about Jesus.
We’re going to see a lot of Jesus
in the Psalms.
Soul Music
Music touches the soul. It’s “soulish” in nature. It touches the emotions.
We’re going to find every kind of emotion possible expressed in the Psalms.
For every sigh there is a Psalm.
For most of us, this is what makes
the Psalms so wonderful. We can identify. We can relate.
If we were honest, even darkest
most depressing Psalms describe the very things we go through day by day.
It is my prayer that as we continue
on this journey through the Psalms, we won’t just look at these songs
academically, with our mind, but that we may also grow as worshippers.
Psalm 46-48 are songs of celebration of how God delivered the nation over
foreign enemies.
Psalm 46 – When I’m afraid
: To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah. A Song For Alamoth.
A Song For Alamoth
Alamoth – ‘Alamowth –
young women, soprano?
While some think this is a song for young women to sing, I think it might
have something to do with vanilla ice-cream on hot apple pie.
Luther’s Psalm
Many call this “Luther’s Psalm because he wrote a famous hymn based on this
Psalm.
A mighty fortress is our God,
A bulwark never failing;
Our helper he amid the flood
Of mortal ills prevailing.
This Psalm is all about how we handle fear.
We’ve all heard of various “phobias” such as the fear of heights, or the fear of darkness. But have
you heard of …
Bolshephobia - Fear of
Bolsheviks.
Bromidrosiphobia - Fear of
body smells.
Coulrophobia - Fear of
clowns
Hippo-poto-monstroses-quip-pedalio-phobia
- Fear of long words.
Homilophobia - Fear of
sermons.
It has been suggested by some that this Psalm could be related to the time
of King Hezekiah.
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.
Some have suggested that it’s in the context of a situation like this that
Psalm 46 was written.
:1 God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.
:1 God is our refuge
refuge – machaceh – refuge,
shelter, from rain or storm
It’s 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
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 to run to
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”. Old King James…
(Proverbs 30:26 AV)
The
conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks;
We’ve seen them on our trips to Israel.
They are actually related to elephants. Teeny, tiny elephants.
These are very wise creatures because they know where to
go when they’re afraid. In fact they
make their home in the Rock.
Where do you run to when you’re afraid?
Maybe not like “horror movie” afraid, but maybe “afraid” of what is in the
future.
God is the best place to run to.
: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
Overcoming
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 someone who made him very afraid.
His brother Esau who had sworn to kill him when they were younger, and now
he 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:
(Genesis
32:24–28 NKJV) —24 Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the
breaking of day. 25
Now
when He saw that He did not prevail against him, He touched the socket of his
hip; and the socket of Jacob’s hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him. 26 And He said,
“Let Me go, for the day breaks.” But he said, “I will not let You go unless You bless me!” 27 So He said
to him, “What is your name?” He said, “Jacob.” 28 And He said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but
Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed.”
Jacob would have power, and he would prevail, but it only came first after losing
his wrestling match to God.
God’s strength comes when we are weak.
(2
Corinthians 12:9 NKJV) And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength
is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast 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
Easy to find
Sometimes it’s not so easy to find what you’re looking for.
Nemo’s dad and a stupid fish named Dory spent an entire movie looking for
little Nemo.
God is not as hard to find as Nemo.
Paul preached to the people in Athens when he said that God had
(Acts 17:26–27
NKJV) …made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of
the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of
their dwellings, 27
so
that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and
find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;
He’s not that far.
Sometimes all you have to do is turn around.
God spoke through Jeremiah,
(Jeremiah 29:12–13
NKJV) —12 Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen
to you. 13 And you will
seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.
Illustration
A mother was startled to find her young 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 Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though
the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
:3 Though its waters roar and be troubled, Though the
mountains shake with its swelling. Selah
:2 though the earth be removed
Giant earthquakes. Mountains thrown
into the sea.
Sounds like a Hollywood movie…
That’s a bit dramatic, but to be honest, does it seem at times like this is
a picture of what you’re going through?
Lesson
Responding to 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:
(Jeremiah 2:26–29
NLT) —26 “Israel is like a thief who feels shame only when he gets caught.
They, their kings, officials, priests, and prophets— all are alike in this. 27 To an image
carved from a piece of wood they say, ‘You are my father.’ To an idol chiseled
from a block of stone they say, ‘You are my mother.’ They turn their backs on
me, but in times of trouble they cry out to me, ‘Come and save us!’ 28 But why not
call on these gods you have made? When trouble comes, let them save you if they
can! For you have as many gods as there are towns in Judah. 29 Why do you
accuse me of doing wrong? You are the ones who have rebelled,” says 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.
(Luke 21:26 NKJV) men’s hearts
failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on
the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
If you will trust Him when times are good, it will be
easier to trust Him when things get difficult.
:4 There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God,
The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High.
:4 the city of God
This is the city of Jerusalem.
:4 There is a river
What river is this?
It was not uncommon for an ancient city to be built on the banks of a river
for a water supply.
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).
Ancient and modern Jerusalem does not have a river.
But it does have a spring. The Gihon Spring.
In preparation for the Assyrian invasion, Hezekiah had his engineers dig a
tunnel through 1500 feet of 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.
Video: Hezekiah’s Tunnel (edited)
Perhaps this might be in the Psalmist’s mind. It’s a river, but a hidden river.
Lesson
The supply
I think this is 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.
(John 7:37–39 NKJV)
—37 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood
and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. 38 He who
believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of
living water.” 39
But
this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive;
for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because 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.
Some of you may be unaware of what God has available to you.
God wants to carry you, refresh you, and empower you.
Our part is to simply surrender.
Are you thirsty for more?
Then simply ask.
Some of us may have walked with the Holy Spirit for a time.
We need to be reminded again that there is a river that makes glad the
people of God.
Jude wrote,
(Jude
20–21 NKJV) —20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith,
praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our
Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
When Jude talks about “praying in the Holy Spirit”, though
he may not be thinking exclusively about praying in tongues, I do believe that
the Scriptures would include praying in tongues as part of this. Paul uses the
same language to include the use of tongues (1Cor. 14:15)
(1 Corinthians 14:15 NKJV) What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit,
and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I
will also sing with the understanding.
I think that one of the ways you can “build yourselves up
on your most holy faith” is to pray with the assistance of the Holy Spirit,
whether with tongues or without.
Are you tapped into the River that God has for you, the River that will
sustain you in difficult times?
:5 God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God shall
help her, just at the break of dawn.
:5 just at the break of dawn
For Hezekiah, God’s help came in the morning:
(Isaiah 37:36 NKJV)
Then
the angel of the Lord went out,
and killed in the camp of the Assyrians one hundred and eighty-five thousand;
and when people arose early in the morning, there were the corpses—all
dead.
Don’t quit in the middle of the night.
:6 The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved; He uttered His voice, the
earth melted.
:7 The Lord of hosts is
with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah
:7 The Lord of hosts is
with us
The term “hosts” refers to the armies (hosts) of heaven.
He is the God of angel armies.
In Hezekiah’s day, one single angel wiped out 185,000 Assyrians.
:8 Come, behold the works of the Lord,
Who has made desolations in the earth.
:9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts
the spear in two; He burns the chariot in the fire.
:9 He makes wars cease
cease – shabath – to
cease, desist, rest
The word “Sabbath” comes from this word.
I think there are several ways in which this statement is fulfilled.
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).
There is a “personal” fulfillment in our lives as well.
We too have “wars” of a kind around us.
James wrote,
(James
4:1–3 NLT) —1 What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come
from the evil desires at war within you? 2 You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You
are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage
war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you
don’t ask God for it. 3 And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are
all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.
Lesson
God’s peace
God will one day bring peace to the planet, but for now, our focus ought to
be on the peace that God wants in our lives.
One of the keys to God’s peace is that “River”. The Holy Spirit produces “peace” in our
lives.
(Galatians 5:22–23
NLT) —22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love,
joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness,
and self-control. There is no law against these things!
Another key to God’s peace in our lives is prayer.
(Philippians 4:6–7
NKJV) —6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and
supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the
peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and
minds through Christ Jesus.
To me it’s not just about “praying” for things, but
actually putting them into God’s hands.
Sometimes my prayer times are nothing more than worry
sessions as I think about all the difficulties I’m praying for.
Peace comes when I put the issue into God’s hand, trust Him
with the problem, and THANK Him for promising to take care of it according to
His will.
A third key to God’s peace has to do with where your mind is parking
itself.
(Isaiah 26:3 NKJV) You will
keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.
What kinds of things do you let your mind “rest” on?
If all your free time is spent thinking about things that cause you anxiety
(TV news, movies and TV, etc.), is it any surprise you don’t have peace?
(Philippians
4:8–9 NLT) —8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your
thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and
admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. 9 Keep putting
into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me
and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.
: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 refuge. Selah
:10 Be still, and know that I am God
One last key to how we get a hold of the things in this Psalm and find
God’s peace in times of trouble.
Be still – raphah – to let
drop, relax, to let go; let alone; to be quiet
know – yada‘– 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
Forgive me, I have to tell this story again…
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.
(Tattoo was fine but asked not to go out for an evening walk for a long
time.)
-- John Ortberg.
Leadership, Vol. 17, no. 4.
Does that sound like you sometimes?
Do you feel like you’re “picking them up and putting them down as fast
as you can”?
Martha had a problem like Tattoo.
(Luke 10:38–42 NLT)
—38 As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem,
they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her
home. 39 Her sister,
Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. 40 But Martha
was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said,
“Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do
all the work? Tell her to come and help me.” 41 But the Lord said to her, “My dear
Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! 42 There is
only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will
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”.
We don’t just need to slow down, we need to quiet down.
We need to be able to hear God speak.
After running from Jezebel, Elijah found himself in a cave in Sinai, hoping
to meet with God.
He experienced a strong wind, an earthquake, and a fire,
but God wasn’t in those things.
(1
Kings 19:12b ESV) …And after the fire the sound of a low whisper.
I think sometimes we make too much noise, or are
surrounded with too much noise to be able to hear God.
He often speaks quietly
Be still.
Listen.
God spoke through Jeremiah:
(Jeremiah 33:3
NKJV) ‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty
things, which you do not know.’
Songs
God Is Our Refuge (Ps. 46)
C G Am
God is our refuge and our strength
F C G
A very present help in trouble
Em
Am
Therefore, we will not fear
F C
Though the earth should change
F C
Though the mountains slip
F C G
Into the heart of the sea
C F C F
He is our strength
C G Am
Be ye still
F C
G
And know that I am God
Em Am
Be ye still
F C
Though the earth should change
F C
Though the mountains slip
F C G
Into the heart of the sea
C F C F
He is our strength
written October 28, 1986
God Is Our Refuge (Ps. 46)/ Words & Music by Richard
Cathers / © 1986
Richard Cathers / Refuge.doc
There Is A River (Psalm 46)
C G/C
There is a river
C
Whose streams make glad
G/C C
The city of our God
G/C
The holy dwelling
C
Of God Most High
G/C
God's in the midst of her
F C
She'll not be moved
F Dm
He will help her
Em Am
When morning dawns
Dm G
He will help you too
C Bb/C
When morning comes
F Dm
He is our strength
Em Am
And our help
Dm G
He is our refuge
F C
In the storm
There Is A River (Psalm 46)/ Words & Music by Debby
Cathers / © 1999 Debby
Cathers / Psalm46.doc