When the World Collapses

When the World Collapses

Christ Church, New Zealand, Cliff Falling into Sea

Second after Epiphany

Collect: Almighty and everlasting God, who dost govern all things in heaven and earth; Mercifully hear the supplications of thy people, and grant us thy peace all the days of our life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Psalter 46 (BCP)

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

2 Therefore will we not fear, though the earth be moved, and though the hills be carried into the midst of the sea;

3 Though the waters thereof rage and swell, and though the mountains shake at the tempest of the same.

4 There is a river, the streams whereof make glad the city of God; the holy place of the tabernacle of the Most Highest.

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

6 The nations make much ado, and the kingdoms are moved; but God hath showed his voice, and the earth shall melt away.

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

8 O come hither, and behold the works of the LORD, what destruction he hath brought upon the earth.

9 He maketh wars to cease in all the world; he breaketh the bow, and knappeth the spear in sunder, and burneth the chariots in the fire.

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

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

When Martin Luther was condemned as a heretic and sentenced to death for his Protestant teaching, a sympathetic prince arranged to “kidnap” Luther and take him to the prince’s castle. In that mountaintop fortress for a year Luther was safe to write and to translate the New Testament into German.

Several years later back in Wittenberg the plague was approaching. Luther felt his duty was to stay and minister to the people. As he reflected on Psalm 46, and perhaps thought about his time in the castle fortress, he wrote: “A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing; our helper he amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing.”

Psalm 46 was written for a time when the world seems to be collapsing.

1. Crisis

The Psalmist describes two kinds of crises, natural and political.

1.1. Natural

In verses 2 and 3 he describes a natural disaster:

...though the earth be moved, and though the hills be carried into the midst of the sea; though the waters thereof rage and swell, and though the mountains shake at the tempest of the same.

Unless we live along a geologic fault line, we take the stability of the earth for granted. Planting your feet firmly on the ground is a symbol of stability. When we look at mountains we think of permanence, even eternity. But the Psalmist had experienced something that changed that for him. It was an earthquake. He felt the earth beneath his feet moving. He watched a mountain collapse into the sea. He saw the churning  ocean swirling around the collapsing mountain. These symbols of permanence and stability moved.

The earthquake became for him a metaphor of crisis and chaos. There are times in our lives that feel earthquakes that shake the foundations of our lives. You may remember 9/11 as a day like that as you watched those towers collapse, and the President took to the air Air Force One. Or you might think of family or personal circumstances when you got fired, your marriage collapsed, you got a diagnosis from the doctor, death took a parent or child or spouse - anything that pulls the rug out from under your feet.

1.2. Political

In verse 6 the Psalmist speaks of a political crisis:

The nations make much ado, and the kingdoms are

moved...

Or as another translation puts it:

The nations rage, the kingdoms totter…

You may have heard stories of Edward R. Murrow, the American newsman, who reported from London in the early days of World War II. Sometimes he broadcast from building tops during air raids, and his listeners could hear the bombs exploding from the city.

The Psalmist has a similar perspective. He is in Jerusalem, the city God had chosen as Israel’s capital. It was the center of Israel’s political and religious life, the home of both palace and temple, the city in which God chose to live. And the city was under attack from enemies, very likely surrounded by an army. What would happen?

Some Europeans saw the beginning of World I like that. British Foreign Secretary Edward Grey said to a friend as they looked out on London at dusk on August 3, 1914: “The lamps are going out all over Europe, we shall not see them lit again in our lifetime.” The war devastated Europe, robbed her of a generation of young men, and set her up for another war in 20 years.

We have been through a tumultuous election in the United States, and many are unsettled as we approach the inauguration next Friday. What kind of President will we have? Will there be constant conflict in Congress? Will the country be even more disunited?

What about the church, the Jerusalem of today? The persecution of Christians is growing. Not just radical Islam but also ethnic nationalism threaten the church. About 215 millions Christians experience high, very high, or extreme persecution. What about the “Christian” the West? In England in 2015 4.7% of population attended church. In the United States the church is threatened by the health and wealth Gospel, by a therapeutic Gospel, by denial of essential truths, by promotion of immoral lifestyles, and many other ills.

There is more than enough crisis to make us feel threatened.

2. Safety

It times of crisis and chaos, where can a believer turn for safety?

When I was a youngster my sense of safety was directly related to the presence of my father. I never felt afraid when we had hurricanes, because he was there, and I knew he would take care of us.

2.1. The theme that our security and safety are in God runs throughout the Psalm.

God is our refuge (“hope” is wrong) and strength.

Martin Luther found refuge in the Prince’s fortress castle. As long as he was inside, he was defended against attempts to capture him. So believers find their protection in God. He is our fortress who protects us against the things that threaten. God also is our strength. God not only defends us, he also empowers us so that we have the courage to face the dangers. This is true even when when it seems we have been overwhelmed. “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God” was sung by displaced Protestants as they lost their homes and went into exile and or lost their lives as martyrs for the faith. In the last verse of Luther’s hymn we sing, “Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also,” because God is our refuge and strength. The Psalmist wrote, since God is our refuge and strength, we will not fear. So Luther teaches us to sing, “And, though this world with devils filled should threaten to undo us, we will not fear.” The Bible constantly encourages us, “Fear not; do not be afraid.” Yes, we often feel fear, but with faith in God’s protection, we can can overcome it.

2.2. Not only is God our fortress, but God himself is with us.

There is a river, the streams whereof make glad the city of

      God; the holy place of the tabernacle of the Most Highest.

      God is in the midst of her, therefore shall she not be

     removed; God shall help her, and that right early.

The Psalmist is thinking about Jerusalem, the city God had chosen as the place where he would live among his people, in Tabernacle first and later in the Temple. The people took confidence from the reality of God’s presence with them. They pictured the presence of God as the gently flowing streams flowing from a river. In the Bible frequently the sea is symbol of chaos and danger. The sea could rage and destroy. Streams were different. They represented peace and refreshment. So it is with God’s presence. And, because God is present in Jerusalem, the city is secure. God will provide timely help when there is danger. Jesus promised his church, “Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

So twice the Psalmist assures us, first in verse 7, then the last verse:

The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our

      refuge.

3.1. Triumph

God will defend us and live among us. But there is more. God will triumph and because he will, we will, too.

O come hither, and behold the works of the LORD, what destruction he hath brought upon the earth. He maketh wars to cease in all the world; he breaketh the bow, and knappeth (snaps) the spear in sunder, and burneth the chariots in the fire.

The nations are stirred up, armed, and ready for war. They attack God’s kingdom. But the Psalm foresees a time when there will be tranquility and peace. “He maketh wars to cease in all the world.” But peace will come not because the nations voluntarily lay down their arms but because God subdues and disarms them. “Come behold the works of the Lord, how he has brought desolations on the earth...He breaks the bow and shatters the spear. Judgment on rebellion against God will precede peace.

So God speaks to the nations, and to his people. To the nations God says: “Be quiet and listen. I am God. My will is to be exalted among the nations. Because i am King over all the earth, my will will not be thwarted I will be exalted.” He says to his people: “Settle down. Don’t let your heart to be troubled. I am God, and I will triumph over the nations. I will bring all thing into submission. I will be be exalted over the whole world. I will triumph, and you will share in my triumph.

We come to the Table of the Lord, and we remember that we will not always meet him here, for we do this only till he comes. When he comes he will judge his enemies and place them all under his feet. He will vindicate his people and they will live in peace forever. Here we have communion with the One who is not only our Savior but also our King and look forward to the day when we will sit down with him at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. “Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”