Psalms 46

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Shared with both camps: God himself is refuge and strength—help present when trouble presses, not a distant theory.

God is the refuge to run to and the strength to lean on while the trouble is still present, not only after it passes. Refuse every substitute fortress that cannot help when the crash comes.

Calvin: God is our refuge and strength: he is found an exceeding help in tribulations—able to protect his own and giving ground to expect it; comes seasonably as often as afflictions press; special care for the Church, distinguishing the chosen from the heathen by the privilege of adoption.

Rest in God alone as refuge and strength when trouble is present. Refuse gazing around for other helps; hold the special care promised to his people.

Therefore we won’t be afraid, though the earth changes, though the mountains are shaken into the heart of the seas, Wesley: Though—Though there should be nothing but confusion, and desolations round about us: which are often expressed by such metaphors. The “therefore” ties fearlessness to who God is: even if the earth itself gives way, those sheltered in him need not be afraid.

Let refuge in God cancel panic when the ground itself seems gone. Refuse a calm that only lasts while mountains stand.

Calvin: Therefore we won’t be afraid—true proof of hope: when heavens seem to fall, earth to remove, mountains torn from foundations, we nevertheless preserve calmness. Not that the godly are exempt from all solicitude as if destitute of feeling—great difference between insensibility and the confidence of faith; they are never overwhelmed with terror but gather courage to allay fear.

Hold fearlessness as faith's inference from God's help, not as numbness. Refuse both panic and a stoic mask that never needs the refuge.

Roar, foam, and trembling peaks complete the picture of chaos that still cannot force fear on those whose refuge is God.

Hear the swell and still refuse fear. Pause at Selah; refuse a faith that only sings in still water.

Calvin: Though the waters roar and rage tempestuously, mountains shaken with the swelling—even in dreadful tumults the holy city enjoys comfort by her small streams; faith tested in severe conflicts; victory of faith when hell seems opened; help promised more than balances evils that inspire fear.

Let roaring seas drive you to the promised help, not to despair. Refuse a courage that jests at death without God's protection.

There is a river, the streams of which make the city of God glad, the holy place of the tents of the Most High. Wesley: A river—This may design the gracious presence, and blessing of the Lord, which is frequently described under the name of waters. Make glad—Shall not barely preserve it from danger, but give great occasion for rejoicing and thanksgiving. The city—Jerusalem, the place where God's holy tabernacle is settled.

Receive the river as God's gracious presence that gladdens, not bare survival. Seek gladness in the city where he dwells; refuse a safety that never rejoices.

Calvin: Streams of her river shall make glad the city of God—small streams afford abundant rejoicing though the world be destroyed; alludes to Shiloah through Jerusalem; rebukes confidence fortified by earthly seas; Isaiah 8:6—despising Shiloah while longing for Nile and Euphrates; grace alone sufficient independent of the world's help; secret gentle streams give more tranquillity than the whole power of the world gathered for aid.

Prefer God's gentle stream to the world's deep rivers. Rest the Church's gladness on his presence; refuse defenses that drown the very island they claim to guard.

God is within her. She shall not be moved. God will help her at dawn. Midst-presence means the city shall not be moved; help arrives with the morning.

Count God's midst as the reason she stands. Wait for morning help; refuse a stillness that never expects him to act.

Calvin: God is within her; she shall not be moved—feminine: the holy city shall not be shaken because God dwells there and is always ready to help. Dawn of the morning denotes daily, as soon as the sun rises; if we desire his protection we must be concerned that he dwell among us; he may not hasten to our importunity, yet he comes seasonably—he that keeps Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps.

Seek his dwelling among us as the ground of unmoved security. Trust seasonable morning help; refuse both frantic haste and a presence-neglect that still demands rescue.

He lifted his voice and the earth melted. Wesley (on the rage and utterance): Raged—Against God, and against his people. Uttered—He spake to them in his wrath. The earth—The inhabitants of the earth were consumed. The nations rage and the kingdoms totter, yet a single word from God is enough to melt the earth beneath them.

Fear the voice that melts earth more than the rage of nations. Refuse a politics that never reckons with his wrath.

Calvin: Peoples raged, kingdoms were moved; he uttered his voice, the earth melted—experience confirming impregnable protection; notable deliverance in which enemies came with a dreadful host and vanished at God's voice; voice signifies will or command, with an eye to the promises; though the whole world rise up, they can be brought to nought in a moment when God shows himself favorable.

Read raging nations under the voice that melts earth. Rest on promised command, not on matching the world's fury; refuse despair when kingdoms totter around the Church.

The LORD of Armies is with us. The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah. Both traditions sing this refrain together: the LORD who commands the armies of heaven is the covenant God of Jacob, and he is with his people as their fortress.

Claim the with-us fortress in the God of Jacob. Refuse a courage that never needs his hosts or his covenant name.

Calvin: Jehovah of armies is with us. The God of Jacob is our refuge—apply infinite power by believing we are embraced in fatherly love; adoption separates Israel from the common condition of the nations; without that, the description of power only inspires dread; confident boasting arises because God has chosen us; hold together immeasurable power (God of armies) and fatherly love manifested in his word (God of Jacob).

The psalm joins the LORD’s might as commander of armies to his covenant care as the God of Jacob. Defy enemies only as those adopted under both titles; refuse a bare power-God who is never Father to his flock.

Come, see the LORD’s works, what desolations he has made on the earth. Wesley: Desolations—Among those who were vexatious to God's people. Behold what he has done to vexers.

Come and look at the LORD's works, including desolations on the Church's foes. Refuse indifference that never beholds what he has already done.

Calvin: Come ye, consider the works of Jehovah—history of deliverance to establish persuasion of stable promises; rebukes indifference and ingratitude; many ascribe to fortune or industry or second causes what proceeds from him alone; sets desolations and marvellous devastations before minds otherwise dull.

Consider the LORD's desolating works as fuel for future trust. Refuse fortune-talk and self-credit; open eyes to what strengthens faith.

He makes wars cease to the end of the earth. He breaks the bow, and shatters the spear. He burns the chariots in the fire. Wesley: To cease—He hath settled as in a firm and well-grounded peace. The land—Of Israel: from one end of it to the other. The bow—The bows and spears, and chariots of their enemies. Wars cease under broken weapons and burned chariots.

The peace promised here is God’s own work: he ends wars by breaking the weapons of those who wage them. Seek well-grounded peace from him; refuse a peace that leaves the bow intact.

Calvin: He maketh battles to cease even to the end of the earth; breaketh the bow, cutteth the spear, burneth the chariots—from particular help to general expectation; God adorned with these titles that we should look for peace from him even when the whole world is in uproar; often he quelled tumults in Judea and deprived enemies of courage.

Expect war-ceasing from God when the world rages. Look to him for peace beyond one battlefield; refuse despair that treats broken bows as chance.

“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted on the earth!” Wesley: Be still—Stir no more against my people. God—The only true and almighty God; your gods are but dumb and impotent idols. Exalted—I will make myself glorious by my great and wonderful works. Shared with the Reformed: Be still is God's word that stops hostile stirring and demands knowledge of the true God who will be exalted.

Both traditions hear “Be still” as a summons to stop resisting God and to acknowledge that he alone is God. Know him, not dumb idols; refuse a stillness that never yields exaltation to him among the nations.

Calvin: Be still, and know that I am God—discourse turned to enemies who indulge mischief as if they warred only against men; God himself speaking; bid them be still that anger may be appeased and they perceive they fight against God; restrain turbulent affections; yield the God of Israel the glory; if they act like madmen, his power is not enclosed within Judea—he will be exalted among the nations and in the earth. Wesley concurs: Be still stops the assault on the saints and forces recognition of the true God.

Shared with both camps—hear Be still as God's rebuke to those who wound his people. Know that he is God; refuse a war against the Church that pretends it never touches him.

The LORD of Armies is with us. The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah. The refrain returns after “Be still” and the promise that God will be exalted among the nations: the LORD of Armies is with us, and the God of Jacob is our refuge.

Shared closing with both camps—end where the psalm ends: with us and fortress. Carry the refrain into the next trouble; refuse a song that forgets the with-us name after the battle pauses.

Calvin: The refrain returns—Jehovah of armies with us; the God of Jacob our fortress—God has more than enough weapons and strength to preserve the Church he has adopted; power and fatherly covenant care still the last word after enemies are told to be still.

The closing refrain lets the church rest again where the psalm began, under the LORD of Armies and in the fortress of Jacob’s God. Hold adoption under both titles after Be still; refuse a finale that leaves the Church unsheltered.