Sermon(Ps 46): The city of God

The original Korean text: https://blog.naver.com/stevision/50025286947

 

>> 1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea; 3 though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult. 4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. 5 God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God will help her right early. .... 9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear, he burns the chariots with fire! 10 "Be still, and know that I am God. I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth!" 11 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. (Ps 46) <<

 

Israel is descendants of Jacob. Jacob was given a nickname Israel by God. So the God of Jacob is the God of Israel. The God of Jacob is One who helps and keeps to the end those who seek refuge not in the world but in God. Jacob had to leave home because of his brother Esau and (as a matter of fact) lived alone away from home. But God made him very rich, gave him four wives and a lot of sons and daughters, and helped him return home as a successful man. Today's word of God, Psalm 46, emphasizes the God of Jacob who is a strong refuge. Martin Luther, the Reformer, was impressed by this Psalm 46 and composed a hymn, Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott (Our God is a stronghold). Despite the incessant death-threat of the absolute power of the Pope and the emperor, he boldly carried out the Reformation, making the God his refuge. May the God of Jacob be your God.

 

The text tells us never to tremble even if the world is in great confusion and commotion. Bible tells us that we should not be afraid even if the world is in turmoil. We should be in peace even if the ground shakes. In other words, don't be afraid even if the foundation of your life is shaken. Many people lost their means of living when Korea's great economic crisis broke out. Many lost their job. This is like the sinking of the ground on which they were standing. Even so, believers should not be scared. Actually, after losing the work, some have moved to a safe ground of life. My brethren, fear not, even if the foundation of your life is shaken. If you rely on God and seek for his help, he will lead you to a safer land. Even if the earth shakes terribly, there is no fear with those who believe in the God of Jacob. No such thing as worry. Fear not, even when the seawater overflows your land. There must not be panic even when foreign troops swoop upon Israel to attack it like locusts. Do not be afraid if the wicked threaten you. Don't be afraid if the wicked try to swallow up your company, your business, your store, your home. Look to the God of Jacob. Seek help from him. If the mountain plunged into the sea, don't be scared. Don't worry when people misunderstand you so that your honor and the appraisement of your achievements plummet down. Don't worry if people continue to maliciously try to hurt your repute.

 

 

My brethren, leave behind the disturbance of the world and dwell in the city of God. "There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God will help her right early (at dawn, in Korean version). (v. 4, 5)" The stronghold the God dwells in can't be moved. That is, there is no shaking, or uncertainty, there. If you live in Rome, the city where the Roman emperor who has absolute power lives, you can live safely no matter how much the barbarians cause turmoil on the border. The city of God is not shaken, because the God who can never be moved by the turmoil of the world is the owner of the city. Who dare make a fuss with a sword in the city where God dwells? Who can drive the Almighty God out of the city and take the throne there? It will never happen! God, who is righteous, perfect, and omnipotent, will never be shaken. The city where he dwells is always secure, and those who make the city their refuge will never be plagued by the turmoils of the world. How can we enter the city of the God? It is possible when we accept the rule of the God. If we become his people, we can inhabit the city of God that is the securest in the world.

 

It's not only security. In the city of God, there is a clear stream that never dries. If you are in the God, all the thirst of your life disappears. When a man has a safe habitation, he begins to be interested in the meaning of life and the spiritual and intellectual areas. Some people, having achieved a secure abode, seek after the worldly pleasure, but lose all that they have achieved so far. Some people seek truth, goodness, and beauty after being satisfied with worldly good things. They seek also holiness. They seek things truly good and righteous. However, some people seek it not in the city of God but in the world, and when they fail, they lament, saying, "Life is vanity!" So they do not know the true joy of life. But Christians know God, so they know the purpose of their life, do the works God entrusted to them, increase the value of their life, and live in the happiness of successful life. Humans are not like pigs or stallions, so they are not satisfied only in satisfying their appetite and sex. Humans are spiritual beings, so they can live in true joy and satisfaction when they live in fellowship with God who is very noble and holy. When we live in the city of God, all our thirst in life is quenched. God is the clear water of life that stills all our thirst. Full of joy ㅡ this is given you when you drink the stream in the city of God. God is our joy and satisfaction.

 

God becomes our help when we live in the safe city of God as his people. "God helps you at dawn. (v. 5, Koran version)" This means that God helps us before the sun rises. Of course, you can take this passage like this: you can obtain God's promise to help you, at the dawn prayer. We Korean Christians love this passage very much. Indeed, this dawn prayer is the great prop that has supported Korean church so far. I don't know about Christians of other countries, but God particularly wanted Korean believers to do the dawn prayer. I felt how God was unpleasant with me when I once in a while became lazy and skipped the dawn prayer. Again, God is the One who wants Korean Christians to do the dawn prayer. That God helps us at dawn means that God helps us with joy and willingness. When I was a school student, I prepared for the trip early in the morning when it was the school trip day. The same is true here. God is so happy to help us that he starts to help us before the sun rises. He can help us in the middle of the day, but he wants to help us even from dawn. This tells us how God loves us and how he is happy to help us. God wants to help us before the bright sun helps us first. It is because God loves us most. God is jealous and angry with us when we love other things more than God. And God is jealous even when others try to love us more than he does, because he does not want to be robbed of his beloved ones by others. So God helps us from dawn when we ask him for help. God wants to help us first.

 

By the way, in today's text, God breaks all the bows, spears and chariots of the world (v. 9, 10). God brings to nought all the plans of those who intend to expand their power by swords, bows, spears, and chariots; because he does not want his people to go to them to seek for refuge in them. Some people, making weapons and recruiting soldiers, try to possess a powerful army in order to exalt their names and to make their names known to all in the world. But God breaks all their weapons and burns them. The reason is this: "Be still, and know that I am God. I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth! (v. 10)" Power, authority, glory, and dignity belong only to Jehovah, the God. Anyone who tries to secure his own glory, dignity, and power in the world God created becomes an enemy of God. The swords and bows of such men are mercilessly broken. Those who want to be exalted among the people become enemies of God. All are God's people, so if any of them exalted themselves among people, they committed high treason. My brethren, exalt only God, think only of his power and glory, and make yourself his servant and a good friend to others.

 

Stop all the wars! God commands so. "He makes wars cease to the end of the earth. (v. 9)" As mentioned above, war is an act of expanding one's territory by killing others. God is the owner of all lives. God is One who preserves life. God hates the ruthless. War is an act of the ignoring of God. If sons fight one another for money and for good position when father is present among them in home, it is an act of ignoring him. All good things should be given out to children as the father wants. All lands, all grains, all precious silver and gold are what God has given to each nation and to each people according to his will as he likes. If some nation, disregarding this, sharpen the swords, make bows and arrows, and commence war to kill other people and to take away their land and property, it is an act that challenges directly the authority of God who blesses the world and is possessor of the world. So there is a rule God made. "All who take the sword will perish by the sword. (Mt 26:52)" Jesus said so. We live in the world with good heart, not with a sword. Jesus said also, "Put your sword back into its place. (Mt 26:52)" This saying is in line with the text of the psalm that God will destroy the sword and the bow. Isn't it ridiculous that we try to achieve some works with human swords where there is Jesus who is the God? Can humans save God, or can humans achieve world justice with the sword? Did the human sword bring steadfast peace to the world? Haven't the sword and the human selfishness always gone hand in hand? Human swords are not needed where God is.

 

We need spears and swords in order to wipe out the forces of the evil as God's soldiers. However, it is an act that directly challenges God's authority that we use the sword and the spear to satisfy our greed. God breaks those weapons and burns them. It is extreme presumptuousness and arrogance for humans to war against each other in the land under God's rule. Especially, it is absolutely unacceptable for people to fight each other in the city of God. My brethren, never fight in the church. Never fight a bloody battle for a good position in the church. If it is difficult to yield to each other, pray earnestly to God and decide it by lot. Why do you refuse such a good way, and fight each other, so that the world makes fun of the church?

 

The God of Jacob changed Jacob, who had been so struggling to gain the worldly blessings, into a meek man who completely surrendered to the authority of God. God, having broken all the sharp spears and the sharp swords in Jacob's heart, invited him into his city. If we seek for refuge in God, we must first lay down our spears and swords, and then enter the city of peace, where God is the King. There we must be good people under the righteous rule of God. There we can dwell in full safety, satisfaction, and joy, even if the world is awfully shaken and noisy. In the city, we thank and exalt only the God who gives us peace, joy, and satisfaction.

 

I pray that God of Jacob may accept you as his people, and give you peace and blessings.

 

Chong Tack Kim

                                           - Dongtoma Sunshine Church -