Dear saints, the appointed Psalm for this day is the 46th Psalm. It is what inspired Luther to write this morning’s Hymn of the Day, A Mighty Fortress. It is a hymn that brings forth confidence. Not confidence in oneself, but in his God. This makes sense, for by the Middle Ages, the systems of theology preached great insecurity. It rightly preached that you are a sinner, but the prescription for your illness was not the Gospel. It was a series of works that you had to do so that your angry God might be appeased.
And so, you bought indulgences. You paid for masses for yourself and for your dead loved ones assumed to be in purgatory. Some abandoned family to take up residence in a monastery, supposing that your spiritual life there would earn heaven and not purgatory. The abuses of the church and the fear within the churchgoer fueled what became the Reformation. For in the Reformation, we are given the fruits of security.
Luther is a prime example of this. He was a committed son of the church. He believed what the church was teaching and was indeed teaching it himself. He took his sin seriously and it drove him to despair. He almost ended up hating God. But God had mercy. In that mercy, the Lord drove Luther to the Scriptures, especially the Psalms. And in his study of Romans, Luther finally saw that God’s wrath had already been carried out. Not on sinners, but on the perfect Son of God whose blood was shed in propitiation, in atonement, for the sins of the world.
It was in the Scriptures that God showed Luther that man is forgiven and justified not by private masses, indulgences, and works of penance, but by grace. Grace that is received by faith. What God showed Luther is secure and steadfast. In the 46th Psalm, we see how our God gives us security. Let us look at the four parts of the Psalm this morning:
God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble at its swelling.
The opening of the Psalm is the basis of Luther’s great hymn. It is God who is our mighty fortress. It is God who is our help in any trouble. No matter what goes on around us, because of who our God is and because of what He does for us, we shall not fear anything but Him. This is the confidence we have in God. No matter what we go through, He is with us. He keeps our souls. And he will deliver us to life, no matter what trial, trouble, or tribulation you experience in this life.
There are multiple times where God interceded on behalf of His people. He brought Israel out of Egypt and delivered them from Pharaoh’s armies at the Red Sea. He defeated Sennacherib and the armies of Assyria when they were determined to destroy Jerusalem. But the Psalm speaks not simply of earthly rescue. It assures you of your rescue from sin, death, and the devil which culminates on the Last Day. On the Day that Christ returns and completes this psalm’s fulfillment. This is our confidence.
But why do we have this confidence? Because the Lord is with us!
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 when morning dawns.
The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
he utters his voice, the earth melts.
The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Though your God is omnipresent, he deigned to be locally present with His people. The holy habitation of God on earth was first in the Tabernacle which traveled with Israel and then the Temple in Jerusalem, the city of God. But Jerusalem did not have a river. What is the river then? St. Ambrose says that the river is the Holy Spirit. This is seen when you recall Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4: “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” This living water is the Holy Spirit.
Also, remember the Revelation to St. John. In the vision, he is shown the river of water that flows from the throne of God and the Lamb. It flows through the middle of the street and gives water to the tree of life on either side of the river. The leaves of that tree were for the healing of the nations. In that time, nothing will again be accursed. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be present. And as God’s servants, each of you will worship Him.
Our days will never be peaceful. There will be wars, rumors of war, and strife. There will be drought, famine, or other calamities. There will be sickness, plague, and whatever else you can think of. But at the utterance of God’s voice, all will cease. For you, God is your fortress. He is the Lord of Sabaoth, the Lord of Hosts. This is seen in the next section:
Come, behold the works of the Lord,
how he has brought desolations on the earth.
He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
he burns the chariots with fire.
The victories of God are numerous in Scripture beyond what was mentioned earlier. God worked mighty works and brought down powerful men, nations, and armies. Using young David, God defeats Goliath and the Philistines. He used a wicked nation to bring down another. But the greatest work is that of your salvation. And it is through that mighty work that He will end all wars, breaking the bow and shattering spear, and destroy chariots with fire.
While Christ has cried out, “It is finished,” we do not yet see the culmination of His victory. As a result, we still see a restless and raging world. A world that wants to overthrow God and be a ruler and god unto itself. At times, God’s people will be the target of these entities. To all this, God says:
“Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!”
The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
As your Lord spoke to the raging wind and it was quiet, so also will He speak to those that rage against Him. And when He says, “Be still,” they will have no choice. And yet He is also speaking to you. He is telling you that He is in control, even when it is chaos around you. He is God, and no man or power can overthrow Him. It has been tried by man and fallen angel.
Therefore, do not be worried when you are afflicted. Do not fret when things look dark. Stand firm and know that God protects His church. Remember that He gives you His Gospel and accomplishes what is good for you and your salvation. Be ready for the day when all wars will come to an end and the new heavens and earth are ushered in by your Lord and Savior. On that day uninterrupted spiritual peace will endure forever. For the Lord is with us. He is our fortress.
He is by your side. He remains omnipresent and here, right now, locally with you. And through His good gifts, even should your adversaries take your goods, fame, child, wife, even your life, your victory is won. The kingdom of God and your reward in it remain. Amen.
Rev. Brent Keller
Trinity Lutheran Church
Guttenberg, Iowa
and
St. Paul Lutheran Church
McGregor, Iowa
©2021 Brent Keller. All rights reserved. Permission granted to copy, share and display freely for non-commercial purposes. Direct all other rights and permissions inquiries to cosmithb@gmail.com.
