Transcript

Today’s Bible Translation

Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 45 NIV; Ch. 46-47 NLT

Podcast Introduction

This is Psalms Wednesday, and we’ll read chapters 45-47. As always in the Psalms, I’ll have a short intro for you before reading each chapter. I’m calling this episode “Be Still.”

Comments on Psalms 45-47

Introduction to Psalm 45

The title of this psalm is To the Chief Musician. Set to “The Lilies.” A Contemplation of the sons of Korah. A Song of Love.

According to Matthew Henry’s Commentary, and that of Charles Spurgeon, the subject of this Psalm is Christ Himself.

I like the way Spurgeon put it: 

“Some here see Solomon and Pharaoh’s daughter only– they are short sighted; others see both Solomon and Christ–they are cross eyed; well focused spiritual eyes see here Jesus only, or if Solomon be present at all, it must be like those hazy shadows of by passers which cross the face of the camera, and therefore are dimly traceable upon a photographic landscape.

“This is a wedding song for the Heavenly Bridegroom and His elect spouse. Ps 45:1 is an announcement of intention, a preface to the song; Ps 45:3 adores the matchless beauty of Messiah; and from Ps 45:3-9, he is addressed in admiring ascriptions of praise. Ps 45:10-12 are spoken to the bride. The church is further spoken of in Ps 45:13-15, and the Psalm closes with another address to the King, foretelling his eternal fame, Ps 45:16-17.”

C.S. Lewis thought of the Psalm in the context of Christmas. He wrote, “The birth of Christ is the arrival of the great warrior and the great king. Also of the Lover, the Bridegroom, whose beauty surpasses that of man. But not only the Bridegroom as the lover, the desired; the Bridegroom also who makes fruitful, the Father of children still to be begotten and born.” 

Introduction to Psalm 46

The title of this psalm is To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. A Song for Alamoth.

Adam Clarke wrote, “An ode upon Alamoth, or concerning the virgins: possibly meaning a choir of singing girls.” 

Psalm 46 has been called the song of holy confidence. It opens with these words: God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” Then goes on to say because this is true, whatever happens, we will not fear. And it closes with these words: “The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.” A believer cannot help but be lifted up and encouraged by this Psalm.

Introduction to Psalm 47

The title of this psalm is “To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.”

Willem VanGemeren, Professor Emeritus of Old Testament and Semitic Languages at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and author of The Expositor’s Bible Commentary wrote, “In later Jewish usage Psalm 47 was utilized as part of the New Year’s service.” 

Psalm 47 beings with a call to praise and worship: “Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy.” And then it lists several reasons that God is worthy of praise. It is a celebration. And please note that this is written to “all you nations”. This is not just written to the Israelites. God is calling us all to rejoice in Him. Hallelujah!

Thoughts on Psalm 46

Beloved, can we agree that we live in a world that is in chaos? I have news for you. The world, since the moment that Adam and Eve rebelled against God, has been in a perpetual state of chaos. There has never been peace. The enemy, Satan, has been at work to destroy God’s creation from that day in the Garden of Eden until this very moment. Chaos is nothing new. We feel as if, surely there have never been times as bad as they are now. I don’t believe that history agrees with that assessment, but even if it were true, we have no need to fear.

Verse 1 says, “God is our refuge…”  A refuge is a place of protection in the midst of danger. But a refuge is only as good as it is strong. If the forces that are against you are stronger than the refuge, what good is it? But this verse says that God is our refuge. It does not say that God provides a refuge for us. It says that God *IS* our refuge. So when we need protection, it is in the Lord.

In Matthew 16:18, Jesus said,  “On this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.” The message in that sentence is that Jesus and his church will not be defeated by the enemy.  Allow me to point out that *we who have placed our faith in Him* are the church. Jesus was not talking about a religious organization…he was talking about those who believe in Him. So no matter the trials, beloved, God is our refuge and our strength.

Now let’s drop down to verse 10. “Be still, and know that I am God.” God is on the throne, beloved. He is above all. He is the ruler of all things. Knowing this, really grasping what this means, should fill our hearts with peace, even in the midst of chaos. Jesus said, “Come to me all who are weary and heavy ladened, and I will give you peace.” And He said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”

Beloved. It’s ok to be aware of the chaos, but always remember that our God is our refuge and our strength.

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Transcript

Download .txt file.

Transcript corrected by Sister Denise

Psalms 45-47: Be Still (LSOYB S13E109)

[TEASER – 0:00]
Can we agree that we live in a world that’s in chaos?

[INTRO S13E109 – 0:11]
Coming to you from Riverside, California, this is the Lifespring One Year Bible, and podcasting since 2004, I’m your OG Godcaster, Steve Webb. This is a daily podcast and we’re reading through the entire Bible in a year. And it’s Psalm Wednesday. We’ll read chapters 45 through 47. And as always in the Psalms, I’ll have a short introduction before reading each chapter. I’m calling this episode, “Be Still.”

Also, it’s a prayer request and praises day. So we’ll go to the Lord in prayer just a little bit later on the show.

Before we read, let’s pray.

Our heavenly Father, we thank you so much for the Psalms. They are a continual source of peace and refreshment and rejoicing. We thank you, Lord, for giving them to us. As we read today, I pray that you would bless our time. I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

All right, let’s get started.

[INTRO TO PSALMS 45 – 1:04]
The title of Psalm 45 is “To the Chief Musician. Set to ‘The Lilies.’ A Contemplation of the sons of Korah. A Song of Love.”

According to Matthew Henry’s Commentary, and that of Charles Spurgeon, the subject of this Psalm is Christ himself.

I like the way Spurgeon put it. He said:

“Some here see Solomon and Pharaoh’s daughter only–they are short-sighted; others see both Solomon and Christ–they are cross-eyed; well-focused spiritual eyes see here Jesus only, or if Solomon be present at all, it must be like those hazy shadows of by-passers which cross the face of the camera, and therefore are dimly traceable upon a photographic landscape.

“This is a wedding song for the Heavenly Bridegroom and His elect spouse. Verse 1 is an announcement of intention, a preface to the song; Verse 3 adores the matchless beauty of Messiah; and from verses 3-9, he is addressed in admiring ascriptions of praise. Verses 10-12 are spoken to the bride. The church is further spoken of in verses 13-15, and the Psalm closes with another address to the King, foretelling his eternal fame…”

I think Brother Spurgeon summed it up nicely.

C.S. Lewis thought of the Psalm in the context of Christmas. He wrote, “The birth of Christ is the arrival of the great warrior and the great king. Also of the Lover, the Bridegroom, whose beauty surpasses that of man. But not only the Bridegroom as the lover, the desired; the Bridegroom also who makes fruitful, the Father of children still to be begotten and born.”

[PSALMS 45 (NIV) – 2:42]
Psalms, chapter 45.

(1) My heart is stirred by a noble theme
as I recite my verses for the king;
my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer.

(2) You are the most excellent of men
and your lips have been anointed with grace,
since God has blessed you forever.

(3) Gird your sword on your side, you mighty one;
clothe yourself with splendor and majesty.
(4) In your majesty ride forth victoriously
in the cause of truth, humility and justice;
let your right hand achieve awesome deeds.
(5) Let your sharp arrows pierce the hearts of the king’s enemies;
let the nations fall beneath your feet.
(6) Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever;
a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.
(7) You love righteousness and hate wickedness;
therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions
by anointing you with the oil of joy.
(8) All your robes are fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia;
from palaces adorned with ivory
the music of the strings makes you glad.
(9) Daughters of kings are among your honored women;
at your right hand is the royal bride in gold of Ophir.

(10) Listen, daughter, and pay careful attention:
Forget your people and your father’s house.
(11) Let the king be enthralled by your beauty;
honor him, for he is your lord.
(12) The city of Tyre will come with a gift,
people of wealth will seek your favor.
(13) All glorious is the princess within her chamber;
her gown is interwoven with gold.
(14) In embroidered garments she is led to the king;
her virgin companions follow her—
those brought to be with her.
(15) Led in with joy and gladness,
they enter the palace of the king.

(16) Your sons will take the place of your fathers;
you will make them princes throughout the land.

(17) I will perpetuate your memory through all generations;
therefore the nations will praise you for ever and ever.

[INTRO TO PSALMS 46 – 4:45]
The title of Psalm 46 is “To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. A Song for Alamoth.”

Adam Clarke wrote, “An ode upon Alamoth, or concerning the virgins: possibly meaning a choir of singing girls.”

Psalm 46 has been called the song of holy confidence. It opens with these words: “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” Then goes on to say because this is true, whatever happens, we will not fear. And it closes with these words: “The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.” A believer cannot help but be lifted up and encouraged by this Psalm.

[PSALMS 46 (NLT) – 5:29]
Psalms, chapter 46.

(1) God is our refuge and strength,
always ready to help in times of trouble.
(2) So we will not fear when earthquakes come
and the mountains crumble into the sea.
(3) Let the oceans roar and foam.
Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge!

(4) A river brings joy to the city of our God,
the sacred home of the Most High.
(5) God dwells in that city; it cannot be destroyed.
From the very break of day, God will protect it.
(6) The nations are in chaos,
and their kingdoms crumble!
God’s voice thunders,
and the earth melts!
(7) The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is here among us;
the God of Israel is our fortress.

(8) Come, see the glorious works of the Lord:
See how he brings destruction upon the world.
(9) He causes wars to end throughout the earth.
He breaks the bow and snaps the spear;
he burns the shields with fire.

(10) “Be still, and know that I am God!
I will be honored by every nation.
I will be honored throughout the world.”

(11) The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is here among us;
the God of Israel is our fortress.

[INTRO TO PSALMS 47 – 6:44]
The title of Psalm 47 is “To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.” Willem VanGemeren, Professor Emeritus of Old Testament and Semitic Languages at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and author of The Expositor’s Bible Commentary wrote, “In later Jewish usage Psalm 47 was utilized as part of the New Year’s service.”

Psalm 47 begins with a call to praise and worship. It says, “Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy.” And then it lists several reasons that God is worthy of praise. It’s a celebration. And please note that this is written to “all you nations”. This is not just written to the Israelites. God is calling us all to rejoice in him. Hallelujah!

[PSALM 47 (NLT) – 7:32]
Psalms, chapter 47.

(1) Come, everyone! Clap your hands!
Shout to God with joyful praise!
(2) For the Lord Most High is awesome.
He is the great King of all the earth.
(3) He subdues the nations before us,
putting our enemies beneath our feet.
(4) He chose the Promised Land as our inheritance,
the proud possession of Jacob’s descendants, whom he loves.

(5) God has ascended with a mighty shout.
The Lord has ascended with trumpets blaring.
(6) Sing praises to God, sing praises;
sing praises to our King, sing praises!
(7) For God is the King over all the earth.
Praise him with a psalm.
(8) God reigns above the nations,
sitting on his holy throne.
(9) The rulers of the world have gathered together
with the people of the God of Abraham.
For all the kings of the earth belong to God.
He is highly honored everywhere.

[COMMENTARY – 8:26]
Well, Beloved, today, I’ve got some thoughts on Psalms 46. Can we agree that we live in a world that’s in chaos? I’ve got news for you. The world since the moment that Adam and Eve rebelled against God has been in a perpetual state of chaos. There’s never been peace. The enemy has been at work to destroy God’s creation from that day in the Garden of Eden until this very moment. Chaos is nothing new. Sometimes we feel as if surely there have never been times as bad as they are now. But I don’t believe that history agrees with that assessment. But even if it were true, we have no need to fear.

Verse 1 of Psalm 46 tells us “God is our refuge…” A refuge is a place of protection in the midst of danger. But a refuge is only as good as it is strong. If the forces that are against you are stronger than the refuge, what good is it? But this verse says that God is our refuge. It doesn’t say that God provides a refuge for us. It says that God is our refuge. So when we need protection, that protection is in the Lord.

In Matthew 16:18, Jesus said, “On this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.” The message in that sentence is that Jesus and his Church will not be defeated by the enemy. Allow me to point out that we who have placed our faith in him are the church. Jesus was not talking about a religious organization when he made that statement, he was talking about those who believe in him. So no matter the trials, Beloved, God is our refuge and our strength. The gates of Hades will not prevail against us, will not overpower us.

Now let’s drop down to verse 10. It says, “Be still and know that I am God.” Beloved, God is on the throne. He is above all. He is the ruler of all things. And knowing this, really grasping what this means, should fill our hearts with peace, even in the midst of chaos. Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you peace.” And he also said, “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you, not as the world gives, do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”

Beloved, it’s okay to be aware of the chaos, but always remember that our God is our refuge and our strength.

[LIFESPRING FAMILY HOTLINE – 11:18]
What do you think? Call the Lifespring Family Hotline at +1-951-732-8511, and let me know. You can also comment at comment.lifespringmedia.com, or send me an email at st***@*************ia.com.

Tomorrow is Poetry Thursday, and we’ll read Job chapters 17 through 21

[SUPPORT THE SHOW JINGLE – 11:39]
lifespringmedia.com/support

[PRAYER REQUESTS AND PRAISE REPORTS – 11:45]
You’ll probably remember that we prayed for John from Canada last week. One of his prayer requests was for a trip that he and his family were going to be taking to the U.S. and he prayed that they would be able to cross the border, despite the U.S. mandate that people coming into the country must have received the so-called COVID jab. Well, just after I uploaded that episode, I saw this email from him: “Update on my prayer request. We made it across the border. Good experience. They didn’t ask our vaccine status and all went well. We’ve been praying and are very grateful. Visiting with family down here now. Thanks for your prayers.”

And then this past Sunday afternoon, he followed up with this. “We made it back home to Canada yesterday evening. It was a good trip. Thanks again for your prayers. I was worried about the border. But of course, God had everything under control.”

So praise the Lord for that, right? God is good.

Let’s pray.

Our heavenly Father, Lord, how thankful we are that you are our refuge and our strength. As David said in the eighth Psalm, what are mere mortals that you should think about them? Human beings that you should care for them? Yet you made them only a little lower than God and crowned them with glory and honor. Oh, Lord, how we praise You. We have nothing but ourselves to offer you, yet, that is all you ask. We are so very thankful for your mercy and for your grace, Lord.

And we thank you for giving John and his family a safe trip. Thank you for allowing them to see their family.

Lord, we do live in a world of trials and chaos. And for those in the Lifespring family who are struggling right now. We pray that they would take comfort in you. Give them strength and peace and guidance and wisdom, Lord. May they feel the Holy Spirit with them. Lord, I ask that you give them rest. I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Sunday will be our next time of prayer. Call in your prayer request or praise at 951-732-8511 or go to prayer.lifespringmedia.com.

[OUTRO S13E109 – 13:58]
Thanks to the team: Kirsty, Denise, Michael Haner, Scott Snider, and Jason Paschall. God bless you guys.

And until tomorrow, may God bless you richly. Thanks for inviting me into your day. My name is Steve Webb. Bye.

[LIFESPRING MEDIA PROMO – 14:15]
The Lifespring Media family of programs are made possible by the generous support of listeners like you. Thank you.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai