PSALM FORTY-SIXTH

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · May 10, 1860

PSALM FORTY-SIXTH.

Are the Psalms prophetic? Many of them are, no doubt. Whether the one to which we now propose to call attention is of this kind or not, it certainly seems to be wonderfully applicable to the situation of the people of God in scenes which we expect soon to transpire on the earth. The Psalmist opens with a declaration of trust: God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. This is doubtless true of the saints of every age, but in the time for which we look we expect it will be especially applicable; for we look for a time of trouble such as never was, according to the prophecy of Daniel [xii, 1], and the present help which God will then be to his people is expressed in the following words: And at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.

The Psalmist goes on: "Therefore will we not fear though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea." Verse 2. If it was a fact that the earth was never to be removed, this declaration would have far less force than what we conceive it now possesses. But the time is coming when the earth will be removed; it is described by Isaiah in the following language: "the earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage." And it is evident from the context that Isaiah is here describing scenes of the last days. John also in the Revelation speaks of the removing of the mountains: "And the heavens departed as a scroll when it is rolled together, and every mountain and island were moved out of their places." Rev. vi, 14. Happy will those be who in this fearful time can exclaim in the language of the Psalm, "Therefore will not we fear," &c.

Verse 3. "Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled; though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof." Luke speaks of the time when there shall be upon the earth "distress of nations, the sea and the waves roaring." Luke xxi, 26. It is in connection with these scenes that he tells us that the hearts of men, the hearts of the wicked, will fail them for fear; but the people of God in the language of the Psalm will be able to say, We will not fear.

From this scene of the shaking earth and the roaring sea, and the fear and confusion of men's hearts, the Psalmist now points us away to the river whose waves are never lashed into fury, and to a city that hath foundations which cannot be moved: "There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of our God, the holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High." Verse 4. He continues, "God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved." There is a striking contrast couched in this expression between heavenly and earthly things: the instability of the one, and the stability of the other. Paul in his epistle to the Hebrews [xii, 26-28], refers to the same thing: Whose voice then shook the earth, but now hath he promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven; and this word yet once more signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, &c. Thus when the earth is reeling to and fro, when men's hearts are failing them for fear, when all things that can be shaken are being shaken and removed, the Christian is pointed to his immovable kingdom, the city of God which will ever remain, where his treasure and his hope may safely repose.

In the sixth verse the Psalmist continues, "The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved; he uttered his voice, the earth melted." What a comprehensive description of the last days! What a volume of meaning in a few brief words! The heathen raged. This is more lengthily described in Rev. xi, 11: And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead that they should be judged, and that thou shouldst give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and to them that fear thy name, and shouldst destroy them which destroy the earth.

"And the kingdoms were moved." This is implied in the anger of the nations; yet the rising of kingdom against kingdom, and nation against nation is elsewhere indicated as one feature of the commotions which are to characterize the last days. "He uttered his voice." A parallel to this has already been referred to in Heb. xii, 26. There are many others which testify to the same thing. We believe the language refers to the voice of God which shall be uttered from on high at the close of probation as brought to view in Rev. xvi, 17: "And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done." This takes place under the last of the last plagues. In these plagues is filled up the wrath of God. This voice from heaven therefore must be heard as God closes up his judgments upon the nations. It is a solemn and formal declaration that the long usurpation of sin and wickedness has come to an end; that the plan of salvation is worked out, and finished; that a time has come when the wheat must be gathered into the garner, but the chaff burned up with unquenchable fire. Glorious declaration to the church of God who are then to enter into rest; but fearful sentence to the wicked whose triumph then shall cease; for "when the church's rest comes, then the world's distress comes." The reader is also referred to the following texts as speaking of the same event: Isa. xxx, 30. "And the Lord shall cause his glorious voice to be heard, and shall show the lighting down of his arm, with the indignation of his anger, and with the flame of a devouring fire, with scattering and tempests and hailstones." Jer. xxv, 30. The Lord shall roar from on high, and utter his voice from his holy habitation; he shall mightily roar upon his habitation; he shall give a shout as they that tread the grapes, against the inhabitants of the earth." Joel iii, 16. The Lord also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake, but the Lord will be the hope of his people and the strength of the children of Israel." They can exclaim in the confident and triumphant language of the next verse of the psalm, "The Lord of hosts is with us, the God of Jacob is our refuge."

Verse 8. "Come behold the works of the Lord, what desolations he hath made in the earth." The Psalmist here carries us forward to the scene immediately following the ones previously brought to view. And what does follow? Answer, the earth enters at once upon its period of depopulation and desolation, as set before us in the language, "what desolations he hath made in the earth." Isaiah describes the same scene in this language: "Behold the Lord maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof." Again he says in chap. vi, 11, 12, "Then said I, Lord, how long? and he answered, Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate, and the Lord have removed men far away, and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land."

The Psalmist continues, verse 9: "He maketh wars to cease unto the ends of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire." This describes the manner in which the Lord will close up the controversy which he has with the nations [Jer. xxv, 31], and the consequences which follow the desolation to which the earth will be subjected.

Verse 10. "Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth." Hear Isaiah again describing the scenes of the day of the Lord [chap. ii, 17]: "And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of man shall be made low, and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day." The Psalmist then repeats what any one will esteem it a priceless privilege then to be able to repeat, "The Lord of hosts is with us, the God of Jacob is our refuge."

Reader, we ask you so to live that this may be your language at that day. Then you will not fear though the earth be removed; you will not be disturbed though the sea and the waves roar; you will not be alarmed when the nations are angry and the heathen rage. And when the earth reels to and fro, and is shaken from its place like a cottage, you will be able to look aloft to the city of God, and know that you there have a sure foundation which cannot fail. You can then adopt the eloquent and sublime language of the prophet when he says, "Although the fig-tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls; yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation." Hab. iii, 17, 18.