Prevailing Purpose

Recently I have spent time listening to hymns and one that came across my path and, admittedly, I was tempted to skip, is Martin Luther’s well-known A Mighty Fortress is Our God. My familiarity with the hymn almost caused me to overlook it, but if I had, I would have missed encouraging reminders.

The scripture that inspired the hymn, Psalm 46, and the circumstances that surrounded Luther when he wrote it have led to it being called the Battle Hymn of the Reformation. Its confident declarations of God’s faithfulness inspire courage and trust, but it is Luther’s personal struggles that make this hymn especially compelling.

Throughout his life he was greatly plagued by depression¹ and he fought hard to maintain his faith as he battled it. Intensely lonely, harboring doubt, and ill from the bubonic plague, Luther was in desperate need of God to pull him from the depths of his suffering.² He turned to scripture and found hope and help in Psalm 46, the psalm that would inspire him to write A Mighty Fortress. As I thought of his suffering and listened to his hymn hundreds of years later, my attention too was turned to the psalm.

Encouragement from Psalm 46

God is a refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Rather than turning the hearer’s mind toward earthly armies or literal fortresses with walls of stone, the forty sixth psalm opens with a declaration of God’s character. As is suggested in Psalm 34:18, God is drawn to us in our time of need, prepared to both bind up our broken hearts and to provide salvation in our darkest moments.

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. Selah.

In the Ancient Near East, the imagery of the mountains and sea were more than just a powerful force in nature. The mountains were considered an unmovable source of strength and stability and they kept the sky from collapse. In contrast, the sea represented utter chaos. In many cultures, it was the seas that threatened to overwhelm and even destroy the gods, leaving all to cower before it. The idea of the mountains being overwhelmed by the seas represented the world itself being plunged into chaos. And yet, Yahweh’s people have no need to fear. Despite the seeming collapse of the world, he remains unmoved. A Selah here is timely and intended for the audience to reflect, though the pause is not one of dismay or alarm, but of peace and rest.

For present day believers, the same sentiment rings true. Whether it is the world around us or our personal world that feels as though it has been plunged into chaos, we can have an unshaken peace and trust in God. The lack of fear that the psalmist declares is not made because they are foolish, but because they are filled with courage in spite of their fear, and they never allow themselves to become overwhelmed with terror because of their understanding and trust of God’s character.

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 the morning dawns.

The presence of a river in the City of God is an indication that the author of the psalm was not speaking of the literal city of Jerusalem. Instead, this image should remind readers first of Ezekiel 47:1-12, then of Revelation 22:1 where heaven is described as the City, the new Jerusalem, where the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flows from the throne of God and of the Lamb. With the very presence of God among his people, why should they have cause to fear?

For the original Israelite audience, the promise and presence of God in Jerusalem was a great source of comfort and security, but how much more confidence can the follower of Christ have now that the very Spirit of God dwells within them? God is not just nearby, his presence residing in the same city as us, but he is within our very hearts, providing us with a unique source of strength and assistance as we face suffering.

The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts.

Though the formidable enemy seems to surround and threaten the city in their furious uproar, God need only speak. The very same voice that spoke the world into existence speaks again to melt the earth and those in rebellion to him. Further it is the same Word that will defeat the enemy in the final rebellion of the nations as prophesied in Revelation 19:11-21.

Today we face different nations and different weapons, but the fact of God’s sovereignty has not changed with the creation of increasingly dangerous weapons. Rather, God’s weapon of choice, his very Word, has not changed and remains as powerful and supreme as it ever was.

The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah.

This refrain reiterates the very theme and opening statement of the psalmist. The name “the God of Jacob” is one that is more than identification, but a reminder of the long history of God’s covenant faithfulness to Israel. Upon hearing the name, Israel can survey their salvation-history and recall that this is the same God who wrested with Jacob/Israel, who delivered them from slavery, led them through and brought them out of the wilderness, and gave them miraculous victories over their enemies. The use of Selah again here allows the audience time to reflect unimpeded upon that history.

Modern believers have an even longer and greater history to reference. Beyond the events of the Old Testament lies the coming of Jesus Christ, the giving of the Holy Spirit, the establishment of the Church, and the continuous spread of the Gospel and inclusion of all nations. We also can turn to our personal histories and testimonies to consider God’s provision of protection or provision, of his redemption of the tainted parts of our history, and our present blessings.

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 lack of historical or military details presented in this verse regarding the act of desolation suggests again a survey of Israel’s history and God’s divine protection and deliverance of the nation. The psalmist’s audience is invited to view the remains of their enemies and the demonstration of God’s power through is speech.

While we are in the midst of suffering, this reminder of God’s authority is a powerful one. On our own, there is little to nothing that we can do for ourselves or for others. But God, who is supremely powerful, is also supremely kind and just. Regardless of what happens in our lifetime, there will come a day when war will cease and all wrongs will be made right.

Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations; I will be exalted in the earth!

There are several options surrounding the interpretations of this phrase. Some consider it to be spoken to Israel, some to God’s enemies, and still others to both God’s people and his enemies. No matter what interpretation is correct, the message for both God’s people and his enemies is to stop and look to him. To believers, the call is to stop our striving, our anxiety, our efforts to bring about vengeance, and to God’s enemies the call is to repent from their sin. Both parties are invited to worship for when all else fails, God will remain.

The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah.

This final repetition of the refrain is intended to leave the audience with a final reminder of God’s faithfulness. This repeated phrase and final Selah are a charge to trust and rest in God, the divine warrior who protects his people.

Why Dwell on the Familiar?

If you have spent time in church, there is no doubt that this hymn and this psalm are familiar to you. But my encouragement to you is to not gloss over them simply because you recognize them, but to practice pausing, reflecting, and thinking deeply about them. It is these familiar scriptures and songs that stay with us in times of crisis, may we know them well and may we allow them to impact our hearts and faith.

1. If you are struggling with depression, you are not alone. If you need assistance, consider scheduling a biblical counseling session with myself or one of my colleagues here. ↩︎
2. Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther, Roland H. Bainton ↩︎

If you are walking through a difficult season and can benefit from biblical counseling, schedule a session with myself or another qualified counselor today.

Let’s keep in touch! Join my monthly newsletter for recent posts, recommendations, and more here, or find me on Instagram.