Sermon Tone Analysis

| *Be Still and Know* |

| BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD.. \\ \\ Psalm 46:10 These words of God are full of majesty and power.

They speak of ultimate total authority over all that He has made.

They combine a sense of great peace and quiet assurance unmatched within the experience of mankind.

...

And some have found that rest.

The context affords these words a particular place in the dispensational programme, yet how many believers of every age have found the measureless comfort latent in these words of divine command.

At this word of supreme authority and might how many burdens have rolled away, how many mountain-like obstacles in the path collapsed and crumbled away, how many doors opened as of their own accord, how many giant enemies of the soul melted away into the shadows from which they came.

\\ "Be STILL and KNOW that I AM GOD." \\ How wonderfully it calms our fears, meets every need, and dries our tears.

In face of tragedy or loss, or bitter trial, perplexity or crisis in the life, what peace, what inward source of strength it brings, beneath those great eternal wings to hide, and in our God in simple trust confide and find repose.

\\ \\ "It is your FAITH that is NOW on trial.." How often time these words recall in face of trial set to prove our total trust, explore the grace sufficient for the hour, and there to know His steadfast love and care.

In face of turmoil, in the storms of life, we set compass not to earthly but celestial things, and new perspective find distinguishing at last the unimportant from those things belonging to our peace.

These are the issues of life.

Be still and know...! Ps 46:4-5 "There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.

God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early."

\\ \\ In ancient times the Jews divided the book of Psalms into five parts to correspond with the books of Moses.

What their authority we do not know, but merely note the added interest to our text to realise that the sequence of psalms around Psalm 46 was allocated thus to the second book, "Exodus".

The Exodus section commences at Psalm 42 and leads to 72.

From ancient times in this sequence was a pattern perceived.

Sufficient time is ours at present to confine attention to the first seven psalms of this Exodus book, and here a pattern is not hard to find.

This pattern links both advents of Our Lord and leads to features of our present day and onward through the trouble yet to reach climax, like the raging of the sea, then falling back before the Rock.

Thus far and no further shalt thou come.. or no flesh will be saved.

Beyond that storm new vistas rise and earth responds in joyous praise, beholding now the might of God revealed in kingdom growth, as nations recognise and bow before their great Creator's call.. "Be still and know.." What panoramic view is here portrayed!

What majesty revealed!

What grand and stately steppings of our God!

\\ \\ Psalms 42 and 43 combine, perhaps one psalm, to tell in touching language, so it seems, the tearful passage over Kidron's brook first of King David, when rejected by his own, then Jesus, when He walked that same sad path without the camp, rejected by the ones He came to save.

"Behold your king!" "We have no king but Caesar.." .. And to this day the same response is heard.

"Upon us be His blood and on our seed."

Remarkable that cry that was to frame the age between the advents of that Lord.

\\ \\ We find it echoed in the next psalm 44, a nation scattered and cast off.

Thus Israel did her own prophetic call fulfil to bear the judgment she had brought when wicked hands destroyed the Prince of Life.

And her sad course was parallelled by faithful church, who for sins not her own was also called to share the path of tears and shame her Master trod.

Thus Paul quotes from this very psalm,( verse 22)"Yea, for thy sake are we killed all the day long; we are counted as sheep for the slaughter."

The age of trial, both for faithless Jew and faithful church, provokes the cry (verse 23) "Awake, why sleepest thou, O Lord? arise, cast us not off for ever."

(verse 24) "Why do you hide your face.. ?

(NIV) For so it seemed for saints and Jew alike.

(See Isaiah 54, a promise framed in words alike of meaning to both seeds.)

\\ \\ Then time of blessedness arrives, Psalm 45, the heart now bubbles over with delight for here we see the end of age has come, and with it comes our King in glory clad, prepared in majesty to rise and to go forth with arrows sharp and sword upon His thigh.

He takes to Him His Bride, with gown embroidered by sharp trials, His working in, our working out, salvation's end, once sown in tears, now reaped in joy unspeakable and full.

New government is taking over earth, and saints are taking seat beside their Lord for ministry that excels in glory all before.

\\ \\ This perfect sequence follows with the next, Psalm 46.

A time of global trouble must betray the hour of conflict for dominion of mankind.

Defiant to the end, the Pharaoh keeps his slaves, and will resist the challenge, "Let them go!" though signs amass that show how impotent the gods his reign imposed on man.

Meanwhile both wild and natural branches of the olive, church and Israel, claim attention of their God, as each He gathers home, to Canaan earthly, and to that of heaven, both ultimately to Himself.

"Our Refuge and our Strength is God.." This truth so precious to His saints, is yet to find the heart of Israel too, and there eternally reside.

Amid the scenes of gathering storm so graphically described in language of this psalm, a hand is glimpsed protecting from all harm that people chosen for His own, both Zion above, and Zion too below.

The dawning of our morning has arrived, and with it Israel also now appears within her land, and neither shall be moved from that eternal purpose now to be fulfilled.

The Jew, like Jacob, is the first to learn how bleak and fruitless is her fight against the Lord, and this the Gentile too must also learn.

\\ \\ The headlines of the news today were written first in Genesis, for there were laid the deeds of the possession of the land.

The promise of the Lord must be fulfilled, and in our time.

Gen 28:15 "And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of."

What stirring time to live and witness this contention of the Lord with nations gathered to dispute a Will beyond all human power to change.

Behind their fury do we see Satanic effort to withstand at any cost the kingdom that approaches to his ruin.

The earth now trembles on the brink of doom, but Zion sees in these same scenes sure signs of progress of the kingdom age.

They are not hard to find, those evidences of a mightier hand behind the news.

They know they are secure, these saints of God, whatever happens cannot separate from Him, nor from His love so proved.

The end of victory is sure!

They do not fear the outcome of the strife, but watch from Horeb's mighty rock the great display, without dismay.

Their confidence extends beyond themselves, to Israel, to mankind.

Theirs is no selfish sense of peace, for each saint knows to what great end the Master works His mighty acts.

We know that in completion of the Christ lies hope for every soul on earth.

Our confidence is for mankind, and in the prospect of that blessed flood now waiting from Heaven's windows to descend when trouble's cleansing work is passed, and all that now offends removed, like swine of Gadara rushing to the sea.

Zion's radiance and gladness now reflects from faces of the brethren here on earth, for they have caught those first warm rays of dawn that speak of blest new day begun.

\\ \\ But now the nations rage indeed, the kingdoms move, great roaring of the sea breaks on the ear, as captives strain at prison doors, and break their chains, and turn upon their masters whose cruel powers must fall before the wave of discontent.

More graphic words are hard to find than in this psalm, the concise prose that sums what we are witnessing today.

The Hebrew gives four statements in verse 6, like toll of bell that speaks with fateful sound.

In Hebrew brevity of speech, "Raged nations, kingdoms moved, uttered His voice, melted the earth."

In modern smoother language of the Living Bible.. "The nations rant and rage in anger, but when God speaks, the earth melts in submission and kingdoms totter in ruins."

"When God speaks.." Will literal sound break through from heaven's realm?

There have been such occasions in the Word described.

Some have indeed heard that most awesome sound, while others thought it thundered yet perceived no message in its roar.

Will this be something more?

How will God speak?

With what voice will He shake foundations of this earth and shatter power of spirit realm that rules this present evil world, and both remove?

\\ \\ The psalm has a refrain.

Verse 7 and 11 repeat.. "The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.

Selah."

Repeatedly this message gives us clue to how the Lord will yet command this earth, "Be still..!" In course of time this echoing refrain will yet become the message of the hour compelling to man's ear, like trumpet growing louder every day, insistently to stir the hearts of men until the irresistible decree is heard with understanding and assent.

"Be still..!" What message is it that will yet command such victory over human arrogance, break through the blindness brought by sin that veils man's heart from his Creator's sovereign Will?

A mighty witness will impose on human minds a truth that cannot be ignored.

Amid the crashing of all earthly powers, the mountains shaking, crumbling into sea with thunderous roar, all Satan's arts with earthly might combined in conflict with God's Lamb, yet failing crushed beneath a power exceeding all, while every kingdom fails, one yet endures on which He placed His name!

A two-fold witness, like a still small voice, proclaims the triumph of right that seals the doom of darkness, sin, and every cause of heart-ache on the this earth.

A Zion enthroned above, a Zion below on earth!

Two witnesses.

\\ The spirit heavens shake already at the sight of what is happening now above.

"The sons of ignorance and night" by grace divine are changed to share the throne of Him Whose Name is high above all other names.

Beyond the reach of all Satanic power the victors stand this precious moment all time, and in this glorious act the Lord God speaks a mighty sermon to each fallen demon's heart.

"Be still, and cease from battle with the Truth, with Light, and know in Me alone the infinite might of the only God." Thus does He crown this age of grace in which the preparation of each living stone has, one by one, that coming doom ensured of all that would withstand His mighty love.

But what of man on earth?

He does not know as yet of heaven's scenes of joy and victory for saints.

What does man see that will compel him yet to stand and stare in awe, and will afford so powerful and so forceful a command?

\\ \\ Whose God is it repeated in refrain?

The God of Jacob?

Israel's reappearance on this earth a sovereign state the saints have recognised long-since as sign of Israel's Messiah, His tell-tale work, Whose presence such a sight demands, for unto Jesus was entrusted such a task.

Isa 49:6 "And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth."

Yet somehow man has missed the meaning of this wondrous sign, and even Christian watchers fail to grasp the implications of this sight.

Meanwhile in Israel to religious mind, these very facts of restoration seem a blasphemy to those who only know them as Messiah's act, yet fail to see His form.

These thus decry as premature the very signs that say, "there standeth One among you now you do not know."

As we have grown so used by touch of switch to flood a room with light, and daily view on screen an instant view of scene beyond our shores, so man accepts without a thought prophetic sign of Israel in her land once more, and few still pause to wonder why such miracle.

A mightier witness yet that land shall be, as God has said, "Ye are My witnesses.." The signature repeated in the psalm is that of Jacob's God, and God, with Jacob, will yet gain the full attention of this earth and all therein.

As saints ascend to join that gathering on high, a sight for spirit eyes alone, Israel remains below, and Israel will yet endure amid the plotting of the Evil one, and centre of the bitter hate of men intoxicated with but one mad wish to drive the Jew into the sea.