Like a Rock | Psalm 46
Have you ever heard of Martin Luther? He was the German reformer who started the Protestant Reformation in 1517. Psalm 46 was called Luther’s Psalm because it was the basis of his famous song that was also the battle cry of the Reformation, “A Mighty Fortress is our God.” That song has been translated in countless languages and has been sung for centuries in the church. Songs have a way of shaping us. Andrew Fletcher, 18th Century Scottish writer said, “Let me make the songs of a nation, and I care not who makes it’s laws.” We know that whatever you listen to, makes an impact in your life. Luther writes the song in 1527 while he was going through a lot of difficulties: he had an acute buzzing in his ears that made him think he was dying, he had heart, kidney and intestinal problems, and there was a deadly plague going through his village and he and his wife Katie opened their home as a hospital. Psalm 46 was a source of strength in his life. When going through difficulties he would say to his friend Philip, “Come, Philip, let us sing the 46th Psalm.” He said, “We sing this Psalm to the praise of God, because He is with us and powerfully and miraculously preserves and defends his church and His Word against all fanatical spirits, against the gates of hell, against implacable hatred of the devil and against all the assaults of the world, the flesh and sin.” But this Psalm is not just Luther’s Psalm but our Psalm. It has been read and turned into in times of trouble, crisis, and pain by countless Christians throughout the centuries.
Psalm 46 was written by the sons of Korah. Korah in Numbers 16 led a rebellion against Moses and God judged him and the earth opens and kills Korah and 250 other rebels. The sons of Korah were a Levitical worship band (Maverick City or Gathers) that had continued for centuries after that event (wrote 12 psalms). God did not judge the sons of Korah by the sins of their father. Their past did not define them. Most scholars believe that Psalm 46 was written by Asaph who was a son of Korah under the reign of Hezekiah after God delivered Jerusalem from the Assyrians. This psalm teaches us to trust in God whose protection gives us security, whose presence gives us joy and whose power gives us victory.