Mountains of the Bible: Mt. Zion

INTRODUCTION
Mount Zion, situated in Jerusalem, holds significant biblical and historical importance as a physical landmark and a symbol of God's presence and protection over His people. Initially a Jebusite stronghold, it evolved into the Temple Mount, signifying Jerusalem as a whole and ultimately representing the entire people of Israel. The Bible portrays Zion as a sacred sphere where God and His people interact, especially in the end-time scenario, reflecting the ultimate hope of divine dwelling.
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King David's establishment of his kingdom on this sacred mountain and the later construction of the Temple emphasize Mt. Zion's essential role in Israel's history. Today, we will look at Psalm 46, a "Zion Song," as it celebrates this spiritual significance by proclaiming God as the refuge and strength of His city, offering security and peace in tumultuous times. This Psalm, cherished in Lutheran and Reformed traditions, inspired Martin Luther's hymn, "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God," as it highlights Mount Zion's enduring role in embodying God's faithfulness and provision for His people. 

Psalm 46 resembles Psalms 48, 76, 87, and 122 in content and structure. They are called "Zion Songs."  The songs are divided into three sections.

1. God is our security and might
2. God protects with His presence
3.  Peace comes from God

 
This Psalm was written by the choirmaster for the Temple's chief musicians (Sons of Korah).  "According to Alamoth" is most likely a musical term intended for the female or soprano voice.  We are unsure what the occasion for writing this Psalm is. Still, some believe it was written after Jerusalem was spared from imminent destruction by the Assyrians under the leadership of Sennacherib.  You can read the account in 1 Chronicles 32. A summary is about God sending an angel to destroy all the warriors, commanders, and officers of the Assyrian army, thus saving the city of Jerusalem.
 
PSALM 46
Verse 1a – "God is our refuge and strength" = YHWH is Israel's source of power and security.  Over the centuries, they had witnessed God's hand and favor for them in battle and had absolute faith in God.  They were secure because He would keep Israel safe and be their source of victory in battle.
 
Verse 1b – "A very present help in trouble" – When times were tumultuous, tense, and dangerous, God was present and made his presence known among the nation.  He was the help that could be found when He was sought after.
God is a refuge and strength for Israel and our source of security and power for all believers today.  In this world, we need a place of safety and a source of strength to live, and God is that place and source.  As believers, we must have absolute trust and faith in God to be our strength, provider, and deliverer.  Do you trust God?  Is He your source of strength?  Is He your place of solace?
 
Verse 2 – 3: "Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way..."  God was Israel's refuge and strength; his presence was with them in hard times, so they did not need to be afraid.  Their confidence was rooted in God and Him alone.  Their confidence remained in Him when they faced attacks from their enemies, their trust was unshaken when natural disasters hit them, and they were even secure in their faith when faced with what seemed to be impending death.

Christians should have faith to say, "We have nothing to fear because God is our refuge, strength, and security."  I John 4:18 says, " Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love."  Jesus Christ is our perfect love, and there is no fear in him.  His death, resurrection, and ascension have set us free from fear.
 
God Protects with His Presence
Israel's confidence and lack of fear are rooted in the reality that the Temple or Tabernacle, "the holy habitation," was present in Jerusalem. The Temple was a reminder of God's presence among the people.  Since Jerusalem was God's special city, He was expected to protect her.   As the Israelites looked to the Temple, they felt secure because they were reminded that God was among them, dwelling in their midst.  A wall around the city was built for protection, but the people of Jerusalem didn't put their complete trust and faith in the wall; instead, they put their absolute faith and trust in God. 

However, the Temple was not always the reminder of God's presence because, as the years passed, people began to put their faith in its physical structure.  They began to view the Temple structure as their source of power and favor and placed it above God.  They worshiped the created thing, the temple, and not the Creator.  The Bible tells us that God will not take the back seat to anything or anyone, including the Temple.  The irony here is that the people began to worship the Temple and not the God of the Temple.  This tower became the god, and soon, it went from being a Holy dwelling of God to a place of appalling evil and idolatry.  If you read Ezekiel 8 and 10, you will see how God viewed the Temple at this time.  The evil practices and idolatry that were going on in the Temple resulted in God's presence "leaving the building," and eventually, the Israelites were led into captivity. 
 
Verses 4 – 7: "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 morning dawns. The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress."  These verses refer to Jerusalem, specifically the New Jerusalem of Revelation.  We know this because no river flows through Jerusalem today, but Revelation 22:1 speaks of a river that runs from the throne of God, that is, the abundant life-giving water that flows through the streets.  Plus, Jerusalem fell to the Babylonians, and the New Jerusalem will never fall, and the presence of God will never leave.

We would understand that God is still a protector of His people.  However, His favored nation is not in one specific location.  His favor lies in His people, the Church, the body of Christ.  As Western Christians, we sometimes place our future and current security in having a mighty army, a strong nation, and, at times, a decent and stable economy; thus, we can begin to have a false sense of security in these things.  We must realize that our protection and security come from God and God alone.  He is here among us.  We do not have a physical Temple made with hands where God dwells on this earth, but Jesus tells us that the physical dwelling place for God has passed; we are His temple. I Corinthians 6:19 – 20 says, " Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body."
 
God is present in us, and we are protected from any powers, principalities, and eternal death.  We can take great strength and comfort in this.
 
Unfortunately, too many churches have put all their resources and attention on the church building and program (the creation) and lost focus on the Creator.  I have talked to people who say they can't worship God at a church because the building is smelly or ugly, the service is boring, or the music is uninspiring.  This is unfortunate because the focus on worshiping God depends on the service's location or structure. 
 
My family and I went on a three-week mission trip to the Philippines many years ago.  I remember vividly worshiping at the "church" with our missionary friends.  The church had a tin roof, no walls, no air conditioning, plastic chairs, high and humid temperatures, a sound system that didn't work most of the time, and the church had no clue if there would be electricity that day.  But guess what?  We worshiped God in Spirit and in truth.  Yes, it was hot and uncomfortable.  Yes, I didn't hear or understand half of the pastor's words.  And yes, I was a bit worried when a torrential downpour hit in the middle of the service.  But this did not hinder us from worshiping God as a body of Christ.
 
Let me also note (as a side note) that since God is present in His children, let us not fall under the false precepts of the church building as the Holy place of God.  The church building serves as a reminder that God is present with us, but it is not where you go to be in God's presence.  It is where you come to be with others who have Christ in them.  Indeed, his presence is here because we are here.  This building is just a shell.  It is a shelter from the terrain.  It's a place of memories and history, but it is not the dwelling place of God. 
 
I need to make myself very clear right here and right now.  Attending this place Sunday after Sunday (or even on occasion) does not save you.  I don't care if you have come here or another church your whole life… church attendance is not your salvation.  It is not the place where God is, and you do not need to go to church to meet him.  A personal relationship with Jesus Christ is the only way to be assured of an abundant life here and in eternity.  You will get no brownie points from God for being present at church.  Then why attend?  I will leave that for another sermon, but let me tell you this: it is good when God's people assemble to worship in one place in one mind and body.
 
Verses 8 – 11: "Be still, and know that I am God." God is a God of peace.  The song invites the people to see that God is the God of peace.  He brings peace by destroying the tools of destruction… "he breaks the bow and shatters the spear…"  The Jews sought peace in all areas of their lives.  They knew, with all the death, destruction, and war around them, that peace was only able to come if God was the initiator of it. 
 
The Psalmist then writes, "Be still and know that I am God."  This is a very familiar and well-known verse that I have quoted or has been mentioned numerous times.  Many of us take this verse to mean, "Calm down, relax, and trust God," which it does in the English rendition.  However, the original Hebrew language suggests this is synonymous with "Cease!" or "STOP what you are doing"; it is like a referee whistle that ends the turmoil and pays attention.  Only when we do this can we realize that God is God and will be exalted or lifted among the nations and in all the earth.  True peace cannot happen until we stop, listen, and acknowledge God as God. 
 
We are no different than the ancient Israelites; we still want peace and to see wars end.  This cannot happen without God initiating it.  We want peace and tranquility in our lives.  None of us desire to be in constant turmoil and conflict. So often, we can get caught up in righting wrongs, seeking justice, or accusing someone of hurting us, and we try to mend things and create peace in our power.  We can learn a great deal from looking at the context of Psalm 46:10 and stop trying to do things in our strength.  This verse means, "Stop meddling, trust God, and allow Him to do his work." 
 
When faced with turmoil, anxiety, despair, worry, etc., let us take refuge in these words. "Be still and know I am God."  Do not let fear, anxiety, or worry paralyze you. Jesus tells us in the gospels that worry and anxiety do nothing to help us. He reminds us to "relax (this is really what the words "be still" literally means), stop doing what you are doing, and trust me to take care of this." 
 
CONCLUSION
As we close today, may this be a Psalm of celebration for us believers?  Let us celebrate and rejoice in the fact that God is our source of power and security; God is our protector from all evil, and He is our peace.  Let us take great comfort and security in this Psalm and know that God is worthy of all our praise.  So let us trust Him as our God to be all these things to us daily.

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