The Power of Prayer

Berean Baptist on February 6, 2017

 

Psalm 76

As I was reading the 76th Psalm, this verse captured my attention: “At thy rebuke, O God of Jacob, both the chariot and horse are cast into a dead sleep” (v.6). This statement may seem a little odd at first, but it actually has strong support from other places of scripture. Before we examine the other places, what does this verse mean? It is confirmation from God that no person should trust the most powerful forces of men when those forces are against God. No enemy is to be feared when God is on our side.

In ancient times, the weapons of mass destruction feared by Israel were those countries that developed weaponry made of iron. When Israel first approached the Promised Land, one of their greatest fears was the many horses and chariots of the Canaanites (Joshua 17:16). When standing on the plains of Moab before entering the land, Moses gave instructions concerning these same weapons of war. Moses repeated God’s words, “When you go to battle against your enemies and you see horses and chariots and an army much larger than yours, don’t be afraid. I am the God who brought you out of the land of Egypt” (Deut. 20:1). The obvious reference is to the defeat of Pharaoh with his many chariots and a vast army which God drowned in the Red Sea.

This type of implicit trust was very difficult for Israel. Even the great king David had trouble with it as he foolishly numbered Israel in order to gauge the strength of his armies and thus evaluate his ability to dominate his enemies. David paid dearly for his mistrust as God in one day reduced his troops by 70,000 men (2 Sam. 24:14). God’s people are to live in faith and never trust their own strength. David later wrote: “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God” (Psalms 20:7).  This lesson did not stick with Israel as later they put trust in heathen armies rather than calling on God. “Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help; and stay on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the LORD!” (Isaiah 31:1)

What is the occasion of Psalm 76? It is helpful to read the psalm in connection with Isaiah 37. The occasion is the siege of the Assyrians against Jerusalem when Hezekiah was king of Judah. Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, made a siege against the Holy City in which he boasted that no king or god had ever successfully resisted him. While Sennacherib’s agents made the claim, there was an army of 185,000 Assyrian soldiers ready to attack the city upon the issuance of the command. Hezekiah was woefully distraught. Judah’s army was no match for Assyria. The northern kingdom of Israel had fallen some years before, and it was true the might of Assyria was so great they had become a world empire. There was no recourse for Hezekiah. His options were three—fight and be slaughtered, surrender and be captured, or pray. He chose option three.

On the night before the assault, the angel of the Lord visited the camp of the Assyrians and devastated the entire camp. Every Assyrian soldier lay dead in fulfillment of God’s promise that not one arrow would be shot in the direction of Jerusalem. Not a bow, arrow, horse, chariot or the vast army of Assyria was a match for the power of God. The psalmist reflects this by saying, “both the chariot and horse are cast into a dead sleep.”

We do well to remember this when faced with the impossible. When it seems there is no way out, there always will be for God’s people. Prayer is an amazing tool that unleashes the power of God in our lives. James said, “Ye have not because ye ask not.” Perhaps the weakness of our families, our church, and each of us individually is because we rely too much on what we can do by ourselves. When will we learn not to trust in horses and chariots? Only when we are tired of constant defeat.

Pastor V. Mark Smith

Be Still…

Berean Baptist on June 20, 2016

 

Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah. (Psalms 46:10-11)

The Lord always has a purpose in the way He leads and it is always best to surrender to His divine purpose. If I had things my way, I would rather our congregational reading of the Psalms would fall at some different place than Psalm 46. This psalm is better suited for the message I will bring next week, but God has providentially decided this is what we should read this week.

There are allusions in this psalm to the tribulation in the end times when the nation of Israel will be rocked like never before. Verses 2 and 3 are compelling references to that horrible time. It is very difficult to imagine things could be worse for the Jewish people since Jesus pronounced an ominous forecast for them in Matthew 23:38. He said, “Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.” This was the sure prediction of the fall of the entire Jewish system when both the temple and Jerusalem were destroyed by the Romans in A.D. 70. Since that time, the Jews have been vagabonds, and in every century they have been hated above all people with many attempts made to exterminate them. If Hitler had been successful in winning in World War II, it may very well be the Jews would be nonexistent today. However, we know God still has His plan and no government nor any tyrant will destroy His chosen people from the earth.

Remarkably, the 46th Psalm was written at a time when another despot tried to destroy Israel. This was Sennacherib, the Assyrian king, who besieged Jerusalem with a great army and made plans to assault and destroy her if Israel did not surrender. King Hezekiah saw this massive force that was about to invade and he humbly went before God to implore Him for relief. The relief Hezekiah sought was quickly forthcoming without Israel shooting a single arrow in her defense. Instead, God dispatched one angel in the night who killed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers as they slept. Within days, Sennacherib returned to Nineveh where he worshipped in the temple of his heathen god. As he did, his own sons came and murdered him. Psalm 46 was written in celebration of this silent victory. “Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.”

In the last days during the time of tribulation, Israel will once again face extermination. The Antichrist will throw the combined forces of the world’s armies against her in an attempt to do what Satan has never before accomplished. By God’s marvelous providence, the God of Jacob will come to Israel’s aid. In Matthew 23:39, Jesus said He would not return for the Jews until they say, “Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.” He has not returned because Israel is not ready to turn to Him. Israel does not acknowledge Christ as king. In the worst days of the tribulation when Satan sends a flood against them, they will do what Hezekiah did. They will turn to the Lord as their only help and they will cry out for Him to deliver them. The great Sovereign will hear their cry and He will step foot on the Mount of Olives, the same place from which He ascended, and He will call a host of angels to come destroy the armies of the Antichrist just as He did the armies of Sennacherib.

Psalm 46 has always been a great comfort to those facing impossible situations. Martin Luther penned his great hymn A Mighty Fortress Is Our God from this psalm. Soldiers have sung its words before going into battle. Persecuted Christians have relied on it when facing torturous deaths. Perhaps you can find comfort in it today. The worst you can imagine is no match for God. Be still and wait. Call on Him and then wait quietly while He does His work. He is with us—the God of Jacob is our refuge.

Pastor V. Mark Smith