What is the significance of the statement "God is within her; she will not fall" in Psalm 46:5?

In verses 4-7 — the second section of our Psalm — restored Israel celebrates the blessedness and the security which result from having God in Zion once more. "There is a river, the streams thereof 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 when the morning appears. The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved: He uttered His voice, the earth melted. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah." Blessing necessarily flows from God's presence, hence the "river," which will have a literal as well as a spiritual fulfilment in the coming day (Ezek. 47:1). Power is there also — "She shall not be moved." Israel may then say, "If God be for us who can be against us?" (Rom. 8:31). "When the morning appears" (ver. 5, see margin); i.e., when the Sun of Righteousness arises this will be experienced by Israel (Mal. 4:2). Then "His voice" will be sufficient for the dissipation of all their enemies, however numerous and powerful; no battle need be fought. See Rev. 19:15-21 for their hosts; and 2 Thess. 2:8, Isa. 11:4 for the Antichrist.

But this is past, and only revived in memory, to contrast with it the present condition of things. The threatening floods are gone: in their stead is a glorious river, whose divided streams in many channels make glad the city of God. Jerusalem, blessed with the abiding presence of the Supreme, cannot lack the nurture of grace, the vivifying streams of His blessed Spirit. God in the midst of her is abundant security; she shall not be moved: God shall help her at early morn. And so we know the day cannot come for the earth; but to usher it in Israel must get their blessing. And this is what has actually taken place: "The nations raged; the kingdoms were moved; He uttered His voice, — the earth melted." Yes, "Jehovah of hosts is with us": all things then, moving at His bidding, are for us also. Spite of folly and frailty, such is His grace: He is the God of grace, — "the God of Jacob is our refuge."

But Jerusalem, the city of God, is "the place of the tabernacles of the most High." Faith therefore, recognizing the true character of Jerusalem, whatever may be its actual state at the moment, is full of confidence in the presence of God in her midst. At the actual moment, when the nations assemble against her like a flood, she will be defiled by the oppressions of Anti-christ, with the abomination that makes desolate in her midst. Nevertheless she is the city of God, and faith lays hold of that fact, and expects God to manifest Himself in her midst for her deliverance. "God shall help her, and that right early."

"Right early," means, as the margin shows, "when the morning appears," or, "at the dawn of the morning." Faith's expectation will not be misplaced, for the dawning of the morning without clouds will take place when the King rides forth in majesty, and His right hand teaches Him terrible things in judgment. No true morning will rise upon earth's night until that morning appears.

Verse 6 is a very brief, but most graphic, description of God's great victory and man's utter defeat. The little verse is like a drama in four acts.

"The heathen raged." We see the nations in a state of excitement bordering on frenzy. They are full of fury and threatenings and slaughter. The opening verses of Psalm 2 have told us why they are in this raging condition. Their real animus is against God and His Christ. They desire to break their bands asunder and to cast away their cords from them.

"The kingdoms were moved." We now see the kingdoms of men in a state of flux and dissolution. Some kings are overthrown, according to Daniel 7, as "the beast" rises to his place of dominating authority. All are in a condition of change and transition.

"He uttered His voice." Quite a simple thing, this! None of the fuss, and scheming, and elaborate arrangements which characterize men when they go forth to war! The Lord Jesus appears in His glory, and "His Name is called the Word of God." Further, "Out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should smite the nations" (Rev. 19:11-15). He has merely to utter His voice and His adversaries are overthrown.

"The earth melted." In these graphic words the overthrow is described. The whole earth is represented as reduced to such a state of fluidity as renders it ready to be remoulded by His mighty hand for the millennial age that He is about to introduce.

When these things come to pass Israel will indeed know that the Lord of Hosts is with them, and stripped of all their former self-confidence they will find their refuge in the God of Jacob. They will be able to address any who fear the Lord, and are the spared from among the nations, to come and tees hold the great work of God in judgment, how He has desolated the seats of man's pride and, breaking all his weapons of war, has made wars to cease. By the imposition of His supreme will upon men He will quell their fighting spirit.

In contrast to the heaving, roaring seas, "there is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the Most High" (v. 4). The seas symbolize the commotion and trouble of the whole world, its waters not even fit for human consumption, its waves battering against each other, with no rest, no calmness of peace. But the river comes from above, flowing in one direction, with its fresh, pure water to refresh a weary land. This no doubt refers to the river spoken of in Ezekiel 47:1-12, flowing from the temple in Jerusalem down to the Red Sea, healing the waters of the sea. This awaits the coming millennium, and is figurative also of the river of water of life proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb (Rev. 22:1) to bless the heavenly city, the New Jerusalem. Of course this speaks of spiritual refreshment and blessing that will have no end.

But in Psalm 46 it is the city of God on earth spoken of, made glad by the constantly flowing river of God's blessing. "God is in the midst of her" (v. 5). This is the same God who says, "Where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them" (Matt. 18:20). Thus, the Lord Jesus will have the same place of central importance in Israel as He does now in the Church of God. No wonder "she shall not be moved" as she has been in many centuries past.

The personal glory of the King, by whom deliverance will be wrought, thus set forth, the confidence of the people in their God whilst awaiting that deliverance is next declared (46:5). This Psalm is divided into three parts, 1-3, 4-7, 8-11. In the first they profess that God is their refuge and strength, a present help in trouble; so they will not fear though all nature be convulsed. What are the convulsions which will take place, ere full and settled peace is enjoyed by Israel, Ezek. 38:19-20, tells us. What political catastrophes will be experienced, Rev. 6:12-16 intimates. But in this part of the Psalm it is the convulsions of nature that are referred to, in the presence of which they will not fear, for God the Creator is declared to be their refuge and strength. In the other parts of the Psalm, where the overthrow of hostile powers arrayed against them is celebrated, God is characteristically spoken of as Jehovah of hosts; and we learn how signal will be His intervention! A river to refresh the city of God, the holy place of the Tabernacles of the Most High, God, we are told, is in the midst of her, and He will help her at the turning (or dawn) of the morning. His presence with His people assures them of the coming deliverance which the next verse so graphically describes. "Gentiles raged, kingdoms were moved: He uttered His voice, the earth melted" (6). Of old He spake, and it was done. By-and-by He will speak, and His enemies will be confounded. What confidence, what assurance, in the face of hostile powers can the presence of God engender in the hearts of His people! Amid all the tumult of the enemy His voice will, and must, be heard when He speaks. And who can answer Him? "The Lord shall cause His glorious voice to be heard, and shall show the lighting down of His arm, with the indignation of His anger and with the flame of a devouring fire, with scattering, and tempest, and hailstones. For through the voice of the Lord shall the Assyrian be beaten down, which smote with a rod. And in every place where the grounded [rather, appointed] staff shall pass, which the Lord shall lay upon him, it shall be with tabrets and harps; and in battles of shaking will He fight with them" (Isa. 30:30-32).

(Vv. 4-6). First, God sustains the faith of His people by unfolding to them the secret of His purpose. In this passage the purpose of God is brought before us in the river and the city of God: "There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God."

Through all time, with its changes, upheavals, and conflicts, there flows the river of God's pleasure. No power of the enemy, no violence and corruption of men, no failure of the saints, can thwart God in carrying out His deep eternal counsels. Dispensations come and go: empires rise and fall; every testimony that God commits to the responsibility of men breaks down in their hands. But, over all, and through all, God is carrying out His purpose for the glory of Christ and the blessing of His people, earthly and heavenly.

Secondly, all the blessing that God has purposed for Christ and His people centres in the city of God. The Psalmist looks beyond the desolations of the actual Jerusalem of his day, and, looking by faith into the future, He sees the city according to the counsels of God. There rises before his vision a city of gladness, a "holy place", a city that "shall not be moved", with God dwelling "in the midst of her". So, too, in the presence of all the turmoil and confusion, in the world by which we are surrounded, and the corruptions of Christendom, the believer walks in the light of the heavenly city. We see "the New Jerusalem" — a city of gladness where all tears will be wiped away, where there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain. We see, too, that it is a holy city into which nothing that defiles will ever enter; we see that it will not be moved, for it is a city that has foundations. Above all, we see that "God is in the midst of her", for we read "the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it." Thus our faith is sustained by the river of God's pleasure, and "the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God" (Heb. 11:10).

Thirdly, the Psalmist sees that though the nations may rage against God's city, yet "God shall help her, and that right early." There is a better, and more beautiful translation that reads, "God shall help her at the dawn of the morning" (N.Tn.). So, again, our privilege is to "look beyond the long dark night and hail the coming day." On every hand we see the nations raging, the kingdoms of the earth being overthrown — the waters roar and are troubled, and the mountains shake; but, even as the Psalmist could say, "He uttered His voice, the earth melted," so we wait to hear the voice of the Lord when He shall say "Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away." Then indeed "the dawn of the morning" will come, the day will break "and the shadows flee away."

(vv. 4-7) Delivered from the fear of present circumstances, however terrible, the godly can in calmness contemplate what God has before Him according to the purpose of His heart. They see “the city of God,” and “the tabernacles of the most High,” made glad by the river of God. The mountains that surround them may be removed, but the city to which they are going “shall not be moved.” Furthermore, they see that the dawn of the morning is near when God's city will come into view (v. 5, JND). The heathen may rage, and their kingdoms be removed, but nothing can hinder the fulfillment of God's purpose. God has but to speak and every enemy will melt away. If, however, God is against the nations, as the Lord of hosts He is with the godly; and being with them is their refuge, even as Jacob found when God said to him, “I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee into this land” (Gen. 28:15; Heb. 13:5-6). So too Elisha experienced at Dothan, when he said to his servant, “Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them” (2 Kings 6:14-17).

The remnant, now that Messiah has appeared in glory, can celebrate what God is in favour of His people, and with the special knowledge acquired through what He has been for them in trouble. There may be yet an assault: indeed according to prophecy I believe there will be. But as the whole effect of Messiah's coming in blessing was celebrated in Psalm 45, so here the great result in divine government. The spared remnant have Jehovah with them as the God of Israel (v. 7). For here Jehovah is again introduced as a present thing. Here it is specially (and suitably, after what we have been studying, needs not to be said) as refuge and deliverance. Earth, mountains, and waters may tremble, or swell and roar: His people need not fear. God is with them. Nor is this all. He has His city on the earth, where He who is the Most High dwells, and has His tabernacles gladdened by that river which, everywhere in these descriptions, is the sign of blessing; as in the heavenly Jerusalem, and in the earthly in Ezekiel nay, - in paradise, and in figures, in the believer, and in the assembly, who calls to the water of life him who thirsts. But even then the river is there. God is there — the sure and best of answers to the taunting demand "Where is thy God?" She shall not be moved, but helped right early.

Verse 6 gives in magnificent abruptness the great result. All is decided. Then they say, "Jehovah Sabaoth is with us." The God of the whole people is the refuge of this feeble remnant (v. 8, 9), they summon the earth to see what the works of Jehovah are, what is come of the impotent rage and violence of men; for He will be exalted among the heathen and exalted in the earth. The place of faith is to be still and wait on Him and know that He is God, as the remnant of Jacob will with joy — that Jehovah of hosts, the God of Jacob, is with them.

There is also positive blessing in connection with Jehovah's presence in Jerusalem. "There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God," etc. (v. 4. Compare Ezekiel 47, Rev. 22, etc.) Well, then, might the cry be raised, "God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her [as in the margin] when the morning appeareth;" for the advent of Messiah will be indeed the dawn of the morning without clouds. (2 Samuel 23:4.) Verses 6, 7 recall the deliverance, and celebrate the results; verses 8, 9 give the desolating effects of Jehovah's interposition in judgment, and the universal peace that follows. God Himself speaks in verse 10, calling upon all to know, by the works He has wrought, that He is God, and declaring that He will be exalted everywhere among the Gentiles on the earth. In verse 11 the remnant again lift up their voices in their chorus of praise: "The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge."

There is also positive blessing in connection with Jehovah's presence in Jerusalem. "There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God," etc. (v. 4. Compare Ezekiel 47, Rev. 22, etc.) Well, then, might the cry be raised, "God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her [as in the margin] when the morning appeareth;" for the advent of Messiah will be indeed the dawn of the morning without clouds. (2 Samuel 23:4.) Verses 6, 7 recall the deliverance, and celebrate the results; verses 8, 9 give the desolating effects of Jehovah's interposition in judgment, and the universal peace that follows. God Himself speaks in verse 10, calling upon all to know, by the works He has wrought, that He is God, and declaring that He will be exalted everywhere among the Gentiles on the earth. In verse 11 the remnant again lift up their voices in their chorus of praise: "The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge."