“Be still and know that I am God” is NOT Good News

You better check yo self before you wreck yo self – Ice Cube (1993)

 

Not that long ago a conversation with a friend that brought these song lyrics up as an explanation for a section of scripture in the book of Psalms.


 



“Be still and know that I am God.” —Psalm 46:10

 

This in one of the very well known (as well as misapplied) sections of scripture. Very often, this verse of scripture is used as a source of encouragement of hope. It is likely that a walk-through Hobby Lobby will spot this phrase or verse somewhere.


But unfortunately, it is another verse that have been pulled as Voddie Baucham has said, “kicking and screaming out of its context”. It often tends to find itself shoved onto church signs, bulletins, and social media posts

If we are going to take the Word of God as an actual word from God, we must read the bible how it is written.

“Be still” is not an encouragement to Christians, it is an intense warning to the nations, to the enemies of God.

The context of Psalm is a warning to the enemies of God that they need to cease or stop their warring against Him. That they may “know that He is God”, and this is a battle that they cannot hope to win.

A look at the verses around explain this when they say:

“Come, behold the works of the Lord, what desolations he hath made in the earth. He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire.” Psalm 46:8-9

 

We cannot, especially as the children of God read whatever we want into the texts of scripture, whether it sounds good or not.

The main point of this scripture is that God is coming to judge the wicked. He will not only judge them, but He will utterly crush them. This is not good news; it is really bad news.

While this very bad news for those that are at enmity with God, it is not without good news! God sent His Son to take the penalty for sin for us even when we were His enemies!

“For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.” Romans 5:10

 

The Old Testament prophet Isaiah would say that it would, please God to bruise or crush Him for His people (Isaiah 53:10).

That is good news! That the same Judge that is coming holds out His hands in mercy through His Son, to reconcile all those that believe unto Himself.

As a whole Psalm 46 is about a safe refuge for those that hope in Him, and that is the hope that we have if we have put our trust in the finished work of Jesus.

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