Introduction
Western civilization, in general, and the United States, in particular, is proceeding along a very dangerous path. We passed the crossroads long ago, and we chose a road that leads to chaos, the breakdown of civil and moral society, and eventually divine judgment and destruction. It is an exciting time to be alive, because God’s people are a people who are historically aware, and we have seen these trends and trajectories before. As things progress in our own nation, the words of the prophets, the exiles in Babylon, the early Christian martyrs, Augustine, and the Reformers resonate even more clearly and powerfully with us. We begin to understand our pilgrim identity and heavenly citizenship more clearly, and we begin to hope and trust in God’s promises more earnestly. I do not know how the last year or five or ten years have affected you, but I know how they have affected me. And in a strange and paradoxical way, they are making me more cheerful, optimistic, and hopeful in God’s promises. As our society grows darker, God’s Word shines more brightly, and rather than being discouraged, God’s people have more and more reasons to rejoice in the certainty of God’s everlasting kingdom and promises.
The Strong City Where God’s People Reside
Behold the strong city where God’s people reside. It is spoken of in v.1: We have a strong city; God will appoint salvation for walls and bulwarks. Did you notice that? The city of God is surrounded by the walls of salvation. It is defended from attack by the saving work of God. When God raises a person from spiritual death to everlasting life, he makes him a citizen of Zion, the heavenly Jerusalem, the city that will never be overrun by Babylonians or Romans, a city that will never be compromised by false doctrine or corrupt leaders, a city that is unstained by idolatry and immorality and irreverence. God’s saints live safely behind walls of saving grace. They are protected by God’s power through faith, and in that city, they are secure from everything outside.
When you see the deterioration of the American city, when the shining city on a hill no longer shines as a beacon of truth and freedom but as a kingdom of darkness characterized by lies and, increasingly, various forms of tyranny, remember that you are a citizen of Zion and reside safely behind walls of salvation. The bulwarks of Zion cannot be weakened or penetrated by the actions of ungodly men. No executive order by an earthly magistrate has power there, no Supreme Court ruling, no legislative bill passed and signed into law. The Law of God alone is sovereign in that city, and that is the Law by which all other laws will eventually be judged. America is not the everlasting kingdom. Whether she repents and recovers some measure of decency or not, whether she lasts five hundred years or only five more, your identity, citizenship, and security are in the city of God, and that city is not to be confused with any nation of men or even the denominations and congregations of the visible Church which may be corrupted, weakened, and even overcome. The walls of the city of God are salvation itself. They are unaffected by the currents and trials of earthly societies and human history. We are secure behind those walls.
The Strong Promises Where God’s People Hide
Verse 20 calls the saints to enter the chambers, shut the doors, and hide until the indignation (fury ESV) has passed. But how can we do so if the heavenly city is salvation itself? We are, by the grace of Christ, part of the Church of the living God, and thus citizens of that city. But how can we hide there, especially as an hour of trial and judgment comes upon the world? Notice again the context in vv.3-4. You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. Trust in Yahweh forever, For in Yah, the Self-Existent One, is everlasting strength. The peace God’s people enjoy behind the walls of that city is enjoyed through fixing our minds on him and trusting in his promises. V.4 has a shortened form of God’s Name next to the Name itself: Yah-Yahweh, which may be used to remind us of the self-existence of which his Name speaks.
How do we hide in the chambers of the city and shut the doors as judgment falls outside? We do so by fixing our minds on God’s greatness, glory, and goodness. We sing of his sovereignty and salvation. We find comfort and contentment in trusting his promises. Whatever may be on the news is irrelevant in that context. What the President or Congress or Court may say contrary to the everlasting judgment of God will fail. Our confidence is in God and in the certainty of his Word.
Practically speaking, vv.3-4 and v.20 are an exhortation to set our minds on things above, not on things on the earth (cf. Col. 3:1-4). You can’t do that if you spend more time on Facebook or Twitter than you do in your Bible. You will not enjoy God’s peace if you are listening to the news more than you are singing the songs of Zion. I am not seeking to bind your conscience and tell you what the limits of your consumption of news, social, and entertainment media ought to be, but I will tell you there ought to be limits. God’s people are to hide in the promises of God, redeem the time, and fix their eyes on Jesus. The world is constantly distracting us from this duty, and by doing so they rob us of the comfort and delight of God’s Word. Don’t be misled. Resist the tyranny of what culture and earthly authorities tell us is important. Resist by reading, singing, praying, and contemplating continually the promises of God.
The Certain Judgment Which God Will Bring
We hide in God’s promises, resting secure in the salvation of God’s heavenly city, because we know that the outcome of this present trial is certain. We do not hide in fear but with patience. We are not anxious about the future because we know for certain the ultimate future God appoints. Yahweh comes out of His place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity. As he says in vv.5-6: For He brings down those who dwell on high, the lofty city; He lays it low, He lays it low to the ground, He brings it down to the dust. The foot shall tread it down—the feet of the poor and the steps of the needy. We know how this story ends. We are not hiding in fear, but in faith.
God’s people take shelter in his promises in the same way soldiers put their heads down as an airstrike or artillery fire against the enemy comes in. We bunker down not because we are about to be overrun but because the heavy guns are about to begin to fire. And notice again in v.20: it is only for a little while. We are able to endure suffering because we know its eternal context. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us (Rom. 8:18). For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal (2Cor. 4:17-18).
We must remain within God’s hiding place, fixing our minds on his glory, resting in his promises, waiting patiently until the hour of judgment and trial has passed. We wait just like Noah and his family waited inside the Ark until the waters of the flood did their purging work and finally subsided. We wait just like every Israelite family waited inside their homes while the Destroyer killed the firstborn in Egypt on the night of the first Passover. We wait just as Rahab and her family waited inside her home while the Israelites marched around the walls of Jericho for a week and as the walls came crashing down. We wait just as the sailors were told to wait on the ship in Acts 27 even while it was being tossed and torn apart by a storm. We are in good company as we wait, and as we do so, we must continue to watch and pray.
Conclusion
The Lord is coming to judge the world, and while as Christians we should be concerned to live godly lives, speak truth prophetically to the culture, and work for truth and justice as we have opportunity, we do not have to worry about winning the country or the culture war. We hide in the Lord’s salvation, fix our minds upon his glory, and rest in his promises. Our security is in his victory. We seek a city which has foundations, and in Christ, we belong there today. --JME
