In 46:10 we meet familiar but oft misunderstood words: “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” There are a number of ways of interpreting this. Usually the words be still are taken to be an encouraging exhortation: “Calm your hearts, be at peace, relax….” But the context tells against this and in favour of one of the following alternative constructions:
Dahood proposes the meaning is “Do nothing”, that is, “do not enter into military alliances with other nations, since Yahweh controls history”, “leave all in God’s hands” . This is the meaning we find in Isaiah 30:15 – “By sitting still and keeping quiet will you be saved.” Similarly, van Gemeren reasons, “Throughout the history of Israel and Judah, severe national distress brought the temptation to abandon true religion for the ephemeral security of political alliances, (and) military strength”, which inevitably brought with it paganism. The exhortation “Know that I am God” is understood to be a call to pursue godliness and to reject negative options.
But, Kidner believes the context favours construing this as a word of “rebuke to a restless and turbulent world”, a word which orders the cessation of war and violence. This psalm begins with the threat posed by the waters of chaos. The uproar of the nations is portrayed as an expression of this chaos. Jesus took up the language of verse 10 when he rebuked of the wind and the waves:
He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm (Mark 4:39).
Jesus was effectively saying, “Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
Earlier we noted that in each of the three sections of the psalm there is a common interest in “the earth”, with a threefold stress upon the earth in verses 8-10. I have argued that each of the three notions concerning the earth here lead on to each other. God desolates the earth to abolish war on earth, and thus is exalted. Since the entire preceding context has persisted with the motif of chaos, I believe it probable that verse 10 is new creation language evocative of Genesis 1:1-2, implying that just as God was glorified in creation when he “conquered” the forces of chaos so he will be exalted in all the earth when he conquers all the forces of chaos as represented by war and violence. Contextually then Kidner’s interpretation of verse 10 fits better than Dahood’s.
Another contextual factor reinforces the above conclusion. That is, “Be still” corresponds to the words of verse 6 – “he lifts up his voice, the earth melts.” That is, God deals with the uproar of nations and the falling of kingdoms – with the reality of war and violence – by lifting up his voice, by uttering his thunderous word. Since “be still” belongs to the same context – the cessation of war and violence – it is likely that the correspondence extends to these words. They are the words God utters as he lifts up his voice to effect the cessation of war and violence. Yet they are not just words uttered in a vacuum. For as verse 8 indicates, on the earthly stage, God brings about the end through his works which are acts of desolation. Hence his words “Be still” are not words of peace at all but indeed the very opposite. They do ultimately result in bringing about the cessation of war and violence. So these words do lead to bringing in a state of peace. However, for this to happen chaotic forces must first be quelled. In Psalm 46 God’s command “Be still” involves the quelling of chaotic forces through works of God which desolate the earth.
The new heavens and the new earth will be characterised by the enjoyment of perfect peace. But this presupposes God’s judgment on this present created order. The fulfilment of God’s command “Be still” will involve both of these dimensions.
Posted October 12, 2009
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