The author begins by affirming a wonderful truth which is that God is the constant place of safety for his people, that he empowers them with what they need, and that he never leaves them no matter the trouble. This divine constancy means that should the worst possible scenario happen his people will not need to be afraid.
The psalmist uses extreme physical changes to illustrate his point. I have no idea whether an earthquake has ever moved a mountain into the middle of a roaring sea. Perhaps the psalmist used this illustration because such an event was most unlikely. But even if it occurred, God’s people can trust in him. In other words, even in the worst of circumstances we can depend on God.
Of course, the psalmist by using this illustration is also reminding us that difficult and disturbing events can happen. Faith in God does not help us evade those kind of circumstances. Rather, such faith enables believers to live through such events depending only on the Lord. Indeed, such drastic circumstances may remove other things that we might depend upon (vv. 1-3).
In verses 4-7, the author describes what happened when Jerusalem was attacked. From one point of view, the city was weak because of its low supply of water. Yet because God was with them, he ensured that the shallow stream of Siloam was more than enough for the city. After all, ‘little is much when God is in it.’ The attacking nations made a lot of noise, but their noise was but a whimper in comparison to the voice of God. When he speaks, he speaks with such power that the earth is affected. Therefore, it is important to realise that the God who leads the heavenly host is our defender, that he remembers his covenant he has made with his people, that he is the One in whom they can hide safely.
Therefore, in verses 8-10, the author invites or exhorts the people of God to look at the great deliverance the Lord had given his people. The outcome was desolation for the attackers, but peace and safety for his people. It is possible that the command in verse 10 to be still is addressed to the attacking nations to lead them to consider that it is the God of Israel who is in control of the earth. Or maybe it is addressed to the inhabitants of Jerusalem who had been afraid of what could have happened and had not been trusting in God.
The author closes his psalm with the refrain about the presence of God and the security that he provides (v. 11). His words remain true although the event he described took place long ago. It is well-known that Martin Luther was greatly helped by this psalm in his struggles at the Reformation (the psalm is the basis for his hymn, A Might Fortress is Our God). We can and should take to heart the relevance of the teaching revealed in this psalm.
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