“The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah” (Psalm 46:11, ESV)

This is the second time in this psalm that the author(s) [sons of Korah] have said the exact same thing.  Repetition is always something we should take note of when we study the Scriptures because usually there is a purpose for it.

In this case the author wants to emphasize that, no matter the state of the world around us, or of the dangers that threaten us, we do not need to worry because the Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Earlier in the psalm the author writes of cataclysmic forces that seem to shake the earth to its foundations: Nations have roared, Kingdoms have tottered, (vs. 6); the earth’s waters roar and foam (vs. 2), the mountains are trembling (vs. 3). It’s a picture to make even the stoutest heart shake and wonder what will become of the individual in the middle of such upheaval.

The psalmist doesn’t leave us in the dark.  Despite the titanic forces that shake the earth, Be still and know that I am God, he writes (vs. 10). The penultimate thing that we need to know no matter the forces that seem to have the upper hand, is that the Lord of hosts is with us.

It is better to have God on our side than 10,000 armies waiting at our beck and call;  better to have God than all of the newest technology invented by man harnessed under our control and command.  Fear must run and hide, the principalities and powers of the heavens must bow and worship: the Lord of hosts is with us.