(Chris Queen) One of the most majestic hymns in church history is Martin Luther’s “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God”:
A mighty Fortress is our God A Bulwark never failing Our Helper He amid the flood Of mortal ills prevailing
For still our ancient foe Doth seek to work us woe His craft and power are great And armed with cruel hate On earth is not his equal…
We don’t know much about what led him to write it, but Luther famously said that he “would allow no man to preach or teach God’s people without a proper knowledge of the use and power of sacred song.” We do know that Luther based the hymn on Psalm 46, which includes the verse, “The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress” (Psalm 46:7, ESV).
Other verses express a similar notion about God:
The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you. Psalm 9:9-10 (ESV)
Chris Queen’s title: Sunday Thoughts: A Mighty Fortress