John Calvin Commentary Psalms 46:8

"Come, behold the works of Jehovah, What desolations he hath made in the earth." — Psalms 46:8 (ASV)

Come, you, consider the works of Jehovah. The Psalmist seems still to continue in this verse the history of a deliverance by which God had given abundant evidence that he is the most efficient and faithful protector of his Church, so that the godly might derive from it both courage and strength to enable them to overcome whatever temptations might afterward arise.

The manifestations which God has given of his favor toward us in preserving us should be kept continually before our eyes as a means of establishing in our hearts a conviction of the stability of his promises. By this exhortation, we have tacitly rebuked the indifference and stupidity of those who do not value the power of God as highly as they should; or rather, the whole world is charged with ingratitude, because there is scarcely one in a hundred who acknowledges that he has abundant help and security in God, so that they are all blinded to the works of God, or rather willfully shut their eyes to that which would, nevertheless, prove the best means of strengthening their faith.

We see how many ascribe to fortune that which should be traced to the providence of God. Others imagine that they obtain by their own industry whatever God has bestowed upon them, or ascribe to secondary causes what proceeds from him alone, while others are utterly lost to all sense.

The Psalmist, therefore, justly calls upon all men and exhorts them to consider the works of God, as if he had said: The reason why men do not place the hope of their welfare in God is that they are indifferent to the consideration of his works, or so ungrateful that they do not value them half as much as they should.

As he addresses all men in general, we learn that even the godly themselves are drowsy and unconcerned in this respect until they are awakened. He highly extols the power of God in preserving his chosen people, which is commonly despised or not estimated as it should be when it is exercised in an ordinary manner.

He therefore sets before them the desolations of countries, marvelous devastations, and other miraculous things, which more powerfully move the minds of men.

If anyone would prefer to understand what follows—He makes battles to cease—as some special help granted by God, it must still be considered as intended to lead the faithful to expect as much help from him in the future as they had already experienced.

The prophet, it appears, from one particular instance, intends to show in general how mightily God usually defends his Church.

At the same time, it happened more than once that God quelled all the dangerous tumults throughout the land of Judea by which it was distracted, and drove wars far from it by depriving the enemies of their courage, breaking their bows, and burning their chariots. It is very probable that the prophet, from this particular instance, here takes occasion to remind the Jews how often God had disappointed the greatest efforts of their enemies.

One thing, however, is quite certain: God is here presented with these titles so that we should look for peace from him, even when the whole world is in an uproar and agitated in a dreadful manner.