Tag: protection

Taking refuge in God

A refuge is a representation of faith and trust.

Psalm 91:2: “I will say of Yahweh, “He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in whom I trust.””

Throughout the Bible, and in the Psalms especially, is a phrase in Hebrew which is variously translated as refuge or trust. This term implies an action based on an intimate and deep-seated bond of faith in Yahweh as creator God.

To take refuge somewhere is to seek safety from danger. It is an action based on the belief that where one seeks refuge one will be safe. This is one of the clearest and most striking depictions of what faith in God is.

By contrast, one does not take refuge in a place where one does not feel safe or does not expect it to withstand an onslaught of aggression.

A refuge is a fortress of protection and safety. A refuge can provide calmness and reduce anxiety of risk or danger. However, a refuge only works when one is within its domain. Once a person leaves a refuge, they are exposed to danger like anyone else. They are liable to lies, dangers, and capture by the enemy.

Jeremiah 16:19: “Yahweh, my strength, and my stronghold, and my refuge in the day of affliction, to you shall the nations come from the ends of the earth, and shall say, Our fathers have inherited nothing but lies, vanity and things in which there is no profit.”

According to Jeremiah, outside of the refuge there is nothing but lies, vanity (or emptiness) and things in which there is no profit. Jeremiah continues in the next verse to speak of the tendency of men to manufacture artificial alternatives to the true refuge of Yahweh.

Jeremiah 16:20: “Shall a man make to himself gods, which yet are no gods?”

Whether the idolatry of graven images, or of placing one’s trust in the weakness of men, both options are fraught with danger.

Psalm 118:8-9: “It is better to take refuge in Yahweh, than to put confidence in man. It is better to take refuge in Yahweh, than to put confidence in princes.”

It is a comfort to know that Yahweh knows those who have placed their trust in him and he honors their commitment by fulfilling their needs for safety and deliverance.

Nahum 1:7: “Yahweh is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and he knows those who take refuge in him.”

Through his Messiah Yeshua, Yahweh has been shown to be a God who keeps his promises. Because he keeps his promises, we can have confidence that our trust in him is not misplaced. Our faith can be securely established in him.

Hebrews 6:11-12, 18-19: ” We desire that each one of you may show the same diligence to the fullness of hope even to the end, that you won’t be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherited the promises. … that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we may have a strong encouragement, who have fled for refuge to take hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast…

For believers today, we can know that our faith in God provides safety and security beyond the reaches of this world and its designs against us. God desires all men to place their faith in him, and so be under his protective care and watchful eye.

If you enjoy these daily blog posts, be sure to visit the growing archive of the Core of the Bible podcast. Each week we take a more in-depth look at one of the various topics presented in the daily blog. You can view the podcast archive at https://core-of-the-bible.simplecast.com/ or your favorite podcast streaming service. Questions or comments? Feel free to email me directly at coreofthebible@gmail.com.

God knows and provides refuge for those who trust in him

Yahweh is a refuge for those trusting in him.

Yahweh is good, as a fortified refuge in a day of distress. And He knows those trusting in Him.

Nahum 1:7

In the context of pronouncing judgment against the city of Nineveh, the prophet Nahum provides a jewel amidst the various descriptions of God’s wrath being poured out on his enemies: “Yahweh knows those trusting in him.”

This was meant as a reassurance to the faithful in Israel who were living in a climate of Assyrian dominance. It is thought at the time of the writing of this prophecy that the northern ten tribes had already been taken captive a generation earlier, and now judgment was falling on the enemies of Israel as well. What guarantee was there that they also would not be swept up in the surrounding warfare? “Yahweh knows those trusting in him.”

This Hebrew conception of knowing conveys real knowledge, distinguishing, recognizing, being acquainted with someone. This is how Yahweh lives among his people. He knows them and understands them, he is familiar with their ways and their character.

Psalm 1:6  For Yahweh knows the way of the righteous; but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

2 Timothy 2:19  Nevertheless the foundation of God stands sure, having this seal, Yahweh knows those who are his. And let every one that names the name of Messiah depart from iniquity.

How often we struggle to understand the conflicts going on around us. Sometimes it may feel as if we are lost in a sea of corruption and opposition. Yet, if we are trusting in him and seeking his kingdom and his righteous ways, we can rest assured that he knows and distinguishes us as his own, and that he is that refuge in which we can be safely sheltered.

If you enjoy these daily blog posts, be sure to visit the growing archive of the Core of the Bible podcast. Each week we take a more in-depth look at one of the various topics presented in the daily blog. You can view the podcast archive here. Questions or comments? Feel free to email me directly at coreofthebible@gmail.com.

The care and protection of God for his people requires their complete trust

When we flee to the refuge of God’s care and protection under his wings, we are demonstrating our total dependence on him.

How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings.

Psalm 36:7

There is interesting imagery here of trust in God that is similar to being protected by him as a bird might shelter their young under their wings. This type of imagery evokes elements of danger in which the parent hides and camouflages its young from any predators that might by in the vicinity. The parent bird, vigilant and alert, watches for any signs of danger, and is willing to fend off any careless intruders.

Psalm 57:1 Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me! For my soul trusts in You; And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge, Until these calamities have passed by.
Psalm 61:4 I will abide in Your tabernacle forever; I will trust in the shelter of Your wings. Selah
Psalm 91:4 He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler.

The Hebrew word for trust in these passages encompasses ideas of refuge, safety from danger, protection. In studying this metaphor, I stumbled across a reader comment who had experience with farmyard birds and their behaviors:

I used to raise chickens. The hens would spread their wings, scoop up the babies and gather them underneath their wings. The faces of the hens would shine with contentment, knowing the babies were being kept warm and safe. One of my hens was protecting her eggs when the rooster let her know that he wanted her to get off the eggs and mate with him. She refused to put her babies in jeopardy. So, the rooster pecked her in the head in a violent attach until she lost consciousness. He also killed her babies. She was willing to die for the safety of her babies. My young son gave the rooster away, nursed her back to health by feeding her water with a dropper, and placed new eggs under her from a neighbor’s chicken. She recovered to enjoy her new family. Indeed, hens will go to their death for the sake of their children.

Why is the Hen Gathering Her Chicks? (Matt 23:37; Luke 13:34) | HolyLandPhotos’ Blog (wordpress.com)

This reality comes into stark relief against the backdrop of first-century Israel, when Yeshua himself speaks for the Father’s care and concern over Israel.

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling!

Matthew 23:37

Jerusalem and Israel would be destroyed because of their stubbornness and refusal to trust in Yeshua and rest securely in God’s protective care, a prophetic prediction that would come to pass 40 years later.

For us today, the word trust is defined as “firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something.” When we flee to the refuge of God’s care and protection under his wings, we are demonstrating our total dependence on him that he is able, and willing, to keep our spiritual lives safely protected within his watchful care.

If you enjoy these daily blog posts, be sure to visit the growing archive of the Core of the Bible podcast. Each week we take a more in-depth look at one of the various topics presented in the daily blog. You can view the podcast archive here. Questions or comments? Feel free to email me directly at coreofthebible@gmail.