Afterwords -- our refuge
"Look to the right and see: there is none who takes notice of me; no refuge remains to me; no one cares for my soul. I cry to you, O LORD; I say, 'You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.'" (Psalm 142:4-5)
February 3, 2023
Dear friends,
David wrote the words above at a very low period in his life, before he was recognized by Israel as her God-appointed king. At that time, he was running from King Saul's troops and hiding in caves (1 Sam 22-24). Even his fellow Judeans had doubts about him. David felt alone and surrounded by people who didn't care. This was his dream team so far: "...everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was bitter in soul, gathered to him..." (1 Sam 22:2)
THE CAVE WAS NOT HIS REFUGE (Psalm 142). On the one hand we know that David needed to make use of those Judean caves. They were not plush or comfortable by any means, but when troops were scouring the hills for him it was a good place to hide. Yet in his prayer he says to the Lord, "You are my refuge" (v 5). The Lord himself was David's security. He had made God his "portion", that is, the Lord was his inheritance, and his interest was not in property or a plot of land (cf Ps 73:25-28). Yet David saw that cave as kind of prison surrounded by hostile people, when his desire was actually to be in the assembly of the righteous (v 7). David's ultimate concern, as we read in his other psalms as well, was not to be Israel's ruler so that he could be powerful, or in control, or to live in a palace and do what he wanted. The passion of his heart was for righteousness. He wanted to be surrounded by God's people in worship. Righteousness, not power, was David's main concern. He pursued that imperfectly, however, but his intent shines through his psalms and foreshadows the Son of David to come, whose heart and reign is perfect in every way.
WHAT LESSONS can we learn? I find today in our world we also can feel surrounded, cut off, alone. Popular media and entertainment regularly mock our Christian faith. Laws are increasingly aimed at making those who hold biblical values to affirm unbiblical values. Even among family and church we may come to feel like this: "No one takes notice of me."(Ps 142:4). We may feel like we should hide out in a cave. Like David in that early period, we also are sojourners and exiles (1 Pet 2:11). One thing is sure: a cave where we hide out is not a real place of safety. The Lord is our refuge. He guides and guards us for his name's sake. The Lord himself is our eternal inheritance. Just like David lived in the wilderness, and like Jesus bore rejection (John 1:10-11), so we too as his followers in this world are pilgrims and aliens passing through. The author of Hebrews wrote to believers who were enduring the scorn of their community:
"So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured. For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name." (Hebrews 13:12-15)
We are on our way to the glorious city of God, a world where righteousness reigns, and we have a song of praise on our lips. When we feel opposed and threatened, like David we should say to the Lord, "You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living."
ON DIVINE GUIDANCE. Recently, I received a question from a young friend about finding God's will for her life. She wrote, "I've been trying to discern 'the will of God in my life' for a long time. I wonder if it is as simple as just not worrying about it? Just staying connected to Jesus? Perhaps Christians put too much emphasis on following God’s will instead of staying close with him? Any feedback is appreciated." So, I decided to write down everything I know about that topic -- really, only two pages -- and I hope she will find something there, and maybe you will, too.
RECENT ARTICLES
-- I have enjoyed the TV series, The Chosen -- it's very well done and quite engaging. I don't view this, however, as a biblical "life of Christ." It's a popular television production which is imaginative and gives intriguing possibilities about the characters and story line surrounding Jesus. But there are concerns that need to be considered. Read "'The Chosen' series: entertaining, but controversy grows."
-- "He 'gets us' not because we ourselves are close to what he’s like, but because we are far away. That Jesus gets us is a profound act of mercy, not coolness." (Samuel D. James) Read "'He Gets Us' Isn't Offensive. It's Just More of the Same."
--"If you start with the conclusion, you can talk yourself into anything." (Jonah Goldberg, on the issue of policing.) Read "The Race to Racism"
-- And, finally, on the lighter side (though I like it on the darker), here are The Best Coffee Beans on the Planet.
FINAL QUOTE. "Jesus the promised Messiah, the divinely anointed Prophet and Priest and King -- that is the short, the brief contents of the whole Christian faith. It is the pith of revelation, the heart of Holy Writ, the bone and marrow of all confession, the central dogma of all the truths of salvation, the center of light from which all the streams and rays of the knowledge of God proceed to the circumference. The Person of Christ determines the essence of Christianity." (Herman Bavinck, The Sacrifice of Praise)
That's it for this week!
Sandy
Image above is a photo by Bradley Dunn on Unsplash. Photo below is of our dogwood tree after a dusting of snow this week. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
