12/04/2008
Psalms 18:1 - 2 (HCSB)
1 I
love You, LORD, my strength.
2 The
LORD is my rock,
my fortress, and my deliverer,
my God, my mountain where I seek refuge,
my shield and the horn of my salvation,
my stronghold.
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Whenever an altar was built by the Israelites, it was square on the ground, and rose up several feet. At each corner were pointed stones that acted like andirons. These pointed stones were called the “horns” of the altar. Yet, they served a secondary purpose. If a person found himself (or herself) in a distressing situation, and feared for his life, he could run to the altar and grasp one of the horns. As long as he held to the horn, he was safe. The pursuer could not harm him out of respect for the altar. This was instituted to prevent persons from acting out of impulse emotions. The pursuer could stand and talk to the offender and there was opportunity for some common ground to be found without violent consequence. In the middle ages, people would seek “sanctuary” in the churches – a similar idea.
In the verses above, we are reminded of this idea. God is described in a variety of ways. As our strength, He sustains us for the tasks we must pursue. As our rock, He provides a shelter from the elements such as wind, rain and hail or even spears and arrows of the enemy. As our fortress, He provides a place of rest. As our deliverer, He comes to our rescue. As our mountain, He raises us up to high ground from the depths of our emotional distress. As our shield, He provides protection from the daily challenges we must navigate. And as our horn, He becomes our safest place of refuge when we feel overwhelmed with circumstances. As our stronghold, He joins with us in our battles so that we are never alone.
No doubt we have all found ourselves in situations where defeat seemed inevitable. In these times, remember that we have a place to run, in a sense to call “time out” so that we can regroup, gather our thoughts, focus on God and His purposes, and face life anew.
Jeff Justus
Cleff Publishing
www.cleffpublishing.com
©2008 Cleff Publishing, all rights reserved.
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