The urge to “escape” can come upon anyone just about anytime. Sometimes people do escape, but remain unsatisfied, and there some that just cannot escape. Sometimes people “escape" only to wind up in a spiritual mess, whether they know it or not, that leads to eternal damnation. There can be different reasons for the desire to “escape.” But in all circumstances it is God’s primary will that each one should come to Him, and not come to Him just during the moment of trouble, but to come and dwell.
As recorded in Psalm 61, at one point in his life David,
praying, cried out to God (verses 1 to 2c): “Hear my cry, O God; Give heed to my prayer. 2 From the end of the earth I call to You when my heart is faint;”. Devotionally, “from the end of the earth" can allude to a “worse case scenario” where one is as far away from God as a person can get. Strong {1} indicates “I call to you” can be “to call, cry, utter a loud sound, . . . to call unto, cry (for help), call (with name of God).” With these two thoughts we may say that in this opening of Psalm 61 an earnest cry is being made by someone who feels they are very far from God.At some point one must decide to Get Out Of The Dust {2} and receive what God has for us in Him as described by the Holy Spirit through David in the remaining text to the end of verse 4. This passage encourages us to get into, and remain in, God as our following five blessings.
I. Rock 2d-f
“Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.”
Wilson {3} says “rock” here is “metaphorically a place where one is secure from their enemies.” The true Christian’s enemies include satan {4}, his demons, and the world. While some of the people of the world might seem like a disciple’s enemy, as noted before, we are to remember that unsaved people are part of the realm of darkness and are moved by satan and his forces.
We are never to “battle" against such in our own strength or wisdom but must, like David, intently look to the “rock that is higher than I," Who is Christ Himself. Not are we only to look to that Rock, but we want God to lead us to that Rock. It is a great blessing to be moved upon and directed by the Holy Spirit.
II. Shelter 3a
“For You have been a shelter for me, . . .”
With Christ dwelling within and we in Him we can find Him to be a shelter, a refuge from the negativity and sin of the world. “Shelter” here means “refuge, shelter . . . from rain or storm, from danger.” Regarding rain and storm one must think of the words of Christ as found in Matthew 7:24 to 27:
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. 26 Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell--and great was its fall.”
“Have been” brings out a very key point. Although David seemed to be overwhelmed he personally had known God to be a refuge. Being in the presence and will of God is the best place to be at all times. Even if the world continues to batter away, one can enjoy His blessed peace which passes all understanding (Philippians 4:2-7). “Have been” indicates a lifestyle of continuously making God one’s shelter.
III. Tower 3b
“A tower of strength against the enemy.”
The “have been” in the earlier portion of this verse certainly carries over to the fact that we should be in God as our tower as a part of our lifestyle. Towers were constructed mainly to keep an eye on the enemy. The written Word of God gives us numerous facts as to what is going to happen in the end time portion of the Age of the Gentiles. It also gives us many facts as to how any true Christian can, and will, come under attack from the enemy.
Additionally there is God’s Holy Spirit that speaks to one’s heart usually through each disciple’s level of discerning spirits {5}. Jesus said that His Holy Spirit would guide us into truth and tell us things to come (John 16:13). While “things to come” could very well mean those things that deal with the end of the Gentile Age, it also means things to come in our own lives.
It is to be remembered that towers are built upward, way above the ground. The higher the tower, the further one can see from its top. We can see a spiritual principle illustrated from that natural fact in that the more one has his mind set upon things above where Christ dwells the more spiritual insight and strength they will have.
IV. Tabernacle 4a
“I will abide in your tabernacle for ever: . . .”-- American King James Version (AKJV)
After checking Young’s Literal Translation and the passage as presented by The Jewish Publication Society, instead of continuing at this point with the New American Standard Bible which has “Let me dwell . . .”, I feel the AKJV is better. It expresses the decisive desire of David to dwell forever in God’s tabernacle.
The word for tabernacle here can mean a “nomad’s tent, and thus symbolic of wilderness life, transience”, or “dwelling, home, habitation”, or the sacred tent of YHVH. Considering the thought of “nomad’s tent, and thus symbolic of wilderness life, transience”, I must think of how the Son left His realm of glory to “tabernacle” amongst us (John 1:14) in order to redeem us. On receiving Him as Savior and King one tabernacles in Him.
David expressed a desire to dwell in God not just when there was trouble, but every moment while here on earth with the glorious and most pleasant objective of dwelling in Him forever. We must remember, though, that passages like John 15:1-5 and many others show we must choose to dwell in Him at all times. If we endeavor to continuously dwell in Him while in the flesh here we will dwell in Him forever.
V. Secret Place 4b
“I will trust in the covert of your wings.” AKJV
“Covert" is a far better word than “shelter" which is a little too broad to the best of my knowledge and research. Strong says
the word here can mean covering, shelter, hiding place, secrecy. Another Hebrew word is used to simply express shelter and is used in verse 3. The one in verse 4 carries the idea of secrecy. If the Holy Spirit used a different word in verse 4 than in verse 3 then I do not see why any translation would say “shelter” instead of “covert” in verse 4. Perhaps if they thought some people would not understand “covert” or bother to check that English word in a dictionary then “hiding place” should have been used.Sadly, to many unsaved most of the blessings of spiritual protection and direction are a secret because they choose not to sincerely and completely enter into God’s provision of salvation. It is also a secret to those who would purposely attack a true Christian’s relationship with God or try to “trip them up” in some way. The Christian that dwells in His secret place, under His wings, remains in tune with the Holy Spirit and will take action according to how the He leads. There are many times the unsaved cannot really predict what a real Christian will do under a certain “pressure” because Christ said of those born of the Spirit (John 3:8), “The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
While the “secret place” of God should be continuous in our lives each disciple should have at least one, if not many, private focused times with God in a day. If we do this, and many other godly things, on a regular basis then we will automatically do it when trouble comes our way. Hence, by the Spirit David says “I will trust.” Out of seven possible words the Holy Spirit chose the only Hebrew word rendered “trust” that carries the idea of fleeing {6}, which further shows a “covert,” a “hiding place," is being spoken of here and not just a shelter in general. Strong indicates “trust” here means to “to seek refuge, flee for protection, 1a) to put trust in (God), confide or hope in (God) (fig.).”
God’s covert, His hiding place for us, is described as that blessed place under His wings. The Hebrew word here used generally expresses extremities. This could devotionally touch us in the sense that His extremities spiritually take us far away from the world. So, at the start of the psalm, David started crying from the ends of the earth and now winds up under the wings of God and away from the world.
Finally, people in general in the Holy Bible are often likened to birds. And, in the Holy Bible God at times likens Himself to a bird (Psalm 91:1-4). With that, Christ, as He was nearing Jerusalem before going to the cross, wept and said, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, just as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not have it!” By saying that, Christ clearly indicated He is YHVH in the flesh, the Way the Father made to save us from our sins. That is why if we are to be a true son (child) of God, the Father had to send His Son so we might become like Him (Christ).
Notes:
With the help of God I developed another message on Psalm 61:1-4 which includes the verses in the above article. So, if you would like to see those verses from another angle please read Steps To Safety at http://holybibletreasures.expertscolumn.com/article/steps-safety .
{1} From an electronic version of Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance by James Strong incorporated in the Online Bible program, and so throughout the article whenever the ancient language is referred to and no other authority is cited.
{2} Please read Get Out Of The Dust at http://holybibletreasures.expertscolumn.com/article/get-out-dust .
{3} Wilson, William: Wilson's Old Testament Word Studies (MacDonald Publishing Company, McLean, VA) p360
{4} Not capitalized on purpose. Experts Column gives me the freedom to express myself in that way.
{5} Please read Every Christian Ought To Have A Mighty Big Nose at http://holybibletreasures.expertscolumn.com/article/every-christian-ought-to-have-a-mighty-big-nose .
{6} Wilson p456
This article was written in the form of a sermon (message) outline with comments. God willing by March 9, 2017 (hopefully much sooner), you should be able to hear the actual message (sermon) by selecting a link at http://www.sapphirestreams.com/life/audioM.html#M439 .
Unless otherwise noted all Holy Scripture is from the New American Standard Bible changing LORD to YHVH as it rightly should be when the text so indicates. * = For other versions the spelling of some words is updated for our time in addition to changing LORD to YHVH as it rightly should be when the text so indicates.
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