SAFE HAVENS

PROCLAMATION

“Speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘Appoint out for you cities of refuge, whereof I spake unto you by the hand of Moses; That the slayer that killeth any person unawares and unwittingly may flee thither; and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood.’ ”  Joshua 20:2-3 (KJV)

 

EXPLANATION

These are the words of God which were revealed to and written by Joshua under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  After dividing up the promised land, The Lord God spoke to Joshua and told him to designate several cities of refuge to be safe haven for individuals who had accidentally killed a person and was seeking to flee from someone seeking revenge. (Joshua 20:1-3)  He that flees shall present himself to the elders of that city and they shall take him in and give him a place to stay and dwell among them.  If someone pursues him, the elders will not turn him over to them because what he did was accidental. (Joshua 20:4-6)  There six such cities of refuge designated for the children of Israel. (Jordan 20:7-9)

 

APPLICATIONS                                                                          

There are no such cities of refuge for us today.  The closest thing we have to a save haven is under the protective wings of our Lord and Savior. (Psalm 17:8, 36:7, and 91:4)  He offers us protection from all that would do us harm for whatever reason they might have.  That which He does not keep from us, He will go with us through whatever it is and protects us.  We are never alone (Hebrews 13:5) for He is always with us. (Matthew 28:20)  He can calm the storm or just keep us safe through the storm. (Mark 4:37-41)

KEEP ME SAFE FROM THE HANDS OF THE WICKED

Proclamation:

“Keep me safe, Lord, from the hands of the wicked; protect me from the violent, who devise ways to trip my feet.”  Psalm 140:4 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this psalm were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by King David.  This psalm is a prayer which was sung asking for The Lord God’s protection from evil doers, violent people, and the wicked.  Protection from the people which the devil uses to trip us up, get us off track, and get our minds off of The Lord God and onto something sinful or onto our situation. (Psalm 140:1-4)  This prayer asks for The Lord God to have mercy and be our strong deliverer. (Psalm 140:6-7)  This prayer also asks that He not let the wicked succeed, that their plans would back-fire on them, and that burning coals would fall upon them and that disaster would befall them. (Psalm 11:6 and 140:8-11)

Application:

This is a prayer for deliverance from evil people and situations.  Unfortunately, there a many people in this world that would enjoy seeing a righteous person fall, suffer, and sin.  Some not only enjoy watching it but they will gladly participate in it.  Everyone who smiles in your face is not your friend.  Be very careful of the advice that you get from your “friends”.  We should pray over every decision that we have to make, and we should be sure to ask The Lord God to protect us from those who mean us no good but mean to harm us.  We should also pray for this same protection for our family and friends.  Do not get caught up in revenge, pray for deliverance.

KEPT SAFE AND PROTECTED FROM HARM FOREVER

Proclamation:

“You, Lord, will keep the needy safe and will protect us forever from the wicked …”  Psalm 12:7 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by King David.  He begins by talking of a time when there appear to be no godly men.  He appeals to The Lord God for help because he feels alone and that all of the faithful men have gone through death or desertion.  Only the corrupt men remain who would lie and plot against or take advantage of their fellow man.  Then he prays or prophecies that The Lord God would put an end to all such men. (Psalm 12:3)  In contrast to the vanity and lies spoken by man, (Psalm 12:2) the words of God are true and pure. (Psalm 12:6)  The people of God, who are always in need either spiritually or physically, will be protected by The Lord and kept safe from the wicked who will boldly exalt their own.

Application:

We live in a time when the wicked are prosperous and occupy positions of authority.  True God fearing leaders are hard to find.  Corruption and deception abound in governments, institutions, and in leadership at all levels.  However, believers are not to worry about, be envious of, or try to imitate those evil doers for they will soon be cut down. (Psalm 37:1-2)  We are to trust in The Lord and not depend upon our own limited understanding and abilities. (Proverbs 3:5-6)  The only safe place for us is in the hands of The Lord.  For not only is there safety in His hands, no one can take us out of His hands. (John 10:29)  During the reign of the wicked, only The Lord God can give us the safety and protection that we yearn for. (Psalm 12:5)