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The Mines of King Solomon (part 15)
Proverbs 18,10 says: “The name of the Lord is a strong castle; the righteous run there and are protected. " What does that mean? How can the name of God be a strong castle? Why didn't Solomon write that God Himself is a strong castle? How can we run to the name of God and find protection with him?
Names are important in any society. A name says a lot about a person: the gender, ethnic origin and perhaps also the political position of the parents or their pop idol at the time their child was born. Some people have a nickname that also says something about this person - namely who and what this person is. For the people who lived in the ancient Near East, the name of a person had a particularly great meaning; so also with the Jews. Parents thought a lot about their child's name and prayed about it in the hope that their child would fulfill what his or her name expresses. Names are also important to God. We know that he would sometimes change a person's name when he or she had life changing experiences. Hebrew names were often a brief description of the person, indicating who that person is or will be. For example, the name Abram became Abraham (father of many peoples) so that he could say that he is the father of many and that God works through him.
An aspect of the character of God
God also uses the Hebrew names to describe himself. Each of his names is a description of some aspect of his character and identity. They describe who he is, what he has done and at the same time are a promise to us. For example, one of the names of God Yahweh Shalom means "The Lord is peace" (Richter [space]]6,24). He is the God who brings us peace. Do you have fears? Are you restless or depressed? Then you can experience peace because God Himself is peace. If the Prince of Peace lives in you (Isaiah 9,6; Ephesians 2,14), he'll come to your aid. It changes people, relieves tension, changes difficult circumstances and calms your feelings and thoughts.
In 1. Moses 22,14 God calls himself Yahweh Jireh "the Lord sees". You can come to God and count on him. In many ways, God wants you to know that He knows your needs and would like to meet them. All you have to do is ask him. Back to Proverbs 18,10: Solomon says there that everything that is expressed about God through his name - his peace, his eternal fidelity, his grace, his love - is like a solid castle for us. Castles have been built for thousands of years to protect the local people from their enemies. The walls were very high and almost impregnable. When attackers marched into the country, people fled from their villages and fields to the castle because they knew they were safe and secure there. Solomon writes that the righteous run to God. You did not take a leisurely walk there, but lost no time and ran to God and were safe with him. Shielded means to be protected and safe from attack.
However, one could argue that this only applies to the "righteous" people. Then come thoughts like “I'm not good enough. I am not that holy. I make so many mistakes. My thoughts are unclean ... ”Yet another name for God is Yahweh Tsidekenu“ The Lord our righteousness ”(Jeremiah 33,16). God provides us with his righteousness through Jesus Christ, who died for our sins, "that in him we might become the righteousness that is before God" (2. Corinthians 5,21). We therefore do not have to strive to be righteous on our own, because we are justified through Jesus' sacrifice, if we then claim it for ourselves. Therefore, in uncertain and frightening times, you can step forward strengthened with courageous steps, even then, especially when you do not feel you are just.
Wrong collateral
We make a tragic mistake when we walk to the wrong place in search of safety. The next verse in Proverbs warns us: "The rich man's possessions are like a solid city to him, and a high wall seems to him." This applies not only to money, but to everything that seems to help us to reduce our worries, fears and everyday stress: alcohol, drugs, career, a certain person. Solomon shows - and from his own experience he therefore knows only too well - that all these things only offer a false security. Anything but God from which we hope to be safe will never be able to give us what we really need. God is not a vaguely impersonal idea. His name is Father and his love is infinite and unconditional. You can have a personal and loving relationship with him. As you go through difficult times, call on him knowing that he will guide you "for the sake of his name" (Psalm 2)3,3). Ask him to teach you to understand who he is.
Many years ago, when my children were very young, there was a huge storm at night. A lightning strike was near our home, so we ran out of electricity. The children were terrified. As the lightning hissed around them in the darkness and the thunder rumbled, they called to us and ran as fast as they could to us. We spent this night as a family in our marriage bed and my wife and I held our children firmly in our arms. They quickly fell asleep, trusting that everything would be alright because Mom and Dad were in bed with them.
Regardless of what you are going through, you can rest with God and trust that He is with you and holds you in His arms. God calls himself Yahweh Shammah (Ezekiel 48,35) and that means "Here is the Lord". There is no place where God is not with you. He was present in your past, he is in your present, and he will be in your future too. He is with you in good times and bad. He is always by your side. Run to him for his name's sake.
by Gordon Green
