Symbolic Designation of God (3)
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
A man and woman had been married for more than 60 years.
They had shared everything. They had talked about everything.
They had kept no secrets from each other except that the
little old woman had a shoe box in the top of her closet that
she had cautioned her husband never to open or ask her
about.
For all of these years, he had never thought about the box,
but one day the little old woman got very sick and the doctor
said she would not recover. In trying to sort out their affairs,
the little old man took down the shoe box and took it to his
wife's bedside. She agreed that it was time that he should
know what was in the box. When he opened it, he found two
crocheted dolls and a stack of money totaling $95,000.
He asked her about the contents. "When we were to be married," she said, "my grandmother told me the secret of a happy marriage was to never argue. She told me that if I ever got angry with you, I should just keep quiet and crochet a doll."
The little old man was so moved; he had to fight back tears.
Only two precious dolls were in the box.. She had only been
angry with him two times in all those years of living and loving.
He almost burst with happiness. "Honey," he said, "that explains the dolls, but what about all of this money? Where did it come from?"
"Oh," she said, "that's the money I made from selling the dolls."
Tonight, our study of God’s names takes a little different path that our previous course of study. So far, we have considered the personal names and titles designated by the Holy Spirit for God. Now, as we continue, we are going to some symbolic designations given in Scripture that represent the character of God and His relationship to us.
For this study, you will be filling the circles on your chart. Here is the first.
God is Our Fortress
God is Our Fortress
We find this symbolic designation in several verses.
2 The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.
7 The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; And he knoweth them that trust in him.
Whenever we think of the word “fortress,” we think of war and conflict. A fortress is a stronghold used in defense of enemy forces. Thus, the designations “Strong Tower” and “High Tower” as applied to God express a similar provision and purpose.
3 For thou hast been a shelter for me, And a strong tower from the enemy.
2 My goodness, and my fortress; my high tower, and my deliverer; My shield, and he in whom I trust; Who subdueth my people under me.
A fortress was often built in a high place and access to the it was often difficult. Both features of a fortress made it the perfect place of safety against opposing enemy forces. David, as a warring general and a psalmist, understood the importance of a well fortified fortress. Thus, in many of his psalms, he often expressed his delight in that God was the place (fortress) in which he placed his trust and confidence. The idea is that Jehovah God was a God of righteousness and righteous judgments. Consequently, He was then a high tower of righteous judgment to those who would oppress His righteous people. For His people, He, in turn, became the place of security when faced with trouble and opposition.
9 The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, A refuge in times of trouble.
In the Psalms along, God is described as our fortress, or high tower over 13 times. The theme running throughout those verses is the protecting care and power of the God. For example...
1 I will love thee, O Lord, my strength.
2 The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.
In the book of Hosea, the prophet predicts the coming destruction Israel’s fortresses.
14 For Israel hath forgotten his Maker, and buildeth temples; And Judah hath multiplied fenced cities: But I will send a fire upon his cities, And it shall devour the palaces thereof.
14 Therefore shall a tumult arise among thy people, And all thy fortresses shall be spoiled, As Shalman spoiled Beth-arbel in the day of battle: The mother was dashed in pieces upon her children.
Note that they were destroyed because Israel forgot about their Maker. They abandoned Jehovah as their fortress. Instead, they began to rely upon their own ability to build their own fortresses. As they did, they exchanged God’s protection for their own. God eventually brought down every fortress they constructed as a show of His strength and judgment.
In contrast to Israel’s or any nation’s fortress, we can rely upon the fact that our God is impregnable and indestructible stronghold. History of full of fortresses built with the promise they would never fall. Yet, in the end, all of have fallen. God, however, can never fail and no one can vanquish the Creator of the Universe.
It is interesting that when you come to the New Testament, we often see the imagery of warfare, especially in the letters penned by Paul. It would seem that Paul was extremely familiar with the Romans army. Perhaps he was a student of their tactics and defenses. The Holy Spirit used that knowledge to help us understand the reality of spiritual conflict. One such illustration is found in 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 and speaks to our study of a fortress or stronghold.
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:
4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
The word “strong holds” in verse 4 is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew word for “fortress” in the Old Testament. AS you can see, there are strongholds that we face in our lives each day. In these verses, we are encouraged not to walk in the flesh. Our fight is not a physical fight. Instead, it is a spiritual fight. Therefore, the weapons that we are to utilize are not physical weapons. No, they are weapons provided by God. God’s weapons are at our disposal. We are to use them to pull down (overcome) the strongholds of the flesh. As we do, we are able to cast down “imaginations” and “high things that exalteth itself” against knowing God. Additionally, God’s weapons are able to bring “into captivity every thought” so that we obey Him. In other words, our God, who is a might fortress Himself, provides for us, as believer, mighty spiritual weapons that assist us in overcoming biggest enemy, self.
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
19 And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,
It would seem that Martin Luther had the same thought when he penned these words.
A mighty Fortress is our God,
A Bulwark never failing:
Our Helper He, amid the flood
Of mortal ills prevailing.
God is Our Shield
God is Our Shield
The next symbolic designation of God found in Scripture is He is our Shield. There are many verses in which we find this designation. Here are few.
1 After these things the word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.
3 But thou, O Lord, art a shield for me; My glory, and the lifter up of mine head.
11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield: The Lord will give grace and glory: No good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.
114 Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word.
29 Happy art thou, O Israel: Who is like unto thee, O people saved by the Lord, The shield of thy help, and who is the sword of thy excellency! And thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee; And thou shalt tread upon their high places.
7 He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: He is a buckler to them that walk uprightly.
Most of us are familiar with a shield. The shield is one of the most ancient and universal weapons of defense. There are essentially two different types of combat shields.
One type was a large shield often used by heavy-armed infantry. They were designed to protect the entire body. Many times they were oval or square. Some of them were shaped much like a door. In Greek, the word for shield actually means “door.” Most of the time, these types of shields were heavy, cumbersome, and hard to wield. Yet, if they were used in the right way and with the right formation, they were extremely effective in not only protecting soldiers, but also in bulldozing through enemy lines.
The other type of shield was often used by light infantry. These were smaller, round hand shields (or as many called them bucklers). Unlike the bigger shields, these were used mainly in hand-to-hand combat. They were easier to maneuver but were not very effective against archers. In the Old Testament, the men of Benjamin in Asa’s army carried these types of shields.
8 And Asa had an army of men that bare targets and spears, out of Judah three hundred thousand; and out of Benjamin, that bare shields and drew bows, two hundred and fourscore thousand: all these were mighty men of valour.
We often see both kinds of shields mentioned together in Scripture.
2 Take hold of shield and buckler, And stand up for mine help.
24 And they shall come against thee with chariots, wagons, and wheels, and with an assembly of people, which shall set against thee buckler and shield and helmet round about: and I will set judgment before them, and they shall judge thee according to their judgments.
Solomon boasted of having 200 shields of beaten gold, and 300 hand-bucklers of beaten gold just to hang in his summer home in Lebanon.
16 And king Solomon made two hundred targets of beaten gold: six hundred shekels of gold went to one target.
17 And he made three hundred shields of beaten gold; three pound of gold went to one shield: and the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon.
As we know, when an army attacked a besieged fortress, shields were vitally important. They protected the advancing forces from the darts, stones, arrows, and boiling oil the defending forces would reign down upon them. Something that is also described in Scripture.
33 Therefore thus saith the Lord concerning the king of Assyria, He shall not come into this city, Nor shoot an arrow there, Nor come before it with shields, Nor cast a bank against it.
8 He shall slay with the sword thy daughters in the field: and he shall make a fort against thee, and cast a mount against thee, and lift up the buckler against thee.
As we move into the New Testament, the Holy Spirit uses the shield as an important piece of spiritual armor. The shield of faith is necessary in quenching the fiery darts of Satan.
Returning back to the thought of God as our shield, we understand then God is the one Who stands between us and the enemy. He literally is the One who shields us from spiritual attack. When you consider that thought, it makes sense that He then is the only One Who permits trials into our lives.
13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
For this reason, we can stand strong against the enemy for we have God Himself standing between us.
Here is one last thought! It is said that in Roman times, a perfectly plain shield was issued to each young soldier when he completed his training and entered his first military campaign. This shield was often called “The Shield of Expectation.” As Romans solider fought battles and achieved glory, he would inscribe them on the back of his shield. Thus, each inscription became a reminder of past achievements. In a similar way, God is our “Shield of Expectation.” We know that He will be with us as we fight the good fight of faith. Each battle is noted and each victory is already assured. Our job is to simply rely upon Him keeping our faith in Him. This is the reason we must take up the “Shield of Faith” each day.