A Refuge in Time of Trouble
Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 11 viewsNotes
Transcript
A Refuge in Time of Trouble
A Refuge in Time of Trouble
4 For thou hast maintained my right and my cause; Thou satest in the throne judging right.
5 Thou hast rebuked the heathen, thou hast destroyed the wicked, Thou hast put out their name for ever and ever.
6 O thou enemy, destructions are come to a perpetual end: And thou hast destroyed cities; Their memorial is perished with them.
7 But the Lord shall endure for ever: He hath prepared his throne for judgment.
8 And he shall judge the world in righteousness, He shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness.
9 The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, A refuge in times of trouble.
It is amazing to read the stories of men and women who have faced opposition, obstacles and through it all saw opportunities so that they were able to go beyond merely surviving - but they endured, they pursued, they came out victorious over great opposition.
Trials and troubles in life are not always just an inconvenience or irritation, sometimes they are for our very life and existence...
As David penned the 9th Psalm, we find out how he ran to the Lord and how he shows us…
God saved the king
God Shelters the people...
Praise be to God, that is still going on today - The Lord has not left us without help!
9 The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, A refuge in times of trouble.
A Refuge in Time of Trouble
A Refuge in Time of Trouble
a refuge...
this word refuge simply means:
Stronghold, structure… a place of security...
“The Lord also will be a refuge for teh oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble...
With this promise, are we taking advantage of this place of refuge?
OT saints were very aware of the need of refuge… so much that the Lord even instituted cities of refuge.
10 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come over Jordan into the land of Canaan;
11 Then ye shall appoint you cities to be cities of refuge for you; that the slayer may flee thither, which killeth any person at unawares.
12 And they shall be unto you cities for refuge from the avenger; that the manslayer die not, until he stand before the congregation in judgment.
13 And of these cities which ye shall give six cities shall ye have for refuge.
14 Ye shall give three cities on this side Jordan, and three cities shall ye give in the land of Canaan, which shall be cities of refuge.
15 These six cities shall be a refuge, both for the children of Israel, and for the stranger, and for the sojourner among them: that every one that killeth any person unawares may flee thither.
16 And if he smite him with an instrument of iron, so that he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.
17 And if he smite him with throwing a stone, wherewith he may die, and he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.
18 Or if he smite him with an hand weapon of wood, wherewith he may die, and he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.
19 The revenger of blood himself shall slay the murderer: when he meeteth him, he shall slay him.
20 But if he thrust him of hatred, or hurl at him by laying of wait, that he die;
21 Or in enmity smite him with his hand, that he die: he that smote him shall surely be put to death; for he is a murderer: the revenger of blood shall slay the murderer, when he meeteth him.
22 But if he thrust him suddenly without enmity, or have cast upon him any thing without laying of wait,
23 Or with any stone, wherewith a man may die, seeing him not, and cast it upon him, that he die, and was not his enemy, neither sought his harm:
24 Then the congregation shall judge between the slayer and the revenger of blood according to these judgments:
25 And the congregation shall deliver the slayer out of the hand of the revenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to the city of his refuge, whither he was fled: and he shall abide in it unto the death of the high priest, which was anointed with the holy oil.
26 But if the slayer shall at any time come without the border of the city of his refuge, whither he was fled;
27 And the revenger of blood find him without the borders of the city of his refuge, and the revenger of blood kill the slayer; he shall not be guilty of blood:
28 Because he should have remained in the city of his refuge until the death of the high priest: but after the death of the high priest the slayer shall return into the land of his possession.
When God’s people were to go into the promised land - the land of Canaan, they would have 3 cities that were called “cities of refuge”
These cities were spread out -
3 on one side of Jordan -
3 on the other side of Jordan...
Historians also tell us that these cities were centrally located, so that they were 1 days journey - 30 miles from the border of each city - so that a person in need could have access to a place where safety was ensured...
These cities of refuge were to protect people from the accidents in life...
It is one thing to have an accident, and another to be a premeditated killer… these cities of refuge were not to make it so the guilty would go free - but it would insure that they were given a trial...
As the song writer wrote - The Lord is our city of refuge...
Guilty, I was - I found shelter in the blood he she for me...
A Refuge in Time of Trouble.
He Maintains Us
4 For thou hast maintained my right and my cause; Thou satest in the throne judging right.
My Rights
My Cause
the purpose
the needs
Fear
Foe
Health
finances
He Ministers to Us
8 And he shall judge the world in righteousness, He shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness.
Righteous judgment
when oppression comes, we want to have the confidence of having a God who is just...
Omniscient
He doesn’t miss anything...
mistreatment
misunderstandings
misguided / misinformed attacks...
The Lord is our Refuge...
He is who we are to retreat to...
He knows the injustices of life
the problems we cause...
the problems we inherit
He is Merciful to us
12 When he maketh inquisition for blood, he remembereth them: He forgetteth not the cry of the humble.
13 Have mercy upon me, O Lord; Consider my trouble which I suffer of them that hate me, Thou that liftest me up from the gates of death:
14 That I may shew forth all thy praise In the gates of the daughter of Zion: I will rejoice in thy salvation.
Prayer for help
The individual that was in trouble had to travel to get to the city of refuge...
their innocence wasn’t enough
their hardship wasn’t enough...
If they desired safety, they had to do whatever it took to get to the one of the 6 cities of refuge...
9 The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, A refuge in times of trouble.
He is our refuge in times (plural) of trouble…
We need to do whatever it takes to come to him...
A bowed knee...
A humble heart...
A repentant / sincere heart
A heart poured out to God...
We are a people in a time of trouble… it appears that these problems - these “times of trouble” are going to continue and get worse…
Are we - like David going to the Lord as our security?
Our family is not our best refuge
Our homes are not our best refuge
Our bunkers.. if you had those - are not our best refuge...
9 The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, A refuge in times of trouble.
The Lord -
Let’s go to him first - not last...
A Refuge in Times of Trouble