Return to Refuge with Psalm 81

For this particular Psalm 81, I think the language used by the New American Standard version of the Bible explains the themes very well. May I encourage you to read Psalm 81 in several translations (including the NASB).

The literal meaning of the Psalm has the writer Asaph leading worshipers into praise of God as Refuge. They are reminded of the oppressive clavery in Egypt, and of the many miracles God performed as He brought them into their land of promise. They are also reminded of the many times they forgot about the mighty acts God did on their behalf and strayed from authentic obedience to God's ways. In times of waywardness God lifted his hand of blessing and allowed bad things to happen to them. But he was always right there, hoping and waiting for them to turn their hearts back to him.

This Psalm was written many years before the arrival of Christ Jesus. Now we can look back on this Psalm through the events of Christ's death and resurrection. We now have the Holy Spirit to breath new meaning. Figurative interpretation and application yields some incredible parallels between God's peoples' wayward hearts spoken of in Psalm 81, and our rebellious hearts today.

As the Psalm begins with an exhortation to sing and make music on every kind of instrument imaginable, we are reminded that a heart devoted to God is a worshipping heart. Picture your heart (inner person) becoming the instrument itself that makes music for God and people to hear. When your heart is tuned to his tuning fork, you are able to play harmonious sounds in perfect pitch. When you stray from the pitch of the Master orchestra leader, your instrument becomes harder and harder to play.

Sometimes we tune our hearts to the wrong kind of sounds, away from God's voice. Verses 11 & 12 read,

"But My people did not listen to My voice,
And Israel {you} did not obey Me.
So I gave  them over to the stubbornness of their heart,
To walk in their own devices."

In verse 9, we are warned against following "strange gods" (idols). An idol is anything that takes your affections away from the rightful place God desires (to have for himself) in your life. An idol is any person, place, or thing that becomes a counterfeit comfort, false refuge, or controlling behavior that steals your heart-allegiance to God. An idol is basically anything that you believe (ever so subtly) is so important, if it were suddenly taken out of your life, you would have difficulty trusting God to be able to fill the void.

If we're honest about it, that pretty much implicates all of us (to one degree or another). If we are trusting Christ as our Savior and Refuge, we are in a process of sanctification; a process of having our hearts transformed (changed) into the likeness of Christ (2 Cor 3:18). Change is something our human nature resists, but is absolutely necessary to break free of encumbrances. This change is all about yielding more and more parts of our heart that are yet "stubborn," for them to become tuned to the Master's voice. "Oh that My people would listen to Me," (v13) says the Master, that you "would walk in My ways!"  In the next two verses God promises to provide Refuge from adversaries, and the final verse of the Psalm says, "I would feed you with the finest of the wheat, And with honey from the rock I would satisfy you” (v 16). This symbolizes not only a life of survival, but of abundant provision and deep satisfaction. Does this remind you of what Jesus Christ proclaimed of  himself? "I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly" (John 10:10). 

When our hearts are free from idols, we are free to hear God's voice in the clearest way possible, and live the most fulfilling life possible. We are symbolically free of Egypt's slavery to patterns of behavior that seem to control us instead of us controlling them. When idols are removed, our hearts are also free to make the most melodious music possible.

Are there any idols in your life right now, that are keeping you from making beautiful music (in your heart)? Do you feel close enough in your relationship with God  to ask him that question? Do you fear the answer? Let me assure you, (and God wants you to know), He loves and accepts you where you are, but He loves you too much to let you stay where you are. In his grace and mercy there is power to change. You can return to Refuge! 

My forthcoming book Escaping the Pain of Offense: Empowered to Forgive from the Heart addresses these topics in much more detail.   http://bluerockbnb.com/healing/book_main.htm

by Ed Hersh, Blue Rock BnB Healing Ministry

The Foreword to the Book

Not only is Refuge a key topic discussed in the Bible, but it has been on the hearts of myriads of refuge-seekers throughout history. The Reformation (as a faith movement)  brought sweeping changes to how "common folk" perceived and practiced their connection to God. By the time western Europeans were settling the "new world" (what eventually became the United States of America), religious freedom became a major reason for many families leaving their familiar surroundings, to explore the opportunities to worship their God in an earthly paradise.

The foreword of my book Escaping the Pain of Offense provides some vision for the part Pennsylvania played in a more recent portion of history. Dr. Robert Doe who authors the foreword, has a family heritage dating back to the Mayflower. His forefathers have held many leadership  posts in arenas such as law, medicine, and government. As an ivy league medical school graduate, he practices a healing profession as doctor. His vision for practicing medicine is much more than a science. While honoring scientific advances, he believes in a much higher power, the strength of which could never be fully discovered with scientific research. Many of his patients express gratitude for his ability to help them find God in the midst of their medical treatment.  

I consider myself privileged to have the opportunity to work with a team of spiritual care counselors who work alongside Dr. Doe to treat persons dealing with issues related to physical and mental health, and addictions. Our approach to helping people includes many of the themes discussed in my book called Escaping the Pain of Offense: Empowered to Forgive from the Heart. The Refuge is the same, yesterday, today and forever.

For more information about how to receive help through a Refuge Clinic (if you live in the Lancaster area), point your WWW browser to this link:

http://lightofhope-cso.org/ministryteam/refugeofhealing.aspx

Below is a sneak preview of the beginning of the Foreword.

William Penn, founder of Pennsylvania and Delaware, wrote these words as he pondered the great possibilities of creating a ‘fresh start’ in the Americas:

“There may yet be room for such a Holy Experiment. For the Nations want a precedent and my God will make it a Seed of a Nation, that an example may be set up to the Nations. That we may do the thing that is wise and just.”

His “Holy Experiment” would establish a place where people could worship God and honor Christ without fear of persecution. Penn invited Anabaptists, Quakers and other persecution-weary peoples to live in the Americas, offering them a promise of religious freedom and a new beginning. This holy ‘seed’ of freedom to worship God together was to serve as an example of true justice and wisdom to all the nations. His vision was to create a government of the people that reflected the Kingdom of God whose foundations are justice and righteousness. Isaiah 9 was a favored passage of his, especially that portion stating that the “government shall be upon His shoulders”.

The Kingdom of God was to be reflected in the society of Pennsylvania. In Luke 9 and

10, this is revealed to be peace, healing, deliverance and new life. In addition to religious and political liberty Philadelphia was also the site of the first institutions of healing in the New World. The first hospital, medical school, pharmacy school, mental hospital, nursing school, osteopathic institute and other medical centers were developed in southeast Pennsylvania as the first of their kind in the United States. Therefore, it could also be expected that healing ministry and practical new models of Christian medical care should be a fruit of the historical blessing of our region. This pioneering of medical services in Philadelphia suggests that physical and emotional healing were also to be a “first fruit” of William Penn’s Kingdom vision.

The Foreword continues to expound on this vision and ends by quoting a verse from Hebrews 11:39-40: "And all these (ancestors), having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.”  Each of us can make a difference in our world today because we join the heritage of refuge-seekers who found their Refuge in the God of the Bible whose sovereign plan identifies, provides and protects our value and worth in divine historical context. It's not about us, it's about HIM!

by Ed Hersh, Blue Rock BnB Healing Ministry

The Refuge of Psalm 7

Does doubt and worry creep into your mind and heart because of all the "bad stuff" happening around you?  Does life sometimes feel like a flurry of activity with purpose and meaning difficult to find?

What an incredible place of Refuge in Psalm 7!  David begins, "O LORD my God, I take refuge in you."

As I envision these 17 verses on a graph of intensity, the apex verses are 8-10,

"Judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness,
   according to my integrity, O Most High

O righteous God,
   who searches minds and hearts,
bring to an end the violence of the wicked
   and make the righteous secure.

My shield is God Most High,
   who saves the upright in heart."

Righteousness (or right-ness) seems to be a key element of Refuge.  In the New Testament (NT), Romans 3:22 says, "This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe."  The Apostle Paul says a few verses later, "to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness" (Rom. 4:5). Trusting in Jesus Christ for salvation (Refuge), establishes the only means of a person's righteousness (right standing) before God.  Therefore, Psalm 7:8 can be interpreted as a bold and substantive declaration of Refuge in the midst of doubt, confusion, or enemy attack. "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38-39).

May I invite you to read Psalm 7 in its entirety.  Notice that verse 1-7 leading up to verse 8 express a great deal of fear and anxiety regarding David's right standing before God.  He even doubted his Refuge status as a result of some potential oversight (sin of omission) against another person.  We know from a historical context that David was very motivated to follow all the Old Testament (OT) laws of God to secure his right standing--certainly most qualified of anyone among his people. Hence, it is as if he is trying to reassure himself when he states "judge, me O Lord, according to my righteousness" (v8). In the next verse (v9), he regains confidence in God "who searches minds and hearts," and exposes wickedness (offenses of any sort) for God to forgive and make right once again. The remainder of the Psalm praises God for His ability to deal with evil and willingness to act on behalf of those who turn their hearts away from sin to become devoted to Him.

The real punch of this Psalm comes in the last verse which summarizes David's journey and foretells of times beginning with the NT through today.

"I will give thanks to the LORD because of his righteousness
   and will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High."

God's requirement of righteousness was satisfied through His very own "right son," Jesus, the only right source of salvation and refuge.  Because Jesus made us "right" (a work of HIS, not ours), we are judged "righteous" before Almighty God. We can join with the writer of Phillippians in the NT in proclaiming, "I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith" (Phil 3:8-9).  Our most sincere endeavors cannot secure our Refuge. The most religious, altruistic, or socially just efforts are never good enough to earn right standing before God.  Psalm 7:8-9 has been answered once and for all in what Jesus accomplished through his death and resurrection. A flurry-filled, activity-based Christian life should be evaluated against Matthew 11:28-29 where Jesus says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls."

Human behavior tends toward extremes. We sin or err in one of two directions. Either we put too little faith and trust in Jesus and what he completed (making us "right" with God), or we place too much confidence in our own efforts to appease God and please others to  make things right.  Christ as Refuge makes right.  He corrects  either path of error.

The forthcoming book Escaping the Pain of Offense: Empowered to Forgive from the Heart addresses these themes in much more detail.  http://bluerockbnb.com/healing/book_main.htm

by Ed Hersh, Blue Rock BnB Healing Ministry

Purpose for the Book

Why write a book on the topic of forgiveness? One reason is because of how greatly misunderstood forgiveness has become. Chapter Two of the book addresses some of the chief concerns in this regard. Another reason is because of the profound influence of this topic in my personal healing journey. This aspect is discussed more in Appendix B of the book. Another reason is because of the profound influence I believe it can have on each  reader's journey to greater health and wholeness.

Escaping the Pain of Offense: Empowered to Forgive from the Heart is my first book publication. Some authors write because they "dream" of publishing a book. This project did not happen that way. The reader will discover in the Preface of the book how circumstances directed me to research this topic. After researching the topic of forgiveness, I found some extremely valuable treasures that I feel compelled to share with others. I wrote a book on the topic of forgiveness not because I had a dream to publish a book, but because I have a dream of sharing the Refuge I've found with others looking for Refuge.

Proverbs 2:1-5 says,

 ¹ My son, if you accept my words
   and store up my commands within you,
² turning your ear to wisdom
   and applying your heart to understanding,
³ and if you call out for insight
   and cry aloud for understanding,
⁴ and if you look for it as for silver
   and search for it as for hidden treasure,
⁵ then you will understand the fear of the LORD
   and find the knowledge of God.

Sometimes it takes a significant amount of searching until Refuge is found. But if you seek, you will find. I can attest to this process in my life, and I am confident it is true for everyone reading this as well. Sometimes our path is obstructed with painful situations that make it more difficult to press on.  Physical limitations, unexpected illnesses, and losses of employment, house, spouse, or parents, are types of things that may create hurtful responses. Like all human beings, I have had my share of these. When the way seems dark, I continue on until a place of Refuge is once again found.

Psalm 139:12 provides a Refuge perspective on darkness, "even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you." God's infinitely creative ability can make a way where there is no way. I encourage you to find a Bible and read Psalm 139 in its entirety. The last two verses reveal a heart devoted to uprooting offense,

 "²³ Search me, O God, and know my heart;
   test me and know my anxious thoughts.
²⁴ See if there is any offensive way in me,
   and lead me in the way everlasting. "

Uprooting sources of offense and forgiveness are strongly connected to each other. Showing how this is true and showing ways to overcome is the purpose for writing this book. The book should be available within weeks. I look forward to more dialogue on topics in the book.

New Book

Perhaps the Psalm painting the clearest imagery of forgiveness is Psalm 32. Grab your Bible and read the entire Psalm. Verse 1 begins, "Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered." In verse 7 the Psalmist David beautifully weaves the Refuge with forgiveness, "You are my hiding place;  you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance."

Although the topic of forgiveness is often referred to, it is rarely understood and practiced in the manner it is intended by God to transform people's lives. Many misunderstandings have stifled and robbed our ability to find refuge in forgiveness. My hope is that some of these misdirected beliefs can be cleared up through a new book I have authored called Escaping the Pain of Offense: Empowered to Forgive from the Heart.   The back cover will read:

Offended?   Learn how to stay free!

Escaping the Pain of Offense reveals how forgiveness and reconciliation are linked to a person’s spiritual, physical, mental and emotional health. This insightful book combines Bible knowledge with the findings of experts in the counseling field and provides solutions that can change lives. It leads us through a process of removing blocks and becoming free of entrapment to a cycle of offense. Conflicts are resolved by positively impacting core beliefs about God, self and others. Hersh shows us how to surrender to a loving, personal God as our ultimate authority and judge.

Through Escaping the Pain of Offense, you will be equipped to:

·        Discover and break active cycles of nagging discouragement, frustration, or anxiety

·        Discern truth from fallacy about forgiveness

·        Find rest and peace in the inner being

·        Resolve conflict to enable harmonious relationships

Stay tuned for more information about how to understand and practice forgiveness.  The book will be available within weeks and I hope you can obtain a copy.  Although I thoroughly researched and authored a book on this topic, I consider myself forever a learner, and look forward to unceasingly fresh revelation in the Refuge of forgiveness.

My soul finds rest in God alone

In the 150 chapters of the book of Psalms, the word refuge is explicitly mentioned 43 times in 34 different chapters (New International Version). Defined as a place of shelter, protection, or safety, refuge as a concept, is used many more times in the Psalms.  Refuge is a key theme throughout the entire Bible. 

"My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him (Psalm 62:1, NIV, 1984).

The Psalmist David found a refuge in God for the human soul. According to the central theme of the Christian faith, this Refuge  is ultimately expressed in God sending His Son Jesus to provide salvation for the human soul. "Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need" (Hebrews 4:14,16).

I am initiating this blog to discuss themes regarding refuge of healing and hope. My first book called Escaping the Pain of Offense: Empowered to Forgive from the Heart, is forthcoming.  I will soon be posting more about the book. My hope is that it helps the reader find rest and healing in the Refuge.