Page 65 - The Poetic Books - Student Text

7.3 The Picture of Faith

As with all words used frequently, “refuge” goes along with other terms in a “word family.”
Some scholars use another metaphor, “wordfield”, to speak about a group of words inter-
related by a concept. We understand the metaphor. A field is growing a crop not of corn or
cabbage but words. In the case of “refuge”, we see quite a few connected words. Psalm 36:7
places “refuge” with “the shadow of your wings.” This allows us to bring together Psalm 36:7
with Psalm 63:7 where “the shadow of your wings” occurs but “refuge” does not. This technique, along
with others, helps us develop a careful list of refuge-like words. Taken together the words give us a vivid
picture of what faith in God’s Messiah looks like.
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Nouns like “cover,” “shelter,” dwelling,” “hiding place,” “fortress,” “rock,” and “shield” all belong in the
wordfield. Now add verbs to the list like “take refuge” and “trust.” “Trust” is another often used word in
Psalms, some 52x. “The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me
(28:7).” We begin to see how often the concept occurs in Psalms. There is “a virtual symphony of
communication of Yahweh as protector and to express the confessions and descriptions of those who
rely on Yahweh’s refuge…Central to the [refuge] field is the idea that Yahweh is the only reliable source
of protection and that an attitude of dependence upon Yahweh is the most basic element of piety.”
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Israel was offered this lesson early in their history with Yahweh. He gave them water out of a rock in the
wilderness (Ex. 17:1-7; Num. 20:2-13). Moses, just before his death, taught Israel extensively and
powerfully about their Rock in a song. He highlighted the difference between Yahweh and the gods of
other nations. “Their rock is not like our Rock, as even our enemies concede” (Deut. 32:31; cf. vv. 4, 13,
15, 18, 30, 37). Moses understood very well the need for a Rock. “Lord, you have been our dwelling
place throughout all generations (Ps. 90:1).” He experienced the consuming anger of God (90:7, cf. Num.
20:12). He longed for the favor (grace) of God (90:17). As a place of refuge, God can be trusted at all
times and places. Coming out of Egypt, Israel was invited to drink “from the spiritual rock that
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accompanied them, and that rock was Christ (1 Cor. 10:4).”

As already noted, other theological concepts are crucial to the message of Psalms. Along with “wicked”
and “righteous” and “Messiah king”, “refuge” and its associated words form the core of the theology of
Psalms. The God presented here is quite different from
the gods of other nations. Seldom, if ever, are the other
gods portrayed as a refuge. Service to other gods is
difficult, hard. They are demanding. How different is
Yahweh! Servitude to him is taking refuge in him, trusting
him for all of life’s difficulties. Psalm 4 warns “How long
will you love delusions and seek false gods (v. 5).” The
reader is invited to “trust in the LORD (v. 5)” As he learns
Figure 34: Refuge from blizzard God’s ways, he is promised “more joy than when their

105 The concepts are explained in detail by Jerome F. D. Creach in Yahweh as Refuge and the Editing of the Hebrew
Psalter (Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 1996), 22-37.
106 Ibid., 37.
107 Compare Lauger, “Treaty Witnesses” in The Pentateuch, 128-130.
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