Lutheran Hour Ministries



ROC – Vancouver

October 14-15, 2011

Dr. Glenn E. Schaeffer

Executive Assistant – Outreach, ABC District

Psalm 18:2 – “The Lord is My Rock and My Refuge”

If you are like me you know a lot of Lutherans. Is that a safe assumption? When you think of the Lutherans you know what do you think of? I have asked that question of people and here are some of the responses. “When I think of a Lutheran I think of …

• Someone who keeps his hymnal open during the whole service but never looks down at it!

• Someone who is going through a midlife crisis because her congregation is transitioning from the Lutheran Worship to Lutheran Service Book.

• Someone who is feeling guilty about not feeling guilty!

• Someone whose favourite instruments are the organ and accordion.

• Someone who knows how to polka but has never tried it sober!

• Someone who thinks that the German beer song, “Ein prosit!” was the battle hymn of the Lutheran Reformation!

When I think of the typical Lutheran, I think of her or him as a CAVEWOMAN or CAVEMAN!

That’s right … a cavewoman or caveman!

So, you are probably wondering: “Why in the world would Dr. Schaeffer think of us as Cavewomen or Caveman! What’s he been drinking?” Please bear with me. By the end of tomorrow’s devotion, you will know why I think of my fellow Lutherans as cavewomen and cavemen.

Let’s turn to Psalm 18, verse 2: “The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” (NIV)

As I studied the Hebrew words used in verse 2, I found some interesting images and ideas emerge. For example:

1. The Hebrew word translated in the NIV as “rock” often refers to a “cleft in a rock.”

2. When David uses the word “fortress” he was not thinking of a castle, but of a cave!

3. The word translated as “refuge” means “to take refuge in” like “a person taking shelter from a rainstorm.”

The image of the text is that of a person fleeing to a cleft in the rock or taking flight to a cave or cavern area in order to seek refuge from his enemy!

I direct your attention to the “Title section” of the psalm that serves as a preface to the psalm. There we read, “For the director of music. Of David the servant of the LORD. He sang to the LORD the words of this song when the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.”

Do you recall what served as David’s place of refuge … his stronghold when he was being hunted by Saul?

Turn to 1 Samuel 22 and let’s read verses 1 and 2. “David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and his father’s household heard about it, they went down to him there. All those who were in distress or debt or discontented gathered around him, and he became their leader. About four hundred men were with him.”

After spending some time in Gath acting like a madman, David “escaped to the cave of Adullam.” (1) (THE IMAGE ON THE SCREEN IS BELIEVED BY MANY SCHOLARS TO BE THE CAVE OF ADULLAM.)

The cave of Adullam was such a fortified place of refuge that David’s brothers and his father’s household joined him there. In addition, about 400 fellow outlaws hid with David at the Cave of Adullam. It was to this cave that David often went to as a refuge in times of crisis. The rocks, the surrounding cliffs, the myriad of interconnecting caves afforded David protection, even deliverance in times of extreme peril, especially when he was being hunted by his enemies.

Time and again, throughout David’s life, the Cave of Adullum is referenced as David’s stronghold (1 Sam. 24:22; 2 Sam. 5:17; 23:13). Many biblical scholars suggest (AND HERE IS A CLOSE-UP OF THE CAVE) that it was the Cave of Adullam that David had in his mind as he wrote, “The LORD is my [cleft in the] rock, my [cave] fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge [shelter]. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”

The Cave of Adullam was God’s very practical and down to earth way of being David’s cleft in the rock, his cave, his fortress, deliverer, sheleter, shield, and stronghold!

BUT, not all caves are shelters or fortresses of safety. For example: in the book of Joshua we hear of five Amorite kings who fled and hid themselves in the cave at Makkedah. When it was discovered that these 5 kings were hiding in the cave, Joshua had the cave sealed and they were trapped. Joshua recounts that these kings were later brought out of the cave, executed, and their bodies were thrown back in to cave which served as their burial site (Joshua 10:16-27).

When in trouble, people in the 21st century also seek refuge in caves! But, many of these caves are dead-end caves – like the cave of Makkedah! Instead of finding refuge and strength they become trapped in these caves … experiencing darkness and hopelessness.

What are some of these caves to which many people flee … in which they find themselves trapped?

1. The cave of loneliness. (Isolated from friends and family due to conflict; trapped in a passionless marriage)

2. The cave of vanity – self-importance. (The “Paris Hilton Syndrome”)

3. The cave of materialism.

4. The cave of insecurities. (coping with cancer; challenged by the aging and dying process)

5. The cave of pseudo-spirituality.

6. The cave of guilt and shame. (What person does not wrestle with her/his Old Adam?)

7. The cave of grief. Listen to one Christian woman’s description of the cave of grief: “An invisible knife pierces my heart. Ever since my 59-year-old husband lost his valiant battle with colon cancer, I’ve waited for him to call, to hear his hearty laugh – but silence looms. I long to talk to him about our five children – but he is gone. My body aches to be held by him in the night, to have his deep voice pray over me or to hear him recite Wynken, Blynken and Nod, the nursery rhyme he often used to lull me to sleep – but I am alone under the covers. My counselor tells me to accept the reality of my husband’s death, to stop tormenting myself.” (Focus on the Family: Canada, “Don’t Send a Sympathy Card”, July 2007, p. 18) – that woman is in cave like Makkedah!

Where can people, who are captive in caves of hopelessness, find refuge and strength? Where can you find refuge or shelter … for sooner or later we will find ourselves in such caves?

For David, the Cave of Adullam was how and where the Lord protected him and granted him refuge.

What cave do you seek refuge in? Where do you find God’s strength?

When I have found myself trapped in one of those dead-end, Makkedah-like caves, I have been so thankful to God that He has provided me with “caves” of refuge. For me, those “caves” have been:

My Baptism – What a “cleft in the rock” for me! I can’t tell you how many times I have returned to the promises God made to me on June 18, 1961 when I was baptized in the name of the Triune God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In my Baptism God not only washed away my sins, but he also promised that he would never leave me nor forsake me … no matter what dead-end cave I might find myself in! My baptism assures me that although I might have to suffer and endure various trials and tribulations, nothing can take away the inheritance the Lord has stored up for me in heaven. (1 Peter 1:3-9) These baptismal realities have given me strength … they have been my refuge and stronghold when I have found myself in dead-end caves.

The Word of God – One of the great things about the Word of God is that I can take it anywhere … no matter what cave I find myself in. Countless times, the Lord has spoken to me in his Word and assured me of his love, mercy, and forgiveness. His eternal promises have given me hope when I have been trapped in hopeless cave. Is it any wonder that the psalmist says of the person who trusts in the Word, “Blessed is the man [woman] … who delights in the law of the LORD and on his law meditates all day and night. [S]he is like a tree planted by streams of water which yields fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither.” (Psalm 1)

A “Sanctuary” – When I was a parish pastor I used to love going into the sanctuary and spending time in prayer and singing hymns. The sanctuary was a “cave of refuge” for me. I would sing hymns from the Lutheran hymnal and the Lord would heal my wounds and bring peace to my troubled soul. You might not have the opportunity to spend time in your church sanctuary, but I’m sure many of you have found your own “cave” (e.g. car, room in the house – one young mother told me that her bath tub in her bathroom was her cave of refuge for she could close the door, turn on worship music and read her Scriptures uninterrupted by her children!) where you can spend time alone with the Lord reading the Bible and singing/reading those beautiful, faith-enriching hymns in our Lutheran hymnal.

Lord’s Supper: Oh, how the Lord’s Supper has been a “cave of Adullam” for me. When wearied by the world, my flesh and the devil, the Lord’s words, “Take eat … take drink … this is my Body and Blood given and shed for you for the remission of your sins” have been such a source of comfort and strength. Again and again, the Lord assures me that all my sins are forgiven! Despite, what the circumstances of my life might be the Lord assures me through the Lord’s Supper of his real presence … his unchanging, unending love for me.

My baptism, the Word of God, the sanctuary/hymnal, and the Lord’s Supper are God’s practical, down-to-earth way of being my rock, cave, fortress, deliverer, refuge, shield and stronghold. And, why? Because they direct my eyes to the cross of Christ & his empty tomb!

The Cross of Christ assures me of God’s continued love, forgiveness, strength and presence. No matter what I have done … no matter what is happening in my life … no matter what dead-end cave I find myself trapped in … the cross of Christ assures me of God’s gracious presence and in Him I have strength and hope.

End of Part 1 (More tomorrow!)

In yesterday’s devotion, I suggested that Lutherans are cave women and cave men. In order to explain myself, we began by looking at Psalm 18:2, “The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” (NIV)

When David wrote these words, he probably had the cave of Adullam in mind. The cave of Adullam was David’s “cleft in the rock” … his cave of protection … his shelter. God used the cave of Adullam to protect David and his men from their enemies.

But not all caves provide protection, shelter or revitalization. Some caves are dead-end caves like the cave of Makkedah. We mentioned some present day Makkedah-like caves to which people flee: the cave of loneliness; the cave of vanity (self-importance); the cave of materialism; the cave of insecurities; the cave of pseudo-spirituality; the cave of guilt/shame; and the cave of grief.

As we find ourselves trapped in these dead-end caves, God provides us with caves of refuge! Our Baptism … the Word of God … a “sanctuary” … the Lord’s Supper. These are caves of refuge because they direct our eyes to the cross of Christ and give us the benefits earned by Christ’s death.

The Cross of Jesus Christ assures us of God’s continued love, forgiveness, strength and presence. No matter what we have done in the past … no matter what is happening in our lives … no matter what dead-end cave we find ourselves trapped in … the cross of Christ assures us of these gracious realities.

In this devotion, I want to focus on two additional Addulam-like caves – caves of refuge and shelter.

The Cave of Jesus: Jesus, our Lord was laid in the cave of Joseph of Arimathea. We call Jesus’ cave a sepulcher. At first glace it would appear to be a “DEAD END CAVE” – a Makkedah cave! The cave was even sealed and an armed guard placed before it. But this cave of death could not hold our Lord! On Easter Sunday morning our Lord Jesus burst forth from this cave! And He, who calls himself the “Resurrection and the Life” has promised that all those who believe in him will also burst from their caves, even our caves of death! That is our Lord’s promise to us!

We may find ourselves trapped in the darkest of all caves. There may not appear to be a light at the end of the tunnel, but as believers in Him who is the Resurrection and the Life, we know that there is a Light … an eternal light … at the end of the tunnel. That light is none other than our Lord shining with all the brilliance of his glory as the Victorious One! There is always hope for today and tomorrow when you know and believe in the One who triumphed over the grave and who lives and reigns for all eternity!

But aside from all these “caves of refuge” there is one more cave I want to highlight. I have left it to the last not because it is the most important cave. It isn’t. There are no better caves of refuge than our Lord’s cross and empty tomb.

1 Peter 2:5 states (and please forgive me for paraphrasing), “Like living stones, you are being built into a spiritual cave.” In other words, are we not in some way, “cave people?”

Throughout the history of the Christian church, troubled people … of all ages … grieving women, divorced men, guilt-ridden men, lonely women, harried women, depressed men, insecure women … have found refuge and strength … have experienced the love, forgiveness, strength, hope and joy of God because they have been embraced by a cave woman or a cave man … by one of you … been accepted/ministered to by a congregation … maybe even your own congregation!

I’m sure many of you have stories to tell how a fellow caveman or cavewoman has been a “cave of Adullam” for you!

Thank you for being cavewomen and cavemen! … people of refuge and strength for other women and men. Please: never stop asking yourself, “How can I be a cavewoman or caveman … a refuge of strength for someone?” How might I be more inviting, more compassionate, more loving and caring … nurturing the love and forgiveness of God in the lives of women and men in my congregation and community? “How can our congregation be a Cave of Adullam for the members of our congregation and for this community?”

Yesterday, we looked at 1 Samuel 22. Let’s go back there again, but this time to verse 5. We hear of a prophet by the name of Gad who came to David at the cave of Adullam and said, “Do not stay in the stronghold. Go into the land of Judah.” The text tells us, “So David left and went to the forest of Hereth.”

One of the reasons to retreat to one of God’s “clefts in the rock” is to rest, to be refreshed, and to be re-strengthened. This is so important! We need time to be refreshed by God’s Word and the worship of our Lord!!!

Bernard of Clairvaux (1091-1153) wrote, “There are those who seek knowledge for the sake of knowledge: that is curiosity. There are others who desire to know in order that they themselves might be known: that is vanity. But there are some who seek knowledge in order to serve and edify others: that is love.”

In other words: after cavemen and cavewomen have spent some time being refreshed in one of God’s cave, they need to get out of the cave! Gad’s prophetic call rings in the sanctuaries of our churches, “Do not stay in the stronghold. Go into the land into which you live!”

Many people who find themselves trapped in caves won’t find their way to you or to your church or your home Bible study groups. The Lord sends you out of the “caves” to find them … to be cave women and cave men … cave people of refuge and strength for others.

And where are you cavewomen and cavemen? Where can you be cavewomen and cavemen? In your:

Homes … possibly for your spouse, a parent, a grandparent, or child. In so doing, you are a caveperson … a cleft in the rock … a source of strength and shelter in your home.

Congregations … (divorced, dealing with sickness, death, loneliness, etc.) In so doing, you are a caveperson … a cleft in the rock … a source of strength and shelter in your congregation.

Communities … (workplace, neighbourhood associations, volunteers at nursing homes, hospitals, Pregnancy Care Centers) In so doing, you are a caveperson … a cleft in the rock of strength and shelter in your community.

So, how do I picture the typical Lutheran? As a cave woman or caveman! God sends us out of our Adullam caves so that we might be caves of refuge and strength for others. As we live as cavemen and cavewomen, we lead others to the Lord who is our Cleft in the Rock, our Cave, our Shelter, our Deliverer, our Shield, our Stronghold, our Salvation.

Let’s pray.

Lord, I thank you for these cavewomen and cavemen who are caves of refuge for so many people who are trapped in dead-end caves. Thank you for those congregations and Bible study groups that serve as caves, as places of refuge, for those hurt and harried by life.

Lord, when we find ourselves trapped in a cave of hopelessness, please direct our eyes to the One who entered the cave of death on our behalf and who burst forth from that cave on Easter morning.

Lord, may we find refuge in our baptism, your Word, our “sanctuaries” and in your Holy Meal. Continue to assure us of your love and forgiveness. Continue to grant us peace and joy. Especially, continue to assure us of the hope that we have in all circumstances of life as a result of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead.

Lord, send us out of our caves … our sanctuaries … into the world so that we might be clefts in the rocks to those who so desperately need Your grace, Your love, Your forgiveness, Your strength, Your hope.

It’s in the name of the ROCK, Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.

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