lion we find in Exodus 14:13-14, "Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation [or, the deliverance] of the Lord." Another mighty pa- villion would be I Samuel 17:47. Our hearts are made bold and strong as we realize, "The battle is the Lord's!" There are thousands of these "pavillions" available — the extent seems inexhaustible. One of my very favorites is I Peter 5:7, urging us to cast all of our cares upon Christ knowing that He cares for us; we are His special concern. The word "pavillion" is the Latin word "papilio" which means "a butterfly." This is exactly what a pavillion looked like long ago. It was a tent stretched out with wings on either side, with the center the headquarters where an accurate and constant guard was maintained. In I Kings 2:28 we learn of the offender who could flee to such a tent for refuge. Even if a relative of the person in whose tent pro tection was sought had been slain, there was an obligation to protect the offender, guilty or not. There was a moral requisite to watch over the life of the one who was flee ing. Bedouins today still call this tradition "guest rights." Should the enemy have the blood of the tent owner's closest relative on his hands, he was still secure until a proper investigation could be made. "In the secret of His tabernacle" represented to David the Holy of Holies. It was the place into which only the high priest could go and then only once a year. To follow any other practice would mean certain death. Do you see the gra cious invitation and the realization that David had? He longed for the
opportunity of such intimate fel lowship with the Lord in the Holy of Holies. This was not a case of hiding there merely for safety. He wanted more than anything else to be right where God dwelt, where the mercy seat and the shekinah glory could be observed. The same is promised to us: both safety and communion in the Holy of Holies, the Word of God. There is protec tion here from all our enemies, as well as providing a shelter from the desert heat. For fellowship, we, with David, could be no closer in the very presence of God at the Mercy Seat. Moving next to verse six of Psalm 27 we find the words, "And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his taber nacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the Lord." The widow of the famed composer Schumann was herself a very gifted musician. Whenever asked to perform some of her hus band's compositions, she made it a point, before the presentation, to spend much time reading the old love letters he had sent to her in earlier days. These billet doux so inspired her that she said only then was she able to perform her husband's greatest compositions. In our everyday sphere of activ ities, the world is really asking to see the reality of Jesus Christ. The only way we are going to be able to perform, living before them in a positive and convincing manner is when the Word of God, His love letter to us, becomes a very real, vital, integral and moving part of our lives. As the Lord figuratively lifts us up above our enemies, it reveals to others His supreme pow- Page 31
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