The Tower-of-Strength stood in the middle of the city; all the men and women of the city along with the city's leaders fled there and locked themselves in.
|Judges 9:51|
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Always run to the strong tower. As Christians, Jesus is our strong tower. The story of Abimelech (Judges 9) is ministering to me this week in wonderful ways. Sometimes I read stories in the Old Testament and I don’t even know how it relates to me, but yay for growth, because the eyes of my understanding are being opened.
Today, the last part of that story is ministering to me, the part that said all the people of Thebez, when Abimelech had taken the city, ran to the strong tower within the city. Every place that Abimelech had come upon he conquered, and killed, but in this city, there was a strong tower in which the people sought refuge.
The older I get, the more I realize that we all have towers of refuge we go to: parents, pastors, our selves; perhaps friends, relatives, our own wisdom, knowledge, our degrees, connections. There’s somewhere, or something that makes us feel safe. It could be a job that is “Covid-proof” or “recession proof”. But one thing about these towers is that, it will take one decision, one law, one illness, one thing that can have you feeling like you got the rug pulled from beneath you. My job was “covid-proof” until a decision was made about mandatory vaccination. It felt safe, because I wasn’t going to the office, yet, even offsite, by this mandate, my strong tower crumbled.
My point is you need a strong tower that is strong. That can weather any storm. It’s not every job that weathers all storms. It’s not every person that can do the same. Even knowledge can be rendered obsolete and irrelevant.
The cities that Abimelech conquered had towers of safety that those besieged ran to. But in Thebez, the Bible makes it a point to say that they had a strong tower in the city.
And by running to that strong tower they received their deliverance.
In reality, running to your strong tower doesn’t erase feelings of apprehension. I’m sure as the men and women ran to the tower, they were still scared, but hoped that this tower would be enough. Similarly, we don’t know how long the enemy will lay siege in our situations. You don’t know how long you have to ration your necessities. You don’t know when the end of the difficulty will come.
Admittedly, running to God also has challenges. I come to God to get shelter, yet I still have to put on battle armour to fight anxiety, stress, depression, unbelief. But God is the strong tower that strengthens to overcome that same anxiety, stress, depression and unbelief; He keeps you and protects you completely. He strengthens you from the inside out.
Yes, God the Holy Spirit gives strength and wisdom, that you will not be ensnared by things orchestrated to do you harm. And He is the strong tower that arises and destroys the enemy that is overwhelming and frustrating your life.
There are thoughts about my future that certainly bring anxiety, but today I remembered, “there was a strong tower within the city.” And it reminded me of this story; how, the men and women were saved when they ran to this city. That, even when Abimelech stood at the door of the tower, setting it on fire to break it down, a woman dropped a piece of a millstone on top of Abimelech’s head. (See, even in difficult situations, God the Holy Spirit gives wisdom, and [often unusual] solutions to overcome what is against you!).
And because he was too proud, and didn’t want it to go down in history that he was killed by a woman, he had his servant slay him with a sword. Do you see the end of the wicked?
Take refuge in Jesus Christ alone. There are people in this world that are indeed powerful. In one day, they can influence the law, or someone even more powerful to take a decision meant to destroy, disadvantage, even cheat you.
There are family members, and friends, colleagues, acquaintances, whose wicked words, and conversations seek to keep you from achieving good things in your life. And these can be people with influence, or can manipulate those with influence to turn their hearts against you.
And the human heart is desperately wicked. People, in their hubris, feel too powerful. They think they can cheat you, do evil against you in secret, as though God is not watching. And for a time it appears as though they are succeeding, but when God intervenes, their shame will be great.
Have a strong tower to run to. If what is against you is greater than your place of safety, you should look for a different place of refuge.
Have a strong tower that is stronger than the strongest person on earth. Have a strong tower that, in one day, in one moment, can be the millstone that forever silences your enemy. Jesus is that strong tower.
He who has ears, let him hear.
