Today’s proverb embodies a wonderful truth Solomon imparted to his son, the prince of Israel.
Proverbs 14:26 – “In the fear [reverence; dread; terror] of the LORD [Jehovah; Eternal, Self-existent God] is [gives] strong [strength; power; boldness] confidence [assurance; security; refuge]: and his children [i.e. the children of the Lord] shall have a place of refuge [shelter; hope].”
Like sheep under the care of their shepherd, we enjoy the green meadows of life where we fill our bellies with the sweet grasses of green, pastoral pastures. However, it is in those same pleasant pastures we are prone to wander from the presence and protection of our Shepherd. Troubled by threats, God uses the roar of an enemy to drive us to the safety and shadow of the Lord our Shepherd.
Those who sincerely reverence the Lord and trust Him are confident He is a place of Refuge, the strong Tower, to Whom His people can retreat and find safety.
Proverbs 14:27 – “The fear [terror; reverence and worship] of the LORD [Jehovah; Eternal, Self-existent God] is a fountain [spring; well] of life, to depart [remove; decline; withdraw; avoid] from the snares [noose; trap] of death [pestilence].”
Not only is the “fear of the Lord” a place of Refuge, it is also a “fountain of life”, a place of revival for the soul and refreshing for the spirit. The prophet Jeremiah, preaching to a nation that had forsaken God and His Law, prophesied in the name of the Lord, “For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters…” (Jeremiah 2:13). What a great tragedy when God’s people forsake the Lord, “the fountain of living waters” (Jeremiah 17:13).
In the New Testament, Christ promised the Woman at The Well He was the wellspring of eternal life to thirsty souls (John 4:13-14). Unlike the wicked whom become entangled with the snares of sin that end in death, the righteous repent of their sins and place their faith in Christ, the “fountain of life”.
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Like the rock struck by Moses in the wilderness (Exodus 17:6) and out of it flowed water to quench Israel’s thirst; Jesus Christ is the believer’s Rock, struck by God’s judgment on the Cross for our sins (1 Corinthians 10:4) that lost and thirsty souls might be quenched in the promise of His saving grace.
John 7:37-38 – “In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. 38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.”
Copyright 2015 – Travis D. Smith