Stating The Obvious

“He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” (Ps 91:1 AV)

Some suppose this Psalm is written by David to Solomon with the two of them having a response one to the other.  Verse one is David’s statement to his son.  Verse two is Solomon’s response back to David.  Many believe the secret place of which David speaks is the Holy of Holies.  The inner chamber of the tabernacles wherein the glory of God was present in a way it was not anywhere else.  What must be assumed then is David’s use of a metaphor.  Only the high priest was allowed into the Holy of Holies and that, once a year.  The king was not allowed into the Holy of Holies.  David is assuming the experience of the Holy of Holies and uses it as a metaphor for something which Solomon can attain.  We, like David and Solomon, can experience to glory of God in our minds and hearts, thus benefiting in some way what the High Priest experienced once a year.

At first glance, the above verse might seem so obvious that it defies the need for its presence.  Of course, those who dwell in the midst of God’s presence also realize His protection and fellowship.  It goes without saying.  So, we think.  The problem is, the most obvious of all truths are often the ones most often ignored.  If one goes outside in the rain without and umbrella, one will get wet.  If one does not keep gas in the car, he will become stranded.  If one does not dress warm, he will get sick.  These are no-brainers.  This is common sense.  So why state the obvious?  Why tell Solomon something he already knows?

No matter how much common sense tells us a truth, our nature tends to be to ignore it.  My son Nathan’s wedding was plagued with severe down-pours.  At the conclusion of his reception, our task was to load all the gifts into my car because they would return to our house after the honeymoon.  The rain was coming down so hard, there was no refuge anywhere but inside the building.  That was even with a covered porch.  Looking at the radar, my advice was to wait until the weather cleared a bit.  But no, we had some real go-getters who just wanted to get the job done.  I ruined my wedding suit.  Completely destroyed because it got soaked.  Why? Because we ignore the obvious.  Abiding the presence of God by confession of sin, prayer and dependence, and reading God’s word is always the safest and most contented place to dwell.  But we neglect it so many times, it defies logic.  The obvious is ignored and the consequences are hard to bare.