That Special Place

“O my God, my soul is cast down within me: therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites, from the hill Mizar.” (Ps 42:6 AV)

With a bit of research, we might understand from where David gains encouragement.  Most writers place the context of this psalm during David’s flight from Absalom.  David and those with him fled over Jordan to the east.  The problem with this idea is that David never went that far north.  At least the Bible doesn’t say he did.  Rather, David crossed Jordan and then crossed the brook Jabbok.  That places him halfway down the Jordan river valley.  Hermon and Mizar are much further north.  They are north of the sea of Galilee in modern-day Lebanon.  The land of Jordan is easily understood as the Jordan river valley.  The Hermonites are the mountains that make up mount Hermon.  The hill Mizar is very obscure and most assume it to be a smaller peak associated with the Hermonite Mountain Range.  The Hermonites are a year-round snow-peaked mountain range.  This range is a source for the sea of Galilee and the Jordan River.  From the peaks of the Hermonites, one might take in a pastoral sight of the entire Jordan River valley.  Among the snow-peaked mountains, the saint could escape into a peaceful and picturesque place where God would feel far closer than any other place.

Doing a cursory search of images seen from Mount Hermon, especially the Jordan river valley, is difficult.  The Sea of Galilee can be seen as well as northern parts of Israel.  If David was looking to the north while crossing the Jordan, he was over 75 miles away from Mount Hermon.  Therefore, we know he is not referring to the revolt of Absalom.  This means only one thing.  The place of which David speaks is a special place for him.  Looking at images of and from Mount Hermon, I can certainly understand.  The peak is just under 10,000 feet.  Which explains why he mentions the little hill of Mizar.  At 10,000 feet the air is pretty thin.  David is speaking of a hiding place where he meets God.  A place of immeasurable beauty.  A place of gentle breezes of cool mountain air.  A place of cold mountain streams that fall below as they fill the sea of Galilee.  A place that sheep might be heard, but the bustle of life is not.  A place not suited for warfare, but a pastoral place suited for reflection and quiet.  One can imagine the thoughts of life pouring from his mind and the stresses of running a kingdom are left to flow with the waters under his feet.

I am reminded of late that managing stress is very important.  Stress is not always a bad thing.  Sometimes stress forces us the make decisions that need to be made by we are reticent to do so.  However, there are stresses caused unnecessarily.  Worries and anxieties whose answers are in the scriptures.  We have stress because we lack faith.  We have stress because we harbor sin.  There has to be a special place where God is nearer to our consciousness.  He is always near.  He never leaves.  But we can become so overwhelmed by other things of life that we forget how close God is.  Necedah wildlife refuge was one of those places for me.  A vast marshland covered in coulees provided a place of quiet reflection.  Even with hunters crawling all over the place, there was more alone time than connection with people.  It was there that I could pour out my mind and heart onto a vast marsh and leave it there.  David had his place.  He had several places.  We need our place as well.