Hebrews 6:18 “That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:”
In our Lord’s “refuge” “we” are made to feel safe, protected, loved, wanted, contented, and happy. In a “world” (John 16:33) that is often hostile and unpleasant, our Lord lovingly exhorts His Children to “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28). In the Old Testament times, there were “six cities” designated as “cities of refuge” (Numbers 35:6-15). If a person had committed or was accused of committing a serious crime, they could flee to one of these “cities” where they would be sheltered and protected until their case could be properly adjudicated. Similarly, as was prophesied, “we” are highly blessed to have “a strong city”, a “city” where God’s “walls and bulwarks” are our “salvation” (Isaiah 26:1)! This “city” is the domain of God where the “fruit of the Spirit is” revealed as “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance” (Galatians 5:22-23)! We find ourselves in this Blessed and Holy “city” when we flee “unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16), when we flee to the House of God (Hebrews 10:25), and when we flee into the loving arms of our “good Shepherd” (John 10:11); that is, when we go to our Lord in prayer, when we go to His Church and worship Him, when we read His Holy Word, and when we meditate upon Him and His great majestic power. It is no wonder that David so joyfully declared, “I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD.” (Psalms 122:1)! Our Lord’s “consolation” is so “strong” that not even “the gates of hell” can “prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). As we are fleeing to our Lord, let us joyfully sing “O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.” (Psalms 95:1) and “O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.” (Psalms 95:6)!