Biblical Shadows: Meditations on the Lord as a Shelter

Biblical Shadows: Meditations on the Lord as a Shelter.

“Tsel” = The Hebrew word for shadow or shade; the root word means to be in the dark or to grow dark. In Scripture it is used literally to mean the physical shadows cast by an object like a tree, a mountain, a building, a cloud; as a metaphor it can refer to the idea of security, protection or shelter; also can refer to something temporary or easily changed, or something without much substance; is also a poetic image of spiritual safety and divine care.

• Each of these fourteen Biblical meditations on “tsel” are rich morsels of spiritual food. Take your time and chew slowly on the Lord’s promise of merciful care and spiritual protection:

“My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise You with joyful lips, when I remember You upon my bed, and meditate on You in the watches of the night; for You have been my help, and in the shadow of Your wings I will sing for joy. My soul clings to You; Your right hand upholds me.” (Psalm 63:5-8).

“Then the Lord Yahweh will create over the whole site of Mount Zion and over her assemblies a cloud by day, and smoke and the shining of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory there will be a canopy. There will be a booth for shade by day from the heat, and for a refuge and a shelter from the storm and rain. (Isaiah 4:5-6).

“He who dwells in the secret shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, ‘My refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust.’ For He will deliver you from the hidden trap of the hunter and from the deadly curse. He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge; His truth and His faithfulness are a shield and armor for protection.” (Psalm 91:1-4).

“I am the Lord your God who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar – The Lord of Hosts is His name, Yahweh-sabaoth. And I have put my words in your mouth and covered you in the shadow of my hand, establishing the heavens and laying the foundations of the earth, and saying to Zion, ‘You are My people!” (Isaiah 51:15-16).

“Wondrously show your merciful love, O Savior of those who seek refuge from their adversaries at Your right hand. Keep me as the apple of Your eye; hide me in the shadow of Your wings.” (Psalm 17:7-8).

“Behold, a king will reign in righteousness, and princes will rule in justice. Each will be like a hiding place from the wind, a shelter from the storm, like streams of water in a dry place, like the shade of a great rock in a weary land.’ (Isaiah 32:1-2).

“How precious is Your merciful lovingkindness, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of Your wings. They feast on the abundance of Your house, and You give them drink from the river of Your delights. For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light do we see light.” (Psalm 36:7-9).

“The Lord called me from the womb, from the body of my mother He named my name. He made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of His hand He hid me; He made me a polished arrow; in His quiver He hid me away.” (Isaiah 49:1-2).

“Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in You my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of Your wings I will take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by.” (Psalm 57:1).

“You have been a stronghold to the poor, a stronghold to the needy in his distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat; You subdue the noise of the foreigners; as heat by the shade of a cloud, so the song of the ruthless is put down.” (Isaiah 25:4-5).

“The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all evil; He will keep your life.” (Psalm 121:5-7).

“Thus says the Lord…I Myself will plant a tender sprig and plant it on a high and lofty mountain. On the mountain height of Israel will I plant it, that it may bear branches and produce fruit and become a noble cedar. And under it will dwell every kind of bird, in the shade of its branches birds of every sort will nest. And all the trees of the field shall know that I am the Lord Yahweh.” (Ezekiel 17:22-24).

“I will love them freely, for my anger has turned from them. I will be like the dew to Israel; he shall blossom like the lily; he shall take root like the trees of Lebanon; his shoots shall spread out, his beauty shall be like the olive, and his fragrance like Lebanon. They shall return and dwell beneath my shadow; they shall flourish like the grain; they shall blossom like the vine; their fame shall be like the wine of Lebanon.” (Hosea 14:4-7).

“And Jesus said, ‘With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use to illustrate and explain it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which when sown upon the ground is the smallest of all seeds upon the earth; yet after it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all garden herbs, and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air are able to make nests and dwell in its shade.” (Mark 4:30-32).