Earthly Security is Illusory

Today was a transitionary day for the Forge, but that did not lessen the impact that God’s words would have on us. We made the journey from the Sea of Galilee down to Jerusalem, making various stops along the way. Our first stop was at Jesus’ hometown of Nazareth. Jared discussed the importance of Jesus being a Nazarene, as well as the rejection of Jesus in his own hometown.

Our second stop, Megiddo, was the most significant for me for various reasons. Megiddo is one of the most significant sites, not only biblically, but historically as well. It is a tel, or a mound consisting of a multitude of civilization built upon each other. Megiddo has 26 layers, which means that 26 civilizations had made Megiddo their home at one point in time. This signifies the importance of the location of Megiddo, seeing as it was so heavily fought over. It was so important, in fact, that King Solomon of Israel made it one of his four chariot cities, a place where he housed a vast number of chariots and horses. This led to Solomon’s demise however, as his over reliance on his own security would lead him to become a slave to comfort and security, and not a king who was faithful and obedient to the words of God.

“And Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen. He had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen, whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem.” - 1 Kings 10:26

What was shocking was that David, a king who fought countless amounts of battles and wars, intentionally hamstringed his horses (making them lame), thereby neutralizing almost his entire fleet! And he fought battles consistently! Solomon, a man who saw much peace throughout his reign as king, did the opposite. He fortified and built as many defenses as possible in order to increase his security. His faith in the Lord, however, was left unattended. He put much more faith in his worldly security rather than putting faith in the absolute goodness and sovereignty of the God of his forefathers. This led to his eventual demise and the splitting of the kingdom of Israel. “If you want to be wiser than Solomon, obey.” This begs the question for myself, what do I put my hope and security in? Is it an insurance plan or a hedge fund? It could be the locks you have on your front and back doors that give you that sense of peace at night. Maybe it’s a gun that sits in your closet. Whatever it is, we all put our security in a variety of things, oftentimes at the expense of trust in the Father. Earthly security is illusory. There is no real security outside of the Lord! We are just chasing after wind if we try to find it. Instead, let us put our hope in Christ. The Lord has never failed His people. Ever. If you need proof of this, give Nehemiah 9 a look. Or maybe Deuteronomy 8.

11 "Take care lest you forget the LORD your God by not keeping his commandments and his rules and his statutes, which I command you today,
12 lest, when you have eaten and are full and have built good houses and live in them,
13 and when your herds and flocks multiply and your silver and gold is multiplied and all that you have is multiplied,
14 then your heart be lifted up, and you forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, - Deuteronomy 8:11-14

Maybe even the rest of His Word! Not once has God been unfaithful to His people. His Word and promised have never returned void. What more security do we need than that? Solomon knew this but did not believe it. This led to his disobedience by way of complete reliance on self. David, a man after God’s own heart, chose to rely on the faithfulness of God rather than the security of his own kingdom and power. My prayer is that our hope and faith in the God of Israel will increase day by day, not building up our own strongholds or fortifications, but trusting in the Strong Tower instead. Faith and obedience.

-Colby Rice