Panic Room

The fear of man brings a snare, but he who trusts in the LORD will be exalted. Proverbs 29:25

Fear – Did you see the movie Panic Room? It’s a visual enhancement of the Hebrew word used in this verse (haradah). It comes from the root word haradh. Translating it as “fear” doesn’t quite do it justice. The idea behind this word is trembling terror and panic, usually initiated by a surprising, bad event.

Didn’t see the movie? Then think of walking through tall grass when you suddenly see a large snake at your feet. Or being in an elevator that suddenly drops twenty stories. Or answering the doorbell to see two policemen holding your child’s sneakers.

This is a word that describes that moment when you start to faint, when your world is jarred completely out of order, when you can’t move because you are frozen in fright. This is September 11 shell shock.

There are many examples of this emotional overload in the Old Testament. You will find it used to describe Isaac when he realizes that Jacob has tricked him for the blessing (Genesis 27:33) or when the brothers discover the money bags planted by Joseph (Genesis 42:28) or when the enemy army runs in terror (1 Samuel 14:15). There is a rather amusing occurrence in Ruth 3:8 when Boaz wakes in the middle of the night. But there are two occasions when we would expect to see this word and it is conspicuously absent. The first is the story of Job. Job never panics. In spite of all the terrible surprises, Job does not succumb to crippling terror. The second place where haradh is missing is in the Psalms. The Psalms cover all kinds of human emotions but haradh is not among them. In both of these cases, we must ask “Why?” Why do Job and David not experience terrifying panic?

The answer is here, in this verse from Proverbs. In Biblical thought, the opposite of terror and panic is trust. The one who trusts God has a panic room that can never be breached. The one who trusts God is secure in a safe house no matter what happens in life. Job and David point the way. When all the world looks as if it must push us over the edge into terror, we stand firm. God can be trusted, always.

When you feel that scratching tingle at the back of your neck or weakness in your knees, remember that panic is not part of God’s plan for His children. Trust me.