Battle Strategy
For the lead player, al-tashchet, a David michtam, when he fled from Saul into the cave. Psalm 57:1 (in the Hebrew text, translated by Robert Alter)
Fled – Fight or flight – human behavior in the face of conflict hasn’t changed much in 10,000 years. What’s your default behavior? Do you find the hairs on the back of your neck rising, the adrenaline pumping as you get ready to fight back? Or are you looking for an exit, a way out, in order to escape the anticipated attack? Personally, I prefer avoidance. “Just jump on the bus, Gus,” as Paul Simon warbled. David seemed to prefer caves but you should look for me on a deserted island. We all have our fallback stance. But the odd thing is that we, as believers, still seem susceptible to one of these two alternatives. I wonder why we don’t naturally respond as Paul does – “If God be for us, who can be against us?”
The Hebrew verb here is also important. It is barah. It’s all about running away. It’s the verb used when Moses runs from Pharaoh, when the people leave Egypt, when Isaiah commands the exiles to flee Babylon or when Jeremiah describes what will happen when the Babylonians invade. The pictograph is formed by Bet-Resh-Chet, perhaps something like “separating a person from his house” (a fence between Resh and Bet). I am impressed by the nearly phonetic equivalence with the verb barak. What is the difference in the sound of these two? Only the Hebrew guttural. Chet and Kaf are very close. And, as you know, barak, is the verb for blessing. Do you suppose there is some relationship between running away and blessing? Can you imagine one action as the opposite of the other? What do you think God implied when He asked Elijah why he was sitting in a cave? Could it be that Elijah’s running away caused him to not see the full blessing of the Lord? Could it be that fleeing in the face of an enemy removes the opportunity for blessing? At any rate, it seems as if our proclivity to look for an exit might actually prevent us from experiencing the sovereignty of the Master. After all, if God really is for us, why are we running?
Of course, I don’t mean to suggest that the opposite natural reaction is, by default, the correct one. I’m convinced that God is not into fighting either. I am more inclined to think that we are the ones who would rather fight or flee. It seems to me that God is merely asking that we stand still and watch Him work. Our task is to the hold the ground He has taken, not to charge the next hill or retreat to the bunkhouse.
Are you caught in a fight or flight dilemma? Fight or flight isn’t always apparent in physical activity. I personally struggle with psychic flight all the time. I might not be able to physically run away from my problems, but I can sure conjure up fantasy relief. Perhaps that possibility is even more dangerous.
By the way, just check your Bible on this verse. You might discover something very odd. Some Bibles don’t even include it or put it in tiny little letters as if it is not really important. The Logos software program simply leaves it out. Did you ever wonder who decided that these words from David don’t really count? Who determined (and why) that the context of David’s psalm didn’t matter, that all that mattered was the spiritual application? What other poetry translator would dare to do this? Who decided that the Hebrew background of David’s thought was so insignificant that it wasn’t worth including? Does this strike you as odd? Does it hint at anti-Semitism even in the translation?
Topical Index: fight, flight, barah, to flee, Psalm 57:1, barak
Skip. I agree, except for the one question that comes to my mind:
10.000 years?
Take it as a metaphor if you wish
Yes, Yes, Yes! It is our place to act within the instructions we are given. It is the Creator’s place to see that His words are living. Why would we hide in a corner and think He will do for us what He has given us to do? Not saying it’s easy, but it is less stressful when I consciously lay my ego aside.
Sometimes it makes me the Perfect Enemy.
The Running Man
There is a time and a season for everything “under the sun..”
There is a time to run (aka Joseph when he was “approached” by Potiphar’s “lie with me” wife..)
There is a time to fight (the head of the giant Goliath was removed with his own sword)- what a God-given victory!
There is a time to love.. (Now is the time for all good men..)
And there is a time to pray.. – “pray without ceasing..”
there is a time to cook and a time to eat and a time to cease from eating.. (when we are full!)
Ahh.. but when is the time for us (all of us) to pause (Selah, sirs..) and think about the goodness of our God?
Why?
Because ~ it is the goodness of God that leads us (all) to repentance ~
Are we listening? (intently?) -purposefully?- reverently? -Have we ever given unto the LORD the glory due unto His Name? Have any of us ever “worshipped the LORD in the beauty of holiness?”
There are many “stories” (yes, real people, – real events..) of people (both male and female) running away.
Hagar, – why are you running away? Jonah, – where do you think you are going to “flee from the Presence of the LORD?”- (Do you find any humor in this situation?) Where did Jonah “think” he was going to hide from God? Say to the rocks, (O man)- “fall on us”- and hide us from His Presence.. –
Does anyone think even for a skinny minute, God does not know what goes on- “under a rock?” Jonah needed a little time to think about it, – didn’t he? – And God provided that needed “quiet time..”
Not exactly the library of Congress, or the comfort (?) of a cool cave,- but (of all places!) Jonah did his “repenting” in the “midst” of (yuk!)- Yes, right there inside of a (ooh, if we only had smellavision)- the belly of a “great fish.”
Paul had his encounter with the Holy One – he saw a great Light and heard a voice- “Saul, Saul- why do you persecute Me?” and Jonah also heard him, only he was not on road going somewhere- he was on a foam-blubber mattress for three days,-not going anywhere.
This would be a great opportunity to point out- Saul and Jonah (surprise!) are two completely “different” people, yet…- each of them have a story of “strong deliverance” to share with us today- a testimony and a “history” of their unique relationship with God.
Friend,- you and I are also “unique.” I am not Billy Graham, (Ruth may be grateful for this) neither am I the Apostle Paul- but I am, by the grace of God- who I am.
“Sweetheart, let’s just get away from it all..” We, (frail, fallible, faltering human creatures-) need rest. Beautiful dreamers, one third of our limited lives are spent in the state of suspended animation.
The Compassionate Christ
~Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, He said to them, “Come with Me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” (Mark 6.31)
The Sabbath-rest God has ordained because He knows.. we (all) need rest. Rest, along with food and shelter from the elements is one of our needs. What were His words?
~ Come unto Me..- all you who labor and are heavy laden..- and I will give you rest ~
What is the Source of this (much) needed rest? – To whom shall we go to find it?
“Better” than a Saturday or a Sunday- or even a holiday such as today is this-
~For thus the LORD GOD, the Holy One of Israel, has said, “In repentance and rest you will be saved, in quietness and trust is your strength,” but you were not willing.. ~ (Isaiah 30.15)
Instead of “running away..”- Why do we not “repent” (simply change our minds) and “run toward?”
What if?
What if, we were to seek the LORD with all our heart-soul-mind-and strength?
What is His certain promise to “whosoever will?”
Seek and Find
~ You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart ~ (Jeremiah 29.13)
“And Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again.” [Ex 14:3, ESV]
There was no point fighting and no place to flee – they were literally “between the enemy and the deep blue sea” on two sides, and “between a rock and a hard place” on the other two. It seems you agree with Moses, Skip. 🙂
This gives me something to think about. Flight or Fight seems to characterize the animal kingdom, and I definitely want to be more than an animal.
Hmmmm. Remember the lion in 1 Kings 13:28, it just sat there after killing the prophet? It’s behavior was not that of a normal animal because it neither attacked nor ran away.
There are actually 3 mammalian responses to danger – fight, flight, or freeze. The “stand still” described here, though, is not “freeze” (at least, I don’t see it as such). Rather it is, as Skip suggested, waiting and trusting God for his deliverance, remembering of course that “waiting” and “trusting” are not passive.
Hi Rodney-
Right! Your picture reminds me of how dangerous it is to “freeze”.
Often kangaroos freeze right in the middle of the road blinded by head lights of cars coming its way, and gets banged into. 🙁
Shalom!
Don’t I know it! I remember the first and only time we actually hit one (I was about 13 at the time and Dad was driving). Since then I’ve had several “near misses” over the years, including one that would have been close to 6ft tall (and he was a grey, not a red!) that simply refused to move out of the middle of the road until I nearly nudged him with the front of the car. We have hundreds of them living in the hills not far from us and I often pass them on the road side when coming home around dusk or later (but we’re getting off the topic…). 🙂
This reminds me of two famous quotes from Golda Meir quotes:
“The Egyptians could run to Egypt, the Syrians into Syria. The only place we could run was into the sea, and before we did that we might as well fight.”
“We have always said that in our war with the Arabs we had a secret weapon-no alternative.”
Fight or flight decisions with eternal results.
“I might not be able to physically run away from my problems, but I can sure conjure up fantasy relief. ”
That is hilarious, Skip. It kept me laughing! Like in my dreams, not sure if any one else has such, you find that you can easily escape dangers, and terror.
Fight, or flight, calls for experience, it really depends on the situation of what I am fighting for, or fleeing from.
If it is for righteousness, injustice or truth, yes, I will fight. Fleeing in this case would rob me of blessings as I believe we have been given the responsibility to correct and take corrections, when we are in error.
If it is simply to prove myself right, I have to remember the battle is YHWH’s, as it can be in vain, if it’s simply ‘your word against mine’, even with witnesses around, if that person cannot see his/her error.
I guess it calls for wisdom and discernment, or if your intuition/spirit is sound, being tuned in to ABBA.
Ps 57 is a heart cry to YHWH for help from Dawid as he will not fight ABBA’s anointed king. This probably is what is pleasing to YHWH.
Good word for thought, Skip, thank you.
With nearly fifty-four years of life experience, thirty-four years of marriage, twenty-six years of professional church, seven years as a professional counselor, a bankruptcy, and more failures than the sand of seashore, I have witnessed a boat load of fighting and fleeing. Sometimes I was the fighter and the runner. Through it all I have learned a few lessons:
1. Fighting and fleeing are two sides of the same coin. Given enough time, one morphs into the other. Fighters eventually runaway and runaways will return with a sword in hand.
2. It is a waste of time to determine which action is “right” or “best” for the particular situation. By the time you have enough sense or awareness to consider it, it is too late. The action has already begun. Which forces the next question, Now what do I do?
3. In light of #2, I’ve learned that fighting and fleeing are the proclivities of not living with a healthy self-awareness, undisciplined fear, and the desire to be right.
4. Whatever the cause for fighting or fleeing, if one does not consider the Sovereignty of the Creator, then one will not realize how misplaced their anger is. The anger I feel when running away or fighting, in truth, is with God; why didn’t He prevent this from happening to me?
So, now what do I do? And, the answer is… Yes. The same thing when anyone runs out of gas. You stand still. I’m so grateful for the LORD’s longsuffering and patience with me. He allows both my cowardice and warmongering to run its inevitable course, and in time and most often out of breath, I stand in utter despair of His mercy. Then, I come to see His hand extended.