Captain Obvious
Have you seen the commercials on Television that feature a man called Captain Obvious? His job is to point out the things that should be a no brainier in making a decision; things that are easily seen, recognized or understood.
You’ve probably had your own moments of seeing and knowing the obvious choice or next step. The bible tells of just a situation with David in 2 Samuel chapter two. There were several obvious moments that pointed David to the next steps in his future.
- King Saul had died
- He was living outside of Israel and it was time to return
- He had been anointed to be the next King of Israel when he was younger
Circumstances would seem to be lining up for him to return and take his rightful place. That’s what most of us would do; seize the opportunities and take hold of what we had been promised or longed for.
But David, wise from past experiences, inquired of the Lord, “Shall I go?” Only after the Lord answered did he move forward. The Lord’s reply was not to take it all, but rather to go to a specific place for a specific purpose. The Lord sent him to Hebron where he was anointed King over Judah. It would be another 7 1/2 years before he would be King over all of Israel.
While digging a little deeper into this I read that Hebron was the largest city of refuge. A city of refuge was a place that Levitical Priests were given and they worked as a sanctuary for anyone who had caused an unintentional death. God set aside these cities to which the murderer could flee for refuge He would be safe from the avenger —the family member charged with avenging the victim’s death until the case could go to trial.
The congregation would judge to find if the attacker acted unintentionally. If he did, he would return to the city of refuge and live there safely until the death of the high priest who was in office at the time of the trial, at which point he could return to his property. If the attacker left the city of refuge before the death of the high priest, however, the avenger would have the right to kill him.
King Saul still had living family members that knew of God’s desire to make David king. They had their own plans to place Saul’s son on the throne and usually that meant eliminating any other possible successors. The Lord led David to a city of refuge while many other details were sorted out in the Northern Tribes of Israel, but it also provided time for any who may have suspicions of David’s involvement in King Saul’s death, to know without a doubt that David was innocent.
What at first seemed so obvious, didn’t touch the deeper issues that God was taking care of for David. Many times the obvious looks so simple that we step out with our own limited view and end up right in the middle of something we didn’t see coming.
The cities of refuge are types of Christ, in whom sinners find a refuge from the destroyer of our souls. Just as the guilty person sought refuge in the cities set up for that purpose, we flee to Christ for refuge from sin. We run to Christ to escape the danger we are in from the curse and condemnation of the law, from of the wrath of God, and from an eternity in hell. Only Christ provides refuge from these things, and it is to Him alone that we must run. Just as the cities were open to all who fled to them for safety, it is Christ who provides safety to all who come to Him for refuge from sin and its punishment. (Gotquestions.org)
The most obvious choice we can make in this life is to follow Christ. Run to Him and follow Him. He has the answers and we have the privilege of inquiring of Him for any and every decision we make.
My Prayer
Father, many times I have acted on my own limited knowledge and view and found myself in bad situations. Thank you for providing a refuge in You. Thank you for caring enough to lead when we ask and for giving us the freedom to choose. Thank you for a safe place in You. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Where does my help come from?
Psalm 62:8
“Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.”