Dwelling On High

The Bible has many word pictures to communicate the truths of God for us clearly. Some of them are from the past or from other cultures, so we have to study some to understand them well. Isaiah 33:15,16 contains one of those word pictures. Isaiah said, "He will dwell on high." Take a minute to consider what he is saying to all of us.

God is our Refuge, our Fortress. He protects us. He is like a castle on a high hill or mountain with very steep sides. The enemies can't climb up and take that kind of high fortress. Therefore, to dwell on high is to be in close fellowship with the Lord, so that He allows us to run to Him, and He gathers us into His protection when we need it.

God doesn't do that for everyone. The unbelievers do not have a relationship with God at all. They do not trust Jesus as Lord, so they have no protection from God. Even believers who are out of fellowship with God can't run to Him, because their sins separate them from God. Yes, they are saved from their sins, but fellowship comes from a close daily walk with Him. This is why Isaiah points out that to live on high with Him in security from the attacks of our enemies, we have to "walk righteously and speak uprightly." It is important for us not to oppress other people for our own profit or receive brides that sway our judgment. We must not listen to stories about shedding innocent blood and watch evil things, because these types of things pollute our hearts. We must draw near to Him with clean hands and a pure heart.

Then, the Lord is our Fortress of rocks. He feeds us with His bread, and we have no lack of water. Sounds like Psalm 23, doesn't it? I pray that we all will be able to dwell on high with Him all the time.

Tomorrow, I intend to read Isaiah 35-37.