Protection round-about
Kwaku Safo Kantanka Baffour-Kwakye
--Christian at heart || Graduate Mechanical Engineer || Afro Politics
So yesterday, on the 25th of January, 2023, during my Quiet Time - in the early hours of the day, I considered a text from the book of Psalms 121:5-6, which says (according to the New International Version);
5
The?Lord?watches over?you—
the?Lord?is your shade at your right hand;
6?
the sun?will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
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The verse that I deeply pondered on was the verse four - the latter part of the verse to be precise; ".... the Lord is your shade at your right hand..."
The word shade represents protection, in the same way a tree grants one protection against the harshness of the sun. The idea of shade connotes that, that which grants one protection, has to be far greater and powerful than its beneficiary. Using the above analogy of the tree, it has enough strength to spare, protecting both itself and others. And this it does while also completing its God-given mandate to be fruitful.
This is precisely what God our father does, he receives all the blows that were meant for us, while fulfilling his mandate to ensure that all men are saved. In medieval times, during warfare, the shield was held on the left hand and the sword on the right hand. This meant that the right hand side was very vulnerable to attacks as compared to the left, which is probably why shields were very large most of the time, to accommodate for both hand sides.
It is very interesting that the bible uses this imagery in explaining the Lord's protection. That even after man has designed all forms of security, such as; security from physical attacks (by hiring security guards stationed at home and bodyguards for protection while on the move), health attacks (by investing heavily in quality personal healthcare) and economic attacks (through various investment and savings portfolios); he is still vulnerable and thus needs the outstretched arm of God.
So although the Lord does not ban us from the above avenues of security, he is still admonishing us today in the above scripture to also lean on him for total security. In these dark times one cannot afford to be vulnerable - one must thus always seek for protection round-about.
Shalom.