“Treasures from the Secret Place”

Chapter 15

“You shall not be afraid of the terror by night…”
Psalm 91:5a

Yanked out of sleep, I sat straight up in bed. Shep was barking in wild howls. “What on earth is going on?” Fumbling in the dark, I pulled the curtain back and peered out into the dark night. I glanced back to the nightstand. The clock said 12:30. “What’s out there?”

Early in our marriage, we moved to the country with our four year old and two year old sons. No better place to raise boys than the country and both my husband and I grew up wanting to be in a place where we could have a big garden and animals. We also brought along our Australian shepherd, who ran in happy circles of excited approval to be outside of fenced city dwelling. All was well, except at night.

Our new home was in the middle of rice fields and dairy farms about a block off the main road and the first house to be seen in several blocks. My husband worked rotating shifts, which meant that two out of every three months, he was not home until late at night or early in the morning. Being alone at night was never an issue in the city. There were neighbors close and well lighted streets. Fear did not enter the picture, but I soon discovered that a full night’s sleep was a thing of the past in our new home.

When I read this verse I think about that chapter of our lives.

“You shall not be afraid of the terror by night,…” Let’s take a look at this:

Afraid

<3372> A primitive root verb meaning to fear, to respect, to reverence, to be afraid, to be awesome, to be feared, to make afraid, to frighten. The most common translations are to be afraid, to fear, to fear God. “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge” is a famous use of the noun (Prov 1:7 NIV); the famous narrative of the near sacrifice of Isaac proved to God that Abraham feared Him above all (Gen 22:12); people who feared God were considered faithful and trustworthy for such fear constrained them to believe and act morally (Ex 18:21). The midwives of Pharaoh feared God and did not kill the newborn Hebrew males (Ex 1:17,21). The fear of the Lord was closely tied to keeping God’s decrees and laws (Deut 6:2); people who fear God delight in hearing of His deeds for His people (Ps 66:16). The God of Israel was an object of respectful fear (Lev 19:30; 26:2) for Obadiah and Hezekiah (1 Kings 18:3,12; Jer 26:19).

= Yod 10 = The outcome, the completion of something. Means: Hand, Right Arm, Power – Right hand of God’s power, a Deed Done, to Work, to Cover, Allow, Hollow, Open Hand, also refers to the Holy Spirit as it always hangs in the air overseeing
= Resh 200 = Insufficiency, Poverty (When we allow human reasoning to be our master, poverty of the Spirit results. Picture: the Head Means: Head, Chief, Beginning, Highest, Most Important, a Person, Human Reasoning vs. Obedience
= Aleph 1= God – Echad – Unity, Unique (no other like it) Means: Ox head— Strength or Leader — The Strength and Power of the leader

AFRAID: When we dwell in Him, we are not Afraid, because God, the Supreme Head over all, extends His Right Hand of Power in our behalf.

But, when we are not dwelling in Him we are afraid because the things we are facing seem Bigger and more Powerful than us. It gets in our Head where Human Reasoning causes us to feel Insufficient.

Let’s look at this word terror. Surprises are in store.

Terror

6343     ‎pachad (pakh’-ad); from OT:6342; a (sudden) alarm (properly, the object feared, by implication, the feeling): KJV – dread (-ful), fear, (thing) great [fear, -ly feared], terror.
<6342> ‎pachad (paw-kkad’); a primitive root; to be startled (by a sudden alarm); hence, to fear in general: KJV – be afraid, stand in awe, (be in) fear, make to shake. This dread was often caused by the Lord (1 Sam 11:7; Job 13:11; Isa 2:10,19,21). The dread could cause trembling (Job 13:11; Ps 119:120).

= Pey 80 = New governmental order. Means: Mouth, to Speak or Open, Beginning
= Chet 8 = New Beginnings. Means: Fence, Gate, or Tent wall – separates and protects or cuts off
= Dallet 4 = Earth or creation. Means: Door or Impoverished man

TERROR comes with Spoken Words, threatening Separation and lack of Protection and tempting us to feel helpless, like an Impoverished man.

That is exactly what I was feeling on that dark night and many other nights to follow. Night is often the time for our greatest fear attacks. But night here doesn’t always refer to night time hours. Let’s take a look:

Night
3915 A masculine noun meaning night, midnight. This Hebrew word primarily describes the portion of day between sunset and sunrise (Gen 1:5; cf. Ps 136:9). Figuratively, it signifies the gloom or despair that sometimes engulfs the human heart from an absence of divine guidance (Mic 3:6); calamity (Job 36:20); or affliction (Job 30:17). Nevertheless, even in the dark night of the soul, the Lord gives His people a song of joy (Job 35:10; Ps 42:8[:9 ]).

Did you catch that highlighted sentence in the middle of the definition? When there is an absence of divine guidance, we are especially vulnerable to attack.

= Lamed 30 = Blood of Messiah, Dedication. Means: Goad or Stick, to Teach or Instruct
= Yod 10 = The outcome, the completion of something. Means: Hand, Arm, Power – Right hand of God’s power
= Lamed 30 = Blood of Messiah, Dedication. Means: Goad or Stick, to Teach or Instruct

NIGHT: The enemy always comes to Goad us, leading us away from the light and Strength of God’s Right hand of Power. He wants to put us in the dark.

The bouts of sleeplessness increased. I discovered that Shep barked at every hopping rabbit or skittering skunk. I was never sure what the source of his agitation was. People looking for an address, others with flat tires or breakdowns of some kind pounded on our door long after bedtime. My husband often found me pacing the floor when he arrived home from work after a swing shift.

After several months of this, I had enough. Coming to my senses, I remembered my God and that He was well able to protect me. When again the wild barking shook me from my sleep, I sat up in bed with determination. “God, I don’t know what is out there but I am tired of being afraid and I really need to get some sleep. From here on out I am putting You in charge of all of this. If there is something that I need to do, wake me up. If not, help me sleep. Thank You Father, Amen.”

From then on, I don’t ever remember waking up afraid. If I did hear the dog or the pounding on the door, I’d ask God what I needed to do. Normally He’d tell me to go back to sleep, which I did. A couple of times He led me to talk to people through the locked door and call a relative to come help them or give them directions, but the fear factor faded.

Another night, years later, I had a dream:

~~~Journal Notes~~~

April 21, 2006
I just woke up from a weird dream about a dark cloud descending. People were afraid. I was afraid too but started praising God and the cloud turned to tiny birds and flew away.

When I woke up I heard Him say, “You must not be afraid of anything. In the future you will see many things that will frighten you, but as you worship, you will see beyond the circumstances and know that I am Holy and transcendent over all that you can see. Only as you lift your eyes to Me will fear dissipate and leave like a flock of birds. Look to Me and live.”

In these days of uncertainties and bumps in the night, let’s remember our changeless Almighty God.  He is ever present and always willing and ready to help.  If we are truly dwelling in Him, we have nothing to fear from the lies of the enemy.  I’ve come to love this scripture and turn to it often.  It points me back to the promises of Psalm 91:5.

Psalm 4:8
I will both lie down in peace, and sleep;
For You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.