A Man - Our Hiding Place

Q: What does the Bible say about Christ as our hiding place?

The Bible describes Christ as a hiding place, sheltering us from life's storms and providing living water in our dry times. In Isaiah 32:1-2, Scripture refers to a 'man' who will be a hiding place from the wind and a shelter from the storm. This passage first alludes to King Hezekiah, who saved Israel from their enemies, but its ultimate fulfillment is found in Jesus Christ. He stands as our refuge, providing deliverance from sin, the wrath of God, and all forms of tribulation we face in life. When we face the storms of life, we can find comfort and safety in Him, knowing that He is our Lamb and the source of living water that quenches our spiritual thirst.

Q: How do we know Christ's promises are true?

Christ's promises are upheld by His faithfulness and the fulfillment of Scripture. In times of trial, believers can rely on Christ's promises as they are rooted in His faithfulness. As mentioned in John 16:33, Jesus acknowledges that we will face tribulation, but He also assures us to take heart, for He has overcome the world. This duality—acknowledgment of present struggles combined with the guarantee of ultimate victory—is a core assurance for Christians. Additionally, the consistent testimonies of both the Old and New Testaments affirm that God's commitments to His people, such as providing shelter and refreshment, are faithfully fulfilled in Christ Jesus.

Q: Why is it important for Christians to seek shelter in Christ?

Seeking shelter in Christ is essential for finding peace, strength, and refreshment during life's difficulties. Life is fraught with trials and tribulations, as highlighted by Paul and the psalmists. Without seeking refuge in Christ, we can easily become overwhelmed by the storms of life. Jesus is referred to as our rock and shelter, emphasizing His role as the source of comfort and protection. When we flee to Him in our times of need, we find not only a shelter from the storms but also a source of living water that satisfies our deepest longings. In turning to Christ, believers are assured that their struggles are not without purpose, and they can draw on His strength and grace to endure life's challenges.

I'm going to be speaking to you
today on the subject, A Man, Our Hiding Place. A Man, Our
Hiding Place. Now, I brought a message on this
subject and from this text to our congregation in Ashland not
so very many weeks ago, and it was well received. Many people
received a great blessing from this message, and many altered
tapes of the message. And of course, you may be able
to secure this tape, the message recorded on a cassette tape.
And after the program's over, I'll tell you about it. But we're
going to be looking at Isaiah chapter 32. In Isaiah 32, verse
1 and 2, the Scripture says, Behold, behold, let me have your
attention, a man shall reign in righteousness. and a man shall
be as a hiding place from the wind, and a shelter from the
storm, as rivers of water, as streams of water in a dry place,
and as the shade of a great rock in a weary land." Now, it may
be, listen to me a moment, it may be that some of you Do not
feel a need for this particular message or for what I have to
say today. But I encourage you to listen
because I assure you that you will someday have a need for
this message. The need will definitely arise
in your life. Someday you're going to need
a hiding place from the wind. Someday you are going to need
a shelter in the time of storm. Someday you will need some fresh
water, some cool water in a dry and thirsty land and someday
you'll be looking for shade in the wilderness. Now the first
reference, did you hear the scripture? It says a man shall be a hiding
place from the wind, a shelter from the storm, refreshing water
in a dry, dry land and the shade of a great rock, a shelter, a
shelter in a weary land." Now, the first reference and initial
application of this scripture is to Hezekiah. Hezekiah was
a good king. He was king of Israel. And God
is promising here through the prophet Isaiah that he would
deliver Israel from the hand of their enemies, the Assyrians,
through this great king Hezekiah. That's the first reference now.
But the second reference, and always, like all scripture in
the Old Testament, anytime you're reading the Old Testament, from
Genesis to Malachi, remember this, they all speak of Christ. To Him give all the prophets
witness. It doesn't matter where you're
reading in the Old Testament, in the Psalms, in the major prophets,
in the minor prophets. If you're reading Moses, the
Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, or wherever you're reading, The primary purpose
of that scripture is to reveal Christ Jesus. These things are
written concerning Him. And this scripture refers to
the Messiah, who is the sinner's Savior, the sinner's Redeemer. Hezekiah's victory over the enemies
of Israel is only a picture of our Lord's victories over the
enemies of His church. He is truly our hiding place. from the wind of evil and sin. Christ is our hiding place. He's the man, Christ Jesus, the
King and the God-man. He is our shelter from the wrath
of God against our sins. He is the water of life. He said,
I am the water of life. Come unto me and drink. He said
to the woman at the well, he said, if you knew to whom you
were speaking, well, you'd ask of me and I'd give you living
water. I am the water of life. He's the water in a dry land.
And He's the great rock of ages on which we build and in which
we hide. He's the cleft of the rock in
which we hide. But now here, here is where I
want to camp today. First of all, this scripture
says a man is a hiding place from the wind. He's a shelter
from the storm. He streams of water in a dry
and thirsty land, and He's a shade, a shelter in the wilderness. And as I said, that's Hezekiah,
king of Israel. That's Christ, our Messiah, our
Redeemer, the center Savior, who has delivered us effectually
and sufficiently from all these powers of evil and all these...
There's no judgment to them who are in Christ, no condemnation.
But here is where I want to look now. This Scripture is also,
it is also a word of comfort to the believer. It is a word
of comfort to the child of God. When I read this Scripture, I
see here some comfort for every believer because the words of
our text, now listen to me, the words of our text are a true
description of life on this earth. Are they not? Storms, dry places,
a weary land. Do those words not describe life
on this earth, life here at this present time? Winds, storms,
dry places, a weary land. I tell you this, someone wrote
one time, he who reckons on a peaceful calm in this life from the cradle
to the grave, is either a fool or a dreamer. That's right. The man who reckons on a smooth,
calm, peaceful life from the cradle to the grave, he's either
a fool or he's a dreamer. Now, you may start off life,
you may set sail in life on a sea as smooth as glass, but before
this journey's over, your ship is gonna reel to and fro. And the journey is going to be
perilous. And the fury of the storm is
going to be felt. And the power of the wind. And
before this journey is over, you may even think your ship
will sink. These are storms and trials in
the lives of believers. The Bible teaches that. I know
that's not the popular preaching on television today, but nevertheless,
it's the teaching of God's Word. Our Lord said, in this world
ye shall have tribulation. He told His disciples. They're
going to persecute you and despise you and say all manner of evil
against you. Men will hate you. They'll cast
you out of the synagogue. You're going to have trouble.
Paul wrote in the, spoke in the book of Acts and said this, He
said that believers are exhorted to continue in the faith, knowing
that we must, through much tribulation, enter the kingdom of heaven.
That's talking to believers, telling them that apostles were
exhorting believers to continue in the faith, knowing, don't
quit, don't give up, don't faint. David said, I would have fainted
if I had not believed to see the goodness of God in the land
of the living. So I'm going to wait on God.
But here, he said, believers are exhorted to continue in the
faith, to go on, go on, because we, through much tribulation,
will enter into the kingdom of God. Job said, man that is born
of woman is a few days and full of trouble. And a man, any who,
the Scripture says, they that would live godly in Christ Jesus
shall suffer, shall suffer. And Peter said this, count it
not strange when fiery trials come upon you to try your faith.
But here we have the promise that in these times of wind and
storm and dry places and a weary land, we have a hiding place. A man shall be a hiding place
from the wind, a shelter from the storm. a stream of refreshing
water in a dry place, and a shade in a weary land." Now, let's
first of all, I have two or three points I want to give to you. But first of all, let's look
at this description of trials and tribulations. These words
are significant, very significant. First of all, the word wind.
A man shall be a hiding place from the wind. And then there
are the storms. and then there's the dry places,
and then there's the weary land. What does the wind signify in
the life of a believer? Well, how mysterious is the wind? Our Lord said, of the wind, you
can't tell whence it cometh, and you can't tell where it goes.
And some of our troubles and trials are like this. They're mysterious like the wind.
We're disturbed, we're depressed, by causes for which we cannot
account. Someone says, you're not happy.
Why? I don't know why. Well, you're discouraged. Why?
I don't know why. There's confusion of mind and
heart. Do you ever experience this?
They call it nerves. They call it emotion. They call
it depression. They call it whatever. But have
you ever been there? David was. In Psalm 42, David
said this, Why are you cast down, my soul? Why are you disquieted
within me? Why do you mourn? Unhappy, distressed,
discouraged, fearful for no apparent reason. Cause is unknown. That's the wind. That's the wind. I have plenty to eat. I have
good clothes to wear. I have a car to drive. I have
friends. I have whatever. But I have troubles. That's the
wind. And then the storm. Now, these
are real. We know where these come from.
We know about these storms of life, the rocky places. Our sins cause us great anguish
and grief. David said, my sins are ever
before me. David said, when I would do good
evils, or Paul said, when I would do good, evil is present with
me. Oh, wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from this
body of death? Sickness. Hezekiah was sickened
to death and turned his face to the wall and wept before God.
Our children. Jacob said, I am bereaved of
my children. My children have broken my heart.
And then the death of a loved one. Can't you just hear David
as he stood out there on the mountain that day when the man
came to him and told him that his son Absalom was dead how
the king loved that boy, how he loved that boy. This is a
man after God's own heart. This is a man who knew God, and
he stood out there and looked into the heavens and said, Oh,
oh, Absalom, my son, my son Absalom, would God I had died for you. I wish I had died instead of
you. Old age. Any of y'all out there know anything
about its pains and and its distresses and its weaknesses and its difficulties. These are storms. These are storms. There's the wind. There's the
storms. And then, you know anything about
the dry places? The dry places. Are there times,
I'm talking to believers now, are there times when the flesh
is strong and the spirit is weak? Our Lord accused the disciples
of that. He said the spirit is willing and the flesh is weak.
There are times when study is a chore, when reading the Bible
is difficult. There are times when your heart
is cold and the joy is gone. There are times when prayers,
when you feel like your prayers are just words, just empty words,
that's all. Empty words. There are times
when the well seems so dry And God seemed so far away. Oh, I
know, I hear people singing that little silly song, happy all
the time. I don't believe a word of it.
Happy all the time, happy all the time. And David wasn't. In Psalm 63, verse 1, he said,
Oh my God, oh my God, my soul thirsteth for Thee, my flesh
longeth for Thee in a dry and thirsty land. In Psalm 77 verse 89, he said,
listen to this, is God's mercy clean gone? Does his promise
fail? Has God forgotten to be gracious?
Listen, has God in anger shut up his tender mercies against
me? This is David. And then John
Newton, the man who wrote Amazing Grace, wrote this, he said, "'Tis
a point I long to know, and often it gives me anxious thought.
Do I love the Lord or no? Am I His or am I not?" Have you
ever been there? Know anything about the dry places?
And then he says something about a weary land. And this world
has not become a weary land. It is a weary land. There'll be times for all believers
when sorrows will outnumber your joys. I promise you that. There'll be times when pain will
exceed pleasure. There'll be times when you have
more lonely hours than you do hours of fellowship. There'll
be many times in your life, maybe not now, but the times coming
when tears will come a lot easier than laughter. and when nights
grow longer and days grow shorter. And then there'll come a time
when you need others a whole lot more than they need you.
That's a weary land. Yeah, I reckon it's so, don't
you? We must, through much trouble and tribulation, enter into the
kingdom of God. But for all these troubles, there
is deliverance. That's what I'm saying. I'm glad
I don't have to stop there. I'm glad I don't have to stop
there. I'm glad that's not the end of this message. I thank
God that that's not the end. Because he said a man, a man
shall be a hiding place from that wind, that mysterious, mysterious
trial that comes upon. There's a hiding place, there's
a place to hide. And there's a shelter when that
storm comes. There's a shelter. And when they
come, when you're walking through those dry places, there's a stream.
If you knew where the stream, if you knew where it is, would
you take a drink? And there's a rock, there's a
shadow of a great rock in a weary land. Be of good cheer. Christ
said, listen, I didn't read the whole text while ago. Christ
said, in the world you will have tribulation, but But be of good cheer, be of good
comfort. I've overcome this world." I
didn't read all of what David said a while ago. He said, why
are you cast down, my soul? Why are you disquieted in me?
Why do you mourn and grieve, my soul? Then he said, hope thou
in God. Hope thou in God. Those blessings
will yet come to pass. Our Lord said, I'll never forsake
you. I'll never leave you. I'll be
with you in troubles. The songwriter said, I'll be
with you, your troubles to bless, and I'll sanctify to you your
deepest distress. My friends, when the mysterious
winds of trouble blow, and when the storms of life are just attacking
your little vessel, to where you don't think it will stay
afloat. And when you walk through dry
places and lonely hours in a weary land, flee to Christ. Meet Him at the mercy seat. Don't
let your troubles take you away from the only hiding place. May
your troubles cause you to flee to the hiding place, not run
from it, but flee to it. May your trying times be seeking
times, because Christ is the only strength, the only hiding
place, the only shelter, the only refuge, the only water,
the only shade. From every stormy wind that blows,
from every swelling tide of woe, there is a calm, a safe retreat,
and it's found in Him, our Mercy Seeker. Where can my soul flee
for aid when troubled and desolate and dismayed, when winds and
storms would defeat? Well, peace is found in Him,
our mercy seat. That's where the Lord said, I'll
meet you. He said over there in the book of Exodus, and I
tell you, the Old Testament is such a beautiful picture of Christ
our Lord. God said to Moses in Exodus 25,
Moses, Make a mercy seat. Make a mercy seat over the ark.
Put in the ark the tables of stone, the Ten Commandments.
Put the mercy seat over the ark. Make it a pure gold, and I'll
meet you at the mercy seat. Sprinkle the blood on the mercy
seat, and I'll meet you there, and I'll commune with you, and
I'll meet you in affection." And over in the New Testament,
Paul wrote in Romans chapter 3, he said, God had set forth
Christ to be our mercy seat. Christ is our mercy seat. Don't
allow the trial, the storm, to take you away from the only refuge,
the only fountain of grace, but allow the trial to take you to
Him, to Christ. This is when I need the Redeemer.
When the wind blows, that's when I need a hiding place. When the
storm rages, that's when I need the shelter. There's a song,
just when I need him most. Well, when do I need him most?
When the wind blows. When do I need him most? When
the storm rages. When the ground is dry is when
I need the living water. When the sun is hot, that's when
I need the shade. And do you understand this? Do
you understand that this is the work of the Lord Jesus Christ?
This is why he came. Paul said in 1 Timothy, this
is a fateful saying and worthy of all acceptation, that he came
into the world to save sinners. He came into the world seeking
to save the lost. He came into the world to redeem
the lost. He's the savior of sinners. He's
the mediator for the helpless. He's atonement for sinners. He's
the high priest for the guilty. Do you see that? What's the hiding
place for? The hiding place is to protect.
What's a shelter for? I was raised in South Alabama
where they have a lot of storms and tornadoes. And many people
there have storm shelters. They build them out in the backyard.
They dig a place down in the ground and put cement on it and
top over it, you know, level with the ground. And when the
storm begins to rise over here, In a certain area, everybody
would go into the storm shelter. That's what it's for. That's
why it's provided. And that's what I say to you.
Christ is the shelter. What's water for? Water's for
the thirsty. What's shade for? Shade's for
the weary. And this is our Lord's greatest
glory. His greatest glory. This is His...
What is the glory of the sun? You see the sun shining there
in the heavens. What is the greatest glory of
the sun? Why, to warm and to give life and to make plants
grow. That's the glory of the sun.
When the sun warms the earth and causes life to grow and plants
to grow, that's the glory of the sun. And the glory of a hiding
place is to comfort. The glory of a shelter is to
protect. The glory of water is to satisfy. The glory of a rock
is to provide shelter. And the glory of Christ is to
show mercy to His people and grace to His people and comfort
His people and redeem His people. Moses said to the Lord one day,
he said, Lord, show me Your glory. Show me Your glory. Now, I tell
you, Moses had seen some marvelous things. Moses had seen the river
turn to blood. He'd seen the sky grow black
in the middle of the day. He'd seen the Red Sea Pirate. He'd seen a whole army drowned
in that sea trying to catch Israel. He'd seen a rock give forth water.
He'd seen a lot of things. But this man wanted to see God's
chief glory. And the Lord told Moses, He said,
You hide over here in the cleft of the rock, and I'll put My
hand over you, and I'll pass by you. And you won't see My
face. No man can see God and live.
but you'll see my back part, you'll see something of my glory. Just a reflection of it, just
the back parts of it, just, I can't, there's no way I can describe
it. And here's what he said, and I'll be gracious to whom
I will be gracious, and I'll be merciful to whom I will be
merciful. That's my glory, that's my great
and chief glory, is to be gracious and to show mercy. Do you see
that? His strength is made perfect in my weakness." That's why Christ
became a man. He's a Savior because we're sinners.
He's a Savior because... He's faithful because we're unfaithful. He's full because we're empty,
and He supplies us with all the fullness. It says, "...in Him
dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily." And you're
complete in Him. He's strong because we're weak.
He's holy because we're unholy. We find all our need met in Him. Do you understand that? It's
not at the front of the church where our needs are met. It's
in Christ. It's not in the hand of a preacher that our needs
are met. It's in a person, a man, a man, the God-man, the Redeemer. It's not counting my beads. It's
not going to confessional. It's not talking to a human being.
My needs are met in Him who is my Redeemer. Do you understand
that? Flee to Christ. Don't let your troubles take
you to the arm of the flesh. Let your troubles take you to
Him who is your strength. A man shall be a hiding place
from the wind, and a shelter from the storm, and precious
refreshing water in this dry, dry, dry famine-infested land,
and a shade, a weary shade in a weary land. A cool, refreshing
shade where I can rest under the rock and be confident. And let me show you this. You
say, why do we have so many troubles? I'll tell you this. You know
what makes water most precious? Drought. You know what makes
a shelter most precious? A storm. You know what makes
a shade most precious? A burning sun. And that's what
I'm saying, to whom much is forgiven, he'll love much. And that man
or woman who has gone through storms and winds and trials and
trouble and found a refuge in Christ and found satisfaction
in Christ and found all he needs in Christ, boy, I tell you, he
loves him and appreciates him and can praise him, give him
the glory. If you want this, message on
tape, write for it. Send two dollars. There'll be
two messages, this one and one I'll preach next week. Until
next week, may God bless you.

A Man - Our Hiding Place

What does the Bible say about Christ as our hiding place?

How do we know Christ's promises are true?

Why is it important for Christians to seek shelter in Christ?

Sermon Transcript

About Henry Mahan

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A Man - Our Hiding Place

What does the Bible say about Christ as our hiding place?

How do we know Christ's promises are true?

Why is it important for Christians to seek shelter in Christ?

Sermon Transcript

About Henry Mahan

Comments

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