Refuse or Refuge
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Refuse or Refuge
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Benoni Bulletin--030908--"Refuse or Refuge--blooper!""REFUSE" OR "REFUGE" -- A BLOOPER!
We have all chuckled at church bulletin bloopers--"Please
pick up your copy of the sermon on CD. No need to pay now, we will kill
(bill) you later." I am not sure I would want to attend that church,
would you? Once we had an elderly fellow named "Chris," who passed away
in a local hospital and the secretary typed "Christ died in hospital
yesterday." I couldn't help but see humour in a sad event--I said to
Donna, "I didn't even know he was sick--now we are ALL in big trouble!"
The Benoni City Times (February 1, 2008, page 15) created a
blooper in entitling a letter to the editor, "Park will soon have
refuge bins." Of course, they meant "refuse" bins. Ha! My
imaginative mind went crazy on that one!
Are refugees lining up in the park to find
"refuge-bin" accommodation? Won't they be a little cramped in a bin? Are
illegal immigrants eligible, too? Can a refugee say, "I've b'n there and
done that!" I have news for all and sundry--the only refuge
that exists is spiritual. It is to be found under the shadow of the
Almighty's wings, Psalms 36:7; 57:1; 91:4. In fact, the old classic
hymn, "Jesus, Lover of My Soul," says it so well. "Other refuge have
I none, hangs my helpless soul on thee. . .All my trust on thee is
stayed, All my help from thee I bring; Cover my defenseless head With
the shadow of thy wing." The Israelites had six cities of refuge
equally distributed on the East and the West of the Jordan River
from the North to the South, Numbers 35; Joshua 20:2. Those who were
guilty of homicide could seek refuge there from the "Avenger of Blood"
until his case could be determined. If found innocent of deliberate
murder, he would have to stay in that city until the death of the High
Priest; otherwise, he was fair game for the avenger (the next of kin
of the victim). The cities of refuge all had names that were
significant and obviously had some future allusion to Christ himself. He
is the ultimate refuge for sinful mankind who seek him.
Now a word or two about "refuse." This is one of
those funny English words. Depending on the given pronunciation, it can
mean "rubbish, junk or garbage" or it can mean "denial or refusal." In
the fifth amendment, "I refuse to answer that on the grounds that it
might tend to incriminate me. . ." Remember that one? On the other hand,
"rubbish, refuse or garbage" was burned outside of the city of Jerusalem
in the Valley of Hinnom. The Bible makes reference to that and applies
it to the fate of the wicked, Revelation 14:9-11. It says the "smoke of
their torment goeth up forever and ever. " And the reason for it--
because "they refused the one who spoke from heaven," Hebrews
12:25.
So, if we refuse to listen and obey the one who
speaks (Jesus--Hebrews 1:1), we will lose our refuge and become refuse
in "Gehenna" (Greek for: the Valley of Hinnom, or as used in the
spiritual sense--Hell). Make sure to distinguish between
"refuse" and "refuge"--your soul may depend on that!
Love you all,
Al Horne--"The Horne in
Africa"
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Southern Africa Bible
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