Articles
The Desire to Escape
And I said, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove! For then I would fly away and be at rest. Indeed, I would wander far off, and remain in the wilderness. I would hasten my escape from the windy storm and tempest.”
[Psalm 55:6-7]
No less a man than King David had moments when he wished to withdraw from the stresses and strains of life – to “fly away and be at rest.” David had more power to control his life than most ever will. He was a reigning monarch for forty years. He had ultimate authority over all government operations, social projects, the economy, national defense, etc. He was wealthy and could indulge in every luxury his culture could provide. He had a large family and loyal friends. Above all, he was a man who loved God and truly sought to do His will. What could possibly make him yearn so deeply for solitude that seemed beyond his reach?
David’s lamentation reveals a troubling truth: Utopia is not to be found on this earth. It couldn’t be found in the palace of David. He could not compel it by royal fiat or the edge of a sword. In fact, his very position invited a high degree mental distress because of its complex dynamics. Enemies repeatedly encroached; rivals aspired to supplant; even subordinates (like Joab) couldn’t be controlled. Further, David’s family is a textbook example of the folly of polygamy and lack of parental discipline. David’s only peace seemed to be in his communion with God:
One thing I have desired of the Lord, that I will seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple. For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; in the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock.
[Psalm 27:4-5]
Those intoxicated with worldly ambition and pleasure think that life is theirs for the taking. They thrive on the challenge of conquering; they sate themselves with sensuality. But carnal hunger is never satisfied, and many turn to more selfish acquisitions and perverted forms of enjoyment while running roughshod over those who get in their way.
But the very things that thrill the carnal man vex the spiritual man. The excesses, the treachery, the profound foolishness of the wicked drive the godly to despair. He sees how much better the world could be but knows from history that significant improvement without God is unlikely. This makes him long for closer communion with God here on earth and hope for a future in a place devoid of evil.
This world will forever bear the residue of sin. It is permanently broken and hard and lonely. Disease mars and cripples. Death, the most unwelcome of all intruders, occasionally barges in and departs with someone we love. Eden is only a misty memory in our collective consciousness. We long to be where weeds don’t grow, paint doesn’t peel and our back doesn’t hurt in the morning. David’s hope for wings of a dove never materializes, but after due meditation the great prophet and king concludes that true refuge can only be found in God’s house:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
[Psalm 23:6]
