Names of God: Shamar Yisrael - The Protector of Israel

 

SHAMAR YISRAEL
(pronounced shah-MAR yis-rah-EL)
THE PROTECTOR OF ISRAEL

Psalm 121:4
Behold! The Protector of Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

Behold simply means, 'listen up!' or 'pay attention!', in order to gain a person's attention that the next words said are heard by the hearer. Sometimes to remind, sometimes to reinforce what has already been said previously.
The Protector of Israel is Almighty God. He is Keeper. He keeps watch over His chosen people. [John 17:12]. As a father protects his children, God protects His people.

    He is Guardian. He guards us on every side. As He guarded His people in the wilderness, He went before them as a pillar of cloud and behind them as a pillar of fire. [Exodus 13:17-22]. Even when the tabernacle was built, and the glory of God was upon it, the cloud by day and the fire in the cloud by night, reinforced God's presence upon every Israelite in the camp. And the tabernacle was not consumed in the fire of God's presence. [Exodus 40:38].

    The Protector of Israel surrounds him, instructs him and guards him 'as the apple of His eye'. [Deuteronomy 32:10]. We are surrounded by the angel of The Lord [Psalm 34:7; Zechariah 2:5]. We are instructed by His voice [Isaiah 48:17]. We are the apple of His eye. We are vulnerable in our humanness and require great care by a loving God. [Psalm 17:8].

    The Protector of Israel is Shepherd over Israel. When the flock begins to scatter, He gathers them back to Himself. At times, He will leave the majority of the flock and go looking for the wanderers, the lost sheep. Even when it is The Lord Who has scattered us for His purposes and will, it is still He Who brings us back to Himself. [Jeremiah 31:10; Deuteronomy 28:64]. Only when we acknowledge Him as Shepherd, does He become our personal Shepherd; The One we follow everywhere because we love His voice. [Psalm 23].

    The Protector of Israel never sleeps or grows weary; never gets drowsy. [Isaiah 40:28; Isaiah 27:3]. It is impossible for mere man to be on guard 24/7, seven days a week, month after month into the years. Yet, our God's strength and protection is beyond time and space. Wherever God is God is awake, alert, and prepared.

    Aren't you glad God is your Protector?

    

Worth the Wait

     As I was telling my friend Jean earlier: "The harder it is to get there, the more I need to be there." She had asked if I was going to church tonight. I try to get to church every time the doors are open. But some days are more of a challenge. I actually got to bed by a little after 10pm last night and slept all night. But I doubt I rested, because I got up for an hour at 8am but laid back down at 9 and didn't wake up until 12:45pm. The body needs more than sleep; it needs rest. And I am not getting any. Yet. The journey is worth the wait.

     But I will soon. My body is exhausted. Every step groans of itself. I sit down to read and the pages blur, my eyes close and I take these little catnaps. And then I am revived for awhile. I stretch my legs out on the recliner, extend my arms, wiggle my fingers: massage my body from the hips down and stand up. Talking to God the whole time.


     You may think I am talking to myself cause you see my lips moving. I ask you, "Why talk to myself, when I can talk to the One who made me?" And He listens. Why does God listen to me when I talk to Him? Great is His faithfulness. For He has said He will never leave me nor forsake me. He turns His ear towards me to hear me. I yawn. And yet our time together is not yet done.


     God guides me to my bed, my resting place. Sometimes I fall asleep while praying and sometimes I fall asleep while singing. These last three nights I have woke up singing Mercy Me's Bring the Rain. This is not a restful song. And though I know this song by heart, it is not one I would have chosen to wake up to. For it gives the message of preparedness to be at the forefront of the battle. And you and I both know that we are seldom at our best first thing in the morning. Nonetheless, there it is. Even before the sun rises, the song flows into my spirit. 


     Where I am currently in life was a destination of times past. But this leg of the journey is not the end of the road. I haven't crossed the finish line yet; I'm still running, figuratively speaking of course. If my thoughts linger on the weight of the race, I become more tired. And though a nap would be good right now, I would not get up in time for church. And the dreams.


     If the dreams were good, maybe then I'd get some rest. But I must needs carry my Sword into spiritual battle even in my sleep. Which is why I probably wake up exhausted instead of rested. I am attacked on every level. And I need help repelling the enemy wherever he tries to invade. Even my rest. In Nehemiah, every family worked together to repair the walls and the gates around Jerusalem. And when they were come against by those who did not want to see a united Israel, they rotated who would do the work of the Lord and who would defend those who worked. 


     Where is that? Who fights while some work, some rest. For they rotated in shifts. By working together in this fashion, they were able to complete the building of the walls and gates in 52 days. Because God was on their side. And when their enemies saw that God was on Israel's side, they ceased their attacks. Their journey was worth the wait. 


    And so is ours.