Proverbs 18:10 Commentary and Bible Study

In this proverb the Spirit tells believers where their security lies, for God wants his people to be at peace and untroubled in spite of all the rigours of life in this world. They are to look to God alone for their refuge and not make anything in this life to be a substitute for him. The name of the Lord is the revelation of his being and character to his people, which is for them a refuge and a consolation against all trouble and distress. It is by his name that they know him and they can know nothing more than what he reveals in the meaning of the various names he gives himself, and by the attributes which he declares that he possesses. By faith they see him that is invisible (Hebrews 11:27) and nothing on earth is worthy of their trust. That name is so tangible to them by faith that it is like a strong tower which a person takes refuge in when he sees an enemy approaching. As soon as he is within that tower and the door is shut, his fears go away because he knows his enemy cannot enter and reach him there. How is the name of the Lord like a strong tower? That name is more than a sound spoken with the lips or heard by the ear. It is the revelation of the Almighty God who loves his people and arranges all things for their good, so that even events which seem to harm them in the short-term work out for their everlasting advantage. The name of the Lord is to them a strong tower because he has owned them, and they have claimed his protection from enemies that are too strong for them. If God was only one whom they hoped to see one day in the future and not one who intervened on their behalf, then he would be a God who was far off, but in fact he is near his people and delights that they call on his name when in trouble. The expression, ‘to call on the name of the Lord’ emphasises that in his name resides all his readiness to help. His name is the handle by which we know him. That feeling of safety can be experienced by those who are surrounded by troubles, for by faith they are confident of his protection, while those who do not know God see only their immediate surroundings. The word translated safe means to be set on high, so that enemies who would like to reach us find that we are out of reach. This is true because God has invisibly lifted up his children out of the reach of harm. He has not done this by physically removing them from the arena of this world or by extracting them out of the influence of the curse, but by sealing them with his protective seal, so that even though they remain in the world, they are kept by his power. All things work together for their good.