How many of you have visited the Tower of London? I haven’t either. That so-called “tower” is a thousand year old castle in the heart of England’s capital. From the pictures it looks to be no more than 4 or 5 storey’s high. The first segment of the fortress was begun in 1066 after the arrival of William the Conqueror. It now has walls, several buildings and has provided a wide variety of services down through the years. For example, the Tower of London is the official Royal Palace, although Elizabeth doesn’t live in it. And it either has been, or still is, an armory, a zoo, the Royal Mint, and a prison. Several famous people have been executed in this tower. Much of the Royal jewel collection is housed there. Today it is a huge tourist destination. The minimum ticket price is $32.33 per person.

This evening I’d like to briefly tie together the tower of verse 10 and the Tower of London.

“The name of the Lord is a strong tower.”

I have never been to London, but I have read a lot about it – and seen pictures. It is a place filled with history, both good and bad. It was the home of William Kiffin, John Gill and Charles Spurgeon, as well as Henry VIII and Queen Mary. Some people believe that the Apostle Paul visited England, and if so he must have included London. The city is filled with historical structures, some of which go back to the days of Rome. One might say that London stands out among the great cities of the world.

Similarly, this verse stands out from among all the proverbs surrounding it. This is not one of the typical poetical verses, contrasting good and evil. It doesn’t display Solomon’s style of verse; this is more like the poetry of David and the Psalms. And the high tower is certainly a recurring theme of David.

The tower of this verse is said to be “the name of the Lord” Jehovah. This is definitely poetic, because there is nothing in the syllables of a name, even if there is meaning. We can’t run around muttering “Jehovah,” “Jehovah,” “Jehovah” and expect to be protected from anything. No, Solomon was inferring the Person behind the name “Jehovah.” He was speaking of the divine attributes and absolute perfections of the Lord, our Saviour. Within the walls of God’s omnipotence and omniscience there is perfect peace and safety.

Is there significance in the fact that the Hebrew word translated “name” is in I Chronicles 14:17 translated slightly differently? “And the FAME of David went out into all lands; and the LORD brought the fear of him upon all nations.” Our Lord should be famous among the saints of God, for His protection and our safety and peace.

“The name of the Lord is a STRONG tower.” The glorious fact is – our Saviour cannot be defeated; He is strong; this tower is impregnable. The world and the devil have no weapons capable of bring this tower down or punching a hole into it. For 200 years Satan has been using corrupted Bibles to pierce this Tower – they bounce right off. For thousands of years false doctrine and corrupt churches have endeavored to undermine the foundation of this Tower, but it still stands. And it is not like the Tower of Pisa – standing but leaning ever more slightly. “I will love thee, O Lord, my strength. The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, so shall I be saved from mine enemies.”

“The name of the Lord is a strong TOWER.” The word “tower” is also translated in different ways. For example it is rendered once as “pulpit.” In other words, this tower is a platform from which to declare the truth and publicize the Saviour. And perhaps more significantly it is also rendered “castle.” To me that suggests more than a military, defensive building; it is a well-defended home – a palace. The Person in whom I trust is the most glorious, the most luxurious, the best place in all the world in which to reside. How many other similar ways is the Lord depicted? Sunday we considered Him as the Ark of our salvation. How about as a hen or a mother eagle sheltering and protecting her young under her wings? “As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the LORD is round about his people from henceforth even for ever.” “For I, saith the LORD, will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her.”

Despite the protection our divine tower provides, there is far more. I forget how it was worded, but one commentator forced me to recognize that this was as much about the comfort which we have inside the Tower as it is protection from things outside. In the Lord – in Christ – is everything I need, as well as deliverance from judgment or the attacks of Satan.

“The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.”

Who is the one most likely to run into the tower of Christ? The fool isn’t going to do it; the evolutionary humanist isn’t; the openly wicked will certainly hesitate. “The RIGHTEOUS runneith into it” – the truly righteous, not the self-righteous. Only the sinner into whom the Lord has placed a desire for safety will so run. Only the sinner whom God has made righteous will run into it. I see here, once again, it is the regenerated soul who yearns for salvation in Christ. Only the already redeemed have a desire for salvation on God’s terms. Only the justified – those declared righteous run into the Tower of God’s protection.

Running suggests speed and the need for speed. This tower is like the city of refuge, the only place for deliverance from the vengeful grieving party. The man-slaughterer may think he is safe from judgment. He may believe that the family of his victim doesn’t know that he is the one who took their love-one’s life. He will not flee to the refuge until he is convinced that he needs deliverance. He will not fully understand his need of salvation until he has been given a new heart and nature. “The righteous RUNNETH into it.” Running in this case is a synonym for faith.

“The righteous runneth into it, and is SAFE.” Safe? Sir Thomas Moore was a resident of the Tower of London, but he wasn’t safe. Anne Boleyn was Queen of England but she was not protected while in the Tower of London. They were both beheaded inside that tower, because the king perceived them as guilty of something. Only the righteous are safe in the Tower of the Lord. No one runs into the Tower of the Lord in order to become righteous. Only those who are previously righteous can be safe within the tower of Jehovah. And this is because the King of this Tower is perfectly righteous Himself.

And what does that word “safe” entail? From what is the righteous man safe? First, because he has been justified and declared righteous, he is safe from the King’s judgment. He has nothing to fear from within the castle of the Lord. And because the King is omnipotent there is nothing to fear outside the tower walls. Satan may accuse the saint, and accurately describe the previous condition of that protectee. But it does not matter because he has been declared righteous by the King of the Tower. Satan may inflict pain and suffering on that soul, as he did Job, but the torment is governed by the King. Satan may even try to take the righteous person’s life, but as it was with Paul, it cannot be done. “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous runneth into it, and is SAFE.”

The Hebrew word “safe” is multi-talented and multifaceted. It is translated “safe” only twice, but six times it is rendered both “high” and even “exalted.” The saint who is safely tucked away in the castle of the Lord’s blessing is not only safe, but glorified in God’s sight.

As I understand it, for a fee, visitors can tour the Tower of London and even see some of the Royal Jewels. But those visitors parade through the display prodded like cattle – without the opportunity of stopping and staring. There is no touching of anything, even of the thick glass surrounding the exhibits. Today, from what I understand, no one is ever anything more than a visitor or an employee to the Tower of the London. But when the righteous run into the Tower with the Name of the Lord, he/she becomes one of the exalted residents of that glorious refuge.

Thank you, Lord, for this glorious residence. Thank you for this verse which reveals this glorious truth. “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.”