[2.] I will say to the Lord, My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust. "Nothing can ultimately hurt me." If Christ's life is the interpretive lens through which we read Psalm 91, then the promises of protection found in that psalm must have something to do with resurrection. Psalms 91:3. The word kabed (honor) means to give a person honor or to make them heavy (in the sense of powerful. God protects believers, (1.) It is to know relationally or by experience, and is therefore an intimate kind of knowledge. (2.) Used by permission. Dec. 25, 2022. Who would wish to live a day longer than God has some work to do, either by him or upon him? Psalm 91, Jack Wellman is a father and grandfather and a Christian author and pastor of Heritage Evangelical Free Church in Udall, KS [https://modelchrist.org/] & also a Prison Minister. Psalm 91 God's Protection 911: Christians are under attack! After clicking 'Register', you will receive an email with a link to verify your account and to complete your registration. 5. my God, in whom I trust.. I will set him on high, because he has known my name. Oh, labour to get to that blessed position! (1.) God puts honour upon us, poor dishonourable worms that we are. . Let us come boldly there; and, when we once enter, let us dwell there. The Christian & Politics: Has the Contemporary Church Become Obsessed With Political Solutions? If we are to keep our equilibrium in such circumstances, we need assurance that God is with usthat God loves us and is committed to helping usthat God will redeem even our darkest day. God loved us yesterday, and will love us tomorrow. Some make this to be spoken to the angels as the reason of the charge given them concerning the saints, as if he had said, "Take care of them, for they are dear to me, and I have a tender concern for them." I conclude that Psalm 91 means two things about the suffering of the saints. Wherever the saints go the angels are charged with them, as the servants are with the children. And from the noisome pestilence. "Here, after the carefree delight of Psalm 98, we recollect how exalted and holy he is, and how profound is the reverence we owe him." (Derek Kidner) A. The completed registration allows us to send order and donation receipts to the email address you provided. A commonly misunderstood phenomenon in Psalms is the association that often develops between the "one" (the psalmist) and the "many" (the theocratic people). Log In
Vaccines and other medical treatments have almost eliminated them for us. QUESTION - Why is the gate that leads to destruction wide Matthew 713. . You have probably been the victim of some sort of trap, possibly in quite recent memory. We will do well to avoid such dangers, but the promise is that Yahweh will enable us to tread on and trample them without fear. That the angels of light shall be serviceable to them, v. 11, 12. Proud member We havent had to watch carefully for fowlers traps as we walk along sidewalks or drive along roadsor even when we hike through woods. Can any language be loftier? The seashore or forest where nature calms our souls and draws us to God. I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. I will say of the Lord, He is my then come three mys, as if the psalmist could grasp the Triune Jehovah, my refuge, my fortress, my God; in him will I trust. What a grand word that is, My God! There are some who come to Gods house; but the man mentioned here dwells with the God of the house. I have often noticed how long Gods people live. The Unholy Trinity: The World, The Flesh, The Devil Psalms--BASICS Psalm 91 OUTLINE vs. 1-2: Assurance of God's Protection vs. 3-8, 11-13: The Ways God Protects vs. 9-10: An Invitation to Receive God's Protection vs. 14-16: Promises from the Lord for His Protection quotation, for he left out the words in all thy ways. God will help us in our ways if we keep in his ways. (9b means the second part of verse 9). If these verses sound familiar, it is probably because Satan quoted them as part of Jesus second temptation. Here is, (1.) How could any arrows, how could any pestilence, ever be able to reach that secure abode of God? To whom these promises do belong; they are described by three characters:(1.) For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. I will be with him in trouble: Again God speaks and acts like a tender-hearted mother towards a sickly child. However, when Elohim refers to Yahweh, that is called the intensive plural or the majestic plural, acknowledging that all that constitutes deity is summed in Yahweh. i. His faithfulness (emettruth) is your shield (Hebrew: sinnah) and rampart (Hebrew: soherahbuckler) (v. 4c). God truly is our fortress and our refuge. ), The New Interpreters Dictionary of the Bible, 5 vol. However, we are familiar with traps of other kinds: Spam callers try to get us to get us to reveal our credit card numbers. In singing this we must shelter ourselves under, and then solace ourselves in, the divine protection. Lions serve as a metaphor for powerful forces that can take us apart with one swipe of their claws. When you hear a glorious doctrine preached, it may be very sweet to others; but the honey lies in the particular application of it to yourself. For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence." Hell Under Fire - CIANZ Annual Conference Address, Jesus' Teaching on Hell - Samuel G. Dawson, The Nature of Hell - Evangelical Alliance, The Origin of Hell-Fire in Christian Teaching, The Bible Verses the Traditional View of Hell - Babu G. Ranganathan, Applying the Resurrection
(2.) Note the contrast between dash your feet against a stone (v. 12b) and tread on the lion and cobra and trample the young lion and serpent (v. 13). There are some who worship in the outer court . What are things that we can learn from it for today? What does the phrase "gnashing of teeth" mean? Is Sovereign the Best Descriptor for God? Here are more promises to the same purport with those in the foregoing verses, and they are exceedingly great and precious, and sure to all the seed. But he is confident that Yahweh will deliver him from plagues and pestilence, because he dwells in the secret place of the Most High.. (2.) Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, If you dwell near to God, you will not be deceived by Satan. But, there is hope! While no one died, it was a terrible illness that required weeks for recovery. so that you wont dash your foot against a stone. In my father's house there are many mansions, one needs not crowd another, much less crowd out another. However, we must guard against angel worship and the trivialization of angels popular in some circles today. Note, 1. Commentary On Psalm 91 9 16 Working Preacher From Luther Seminary John 414 Life as a Fountain.. Observe, 1. Theologian Paul on Life, Death, and Immortality - Froom, Gravity of Ascribing False Teachings to Christ - (refernce to Dives and Lazarus), The Old Testament Use of the Word Sheol (Hell), The Rich Man and Lazarus: An Intermediate State? It is he that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High, who, by Gods help, treads upon the lion and adder, and of whom it is written, The young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.. For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence.. 3 (Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 2016), Tate, Marvin E., Word Biblical Commentary: Psalms 51-100 (Dallas: Word Books, 1990), Waltner, James H., Believers Church Bible Commentary: Psalms (Scottdale, Pennsylvania: Herald Press, 2006), Baker, Warren (ed. We know that God gives His angels charge over us but only at His command and they are ministering spirits assigned to minister to His own children (Heb1:14) but as Jesus said, we should not tempt the Lord by taking advantage of the heavenly host that ministers to us. Their Worm Does Not Die: Annihilation and Mark 9:48, Evidence for the Resurrection - William Lane Craig -Text and Audio, The Evidence for Jesus - William Lane Craig - Text and Video. If you do not want that we track your visit to our site you can disable tracking in your browser here: We also use different external services like Google Webfonts, Google Maps, and external Video providers. A good read. It is not every professing Christian, nor every believer who attains this height of experience; but only such as believe the promise, and fulfill the heavenly condition of dwelling in the secret place of the most High. An integrated digital Bible study library - including complete notes from the NIV Study Bible and the NKJV MacArthur Study Bible - is just a step away! We can put down our foot on truth, and it will prove solidwont collapse under our weight. Verse six presents a key to understanding Psalm 1: "For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish."In this psalm, the way of the righteous and the way of the ungodly are contrasted. 91:2 ), from which he gives both direction and encouragement to others, Ps. Psalms 91:2. For example, in Psalm 1, we are not to spend all our time just meditating on the Word, but become busily involved as Jesus was in the lives of others, p. 3. 75 Bible Commentaries - Matthew Henry, Adam Clarke, Pulpit Commentary, etc. We fully respect if you want to refuse cookies but to avoid asking you again and again kindly allow us to store a cookie for that. The psalmist can feel secure, because he is confident that Yahweh will deliver him from the snare (pah) of the fowler (a person who sets traps to catch birds, usually for eating). Psalms 91:13. Dale Kuiper, The Christian and the Mosaic Law - Philip Mauro, The Preciousness of Time and the Importance of Redeeming It. You will only look with your eyes, and see the recompense (Hebrew: sillumahpunishment) of the wicked (v. 8b). 5 You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, But this will always prompt you to accept/refuse cookies when revisiting our site. You remember how the devil misapplied this text to Christ. Click on the different category headings to find out more. He is a refuge that will not fail me; for he is my fortress and strong-hold." Gender Revolution - What are they teaching your kids? In this study, Dr. MacArthur examines the book of Psalms and reveals how the hymns it contains points to an all-powerful God who is to be respected, worshiped, and praised for his loving care of his peopleand to whom we can turn to help in times of need. Otherwise you will be prompted again when opening a new browser window or new a tab. It is the character of a true believer that he dwells in the secret place of the Most High; he is at home in God, returns to God, and reposes in him as his rest; he acquaints himself with inward religion, and makes heart-work of the service of God, worships within the veil, and loves to be alone with God, to converse with him in solitude. As the little chicks bury their tiny heads in the feathers of the hen, and seem happy, and warm, and comfortable under their mothers wings, so shall it be with thee if thou dwellest with thy God: He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust.. Some of them are speedily taken home; still this text is, as a rule, literally fulfilled, With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation. He shall see Gods salvation even here; and when he dies, and wakes up in the likeness of his Lord, he will see it to the full. Therefore the psalmist is probably saying more than he understooddeliverance from trouble and salvation to eternal life. Why I Don't Have a Television - John Piper, Why People Find the Bible Difficult - A. W. Tozer, Your Life is Like the Morning Fog - James P. Shelly, A Challenge to Unscriptural Traditions and Practice - Video, Are Seminaries Legitimate? 12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. The other is that God often wills for his children to suffer, but forbids that the suffering hurts them in the end. Observe, [1.] In our experience, most hunting is done with guns instead of traps. All of this because He says we know Him by name (v 14) and can call Him Father. Because these cookies are strictly necessary to deliver the website, refusing them will have impact how our site functions. It is more probably that the word refers to the better country, that is, the heavenly, which the patriarchs desired and sought: he will show him that, bring him to that blessed state, the felicity of which consists so much in seeing that face to face which we here see through a glass darkly; and, in the mean time, he will give him a prospect of it. When we are retired into our chambers, our beds, and have made all as safe as we can about us, yet there is terror by night, from thieves and robbers, winds and storms, besides those things that are the creatures of fancy and imagination, which are often most frightful of all. to guard you in all your ways. Eternal Torment or Complete Annihilation? ', All Rights Reserved | 1997-2023 Richard Niell Donovan. This article is also available and sold as a booklet. A sinnah is a large rectangular shield. {"lang_button_processing":"Please Wait..","lang_button_notify":"Subscribe","lang_heading_notify":"Notifications","lang_text_notify_info":"Notify me of new comments\u003Cspan class=\"cmtx_info_extra\"\u003E via email\u003C\/span\u003E","lang_title_cancel_notify":"Cancel this notification","lang_link_cancel":"[Cancel]"}, {"commentics_url":"\/\/www.truthaccordingtoscripture.com\/comments\/","page_id":948015,"is_permalink":false,"lang_text_view":"View","lang_text_reply":"reply","lang_text_replies":"replies","lang_text_replying_to":"You are replying to","lang_title_cancel_reply":"Cancel this reply","lang_link_cancel":"[Cancel]","lang_text_privacy":"Privacy","lang_text_terms":"Terms","lang_text_agree":"[1] \/ [2]","lang_text_not_replying":"You are not replying to anyone","lang_button_loading":"Loading..","lang_button_more":"More Comments","lang_button_edit":"Edit Comment","lang_button_reply":"Add Reply","lang_link_reply":"Switch to full reply","lang_link_refresh":"[Refresh]","date_auto":false,"show_pagination":true,"quick_reply":false,"pagination_type":"button","timeago_suffixAgo":"ago","timeago_inPast":"a moment","timeago_seconds":"less than a minute","timeago_minute":"a minute","timeago_minutes":"%d minutes","timeago_hour":"an hour","timeago_hours":"%d hours","timeago_day":"a day","timeago_days":"%d days","timeago_month":"a month","timeago_months":"%d months","timeago_year":"a year","timeago_years":"%d years"}, JavaScript must be enabled for certain features to work, {"commentics_url":"\/\/www.truthaccordingtoscripture.com\/comments\/","page_id":948015,"enabled_country":false,"country_id":0,"enabled_state":false,"state_id":0,"enabled_upload":false,"maximum_upload_amount":3,"maximum_upload_size":5,"maximum_upload_total":5,"captcha":true,"captcha_url":"https:\/\/www.truthaccordingtoscripture.com\/comments\/frontend\/index.php?route=main\/form\/captcha&page_id=948015","cmtx_wait_for_comment":"cmtx_wait_for_comment","lang_error_file_num":"A maximum of %d files are allowed to be uploaded","lang_error_file_size":"Please upload files no bigger than %.1f MB in size","lang_error_file_total":"The total size of all files must be less than %.1f MB","lang_error_file_type":"Only image file types are allowed to be uploaded","lang_text_loading":"Loading ..","lang_placeholder_country":"Country","lang_placeholder_state":"State","lang_text_country_first":"Please select a country first","lang_button_submit":"Add Comment","lang_button_preview":"Preview","lang_button_remove":"Remove","lang_button_processing":"Please Wait.."}, {"commentics_url":"\/\/www.truthaccordingtoscripture.com\/comments\/","auto_detect":false}, Pop-up verses - "Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation Used by permission. neither shall any plague come near your dwelling. Psalm 91:1-3 God the Deliverer "He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. That he will not only keep them from evil, but from the fear of evil, v. 5, 6. They shall not only have an admittance, but a residence, under God's protection; he will be their rest and refuge for ever. 14 Because he has set his love on me, therefore I will deliver him. I will honour him; those are truly honourable whom God puts honour upon by taking them into covenant and communion with himself and designing them for his kingdom and glory, John 12 26. Prayer: The Believer's Constant Conversation (Ephesians 6:18-24) Pastor John MacArthur. Commentaries for Psalm Chapter 91 The safety of those who have God for their refuge. That he will exalt and dignify them: I will set him on high, out of the reach of trouble, above the stormy region, on a rock above the waves, Isa 33 16. The first of those meanings (deliver) has God pulling the person out of the troubled situation, a scenario where the troubled person plays only a passive role. (4.) 16 With long life will I satisfy him, and show him my salvation. 3 For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler, A thousand shall fall at thy side and ten thousand at thy right hand. Seeking the Gospel in Malachi, the Last Book of the Old Testament. Verse 1 "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty" "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High." The blessings here promised are not for all believers, but for those who live in close fellowship with God. 11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. Truth is real, dependable, stablethat which we can trust. Fifteen Words of Hope 2 Corinthians 5:21 Be Part of the Family The secret place of the Most High could be: The temple. and ten thousand at your right hand; Facing a Tolerant World with Intolerant Truth (Selected Scriptures) Pastor John MacArthur. Once at the beginning of day. will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. Not only does He deliver His own from trouble, He honors them and satisfies them, promises them long life and how long is the life that comes when He shows us His salvation? This promise protects, (1.) It is possible to misuse passages such as this that are intended to reassure us of Gods help in dangerbut are not intended to encourage us to test God (Matthew 4:7; Luke 4:12). We ought to think more of the saint and the dragon. If you like what you're reading, you can get free daily updates through the RSS feed here. This psalm, without title in the Hebrew text, is a triple proclamation of God's holiness, as Isaiah would later do ( Isaiah 6:3 ). Learn more today! Some suffered mild impairment but others suffered catastrophic impairment. Life is filled with problems both small and big. Neither night nor daydarkness nor the bright light of noondayshall give the faithful cause for fear. Because you have made the Lord your dwelling placethe Most High, who is my refuge no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent.. He will deliver those people. Angels were often fearsome. 2 TIMOTHY 2:15. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand,but it will not come near you. Yahweh is promising to bless the person who knows him in this intimate way. It comes creeping in, and fills the air with death before you perceive its approach; but He shall deliver thee from the noisome pestilence. There is a pestilence of dangerous and accursed error abroad at this time; but if we dwell in the secret place of the most High, it cannot affect us; we shall be beyond its power. He that dwelleth in the secret place, &c. He that makes God his habitation and refuge, as he is called Psalm 91:9, that has recourse to him, and relies on him in his dangers and difficulties; that has access to him, intercourse with him, and worships within the veil, living a life of constant communion with him; shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty He shall not be . Psalms 91:4. 1 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High. His nature we cannot fully know; but by his name he has made himself known, and with that we must acquaint ourselves. I am one of those. 1. Anderson, A.A., The New Century Bible Commentary: Psalms 73-150 (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1972), Broyles, Craig C., New International Biblical Commentary: Psalms (Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, 1999, Brueggemann, Walter, The Message of the Psalms A Theological Commentary (Minneapolis: Augsburg Press, 1984), Clifford, Richard J., Abingdon Old Testament Commentaries: Psalms 73-150 (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2003), DeClaisse-Walford, Nancy; Jacobson, Rolf A.; Tanner, Beth Laneel, The New International Commentary on the Old Testament: The Book of Psalms (Grand Rapids: Wm. ), The Complete WordStudy Old Testament (Chattanooga; AMG Publishers, 1994), Baker, Warren and Carpenter, Eugene, The Complete WordStudy Dictionary: Old Testament (Chattanooga: AMG Publishers, 2003), Bromiley, Geoffrey (General Editor), The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Revised, 4 vols. You can also change some of your preferences. Now here it is promised. That is true in this verse, where we see the wicked being punished. With long life I will satisfy himand show him my salvation.. These verses include conditional promises. "He, his shadowy plumes outspread. The Case for Conditional Immortality - J. W. Wenham, The Bible, Slavery, and America's Founders, The Biological and Biblical Dangers of Problem-Centered Counseling, The Urgent Need For Reformation in Pastoral Ministry, Problems and Limitations
(General Editor), New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology & Exegesis, 5 vol., (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1997), Again, it is written, You shall not test the Lord, your God. Psalms 91:15. In the light of the Lord you will see light; and you will discover the limed twigs and the nets and the traps that are set to catch you: He shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler.. Yet the Church, for the most part, has allowed it to go unnoticed. The MacArthur Bible Studies provide intriguing examinations of the whole of Scripture. Life and Immortality - Basil Atkinson, M.A., PhD. I am old, and expect to die within a few years. Cobras and serpents serve as a metaphor for smaller but equally deadly forces that appear suddenly, seemingly from nowhere. The second meaning (equipping, to include equipping for war) has God providing us with the resources to handle the situation ourselves. He will be in peril; Psalms 91:12. God hides not his people in a casing of iron; their shelter is stronger than iron, yet it is soft as the downy wings of a bird for ease and comfort. May that be the portion of each of us! 10 no evil shall happen to you, Study to show thyself approved . You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness,nor the destruction that wastes at noonday,and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler. But surely in the day-time, when we can look about us, we are not so much in danger; yes, there is an arrow that flieth by day too, and yet flies unseen; there is a destruction that wasteth at high-noon, when we are awake and have all our friends about us; even then we cannot secure ourselves, nor can they secure us. - Bullinger, Rise Of The Theory Of Universal Restoration - Henry Constable, Universal Restoration Substituted for Eternal Torment, Absent From The BodyPresent With The Lord, Cross Purposes: Atonement, Death and the Fate of the Wicked. I will be with him in trouble.