We, dear friends, may have secret enemies, who shoot at us, but we shall not be afraid of the arrow. That is true in this verse, where we see the wicked being punished. Jan. 1, 2023. 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. On their hands they will bear you up,lest you strike your foot against a stone. The ending of all of this is the most powerful of all as God says He will show him [or her], His salvation. If you have salvation, all of these other serious circumstances of plagues, night terrors, thousands dropping at your sides or any other threat are only temporary because ultimately, God is our refuge, our fortress, our shield, our buckler, and His love overshadows us and will bring us safely into the kingdom someday. lin) in the shadow (Hebrew: sel) of the Almighty (v. 1b). 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. If they were, no one would ever die. Psalms 91:2. That seems to overstate the case. Psalm 91 continues to be a source of strength, hope, promise and encouragement for every generation. Yahweh is promising to bless the person who knows him in this intimate way. Psalms 91:14. 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. 16 I will satisfy him with long life, This verse repeats the idea of verse 1b, but with different imagery. Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. His faithfulness is your shield and rampart. The buckler is also part of the protection and this device is a defensive piece of armor used in ancient times when close range attacks occurred. His wings and his feathers suggest both power and softness. El means god (note the small g), and can be used for any god. My God: Elohay. Clinging to a Counterfeit Cross - James P. Shelly w/ audio, A Treatise of Earthly-Mindedness - Jeremiah Burroughs. The psalmist's own resolution to take God for his keeper ( Ps. I will deliver him, and honour him. Copyright 2010-2023 Telling Ministries LLC. And from the noisome pestilence. Under his wings you will take refuge. He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. However, now we begin to hear from Yahweh directly. You will only look with your eyesand see the recompense of the wicked. 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. This crowns the blessedness: I will show him my salvation, show him the Messiah (so some); good old Simeon was then satisfied with long life when he could say, My eyes have seen thy salvation, nor was there any greater joy to the Old-Testament saints than to see Christ's day, though at a distance. The Great Lie: What about the Immortal soul? lin) in the shadow (Hebrew: sel) of the Almighty (v. 1). Psalm 119:90 Psalm 119:91 Psalm 119:92 Psalm 119:93 Psalm 119:94 Psalm 119:95 Psalm 119:96 Psalm 119:97 . Due to security reasons we are not able to show or modify cookies from other domains. Observe, 1. A soldier would be equipped with one shield or the other, but the psalmist perceives Yahwehs truth as embodying the advantages of both. 75 Bible Commentaries - Matthew Henry, Adam Clarke, Pulpit Commentary, etc. Try it free for 30 days. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. 13 Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet. (2.) 2. Protokrator appears several times in the New Testament in passages that emphasize Gods almighty power (2 Corinthians 6:18; Revelation 1:8; 4:8; 11:17; 15:3; 16:7, 14; 19:6, 15; 21:22). Learn more today! This word the devil left out when he quoted the promise to enforce a temptation, knowing how much it made against him. God is willing to guard his people as the hen is to guard the chickens, and as able as a man of war in armour. (2.) Get Your Bible Minute in Your Inbox Every Morning. A crowd of people (called the "chorus") in the usual letters: verses 1, 3 - 8, 9b - 13. Again at the end of day. Christianity: The Best Thing That Ever Happened to Women, The Pursuit of God - A W Tozer - Complete Book. The other names are all descriptive (such as Most High and Almighty). 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? 45MBC. That is a message that we need to hear in good times so that it will bring us strength during bad times. We can put down our foot on truth, and it will prove solidwont collapse under our weight. Hebrews 6:4-8 on Apostasy - Immortality of the Soul or Resurrection? - Richard A. Wiedenheft, Immortality - The Gift Of God Through Faith In Jesus The Christ, Immortality or Resurrection of the Dead? But the psalmist wrote these verses to reassure the faithful that Yahweh will send his angels to guard themto bear them upto protect them from dangers large and small (dashing ones foot against a stone sounds small compared to some dangers). 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. 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. They who fear God are delivered from the vices which would deprive them of the vigor of life; and the joy and contentment they have in God help them to live longer than others. To encourage us to make the Lord our habitation, and to hope for safety and satisfaction in him, the psalmist intimates the comfort he had had in doing so: "He whom thou makest thy habitation is my refuge; and I have found him firm and faithful, and in him there is room enough, and shelter enough, both for thee and me." Home. will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. However, the words shadow and shade also acknowledge that the faithful person dwells in a world that is sometimes dark. This article is also available and sold as a booklet. I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. I will be with him in trouble; Whatever that trouble is, I will be with him in it. 9 Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; 10 There shall no evil befal thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. 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. They shall be delivered from the malice of the powers of darkness (ver 3, 5, 6), and that by a distinguishing preservation, ver 7, 8. Psalms 91:13. When we talk about trusting God to deliver us, thats the bottom lineconfidence that God is with us both in life and in death. QUESTION - Why is the gate that leads to destruction wide Matthew 713. . As is customary with poetry, the psalmist doesnt amplify on the meaning of seter, but instead leaves it up to us to tease out the possibilities. O death! For he will put his angels in charge of you, to guard you in all your ways. If you refuse cookies we will remove all set cookies in our domain. The promises are that no evil shall happen to you and neither shall any plague come near your dwelling.. I saw newspaper pictures of children confined to iron lungs that helped them to breath. God dispatched angels to help Isaac find a wife (Genesis 24:7)and to protect Israel in the Exodus (Exodus 23:20-23; 32:34; 33:2)and to sustain Elijah in his flight from Jezebel (1 Kings 19:5-8)and to carry people to heaven (Luke 16:22)and to release apostles from prison (Acts 5:19). That he will, in the mean time, be with them in trouble, v. 15. Accordingly, we have updated our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions in order to comply with GDPR. Scriptures Relating to the Second Coming, Apocalypse of the Gospels - Milton S. Terry, Commentary on Matthew 24 - J. Now here it is promised. (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2006-2009), VanGemeren, Willem A. Please see our Privacy Policy for cookie usage details. As it will aggravate the damnation of sinners that with their eyes they shall behold and see the reward of the righteous (Luke 13 28), so it will magnify the salvation of the saints that with their eyes they shall behold and see the destruction of the wicked, Isa 66 24; Ps 58 10. 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. 9 Because you have made Yahweh your refuge, but it will not come near you. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: Notice, that it is, He shall, and I will. The mighty grace of God shall make us pray, and the Almighty God of grace will answer our prayer: He shall call upon me, and I will answer him. How I love these glorious shalls and wills! 3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. Sadday often appears with the Hebrew word el, which is a generic word for a godany god. 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. You are free to opt out any time or opt in for other cookies to get a better experience. Some think that this promise had its full accomplishment in Christ, and the miraculous power which he had over the whole creation, healing the sick, casting out devils, and particularly putting it into his disciples' commission that they should take up serpents, Mark 16 18. I will say to the Lord, My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust. The end of this psalm recaps any calamity that can happen and when His children are placed in harms way He promises to deliver them, to protect them, to rescue them, and to answer them in their time of trouble. However, I am confident that God is with us in life and in death. Oh, labour to get to that blessed position! The Hebrew word seter means a secret place or hiding place. There being no reason to question his sufficiency, fitly does it follow, In him will I trust. Of course He did. Growing Up With Two Moms: The Untold Childrens View. 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 so that you wont dash your foot against a stone. Because these cookies are strictly necessary to deliver the website, refusing them will have impact how our site functions. Both are designed to protect the bearer, and each has a particular use. . D, The Duration And Nature Of Future Punishment - Henry Constable. Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site. Psalms 91:5. 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. ; and Briggs, Charles A., The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon (Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, 1906, 2004), Doniach, N.S. Does The Bible Provide an Adequate Answer to Suffering? The word elyon is usually translated Most High, and is usually used for God. 3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. At the height of the battle during the noonday sun there is nothing but destruction but under the protection of Gods wings there is a sure refuge and He is the shield that is faithfully there throughout. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; Nervous as you are, and naturally timid, when you dwell near to God, your fears shall all go to sleep. John MacArthur) BRAIN GAMES. my God, in whom I trust.. He brings in God himself speaking words of comfort to the saints, and declaring the mercy he had in store for them, v. 14-16. Such evil will never befall you. He was quite right in the application; but he was quite wrong in the. Quantity: Cart +. He is a refuge that will not fail me; for he is my fortress and strong-hold." i. Observe, [1.] 2. 2. He who is the Lord of the angels, who gave them their being and gives laws to them, whose they are and whom they were made to serve, he shall give his angels a charge over thee, not only over the church in general, but over every particular believer. - Hal Licino, Why Modern Liberalism is Contrary to Christianity, Matthew 24 The End of the Holy City - Morrison Lee, Scripture Charts As Relates to the Second Coming, The Beast of Revelation Revealed - Dr. Kenneth L. Gentry, The Destruction of Jerusalem - Proof of Christianity, The Last Days According to Jesus - R. C. Sproul, All the N.T. Chicks taking refuge under their mothers wings serve as a metaphor for people finding refuge in Gods presence. The Immortality of the Soul: This, however, is not a book that helps in grappling with problem verses; it simply helps a preacher or teacher come down to earth. However, when I was a child in the 1940s and 50s, before the polio vaccine became available, I had friends who had suffered from polio. In this verse, pestilence is portrayed as walking at nightan unseen and deadly threat. They shall be the special favourites of God himself, ver 14-16. Fifteen Words of Hope 2 Corinthians 5:21 Be Part of the Family Most of us have never seen a fowler or a fowlers trap. ), Mounces Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2006), Renn, Stephen D., Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words: Word Studies for Key English Bible Words Based on the Hebrew and Greek Texts (Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., 2005), Richards, Lawrence O., Encyclopedia of Bible Words (Zondervan, 1985, 1991), Sakenfeld, Katharine Doob (ed. If Jehovah be our God, our refuge, and our fortress, what can we desire which we may not be sure to find in him? 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? That, whatever happens to them, nothing shall hurt them (v. 10): "There shall no evil befal thee; though trouble or affliction befal thee, yet there shall be no real evil in it, for it shall come from the love of God and shall be sanctified; it shall come, not for thy hurt, but for thy good; and though, for the present, it be not joyous but grievous, yet, in the end, it shall yield so well that thou thyself shalt own no evil befel thee. Used by permission. there is no doubt about this great truth, Surely, he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.. That they shall have an eternal life in the other world. We need both kinds of protection, because Satan sometimes attacks us in a frontal assault, but also comes at us from unexpected quarters. In my father's house there are many mansions, one needs not crowd another, much less crowd out another. This is the name that God revealed to Moses, saying, You shall tell the children of Israel this, Yahweh (YHWH), the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is my name forever, and this is my memorial to all generations (Exodus 3:15). Psalms 91:15. No locks nor bars can shut out diseases, while we carry about with us in our bodies the seeds of them. It was in the day-time that that pestilence wasted which was sent to chastise David for numbering the people, on occasion of which some think this psalm was penned. So the psalmist is talking about a serious threat when he uses the word deber. Twice is he armed who hath Gods truth to be his shield and buckler. Vaccines and other medical treatments have almost eliminated them for us. But he that has his treasure and heart in another world has soon enough of this; he would not live always. But observe the extent of the promise; it is to keep thee in all thy ways: even where there is no apparent danger yet we need it, and where there is the most imminent danger we shall have it. But we must also acknowledge that not all prayers for healing are answered. and show him my salvation.. That the angels of light shall be serviceable to them, v. 11, 12. His truth shall be thy shield and buckler. They shall think it long enough; for God by his grace shall wean them from the world and make them willing to leave it. You always can block or delete cookies by changing your browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this website. It is also under divine direction, and will hit where God appoints and not otherwise. Can any language be loftier? Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. The Almighty (Hebrew: sadday). Idolaters called their idols Mahuzzim, their most strong-hold (Dan 11 39), but therein they deceived themselves; those only secure themselves that make the Lord their God, their fortress. Angels are not appropriate objects of our worship. Once at the beginning of day. There are some who worship in the outer court of the temple; but he that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High lives in the Holy of Holies; he draws near to the mercy-seat, and keeps there; he walks in the light, as God is in the light; he is not one who is sometimes on and sometimes off, a stranger or a guest, but like a child at home, he dwells in the secret place of the most High. and ten thousand at your right hand; The word sagab (set him on high) means to raise, exalt, or defend. Truth is real, dependable, stablethat which we can trust. They are such as call upon him, as by prayer keep up a constant correspondence with him, and in every difficult case refer themselves to him. The word kabed (honor) means to give a person honor or to make them heavy (in the sense of powerful. Being under His wings and in His fortress and Him as the refuge, the fear evaporates during the terror at night,noon, or any part of the day. Is Sovereign the Best Descriptor for God? A quiet place where we can go to God in prayerour bedroom or prayer closet. Can True Christians Commit Apostasy? The Believer's Covenant Psalm 91 can also be referred to as the constitution of the Kingdom. It might be chinks in my faith that leave me vulnerable to fearbut I dont know anyone who has no chinks in their faith. They are such as have set their love upon him; and those who rightly know him will love him, will place their love upon him as the only adequate object of it, will let out their love towards him with pleasure and enlargement, and will fix their love upon him with a resolution never to remove it to any rival. But in these words, the psalmist is quoting Yahweh, who would help his people to develop a strong belief in eternal life. "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. His nature we cannot fully know; but by his name he has made himself known, and with that we must acquaint ourselves. (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1979-1988), Brown, Francis; Driver, S.R. If the face of such a harsh reality as this, God is placed in the position of being the protecting parent of His young as their fortress, shield, and protector. May that be the portion of each of us! (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2007), Freedman, David Noel (Ed. 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." The MacArthur Bible Studies provide intriguing examinations of the whole of Scripture.