Please respond to confirm your registration. II. Learn more today! You who know the Lord, pray that you may attain to this high condition of dwelling in the inner shrine, always near to God, always overshadowed by those cherubic wings which indicate the presence of God. But this will always prompt you to accept/refuse cookies when revisiting our site. Psalms 91:4. See Ps 34 19; 2 Tim 3 11; 4 18. Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site. Bible Study, The word halas (deliver) has several meanings, at least two of which fit here. The wonderful thing is that God is love (1 John 4:16). They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. Psalm 91 God's Protection 911: Christians are under attack! where is thy sting? (2.) And now, as before, we must observe. Most of us have never seen a fowler or a fowlers trap. ), The New Interpreters Dictionary of the Bible, 5 vol. The voice shifts with this verse. A great truth laid down in general, That all those who live a life of communion with God are constantly safe under his protection, and may therefore preserve a holy serenity and security of mind at all times (v. 1): He that dwells, that sits down, in the secret place of the Most High, shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty; he that by faith chooses God for his guardian shall find all that in him which he needs or can desire. If I am in my way, then God will keep me. How could cholera or fever get into the secret place of the most High? The Lord's Supper - A Historical Overview, Ten Indictments Against the Modern Church - Paul Washer - Video, The Bible Without Comment - William E. Cox, Amusing Ourselves to Death - Neil Postman, Everybody Loves Jesus: The Culture Cherishes a Counterfeit Christ, Historian David Barton on Jon Stewart Show, Hollywood's War on Traditional Values - Video, Homosexuals Brainwashing Our Children in Elementary Schools, The Homosexual Propaganda Campaign in America, The Motion Picture Production Code of 1930 (Hays Code), The New England Primer - First Elementary School Textbook - 1777, What same-sex "marriage" has done to Massachusetts, Why Does Socialism Always Fail? We arent certain of the time and circumstances of its writing. A quiet place where we can go to God in prayerour bedroom or prayer closet. We ought to ask ourselves, Now, am I in Gods way? 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. 11 For he will put his angels in charge of you, Nay, it is promised to God's people that they shall have the satisfaction of seeing, not only God's promises fulfilled to them, but his threatenings fulfilled upon those that hate them (v. 8): Only with thy eyes shalt thou behold and see the just reward of the wicked, which perhaps refers to the destruction of the first-born of Egypt by the pestilence, which was both the punishment of the oppressors and the enlargement of the oppressed; this Israel saw when they saw themselves unhurt, untouched. The one who abides in the shelter or under the protection of the Most High God has a shadow over him or her, much like Gods providing the cloud of glory that protected Israel in her wanderings in the wilderness from the scorching sun and like a fortress, He will deliver those who face the snare or trap or the threat of a deadly pestilence or disease. Aye, that is true, you will say, who makes any doubt of it? 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 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). Observe, [1.] I will say to the Lord, My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust. But in these words, the psalmist is quoting Yahweh, who would help his people to develop a strong belief in eternal life. What does the phrase "gnashing of teeth" mean? Sadday often appears with the Hebrew word el, which is a generic word for a godany god. The word kabed (honor) means to give a person honor or to make them heavy (in the sense of powerful. (2.) The promises which are here made, in God's name, to all those that do so in sincerity. If these verses sound familiar, it is probably because Satan quoted them as part of Jesus second temptation. 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. Psalms 91:14. That is a message that we need to hear in good times so that it will bring us strength during bad times. 3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. Angels are not appropriate objects of our worship. Proud member Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. The ASV, which is also in the public domain due to expired copyrights, was a very good translation, but included many archaic words (hast, shineth, etc. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. "He, his shadowy plumes outspread. In this premiere volume, John MacArthur brings you a complete Bible commentary in one volume. Home. A Protest - Joseph Agar Beet D.D. 1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. El sadday, then, means Almighty God. They shall be the charge of the holy angels, ver 10-12. It is our duty to be at home in God, to make our choice of him, and then to live our life in him as our habitation, to converse with him, and delight in him, and depend upon him; and then it shall be our privilege to be at home in God; we shall be welcome to him as a man to his own habitation, without any let, hindrance, or molestation, from the arrests of the law or the clamours of conscience; then too we shall be safe in him, shall be kept in perfect peace, Isa 26 3. Strength and mastery may be united. 4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings Dec. 25, 2022. 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! All of this because He says we know Him by name (v 14) and can call Him Father. Others make idols their refuge, but I will say of Jehovah, the true and living God, He is my refuge: any other is a refuge of lies. B. Lightfoot, Consummation of the pre-Messianic Age and the Parousia, Destruction of Jerusalem vs. 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). If God proportions the degree and continuance of our troubles to our strength, if he keeps us from offending him in our troubles, and makes our death our discharge, at length, from all our troubles, then this promise is fulfilled. Until now, we have been listening to the psalmist as he conveys Yahwehs promises. The way of the righteous. We can count on it. El means god (note the small g), and can be used for any god. Prayer: The Believer's Constant Conversation (Ephesians 6:18-24) Pastor John MacArthur. my God, in whom I trust.. Psalms 91 He preached in the same church as C. H. Spurgeon over one hundred years earlier. 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. I will be with him in trouble (v. 15ab). Since these providers may collect personal data like your IP address we allow you to block them here. Neither night nor daydarkness nor the bright light of noondayshall give the faithful cause for fear. John MacArthur is the pastor-teacher of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, as well as an author, conference speaker, president of The Master's University and Seminary, and featured teacher with the Grace to You media ministry. Here at Grace to You Europe we take our data protection responsibilities very seriously and, as you would expect, have undertaken a significant programme of work to ensure that we are ready for this important legislative change. Assuring glimpses of a future "God's day" bolsters the call for perseverance to the end. 12 They will bear you up in their hands, Click to enable/disable Google Analytics tracking. nor of the destruction that wastes at noonday. Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; there shall no evil befall thee, There shall no evil befall thee. It may have the appearance of evil; but it shall turn out to thy good. Life is filled with problems both small and big. That herein he will answer their prayers: He shall call upon me; I will pour upon him the spirit of prayer, and then I will answer, answer by promises (Ps 85 8), answer by providences, bringing in seasonable relief, and answer by graces, strengthening them with strength in their souls (Ps 138 3); thus he answered Paul with grace sufficient, 2 Cor 12 9. We may request cookies to be set on your device. A soherah (more often translated buckler) is a small round shield. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. Seeking the Gospel in Malachi, the Last Book of the Old Testament. There shall be but the appearance of evil, not the reality of it: There shall no evil befall thee.. How could any arrows, how could any pestilence, ever be able to reach that secure abode of God? The second meaning (equipping, to include equipping for war) has God providing us with the resources to handle the situation ourselves. You will only look with your eyesand see the recompense of the wicked. By natural instinct she not only protects them, but calls them under that protection when she sees them in danger, not only keeps them safe, but cherishes them and keeps them warm. Psalm 119:90 Psalm 119:91 Psalm 119:92 Psalm 119:93 Psalm 119:94 Psalm 119:95 Psalm 119:96 Psalm 119:97 . God by his grace will keep thee from disquieting distrustful fear (that fear which hath torment) in the midst of the greatest dangers. 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. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. . To whom these promises do belong; they are described by three characters:(1.) It also means preparing, to include equipping for war. Yahweh was Gods personal name for the Israelites. Angels were often fearsome. Yahweh is promising to bless the person who knows him in this intimate way. Viewing things from God's vantage point--that is true comfort. I saw newspaper pictures of children confined to iron lungs that helped them to breath. Pastor John MacArthur writes, Contemporary evangelicalism has been beguiled and sabotaged by a ruinous lack of confidence in God's Word. I. Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: Does God take notice of our poor love? They will bear you up in their hands, so that you wont dash your foot against a stone (vv. That the powers of darkness shall be triumphed over by them (v. 13): Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder. Yet the Church, for the most part, has allowed it to go unnoticed. - James P. Shelly, Genesis Week - Refuting Evolution - 100 Videos, The Enormity of the Error of Perverting the Gospel. 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. . Truth doesnt shift with every passing folly. 3 For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler, Angels are Gods messengers (Hebrews 1:14; Revelation 1:1)part of the created order and therefore wholly subordinate to God. And the great majority of evangelicals accept that without question. Psalm 91 continues to be a source of strength, hope, promise and encouragement for every generation. Cobras and serpents serve as a metaphor for smaller but equally deadly forces that appear suddenly, seemingly from nowhere. 14 Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. of the Traditional "Sermon" Concept, A Biblical Defense of Conditional Immortality, Biblically Dispelling the Myth of Eternal Torture. Or be unhurt by such savage and poisonous creatures; as the Israelites, when they travelled through the wilderness, in which were serpents and scorpions; and many of the servants of God have been delivered from them, or have slain them, as Samson, David, and Daniel; and so Christ was among the wild beasts in the wilderness, and yet not touched or How about eternity? 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. Romans 12:2 (2.) - Samuele Bacchiocchi, Ph. A soldier would be equipped with one shield or the other, but the psalmist perceives Yahwehs truth as embodying the advantages of both. He was quite right in the application; but he was quite wrong in the. Scriptural Evidence for the Necessity of Obedience in Salvation, The Doctrine of Immortality in the Early Church - John H. Roller, Luther's views on soul sleep and the after life, Make Good Use of Your Servitude - Observations on Biblical Slavery, The Consensus of Current Scholarship: The Soul is Not Immortal, Killing the Canaanites - A Response to the New Atheism's "Divine Genocide" Claims. Satan said, If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, He will put his angels in charge of you. and, On their hands they will bear you up, so that you dont dash your foot against a stone' (Matthew 4:6). 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. Click to enable/disable essential site cookies. 11-12). Read them in the archive below. There is also a pestilence that walketh in darkness, as that was which slew the first-born of the Egyptians, and the army of the Assyrians. The promises that are sure to all those who have thus made the Most High their habitation. 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. D, The Duration And Nature Of Future Punishment - Henry Constable. One is that often God amazingly delivers them physically when others around them are falling. It might be chinks in my faith that leave me vulnerable to fearbut I dont know anyone who has no chinks in their faith. 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. 8 You will only look with your eyes, 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. We need 2 cookies to store this setting. The important thing is not the place but that we meet the Most High there. 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. Psalms 91:13. The angels keep the charge of the Lord their God; and this is the charge they receive from him. You will tread on the lion and cobra. Psalms 91:10-11. That is true in this verse, where we see the wicked being punished. We ought to think more of the saint and the dragon. It may be applied to that care of the divine Providence by which we are preserved from ravenous noxious creatures (the wild beasts of the field shall be at peace with thee, Job 5 23); nay, and have ways and means of taming them, Jam 3 7. Tagged as: These verses include conditional promises. Psalms 91:16. However, now we begin to hear from Yahweh directly. It is also under divine direction, and will hit where God appoints and not otherwise. ', All Rights Reserved | 1997-2023 Richard Niell Donovan. Resource Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version(ESV), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The spiritual life, which is protected by divine grace from the temptations of Satan, which are as the snares of the fowler, and from the contagion of sin, which is the noisome pestilence. 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. and ten thousand at your right hand; In this verse, resting in the shadow of the Almighty is the blessing that the faithful person experiences for dwelling in Yahwehs presence. Nay, not thy person only, but thy dwelling, shall be taken under the divine protection: There shall no plague come nigh that, nothing to do thee or thine any damage." If you dwell there, you are invincible, invulnerable, infinitely secure. 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." Psalms 91:15. 4. When I lived in New York City years ago, I learned not to walk close to buildings when I was walking at night. Observe, 1. God Bless. Is My Church Really A New Testament Church? Psalm 91 appears to be a psalm in the setting of warfare with threats of an imminent battle that is about to, has or is currently taking place between solders that may be facing impossible odds. The MacArthur Bible Commentary treats every passage of the Old and New Testaments phrase by phrase, with hundreds of word studies as sidebars throughout. God (Hebrew: elohim). 5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; 6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. The charge is to keep thee in all thy ways; here is a limitation of the promise: They shall keep thee in thy ways, that is, "as long as thou keepest in the way of thy duty;" those that go out of that way put themselves out of God's protection. He shall cover thee with his feathers, The psalmist uses a wonderful metaphor when he ascribes feathers to God, and compares him to a hen, or some mother-bird, under whose wings her young find shelter. He will call on me, and I will answer him. I believe in God and depend on him for deliverance, but I nevertheless find myself afraid. 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. Commentary On Psalm 91 9 16 Working Preacher From Luther Seminary John 414 Life as a Fountain.. 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). The World English Bible is based on the American Standard Version (ASV) of the Bible, the Biblia Hebraica Stutgartensa Old Testament, and the Greek Majority Text New Testament. Does God value such feeble and imperfect knowledge of his name as we possess? A sinnah is a large rectangular shield. With death all around them God tells them that it will not even come near them because they are not looking at all the dead bodies but their eyes are looking at the Lord Who is recompensing or paying back those who are the enemies. For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence.. It is probable that this psalm also was penned by David; it is a writ of protection for all true believers, not in the name of king David, or under his broad seal; he needed it himself, especially if the psalm was penned, as some conjecture it was, at the time of the pestilence which was sent for his numbering the people; but in the name of the King of kings, and under the broad seal of Heaven. (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. 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. This (without el) is how it appears in this and a number of other verses, especially in the book of Job. 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Still, Gods children do live to a far longer age than any other people in the world; they are on the whole a long-lived race. 5-6). In 1969, after graduating from Talbot Theological Seminary, John came to Grace Community Church. With the greatest tenderness and affection, which is intimated in that, He shall cover thee with his feathers, under his wings, which alludes to the hen gathering her chickens under wings, Matt 23 37. That is worth noting. They shall be the special favourites of God himself, ver 14-16. Our church recently experienced a norovirus that sickened 54 of the 60 people present for worship that Sunday. "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. He is a refuge that will not fail me; for he is my fortress and strong-hold." And under his wings shalt thou trust: God is to his people a strong defense and a tender defense. The Hebrew word sadday means almighty or the Almighty. It is the daytime equivalent of the night-stalking pestilence of verse 6a. there is no doubt about this great truth, Surely, he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.. Psalms 91:15. neither shall any plague come near your dwelling. The imagery here is that of God being a protective parent bird like the eagle which covers His young under their wings and shades them from the elements and any prey that might attack them. Psalm 91 Inductive Bible Study Guide and Questions for Small Group lin) in the shadow (Hebrew: sel) of the Almighty (v. 1b). Elohim is plural, so it can apply to any gods. (2.) will rest (Heb. The natural life, and is often fulfilled in our preservation from those dangers which are very threatening and very near, while yet we ourselves are not apprehensive of them, any more than the bird is of the snare of the fowler. 4 (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1996), Ross, Allen P., A Commentary on the Psalms, 90-150, Vol. I am old, and expect to die within a few years. GOD IS MY REFUGE AND MY FORTRESS. Study to show thyself approved . Click to enable/disable _ga - Google Analytics Cookie. In this case, the psalmist emphasizes its deadly character. See an excellent practice of this, Psalms 91:1, He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty; that is, he shall be safe from all fears and dangers. He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. Come here, Gabriel, Michael, and all the rest of you, says the great King of kings to the angels around his throne; and when they come at his call, he says, Take care of my child. Psalms 91:8-10. Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. Once again, the idea is of the protection afforded by the Almighty God. 15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. 91:10 There shall no [nothing comes our way God has either not decreed or not allowed] evil [that which is the opposite of good; any misfortune] befall thee, neither shall any plague [refers to some physical blow; general term for plague] come nigh thy dwelling.