Until now, we have been listening to the psalmist as he conveys Yahwehs promises. Therefore the psalmist is probably saying more than he understooddeliverance from trouble and salvation to eternal life. For he will deliver you from the snare (Hebrew: pah) of the fowler (v. 3a). The promises that are sure to all those who have thus made the Most High their habitation. 8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. neither shall any plague come near your dwelling. (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1979-1988), Brown, Francis; Driver, S.R. ", Counterfeit Cross - Bear or Burn: The Fruit of Obedience in the Parables of Christ - updated, Counterfeit Cross - What is a "Carnal Christian"? Can any comfort be surer? A Protest - Joseph Agar Beet D.D. Historically, more soldiers have died from disease than from swords, spears, and bullets. 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. No locks nor bars can shut out diseases, while we carry about with us in our bodies the seeds of them. Who would wish to live a day longer than God has some work to do, either by him or upon him? Psalms 91:4. and ten thousand at your right hand; Some of the ancients were of opinion that Moses was the penman, not only of the foregoing psalm, which is expressly said to be his, but also of the eight that next follow it; but that cannot be, for Ps 95. is expressly said to be penned by David, and long after Moses, Heb 4 7. 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. I will be with him in trouble. Seneca De Providentia. We read of fear in the night, Cant 3 8. His wings and his feathers suggest both power and softness. We arent certain of the time and circumstances of its writing. To the extent that we believe that, it will allay our fear. I have read of some soldiers who were in a literal valley of death that read this chapter to feel a little more peace of mind. 16 I will satisfy him with long life, At the time that the psalmist wrote this psalm, the Israelite people had not yet developed a strong belief in eternal life, as we know it in the New Testamentso the salvation mentioned here probably meant to the psalmist only deliverance from trouble. 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. In our experience, most hunting is done with guns instead of traps. Psalms 91:4. By proceeding, you consent to our cookie usage. The Hebrew word seter means a secret place or hiding place. Resource Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version(ESV), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The word For connects this verse with verse 2. Psalms 91:3. . Bible commentary, 2 I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. Yet the condescension of God is such that he allows us to speak of him thus: He shall cover thee with his feathers.. Why is the church losing its young people? 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.. They are mighty (Psalm 78:25), and serve by doing Gods will (Psalm 103:1). They shall be the special favourites of God himself, ver 14-16. Jan. 1, 2023. Because these cookies are strictly necessary to deliver the website, refusing them will have impact how our site functions. 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? The Hebrew word sadday means almighty or the Almighty. 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. 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. 12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. The secret place of the Most High could be: The temple. Elohim is plural, so it can apply to any gods. 2. 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 - Oscar Cullmann, Immortality or Resurrection? 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. B. Lightfoot, Consummation of the pre-Messianic Age and the Parousia, Destruction of Jerusalem vs. 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. A soherah (more often translated buckler) is a small round shield. 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. You can check these in your browser security settings. nor of the arrow that flies by day; We havent had to watch carefully for fowlers traps as we walk along sidewalks or drive along roadsor even when we hike through woods. 5-6). To whom these promises do belong; they are described by three characters:(1.) Romans 12:2 Today they have to watch for IEDs. When we talk about trusting God to deliver us, thats the bottom lineconfidence that God is with us both in life and in death. What are things that we can learn from it for today? Biblical and Practical Advantages for Meeting Within Homes. The large shield offers protection over a larger areaand a line of soldiers can put their rectangular shields together to form a nearly impenetrable wall against enemy arrows. Verses 1-16. Used by permission. Jesus ChristUnique Savior or Average Fraud? It denotes the great care God takes of the saints, in that the angels themselves shall be charged with them, and employed for them. You will trample the young lion and the serpent underfoot. Psalm 91 continues to be a source of strength, hope, promise and encouragement for every generation. (2.) The word sagab (set him on high) means to raise, exalt, or defend. 3 For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler, Psalms 91:6-7. and see the recompense of the wicked. ): Surely he shall deliver thee. Whatever is done our heavenly Father's will is done; and we have no reason to be afraid of that. i. All rights reserved. Note that blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience on our websites and the services we are able to offer. He is neither fickle nor false, neither weak nor mortal; he is God and not man, and therefore there is no danger of being disappointed in him. Those who have themselves found the comfort of making God their refuge cannot but desire that others may do so. That is worth noting. His books are include: Teaching Children The Gospel/How to Raise Godly Children, Do Babies Go To Heaven?/Why Does God Allow Suffering?, "The Great Omission; Reaching the Lost for Christ," and Blind Chance or Intelligent Design?, Empirical Methodologies & the Bible.". The word emet is usually translated truth. (1.) You have probably been the victim of some sort of trap, possibly in quite recent memory. In this verse, pestilence is portrayed as walking at nightan unseen and deadly threat. (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2006-2009), VanGemeren, Willem A. 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. Christ has broken the serpent's head, spoiled our spiritual enemies (Col 2 15), and through him we are more than conquerors; for Christ calls us, as Joshua called the captains of Israel, to come and set our feet on the necks of vanquished enemies. That he will not only keep them from evil, but from the fear of evil, v. 5, 6. Life is filled with problems both small and big. Oh, yes, he values the love of his people, for he knows where it came from; it is a part of his own love; the creation of his grace! They sicken millions of people every year, and often kill them. Click to enable/disable Google Analytics tracking. Watch over him today. Wisdom shall keep thee from being causelessly afraid, and faith shall keep thee from being inordinately afraid. 3. After clicking 'Register', you will receive an email with a link to verify your account and to complete your registration. The psalmist's comfortable application of this to himself (v. 2): I will say of the Lord, whatever others say of him, "He is my refuge; I choose him as such, and confide in him. So first, Psalm 91 means I'm invincible till God is done with me. Yahweh does David an honor by using this word for David, where he refers to David as the elyon (highest) of the kings of the earth (Psalm 89:27). He is my refuge and my fortress: The one who lives intimately with God knows the greatness of His protection. there is no doubt about this great truth, Surely, he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.. 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? His faithfulness (emettruth) is your shield (Hebrew: sinnah) and rampart (Hebrew: soherahbuckler) (v. 4c). The Christian & Politics: Has the Contemporary Church Become Obsessed With Political Solutions? 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. It would have been familiar to the author(s) of Genesis. of the Traditional "Sermon" Concept, A Biblical Defense of Conditional Immortality, Biblically Dispelling the Myth of Eternal Torture. Click to enable/disable _gid - Google Analytics Cookie. Life and Immortality - Basil Atkinson, M.A., PhD. Fifteen Words of Hope 2 Corinthians 5:21 Be Part of the Family I will set him on high, because he has known my name. 4. - Darryl M. Erkel, Church Leaders and the Use of Honorific Titles, Feeding Sheep or Amusing Goats - Charles Spurgeon, House-Churches? 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. 4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings See the comments on verse 3b (above) for an explanation of deber (pestilence). Dec. 25, 2022. III. 91:9. The completed registration allows us to send order and donation receipts to the email address you provided. You will tread on the lion and cobra. Can any language be loftier? Examine Yourselves as to Whether You Are in the Faith - updated, The Christian's Craving for God's Word - MacArthur, Sproul, Piper, Washer, Chan. Psalms 91:5. will rest (Heb. And those who have found the comfort of making the Lord their refuge, cannot but desire that others may do so. Seeking the Gospel in Malachi, the Last Book of the Old Testament. Help Grace to You bring important resources like this to people in your community and beyond, free of charge. Psalms 91:3. The devil is called a roaring lion, the old serpent, the red dragon; so that to this promise the apostle seems to refer in that (Rom 16 20), The God of peace shall tread Satan under your feet. That is a wonderful promise: Thou shalt not be afraid. If it had said, Thou shalt have no cause for fear, it would have been a very comforting word; but this is even more cheering, Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night.. Thank you. Yahwehs truth is large and sturdy enough to absorb violent blows. This is the verse that Satan used to tempt the Lord in the Wilderness to tell Jesus to throw Himself off the highest part of the temple (Matt 4:5) because the angels are commanded to protect Him (Matt 4:6). There has even been protection from the wild predators, snakes, spiders, and a multitude of various other dangerous insects and animals that many have experienced receiving protection from, like Paul when he was bitten by a poisonous snake and should have died (Acts 28:3-5). Final Judgment, Identifying True Israel: Following God's Faithful Down the Ages, The Significance of A.D. 70 in the Prophecies of Christ, Biblical Hermeneutics - Qualifications Of An Interpreter - M. S. Terry, Biblical Hermeneutics - Special Hermeneutics - M. S. Terry, Of Justification by Faith and Works - William Law, Sanctification - Its Nature - by J.C. Ryle, Sanctification - The Growth of the New Man, Scriptural Evidence for the Deity of Christ, The Carnal Christian - by Ernest C. Reisinger, The Christian's Relationship To The Mosaic Law w/audio, The Lordship Controversy and Repentance - Ernest Reisinger, The Word-Faith Movement - Christian Research Institute, A Treatise of Earthly-Mindedness - Burroughs, Clinging to a Counterfeit Cross - James P. Shelly. Pastor John MacArthur interview in Servant 991 tells about being on a Christian talk show where he said to the host Dont you believe that the Holy Spirit the Word of God and . It would have served Israel well during Davids reign, when Israel was beset by many enemies. Old Testament Prophecy Fulfilled in Christ. That God himself will be their protector; those must needs be safe who have him for their keeper, and successful for whom he undertakes (v. 4): He shall cover thee, shall keep thee secret (Ps 31 20), and so keep thee safe, Ps 27 5. Am I really moving today and acting today as divine providence leads me, and as duty calls me? He who travels on the kings business, by daylight, along the kings highway, may be sure of the kings protection. How about eternity? You will only look with your eyes, and see the recompense (Hebrew: sillumahpunishment) of the wicked (v. 8b). We need 2 cookies to store this setting. We have heard of people who have attributed their recovery from serious illness to the prayers said in their behalf. ), The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary, 6 vol. Changes will take effect once you reload the page. 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. Get Your Bible Minute in Your Inbox Every Morning. Previous post: 6 Important Reasons To Bring Hidden Hurts To God For Healing, Next post: 7 Sample Prayers Before Surgery or a Medical Procedure. Because he has set his love (Hebrew: hasaq) on me, therefore I will deliver him (v. 14a). We provide you with a list of stored cookies on your computer in our domain so you can check what we stored. We can count on it. 1. Immortality of the Soul or Resurrection? I have often noticed how long Gods people live. Psalms 91:14. Children and the Rod of Correction - Dave Miller, Ph.D. Christian Practice - Evidence of Grace - Edwards, Meditating On The Future Life - John Calvin w/ audio, Others May, You Cannot - by G. D. Watson w/audio, The Bible Doctrine of the Separated Life - by Johannes G. Vos, The Christian and Entertainment - Rev. Yet most people today have never heard of John Gill. What Does It Really Mean That Your Body Is a Temple? ", You must enable JavaScript to view all available content on this page, Counterfeit Cross updated - We Walk by Faith Pt II - Taking Up Our Cross. On their hands they will bear you up,lest you strike your foot against a stone. He assures us that we can enjoy the same confidence if we dwell in he secret place of the Most High (v. 1). We ought to ask ourselves, Now, am I in Gods way? 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. and from the deadly pestilence (Hebrew: deber) (v. 3b). Commentary On Psalm 91 9 16 Working Preacher From Luther Seminary John 414 Life as a Fountain.. We may request cookies to be set on your device. What royal protection we have, a guard of angels, who count it their delight and their honour to wait upon the seed-royal of the universe, for such are all the saints of God! and show him my salvation.. 1 Chronicles 16:11 Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually! Take a look at another study and commentary: 6 Important Reasons To Bring Hidden Hurts To God For Healing, 7 Sample Prayers Before Surgery or a Medical Procedure, 25 Encouraging Bible Verses About Strength, Words of Encouragement: 30 Uplifting Quotes, Forgiveness and Reconciliation in Relationships: The Role of Gods Grace and Mercy, The Trinitarian Nature of Effectual Calling, Why So Many Are Called But Few Are Chosen, Christian Dating: A Guide to Navigating Relationships with Faith, Ice Dragon: Legend of the Blue Daisies Movie Review, Phoenix Wilder And The Great Elephant Adventure Movie Review, The Boxcar Children: Surprise Island Movie Review. (5.) 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. That brings us back to v. 13. [2.] 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). Psalms 91:16. Otherwise you will be prompted again when opening a new browser window or new a tab. This is a precious promise, and speaks a great deal both of honour and comfort to the saints, nor is it ever the worse for being quoted and abused by the devil in tempting Christ, Matt 4 6. Commentary on Psalm 91:1-8 (Read Psalm 91:1-8) He that by faith chooses God for his protector, shall find all in him that he needs or can desire. A good read. The Believer's Covenant Psalm 91 can also be referred to as the constitution of the Kingdom. - Curtis Dickinson, Do we have an immortal soul? 10 no evil shall happen to you, That believers shall be kept from those mischiefs which they are in imminent danger of, and which would be fatal to them (v. 3), from the snare of the fowler, which is laid unseen and catches the unwary prey on a sudden, and from the noisome pestilence, which seizes men unawares and against which there is no guard. 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. However, the words shadow and shade also acknowledge that the faithful person dwells in a world that is sometimes dark. 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. Under his wings you will take refuge. Thy God will not leave thee in the glare of the sun, nor will he forsake thee when the damps of night-dews would put thee in peril. Psalms 91:1. The psalmist assures believers of divine protection, from his own experience; and that which he says is the word of God, and what we may rely upon. 2. 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. Our church recently experienced a norovirus that sickened 54 of the 60 people present for worship that Sunday. 2 I will say of Yahweh, He is my refuge and my fortress; The Nature of Man - Dualistic or Holistic? 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. (9b means the second part of verse 9). In this premiere volume, John MacArthur brings you a complete Bible commentary in one volume. Even if he should have but few years, yet he shall have a long life; for life is to be measured by the life that is in it, not by the length along which it drags. O death! Our website uses cookies to store user preferences. We need both kinds of protection, because Satan sometimes attacks us in a frontal assault, but also comes at us from unexpected quarters. The angels keep the charge of the Lord their God; and this is the charge they receive from him. (1.) View Psalm 91. The following cookies are also needed - You can choose if you want to allow them: You can read about our cookies and privacy settings in detail on our Privacy Policy Page. 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). 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. He will call on me, and I will answer him. Yahweh is like that. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand,but it will not come near you. Each guide incorporates extensive commentary, detailed observations on overriding themes, and probing questions to help you study the Word of God with guidance from John MacArthur, and each study includes an introduction that provides background information to each book of the Bible being studied and a . For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence.. (3.) Be worshipful : glorifying God for who he is : OT commentary, Psalms 1 - 89 by Warren Wiersbe. 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 2. Psalms 91:5. 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. 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. SCRIPTURE QUOTATIONS are from the World English Bible (WEB), a public domain (no copyright) modern English translation of the Holy Bible. In this case, the psalmist emphasizes its deadly character. (2.) That is a message that we need to hear in good times so that it will bring us strength during bad times. In verses 1-2, the psalmist uses four names for God: The Most High (Hebrew: elyon). 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 (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. Since these providers may collect personal data like your IP address we allow you to block them here. These cookies collect information that is used either in aggregate form to help us understand how our website is being used or how effective our marketing campaigns are, or to help us customize our website and application for you in order to enhance your experience. Yahweh is promising to bless the person who knows him in this intimate way. 16 With long life will I satisfy him, and show him my salvation. 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. If Jehovah be our God, our refuge, and our fortress, what can we desire which we may not be sure to find in him? A wicked worldly man is not satisfied, no, not with long life; he still cries, Give, give. Now here it is promised. That the angels of light shall be serviceable to them, v. 11, 12. They shall be taken under the peculiar care of Heaven, ver 1, 4. Click to enable/disable _gat_* - Google Analytics Cookie. God Himself becomes like a mighty refuge and fortress for the believer. 75 Bible Commentaries - Matthew Henry, Adam Clarke, Pulpit Commentary, etc. The psalmist's own resolution to take God for his keeper ( Ps. Dec. 18, 2022. Here is, (1.) 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. The word elyon is usually translated Most High, and is usually used for God. You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day; nor of the pestilence (Hebrew: deber) that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction (Hebrew: qeteb) that wastes at noonday (vv. 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. 3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. 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. 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." 6 nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, If he be dishonoured, if he be in poverty, if he be in sickness, if that sickness should drive his best friend away from his bed, still, I will be with him in trouble.. The Life of Jesus: Lord, Liar or Lunatic? In 1969, after graduating from Talbot Theological Seminary, John came to Grace Community Church. If you dwell there, you are invincible, invulnerable, infinitely secure.
psalm 91 commentary john macarthur