SSL 13 - Psalm 91:1-16
Prayers & Announcements
LAST WEEK: We studied Psalm 141, the second of the series of Psalms titled, A Song of Ascents. Classified as a Pilgrim Psalm, the superscription reads My Help Comes from the LORD and the author is unknown. As a song sung by travelers, it is particularly relevant to trusting in God while on a journey.
In content, this Psalm seems to be intended to instill confidence in those making the pilgrimage to Jerusalem to worship. The successful journey becomes, in effect, a parable for the whole of a person's life as one in which believers can be confident in God's unending care for us. The three main points of practical application were:
1. We should keep our eyes and thoughts fully fixed on God as our help as we travel through the journey of life. From the psalm, we understand that God's help is not only available for specific needs but for every issue that confronts us in life. But we must always remember that God's help is always in direct proportion to our faith and trust in Him. ASK: When you face the inescapable problems of life, are you looking solely to God to provide the solution or are you looking for a solution in someone or something else?
2. As we journey through life, God is not only our help but also our keeper. As our keeper, the psalmist places special emphasis on the fact that God is present, available, and working on our behalf all the time; however, we must keep in mind that it's never a matter of us catching God at the right time but a matter of our own obedience to wait on God's help according to His perfect timing.
3. God not only not only keeps us against the ordinary and predictable problems of life but very broadly, keeps us from all evil. ASK: So how do we avoid bad (evil) things? By knowing the difference between the bad and the good. If we ask God which is which, He will tell us-it's in the book He gave us to live by. Best of all and last of all, God safekeeps the immortal, the spirit part of us, keeping us all the way into the eternity we will spend with Him.
THIS WEEK: We take up Psalm 91, which has no title and was written by an unknown author, yet, despite its anonymity, it's regarded as the second most popular psalm in the book. The general theme of the Psalm is the assurance of those who place their trust in God and it is expressed in three voices: (1) a priest, one of the servants in God's house in vv. 1, 3, 8, 9b, and 14; (2) a person in prayer in vv. 2 and 9a; and (4) Almighty God Himself in vv. 14-16. Satan quoted vv. 11 and 12 of this Psalm in a twisted way when he tried to tempt Jesus in Mt. 4:5-7. Over the years many Bible scholars have noted the wonderful character of this Psalm. Spurgeon said of it, "In the whole collection there is not a more cheering Psalm, it tone is elevated and sustained throughout, faith at its best, and speaks nobly.
Read Ps. 91:1-2 - The Protection, Comfort, and Care of Yahweh
1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say to the LORD, "My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust."
v. 1: "He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty - This and the next verse set out the basic theme of the entire Psalm: the LORD is a secure defense for those who take refuge in Him. In the Heb., "shelter" means a place that hides a person from danger, where we literally live in the "shadow" of God's protection. The title "Most High" means God is more important (to us) than anyone else and "Almighty" tells us that God is more powerful than anyone else, and it also implies great nearness-He's right there!
v. 2: "I will say to the LORD, "My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust" - This verse is a prayer, which could be paraphrased to say, "I will trust Yahweh (my LORD) and Elohay (my God) to provide a place of security (a refuge) that is safe from outside attack (a fortress).
Read Ps. 91:3-4 - How God Brings Protection, Comfort, and Care
3 For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
v. 3: "For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence" - The "snare of the fowler" is a metaphor for the devil's hidden traps. Like a person who traps bird, the devil works under cover, often changes his traps and methods, and uses things like pleasure or profit to bait the traps. God sees these traps; if we trust and follow Him, will guide us around them. Pestilence refers to plagues and diseases sent by God against His enemies. It doesn't mean that those who trust God will never suffer from any disease; even so, God can and often does heal.
v.4: "He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler" - Another metaphor where God is represented a great bird, sheltering young chicks under his wing. The "pinion' is the part of a bird's wing carrying the primary feathers. God's faithfulness is pictured as two types and protection: the large rectangular "shield" covering the whole body and the small but very mobile round "buckler."
Read Ps. 91:5-6 - God's Assurance for the Believer
5 You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday. 7 A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.
8 You will only look with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked.
v. 5-6: "You will not fear the terror of the night...nor the arrow that flies by day... pestilence that stalks in darkness... destruction that wastes at noonday" - We are commanded not to fear because God has us "covered," every danger, real or imaged is under His control. This doesn't mean nothing bad will ever happen to us; it really refers the many things we worry about that arise only from our fears and never materialize. "Terror of the night," "arrow that flies by the day," pestilence that stalks in the darkness," and "destruction that wastes at noonday" are metaphors for all the potential dangers seen or unseen, that could come at any time (this pretty much covers everything from slipping in the bathtub to nuclear holocaust). God is our refuge whatever may come.
v. 7-8: A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. 8 You will only look with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked" - Here the psalmist describes how God's protection can conquer any odds or probabilities and can be so specifically focused that it can preserve one in ten thousand. As Christians our eternal destiny is secure no matter what type of death or destruction is happening around us. As Spurgeon said, "[For] the man who is the beloved of the Lord, the most crushing calamities can only shorten his journey and hasten his reward." By contrast, the wicked will be rewarded with eternal damnation.
Note: We will skip vv. 9-13, which are basically a repeat the promises of vv. 1-8.
Read Psalm 91:14-16 - God Promise and Blessing for the One Who Loves Him
14 "Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name.
15 When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation."
Note: In these final three verses, God speaks to us and lays out what the ideal of trust looks like.
V. 14a: "Because he holds fast to Me in love" - To "hold fast" to God in love means to do it by choice. It isn't waiting on a feeling of love but choosing to think and act toward God in ways that express and build love. For example, (1) spending time with God, (2) listening to God, (3) reading what God has written about loving us, (4) speaking to God, (5) thinking of God in unoccupied moments, (6) giving God praise and adoration, (7) speaking of God to others, (8) giving of your resources and service to God, and (9) making sacrifices for God.
v. 14b: "I will deliver...protect him, because he knows My name" - All of the promises and protections stated previously are repeated again, but this time out of God's mouth. Some believers miss out on God's blessings because they are always too anxious or impatient to trust God as they should. However, the psalmist affirms that if we hold fast to God in love, acknowledge His name, and call upon Him, He will deliver and protect us. We need to understand that this doesn't mean that we will be immune from all suffering in this life because we trust God. We certainly know from experience and history that Christians suffer just like everyone else. The difference, for us, is that our suffering will end-forever; while for those who reject God, the worst suffering, in hell, is yet to come. A few summers ago, when Ark. was experiencing a real intense heat wave (110+), I was driving home from Memphis and noticed a sign in front of a church in Imboden that read: You Think It's Hot Here?
v. 15: "When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him" - The primary truth of this verse has to do with prayer. In it, God takes on the persona of one's best and dearest friend, who will be there for you in all the trials and tribulations of this life. God hears the prayers of His faithful and He answers those prayers according to His timing. In this earthly life God's regards you as His close personal friend; then, best of all, in the next life He will honor you among the redeemed.
v. 16: "With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation" - There are two aspects to this promise: (1) A longer earthly life for the faithful man or woman, who, because of their godly lifestyle, avoids unhealthful habits that lead to premature death. Even so, the psalm contemplates that when the godly person comes under the hardships of old age, he or she will be "satisfied" and have no regrets about leaving this earthly life behind. (2) After departing this "satisfied" earthly life, the godly person translates to the glory of heaven, where he or she is satisfied forever.
Central Truth of the Lesson: The hope of this Psalm for God's protection and deliverance is not for everyone, but only for those who have turned to God for their security and safety. Jesus Christ suffered the wrath of God, and by faith in Him, we who believe in Him are sheltered from it (i.e., a secure refuge and fortress); and we can enjoy the hope of that promise even in sickness and pain because when know our eternal destination when it ends.
APPLICATION:
1. The phrase in v.2, "my God, in whom I trust," the psalmist tells us that complete trust in God is the perfect model of Biblical faith. Staying within God's refuge, means that living in His shadow is a matter of having continuous and immovable faith and trust in Him.
2. In vv. 5-8, the psalmist tells us, in effect, that if we truly trust God-if we fully take refuge in Him-then we should fear nothing. This certainly doesn't imply that nothing bad can ever happen to us, but in the context of the NT, it means that we who are saved by faith in Jesus Christ have the assurance of eternal life no matter what kind of death and destruction is happening around us. The key phrase is "you will not fear" (v.5). Every one of us have probably suffered more from fear of something than the thing itself, correct? The point is that God does not want us to operate from fear. Nothing is outside of God's control.
3. In v.14, when the psalmist says that we should "hold fast to [God] in love," it means making deliberate choices. We choose to spend time with God, listen to Him, read His Word, pray to Him, meditate about Him, give Him the thanks and praise He deserves, tell others about Him, and make personal sacrifices for Him. One of the flaws of our present culture is the idea that love is something that happens to you, as opposed to something you choose to do. Love of God and others is always a conscious choice.
