God My Refuge and Deliverer

Psalm 91 (ESV)

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High

will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,

my God, in whom I trust.”

For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler

and from the deadly pestilence.

He will cover you with his pinions,

and under his wings you will find refuge;

his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.

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.

A thousand may fall at your side,

ten thousand at your right hand,

but it will not come near you.

You will only look with your eyes

and see the recompense of the wicked.

Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place—

the Most High, who is my refuge—

no evil shall be allowed to befall you,

no plague come near your tent.

For he will command his angels concerning you

to guard you in all your ways.

On their hands they will bear you up,

lest you strike your foot against a stone.

You will tread on the lion and the adder;

the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.

“Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him;

I will protect him, because he knows my name.

When he calls to me, I will answer him;

I will be with him in trouble;

I will rescue him and honor him.

With long life I will satisfy him

and show him my salvation.”

Recap

This is our final week in our summer psalm series.

We have been through psalm 97 and seen God as king..

Paslm 1 and seen the choice we are given to follow him daily

and journeyed with david through the ups and downs of life in psalms 23, seeing God as our wholistic guide for life.

Today were going to look at one last Psalm

Psalms 91.

and through it we will be reminded that God is our refuge and protector.

Psalms 91 Author

Psalms 91 is not recorded to have a known author

Jewish Tradition is conflicted on its authorship

Some sources attribute its authorship to moses, being written during the 40 year wondering in the wilderness

others sources attribute its writing to king david, being written during his reign as king..

Niether are widely held in christian circles, so the bible does not credit authorship to either.

Both though, have the vast expereince to draw from in writing about God being a refuge and protector.

Famouse

Regardless of authorship, psalms 91 is a very widely known psalm..

both by believers and unbelievers alike..

It is Second only in popularity to psalms 23

Covid

During the covid pandemic, it was widely memorized, quoted and held too by people world wide..

and rightfully so…

this is because it is a reminder that for the faithful,that God is our refuge and hiding place..

Our place of safety..

and our protector and defender

The verse remind us that in times of trouble is it god in whom we trust..

Three

as we look at this psalm today, I want us to see the meesage of this psalms as it is given to us..

The message is this..

That if we will position our selves in him, He will provide a refuge and protection for us, and produce peace in all circumstances in our lives.

This is gods Promise to his poeple..

I want us to look at this message and dig into it for a few moments this morning.

becuase it is a pivatol message of faith for us through all circumstances.

If we position ourselves in him...

Our Position

As we start..

its important to understand that our position in relationship in God matters greatly

the words God has inspired here are not words applied to universal humanity ..

but rather they are God making a promise to those who have a relationship with him..

Those who have positioned themselves in covenant relationship with Him.

Outside, of relationship with god, the promises of psalms 91 and scripture at large have little application to human lives..

For it is through our postion as Gods people, through covanant relationship, that these promises are unlocked and applied to our lives.

Contect of the verse

Look at the verbage in the verse..

the very first line of verse one give us a reminder of the important of relationship

Psalm 91:1 (ESV)

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High

will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.

Like a name at the top of a letter..

Psalms 91 is addressed to those who dwell in god..

Later on in verse 9 the scripture reiterates this address..

Psalm 91:9 (ESV)

Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place—

the Most High, who is my refuge—

and again in verse 14

Psalm 91:14 (ESV)

“Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him;

I will protect him, because he knows my name.

Furthermore

Verses 7 and 8 contrasts the outcomes of those who serve god and the wicked who do not..

The faithful are kept

and the wicked fall..

The promsises that the scripture is about to unviel are not promises for unbelievers..

they are not promises for humanity at large

but they are promises for those who position themselves in covanant relationship with God

Hebrew

In Fact, The hebrew word that is tranlated “He who dwells”

Is also a word used to express the idea “to marry..”

God is making a promise to those who have yoked themselves to him

Who have married themselves to him in relationship..

And faithfully kept that comitment to honor, love, and live his ways..

Jesus

Of course we know as new testament believers, Jesus is the way through which we enter into this covanant relationship with God..

John tells us this in the opening chapter of his gospel..

John 1:12–13 ESV

But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

Galatians 2:20 (ESV)

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Colossians 3:3 ESV

For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

It is through Jesus and Jesus alone that we are brought into this covanant relationship with God

We are brought into him..

And thus offered the promises that are laid here in this psalm..

It is our position as sons and daughters of our heavenly father that affords us entry into his promosies.

And it is through our position that the writer of psalms 91 tells us we are provided for..

so what does the psalms say of god provision?

He will provide a refuge and protection for us

Lets look at it..

Psalm 91:1–4 (ESV)

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High

will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,

my God, in whom I trust.”

For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler

and from the deadly pestilence.

He will cover you with his pinions,

and under his wings you will find refuge;

his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.

We see some distinct provisions to gods people in these verse..

Refuge and Fortress

First, the passage says that if we will dwell in him..

If we will position ourselves in him..

He will be our refuge and fortress..

Refuge

A refuge is a place of safety..

Its a place that has been set asside where harm is prevented from entering..

Animal

In modern day we have places of refuge for many groups..

We have animal refuges, places where hunters and potchers can not get to the animals..

We have refuge spaces for those who have been abused..

Places where their abusers cannot get to them..

Refuge

A refuge is a safe space that is gaurded and protected..

Kingdom

The kingdom of god is a refuge for the lost

the broken,

the hurting

its a place we find safety and peace from our journy through this world.

Fortress..

And a fortress is simalar..

but the idea of a fortress carrys the concept of war and attach as well..

In acient days, the fortress was used to protect the people from in coming enemys..

when the enemy would come and attach they would run to the fortress and be safe..

Solomon uses this idea in Proverbs 18:10

Proverbs 18:10 ESV

The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe.

God

So what the passage tells us..

Is that those who postion themselves in god..

find a place of saftey..

When times of trouble come..

when the enemy attachs..

when you need a place of safety..

HE is our refuge and our fortress..

He is our strong tower to which we can run and find saftey..

and its in this refuge..

The fortress of God..

That he provides protection to his people..

and a few of those are listed here..

Protection

The passage goes on to tell us that not only is god a safe place..

but he is a protector..

snare of the fowler

Verse 2 says, He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler..

This picture

The picture the psalmist paints for us here..

is a picture of a hunter traping a bird..

Where he lays an amush and snare for the bird..

and then traps it and takes..

The Enemy

in the same way..

We know the enemy does the same for us..

Paul writes to timothy in 2 timothy 2 about the importance of avoiding such snares..

2 Timothy 2:25–26 ESV

correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.

The enemy lays traps before us..

pit falls for us to fall into..

temptations to tear us from god..

People

But the devil is not the only one laying traps..

there are people in our lives, who for various reasons

for jealousy, hate, manipulation, or even boredem.. are out to trap and trip us up as well

David writes if this many times in the psalms..

Psalm 57:6–7 ESV

They set a net for my steps; my soul was bowed down. They dug a pit in my way, but they have fallen into it themselves. Selah My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast! I will sing and make melody!

Jesus

Jesus expereinced both of these things..

After his 40 day fast, the enemy came to try to trap him with temptation..

during his life, the pharisees tried to trap him and snare him..

Refuge

psalm 91 reminds us, that if we will dwell in the refuge and saftey of god..

He will protect us from these snares..

and prevent us from tripping over them..

Deliver you from the deadly pestilence

Verse 3 goes on to remind us that not only will god protect us from the snare of the enemy..

but he will deliver us from the deadly pestilence..

Pestilence is commonly reffered to as a community wide desiese..

and many times we see pestilence used through sctipure as judgment on the wicked and those who refuse to honor god throguh scripture..

Protection

Regardless of its purpose, god reminds us here that when threatening times come near us..

It is god who is our fortress..

our protecter..

the one we put our fiath in and trust..

Trouble

When we face times of trouble..

we run to him..

we turn to him…

because he is a shield and buckler

He is a safe place and our protector..

Charactor of god

This is part of the charactor of god..

To be a safe place for his people..

To be a protector and defender..

Misunderstood

I think so there are time where we misconstrue this psalms..

and it gets us into a little bit of trouble and confusion..

because there are times We read this psalm and filter its message through our own desires

Through our own comfort

our concepts of what good is..

and come away with what we preceive as a promise but is not a promise..

and so i want to clarify something..

“God is not making a promise here, that if you position yourself in him., you will never endure trouble.”

Hes not promising here, that if you hold in relationship with him, you will never face attack, or pain, or difficultly, or even sucome to those attachs..

Ignore

To believe these things.. we would have to ignore the rest of scripture..

Job

We would have to ignore the trouble and loss of job, one of the godliest men to walk the earth..

Joseph

We would have to ignore the life of joseph.. one who was inocent yet face many trials of his own..

Joseph

We would have to ignore the life of the disiciples.. who many of which would lose there lives to martyrdom.. and would be persecuted and tortured for their faith..

Jesus

We would have to ingore the life of Jesus..

Who faced trap, trail and tribulation.. and eventually was crucified..

Words

We would have to ignore the words of Jesus..

who told us that in this life we will have trouble..

Not

god is not saying you will not have hard times and issue in this psalms..

He is reminding of an enteral and universal part of our relationship with him..

on that isaiah wrote in:

Isaiah 43:2 ESV

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.

WE WILL WALK THROUGH DIFFICULT TIMES..

SUCH AS DAVID WROTE IN PSALMS 23 of the valley of the shadow of death..

BUT WHEN WE DO..

HE IS OUR SHELTER..

HE IS OUR REFUGE..

AND HE IS OUR HOPE OF DELIVERANCE AND PROTECTION!

The Enemy

You see the enemy would like for us to believe..

that psalms 91 is a promsie nothing bad will ever happen..

so that when bad things happen..

he can tell us god is a liar..

But god is not a liar..

God is telling us..

What the bible is teaching is..

He is our refuge and protector..

and he may allows us to walk through certain things

but its not because he is unfaithfull..

but rather because hes what is truely good for our lives..

and he is workign all things together to produce that good..

Gonna face

Were gonna face problems and trials..

god is going to allow storms into our lifes..

but the promise is when they come he is there for us to trust in..

we can find safety from the storms in him..

he will be our deliver…

The fact that we need a refuge and fortress means there will be trouble to endure..

Weapon

god never promised that the weapon of the enemy and the world would not be formed..

or come against you..

but he did promise that they would not prosper against you in his name..

Grace

HE HAS PROMISED THAT HIS GRACE WILL BE SUFFICIENT..

And in times of trouble..

AND HE WILL SEE YOU THROUGH…

LIFE MAY TRY TO TAKE YOU OUT..

THE WIND MAY BLOW AND THE RAIN MAY FALL..

THE ENEMY MY SET TRAP AFTER TRAP..

BUT THE PRovision OF GOD IS THAT IF YOU WILL STAND ON THE SOLID FOUNDATION YOU WILL NOT BE BLOWN AWAY.

And produce peace in all circumstances

The psalm goes on to tell us that this should produce peace in all circumstances in our lives..

look what is says..

Psalm 91:5–8 (ESV)

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.

A thousand may fall at your side,

ten thousand at your right hand,

but it will not come near you.

You will only look with your eyes

and see the recompense of the wicked.

If we will positon ourselves in christ..

and take refuge in him..

learn to trust in him..

When storms and tough times arise..

We dont have to be anxious about them..

we dont have to be afraid of them..

but rather we can rest under his wings..

and watch as God works things out on our behalf..

Jesus tells us this in John 16:33

John 16:33 ESV

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Even though were going to face troubled times..

God is our refuge and our strength..

He is our protector and our fortress..

He walks through this lifes with us..

we can lean back in him and have peace not matter what comes our way..

This is the promise god has given to us..

Look at verse 14 -16

I love the closing verse of this passage..

The author pens these words as if they are from God alone to his chosen people..

They reiterate the message of the psalm

Psalm 91:14–16 (ESV)

“Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him;

I will protect him, because he knows my name.

When he calls to me, I will answer him;

I will be with him in trouble;

I will rescue him and honor him.

With long life I will satisfy him

and show him my salvation.”

Music..

Im reminded of words paul pens millinia later..

Speaking of the promise of refuge and deliverance from a different perspective..

that of the last line of this passage..

that of Eternty..

Romans 10:9–13 (ESV)

because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Paul writes that those who enter into covanant relationship with Jesus..

will find refuge in him for eternity..

they will surely be delivered..

not just from trouble..

but from their sins..

thats salvastion..

And untilamtely..

Thats what this psalms points to in the end..

More than physical escape from troubles..

Gods promised deliverance is spritual in nature..

His promises still stands..

That we as a people were caught in the snare of the enemy..

bound in sin..

and Jesus came into the world..

to deliver us from that trap..

that all who would call on him would be saved..

Have taken refuge in him yet?