Security of the One Who Trusts in the Lord Psalm 91
Notes
Transcript
Introduction: The Book of Psalms
The book of Psalms is the 19th book in our Bible. The book contains 150 Psalms which are broken down into seven different kinds of poems. Those seven kinds are:
Praise
Lament
Royal
Wisdom
Thanksgiving
Hymns
and Trust
Psalm 91 is considered a Psalm of Trust. There are five other Psalms that are considered Psalms of trust: 11, 23, 16, 62, 63.
The Psalmist for this particular Psalm is not known for sure, however, the original Septuagint, the first five books of the old testament ascribe this Psalm to King David.
In this particular Psalm, the psalmist, presumably a priest, assures the congregation that God is with them and will protect them from trouble. The trouble appears to be military, based on the use of military metaphors. So the congregation is likely the army, who face dangers in battle as well as from disease in the camp. This, is a psalm of trust, but there are similarities with psalms of wisdom, particularly in the idea that no harm will come to those who have a proper relationship with God.
Within the Psalm there are three changes of person. The changes of person may be obscured in some modern versions. These changes of person go from ‘I’ to ‘you’ and on to the divine or God. These changes take the Psalm from God being the Refuge of the speaker, to God being the refuge of the hearer, to God doing the speaking. Listen for the changes - verse three and verse 14.
Here is:
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!”
3 For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper And from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with His pinions, And under His wings you may seek refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark.
5 You will not be afraid of the terror by night, Or of the arrow that flies by day;
6 Of the pestilence that stalks in darkness, Or of the destruction that lays waste at noon.
7 A thousand may fall at your side And ten thousand at your right hand, But it shall not approach you.
8 You will only look on with your eyes And see the recompense of the wicked.
9 For you have made the Lord, my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place.
10 No evil will befall you, Nor will any plague come near your tent.
11 For He will give His angels charge concerning you, To guard you in all your ways.
12 They will bear you up in their hands, That you do not strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread upon the lion and cobra, The young lion and the serpent you will trample down.
14 “Because he has loved Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him securely on high, because he has known My name.
15 “He will call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him.
16 “With a long life I will satisfy him And let him see My salvation.”
Transitional Sentence: So, dwell in the shelter of the Most High and abide in the shadow of the Almighty by saying that the Lord is your fortress and God is the one in whom you trust.
So let’s break this down a little bit. Verses 1-2 are in the first person with the speaker talking about God as:
My Refuge.
(a.) The speaker gives the congregation a reminder of who God is and what God is for him. He does this in the first two verses by using the four main names of God. The Most High, The Almighty, The Lord, and God.
These different words describing God point to Him in different ways according to what the hearer would know about God.
The Most High or in the Hebrew el-yon points to God’s exaltedness and authority over all things.
The Almighty or in the Hebrew Shaddai points to God and His absolute power over all things.
The Lord or in the Hebrew Yahweh points to God as the God of Israel because this is the name that God gave Himself to Moses.
God or in the Hebrew Elo-him points to God as the creator of Heaven and Earth, the one true God.
By reminding the congregation of who God is he is telling them about his (b.) secret hiding place. The place where he goes for shelter, the shadow that he will abide in, and the refuge and fortress for him to dwell in.
These are metaphors, word pictures, to provide an idea of what God can do.
(Shelter) - Adirondack shelter during a storm when hiking.
(Refuge) - Helms Deep in Lord of the Rings (a Castle Keep)
(Fortress) - Castle walls
c. My God, in whom I trust! - This is the Testimony of the speaker. This is God to the Priest who is reminding everyone who is listening. This is his vow of trust in the power of God to watch over him. The reminder should help lead listeners to put their trust in Him also.
There is no reason to go through times of trouble all by yourself. You too can have a secret hiding place, a refuge and fortress. When you are in God’s hands you are safe and nothing can separate you from Him. John 10:27-30
27 “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;
28 and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.
29 “My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.
30 “I and the Father are one.”
Have you ever tried to snatch a small rock out of someone’s hand? It’s hard to do. Jesus said those who believe in Him, His sheep, will never be lost from His hand. This is the shelter, refuge and fortress. The hand of God.
This is My God in whom I trust!
So where does the Psalm go from there.
2. Verses 3-13 speak of how God can be Your Refuge. Now the language switches from a personal testimony to a declaration of how God can take care of You.
a. He can deliver you from the snare of the trapper. Here’s another metaphor, a word picture using the idea of hunting to make a point.
A snare (photo) is a device to trap fowl, or birds. The idea of delivering someone from a trap such as a snare is to rescue them. To free someone from harm or evil, and in some cases from imprisonment. This is a physical danger that may or may not be avoidable.
It goes on to say that He will save you from deadly pestilence also. Deadly pestilence is a unseen danger, something that only God can save you from. You can take all the protective measures possible to avoid getting sick but only God can rescue you from deadly pestilence. Some interpret this as spiritual beings, demons that are unseen and attacking you.
b. So how does He do it? How does He save you? - He Covers you with His feathers and under His wings you can take refuge. So here we have another metaphor - this one pointing to an agricultural idea about keeping chickens and other fowl.
Have you ever seen a mother hen cover her chicks (photo) to protect them and keep them warm? That’s the idea here Wrapping and covering. Those who believe these to be spiritual concepts might say that the wings of angels are wrapped around you, or the Holy Spirit is over shadowing you.
This goes on to say that His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark or rampart in some translations. You can use a shield to protect yourself and hide behind a bulwark or the wall of a fortress to stay safe. God is always faithful, He will always do what He says. Deuteronomy 32:3-4 says:
3 “For I proclaim the name of the Lord; Ascribe greatness to our God!
4 “The Rock! His work is perfect, For all His ways are just; A God of faithfulness and without injustice, Righteous and upright is He.
c. Verse 5 says there is no reason to fear because of these things. God has you covered. You are under His wings, protected by His shield and standing behind the mighty wall that will not fall down. He will have you covered no matter where you are, a shield is mobile protection when you are on the move and attacking and the wall is static when you are standing still to defend.
Speaking about a shield; do you remember the pieces of armor that God equips His children with. One of those items is a shield. All of those fiery darts being launched at you by the devil are no match for the shield of faith.
The idea of having a shield or being covered by a shield by God points to the spiritual aspect of this psalm. There is something deeper here than just protecting your body from harm.
d. So what are some of the things that you don’t have to fear because you are covered by the Most High God. These things can strike both the weak and the strong, the righteous and the unrighteous. Matthew 5:45b says:
45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
Well, you don’t have to fear the terror that comes in the night. You don’t have to fear the arrow that flies during the day, pestilence that stalks in the darkness, or destruction that lays waste at noon. Here we have four issues that can cause you to be ineffective with fear. How many of you cowered in fear because of the covid19 mess? Well that’s pestilence. How many of you avoid doing anything that might get you hurt? Arrows that fly by day. Fear not for He is with you.
If you noticed these fearful things are coupled together, two things in the dark of the night and two that happen during the day. It doesn’t matter what time of the day it is the Lord will be with you and cover with His wings. Just trust and abide in Him.
e. So, through all of this what happens? Thousands fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand. People die. Especially in times of great trouble. But verse 7 says it will not approach the faithful. Look around and you will see it happening. Look closely, it’s only the wicked, the unfaithful and unrighteous that will be falling. They will be receiving their recompense. They will be getting what is due them because of their unbelief.
But you, the righteous ones will be safe in the palm of God’s hand.
f. Why? Why will God protect you and not the others?
Well, if you take a look at Psalm 91:9 you will see that it is because you made the Lord, the Most High, your dwelling place. It means you have accepted the Lord as your Lord and Savior. You are no longer one of the wicked, you are a child of God. You have called out to Him and He has saved you. This brings assurance that you will be touched by nothing except by God’s permission. No harm will come upon you or near your tent. Have you ever heard someone say they are indestructible unless God says otherwise. That’s the idea behind this. There is no reason to fear anything if you make the Most High God your dwelling place. You will be protected by God until it is time for you to return home and be with Him.
So how can this be?
g. Well, God will charge His Angels to watch over you. Hebrews 1:14 says this about angels:
14 Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?
His angels are tasked with taking care of the faithful. There is a constant battle going on around us in the unseen spiritual world. The angels are fighting for us in that place and in the physical world. Have you ever had someone come to your rescue and then you have never seen them again? God can even use your family, friends or even strangers to rescue you from a bad situation.
But back to angels. God can send them anytime He chooses. Maybe that’s the idea of guardian angels. Everybody who calls upon the name of the Lord has one or more. Some people need more than others. It’s not a problem for God He has legions of Angels. Matthew 26:53 says:
53 “Or do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels?
Wow. Twelve legions. As a comparison a Roman legion, the largest unit in the Roman army at the time was about 5,000 men. That means Jesus said God could put 12 legions or 60,000 angels at His disposal if He were to simply ask.
These angels will do whatever is necessary to guard you in all of your ways. We won’t even strike a toe on a stone. There’s a caveat to this though. This promise isn’t for those who believe to do foolish things that can cause them harm.
Does this sound familiar to anyone? The devil used this very verse to entice Jesus to jump off the top of the Temple. Matthew 4:5-7
5 Then the devil took Him into the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple,
6 and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written, ‘He will command His angels concerning You’; and ‘On their hands they will bear You up, So that You will not strike Your foot against a stone.’ ”
7 Jesus said to him, “On the other hand, it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ”
Jesus told the devil that you shall not test the Lord your God. Neither shall you test the Lord your God to see if He really will charge His angels to lift you up. It’s enough to trust and believe that God will do it when you are serving Him and sacrificing your safety for others.
And finally there is one last reminder of how much you could do with the protection of God.
i. You will tread upon Lions & cobras, and trample the young lion and serpent. These creatures represent both actual physical harm from wild animals but also dangers from evil men and the schemes of the devil. These creatures are not normally something you would tread on or walk among. But it goes one step beyond the idea of walking among without harm, but that you would actually trample or defeat these foes.
And so ends the promises of what God can do if you make Him your refuge and dwelling place.
4. Now for Verses 14-16 the voice changes. It changes to God speaking!! It changes to God’s Pledge for those who dwell in Him.
a. It begins with the reason why God makes this pledge. Because he has loved ME. This is why He will do all of this. For Love. Romans 8:37-39 says:
37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.
38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,
39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Paul has said all of Psalm 91 in these few verses. Nothing can separate us from the love of God.
So, because you love God and make Him your refuge, He pledges to:
b. Deliver You. deliverance n. — recovery or preservation from loss or danger, whether physical or spiritual.
The idea is one of being rescued from a pit. People might look down on you and walk away, maybe they will throw you a rope or provide you with a ladder. But Jesus, He will climb down into the pit and lift you out. But you have to look up and you have to cry out for help. Call upon His name and He will answer you. In that moment He will be there along with legions of angels.
After lifting you from the pit He will set you Securely on High. He will put you in a place where you are inaccessible or unattainable. Protected from harm. You will go from a place of fear and danger to a place of peace and safety. A place where your soul is lost to a place where your soul is safely in God’s hands and can never be lost again.
All because you have known His name and called out for deliverance.
So when you call on His name He pledges to be with you when you are in Trouble. This trouble being a matter of distress (state) n. — an oppressive state of physical, mental, social, or economic adversity. That sounds like many things that go on in the life of a believer.
Our distress leads to the need for Rescue. Since He is right there with you He will walk with you through your distress and bring you out on the other side. Then He will Honor you. He will recognize you as one of His children. You will be a child of God. And then He will give you a Long life. With His protection and a change in life that comes when accepting Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior can certainly increase the length of your life. But the length of life is a lot longer than 90 or so years. It is eternity. Those who are rescued by Jesus will dwell with Him for eternity. Finally God pledges to show you His SALVATION! Salvation (state) n. — the state of being saved or preserved from harm. When God preserves you from harm He preserves you - your soul that part of you which is immortal. So that you may enjoy eternal life in His presence.
So here’s the question. Do you see a progression here?
You are lost and in need of saving.
You call on Him for deliverance.
He answers.
He comes to your aid and delivers you from the pit or the snare of the fowler.
He puts you in a place of safety, on High, in heaven.
He honors you. Now that’s a big one. That is grace. That’s something you don’t deserve.
He gives you a long life, eternal life to be more precise. Now that’s more grace than you can imagine or expect.
And then, on top of all of that, He shows you His Salvation. Salvation in the here and now from sin and death and ultimately salvation which puts you in His presence forever.
I chose this Psalm for this particular day because we are celebrating veterans day tomorrow. There are numerous stories of God’s protective hand on the lives of veterans in combat and in training. One of the best I know is the story of Seadrift, Texas during WWII. This small town sent 52 men to the various combat fronts around the world. Many of those left behind agreed to put their pictures up in the church and pray this prayer over those men every day until they returned. And the men agreed to put this prayer in their hearts and repeat it whenever possible. All of them returned home.
Most veterans who are Christians could probably attribute deliverance from a hazardous situation to the hand of God. I saw the hand of God all around me when I was in Iraq.
So, in who or what do you put your trust? The government? Money? People?
There is only one way to be saved and only one name under the sun to call to for salvation. That is the Lord, Christ Jesus. He is the only one who can save you from any and all situations in your life. He is the only one who can bring you into a right relationship with God and give you eternal life.
Look up and out of what ever pit you are in right now and call upon His name. He will answer.
Pray!
Benediction: Psalm 91 with changes. I receive the truth and restate it accordingly.
