psalm 91 commentary john macarthur psalm 91 commentary john macarthur

The promises are that no evil shall happen to you and neither shall any plague come near your dwelling.. They shall think it long enough; for God by his grace shall wean them from the world and make them willing to leave it. 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. A church sanctuary, hospital chapel, or airport prayer room. Psalms 91:8-10. 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. We provide you with a list of stored cookies on your computer in our domain so you can check what we stored. Psalms 91:1. I am one of those. Purgatory: Purifying Fire or Fatal Fable? 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. "Nothing can ultimately hurt me." If Christ's life is the interpretive lens through which we read Psalm 91, then the promises of protection found in that psalm must have something to do with resurrection. The psalmist's own resolution to take God for his keeper (ver 2), from which he gives both direction and encouragement to others, ver 9. As it will aggravate the damnation of sinners that with their eyes they shall behold and see the reward of the righteous (Luke 13 28), so it will magnify the salvation of the saints that with their eyes they shall behold and see the destruction of the wicked, Isa 66 24; Ps 58 10. Christianity: The Best Thing That Ever Happened to Women, The Pursuit of God - A W Tozer - Complete Book. A quiet place where we can go to God in prayerour bedroom or prayer closet. SCRIPTURE QUOTATIONS are from the World English Bible (WEB), a public domain (no copyright) modern English translation of the Holy Bible. 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. Should Pastors Be Salaried? Bible Verses, Quotes, Christian Answers, Songs and More. 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. Observe, 1. The word halas (deliver) has several meanings, at least two of which fit here. Many people have told me that only the supernatural intervention by angels commanded by God could explain certain miraculous situations that they were involved with, some having their lives being spared. You can also change some of your preferences. 75 Bible Commentaries - Matthew Henry, Adam Clarke, Pulpit Commentary, etc. They are such as know God's name. Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (Complete). But he that has his treasure and heart in another world has soon enough of this; he would not live always. God truly is our fortress and our refuge. We ought to ask ourselves, Now, am I in Gods way? If the face of such a harsh reality as this, God is placed in the position of being the protecting parent of His young as their fortress, shield, and protector. Angels are Gods messengers (Hebrews 1:14; Revelation 1:1)part of the created order and therefore wholly subordinate to God. A commonly misunderstood phenomenon in Psalms is the association that often develops between the "one" (the psalmist) and the "many" (the theocratic people). Click to enable/disable _gid - Google Analytics Cookie. Life and Immortality - Basil Atkinson, M.A., PhD. I will satisfy him with long life, and show him my salvation (v. 16). (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). How could any arrows, how could any pestilence, ever be able to reach that secure abode of God? The noun sem (name) means name or reputation or fame. 1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. Yet most people today have never heard of John Gill. Globally, we are faced with wars and rumors of warplagues and pestilenceenemies equipped with the Bombtyrants and corrupt politiciansa world changing so rapidly that it makes our heads spinand a host of other problems. The Hebrew Word Nephesh (Soul) - E. W. Bullinger. 1 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High (3.) If you refuse cookies we will remove all set cookies in our domain. It is not every man who dwells there; no, not even every Christian man. Psalms 91:5. But in these words, the psalmist is quoting Yahweh, who would help his people to develop a strong belief in eternal life. II. The Immortality of the Soul: The word emet is usually translated truth. 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. Because you have made Yahweh your refuge, and the Most High your dwelling place, no evil shall happen to you, neither shall any plague come near your dwelling (vv. Anderson, A.A., The New Century Bible Commentary: Psalms 73-150 (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1972), Broyles, Craig C., New International Biblical Commentary: Psalms (Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, 1999, Brueggemann, Walter, The Message of the Psalms A Theological Commentary (Minneapolis: Augsburg Press, 1984), Clifford, Richard J., Abingdon Old Testament Commentaries: Psalms 73-150 (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2003), DeClaisse-Walford, Nancy; Jacobson, Rolf A.; Tanner, Beth Laneel, The New International Commentary on the Old Testament: The Book of Psalms (Grand Rapids: Wm. Immortality of the Soul or Resurrection? Can any comfort be surer? 14b (Downers Grove, Illinois: Inter-Varsity Press, 1973), Limburg, James, Westminster Bible Companion: Psalms (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2000, Mays, James Luther, Interpretation: Psalms (Louisville: John Knox, 1994), McCann, J. Clinton, Jr., The New Interpreters Bible: The Book of Psalms, Vol. Home. Yahweh was Gods personal name for the Israelites. 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. Therefore the psalmist is probably saying more than he understooddeliverance from trouble and salvation to eternal life. 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. In the Psalms you can identify with the psalmist as he expresses his deepest distress, and learn along with him as God teaches him how to view things from His perspective. Please contact the publisher to obtain copies of this resource. but it will not come near you. II. Let us come boldly there; and, when we once enter, let us dwell there. Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. Used by permission. This promise protects, (1.) 9 Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; 10 There shall no evil befal thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. will rest (Heb. It is the privilege and comfort of those that do so that they abide under the shadow of the Almighty; he shelters them, and comes between them and every thing that would annoy them, whether storm or sunshine. Here is great security promised to believers in the midst of this danger: "Thou shalt not be afraid. Thank you. 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. Psalm 91 continues to be a source of strength, hope, promise and encouragement for every generation. Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site. God by his grace will keep thee from disquieting distrustful fear (that fear which hath torment) in the midst of the greatest dangers. Of course He did. Psalm 91 God's Protection 911: Christians are under attack! Copyright 2010-2023 Telling Ministries LLC. 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. 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. 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. No locks nor bars can shut out diseases, while we carry about with us in our bodies the seeds of them. It comes creeping in, and fills the air with death before you perceive its approach; but He shall deliver thee from the noisome pestilence. There is a pestilence of dangerous and accursed error abroad at this time; but if we dwell in the secret place of the most High, it cannot affect us; we shall be beyond its power. The word For connects this verse with verse 2. Neither night nor daydarkness nor the bright light of noondayshall give the faithful cause for fear. Does The Bible Provide an Adequate Answer to Suffering? It means delivering from danger, which is how this translation sees it. 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. This psalm, without title in the Hebrew text, is a triple proclamation of God's holiness, as Isaiah would later do ( Isaiah 6:3 ). Those that preserve their purity in times of general corruption may trust God with their safety in times of general desolation. If they were, no one would ever die. 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. Click to enable/disable Google reCaptcha. Champions of Conditional Immortality in History, Conditional Immortality - Its Relation to Final Retribution, Conditional Immortality - Samuel M. Ohmart, Fallacies In The Annihilationism Debate: A Critique Of Robert Peterson, Important Forgotten History - Roots of Opposition to Conditionalism, Life in Christ - A Summary of Conditional Immortality, Summing Up the Case for Biblical Conditionalism - Froom, The Hypothesis of Conditional Immortality - William R. Huntington - 1878, Why I Believe In Conditional Immortality - by Sidney A. Hatch, Death and the Afterlife by Robert A. Morey - A Review by Edward Fudge, Martin Luther & William Tyndale On the State of the Dead, Near Death Experiences - Samuele Bacchiocchi. The Believer's Covenant Psalm 91 can also be referred to as the constitution of the Kingdom. God puts honour upon us, poor dishonourable worms that we are. Truth doesnt shift with every passing folly. Watch over him today. Growing Up With Two Moms: The Untold Childrens View. 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! We, dear friends, may have secret enemies, who shoot at us, but we shall not be afraid of the arrow. His truth shall be thy shield and buckler. 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. 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. All rights reserved. However, when I was a child in the 1940s and 50s, before the polio vaccine became available, I had friends who had suffered from polio. They are able to bear up the saints out of the reach of danger, and they do it with all the tenderness and affection wherewith the nurse carries the little child about in her arms; it speaks us helpless and them helpful. 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. The Nature Of The Death Threatened As The Penalty Of Sin - Edward White, The Penalty of Death for Disobedience - Froom, Traditionalism and the (Not So) Second Death - Chris Date, Biblical Examples of Everlasting Destruction, Destroyed For Ever: An Examination of the Debates Concerning Annihilation and Conditional Immortality, Eternal Destruction Is Decreed Doom of Wicked - Leroy Edwin Froom, Further Biblical Support for Everlasting Destruction, The Destruction of the Finally Impenitent - Clark H. Pinnock, Biblical Analysis of Claimed Support Texts for Eternal Torture, Challenge to the Doctrine of Eternal Torment, Future Punishment is Eternal - Henry Constable - 1875, MAJOR Problems for the Eternal Torment Position, The Doctrine Of Future Rewards And Punishments In The Old Testament - Edward White, The Final End of the Wicked - Edward Fudge - Audio Interview, The Nature of the Future Punishment of the Wicked - C. F. Hudson, Thirty Questions For Teachers Of Eternal Torment, Universal Restoration Substituted for Eternal Torment - Froom. These cookies are strictly necessary to provide you with services available through our website and to use some of its features. Note, 1. 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. i. PSALM 91:1-2. Wings and feathers, though spread with the greatest tenderness, are yet weak, and easily broken through, and therefore it is added, His truth shall be thy shield and buckler, a strong defence. As the little chicks bury their tiny heads in the feathers of the hen, and seem happy, and warm, and comfortable under their mothers wings, so shall it be with thee if thou dwellest with thy God: He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust.. 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. You will only look with your eyes, and see the recompense (Hebrew: sillumahpunishment) of the wicked (v. 8b). I will be with him in trouble. You are free to opt out any time or opt in for other cookies to get a better experience. Those who have themselves found the comfort of making God their refuge cannot but desire that others may do so. Talk of St. George and the dragon! b. Please respond to confirm your registration. 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. Cobras and serpents serve as a metaphor for smaller but equally deadly forces that appear suddenly, seemingly from nowhere. Is My Church Really A New Testament Church? 6 nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, Click on the different category headings to find out more. 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. - Samuele Bacchiocchi, Ph. They shall be taken under the peculiar care of Heaven, Ps. 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. 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. 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 I. You will only look with your eyesand see the recompense of the wicked. They are condescending in their ministrations; they keep the feet of the saints, lest they dash them against a stone, lest they stumble and fall into sin and into trouble. All Rights Reserved. I will say to the Lord, My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust. All rights reserved. How Daniels Prophecy of 70 Weeks Connects to the End Times. (2.) But this will always prompt you to accept/refuse cookies when revisiting our site. and ten thousand at your right hand; That is a message that we need to hear in good times so that it will bring us strength during bad times. You will trample the young lion and the serpent underfoot (v. 13). The completed registration allows us to send order and donation receipts to the email address you provided.