He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty…. He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler  Psalm 91:1, 4

Under the Shadow of the Almighty

 

Psalm 91, a psalm of trust, does not identify its author.  The psalm is sufficiently similar to Psalm 90, a psalm of Moses, that it might also be by him.  Alternatively, the experiences and ideas of Moses could have been used by an anonymous writer.  This poem has a very strong messianic thrust, and God Himself speaks in vv. 14-16.  Security is found in the shadow of the Almighty.  The psalmist testifies to the benefits of trust in God.  God and His angels guard the believer, and the Lord Himself promises protection.

91:1, 2 In the secret place:  The person who trusts in God is the one who lives close to Him.  The title Most High emphasizes God’s majesty and is parallel to the term Almighty, a translation of the divine title Shaddai.  Together the terms Most High and Shaddai speak of God as a mountain-like majesty, in whose presence there is a “secret place” or a shadow.  My refuge and my fortress may be rephrased as “my secure fortress.”

1  He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 2  I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.”

91:3 fowler… pestilence:  The images of a bird trap and various types of disease are a general description of dangers that might come to helpless people.

3  Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler And from the perilous pestilence.

91:4 His feathers… His wings:  God is described as a mother hen under whose wings the psalmist can come for refuge.  Shield and buckler indicates complete protection from all harm.  God is an all protective shield for the believer.

4  He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler.

91:5, 6 The interplay of words for night and day in these verses indicates the universal nature of God’s protection.  Terror, arrow, pestilence, and destruction together refer to evil in general.

5  You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, Nor of the arrow that flies by day, 6  Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.

91:7, 8 A thousand… ten thousand:  Like the Israelites in Egypt who were spared the danger that touched their neighbors (Ex. 9:26; 10:23; 11:7), believers in the Lord are protected from any assault.  Look… And see:  The punishment of the wicked is as sure as the deliverance of the righteous.

7  A thousand may fall at your side, And ten thousand at your right hand; But it shall not come near you. 8  Only with your eyes shall you look, And see the reward of the wicked.

91:9, 10 in vv. 14-16, God describes directly the same person addressed by the psalmist in vv. 9-13.  This person is the coming One.  My refuge is the same word used in v. 2.  Dwelling place is the same word used in 90:1.  Most Hight:  The psalmist indicates that the coming One’s faith in God is the same as the psalmist’s.

9  Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place, 10  No evil shall befall you, Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling;

91:11-13 His angels… a stone:  These words were used by Satan to tempt the Savior (Matt. 4:5,6), the lion and the cobra:  The animal and snae imagery in this verse pictures all kinds of evil that might threaten the coming One.  The Father will protect Him no matter what the danger.

11  For He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways. 12  In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone. 13  You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra (adder in KJV), The young lion and the serpent (dragon in KJV)you shall trample underfoot.

91:14 The verb used here for love is not the usual Hebrew word for love.  It has the idea of “holding close to,” even “hugging tightly in love” (Deut. 7:7; 10:15).  He has known My name speaks of an intimate, experiential knowledge of the Father (John 1:18).

14  “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name.

The Lord did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples;  Deuteronomy 7:7

The Lord delighted only in your fathers, to love them; and He chose their descendants after them, you above all peoples, as it is this day. Deuteronomy 10:15

No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him. John 1:18

15  He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. 16  With long life I will satisfy him, And show him My salvation.”

** In this dark time in history, it is comforting to know that God promises the same level of protection He provided for Jesus to those who love Him.  So, hang onto Him tightly.  Trust Him in all situations.  He knows where you are hiding out and will cover it.  Right Lord?

 

 

 

91 1  He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 2  I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.” 3  Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler And from the perilous pestilence. 4  He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler. 5  You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, Nor of the arrow that flies by day, 6  Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday. 7  A thousand may fall at your side, And ten thousand at your right hand; But it shall not come near you. 8  Only with your eyes shall you look, And see the reward of the wicked. 9  Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place, 10  No evil shall befall you, Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; 11  For He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways. 12  In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone. 13  You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot. 14  “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. 15  He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. 16  With long life I will satisfy him, And show him My salvation.”