psalm 91 commentary john macarthur

By natural instinct she not only protects them, but calls them under that protection when she sees them in danger, not only keeps them safe, but cherishes them and keeps them warm. II. If Jehovah be our God, our refuge, and our fortress, what can we desire which we may not be sure to find in him? I have read of some soldiers who were in a literal valley of death that read this chapter to feel a little more peace of mind. You can check these in your browser security settings. There are some who worship in the outer court of the temple; but he that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High lives in the Holy of Holies; he draws near to the mercy-seat, and keeps there; he walks in the light, as God is in the light; he is not one who is sometimes on and sometimes off, a stranger or a guest, but like a child at home, he dwells in the secret place of the most High. 91:2 ), from which he gives both direction and encouragement to others, Ps. These thousands and tens of thousands are most likely the victims of pestilence and destruction mentioned in verse 6? 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. Again at the end of day. Thank you. Yet the Church, for the most part, has allowed it to go unnoticed. Yahwehs truth is large and sturdy enough to absorb violent blows. He will deliver those people. 2 I will say of Yahweh, He is my refuge and my fortress; Purgatory: Purifying Fire or Fatal Fable? I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. But this will always prompt you to accept/refuse cookies when revisiting our site. All Rights Reserved. How could any arrows, how could any pestilence, ever be able to reach that secure abode of God? Note, 1. Psalms 91:4. Click to enable/disable Google reCaptcha. The noun sem (name) means name or reputation or fame. We can count on it. 91:9. 2. The promises are that no evil shall happen to you and neither shall any plague come near your dwelling.. What Does It Really Mean That Your Body Is a Temple? It would have served them well when King Cyrus of Persia defeated Babylon and freed Israelites to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the city, where they found a ruined city and were faced with many enemies. Truth is real, dependable, stablethat which we can trust. If they were, no one would ever die. You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day; nor of the pestilence (Hebrew: deber) that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction (Hebrew: qeteb) that wastes at noonday (vv. Their Worm Does Not Die: Annihilation and Mark 9:48, Evidence for the Resurrection - William Lane Craig -Text and Audio, The Evidence for Jesus - William Lane Craig - Text and Video. This is the verse that Satan used to tempt the Lord in the Wilderness to tell Jesus to throw Himself off the highest part of the temple (Matt 4:5) because the angels are commanded to protect Him (Matt 4:6). (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1979-1988), Brown, Francis; Driver, S.R. These cookies are strictly necessary to provide you with services available through our website and to use some of its features. You remember how the devil misapplied this text to Christ. Assuring glimpses of a future "God's day" bolsters the call for perseverance to the end. There may be unseen influences that would ruin us, or cause us dishonour, or distress; but when we dwell with God, we shall not be afraid of them. Yahweh is promising to bless the person who knows him in this intimate way. Psalm 119:90 Psalm 119:91 Psalm 119:92 Psalm 119:93 Psalm 119:94 Psalm 119:95 Psalm 119:96 Psalm 119:97 . ), Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2000), Mounce, William D., (ed. This, however, is not a book that helps in grappling with problem verses; it simply helps a preacher or teacher come down to earth. If these verses sound familiar, it is probably because Satan quoted them as part of Jesus second temptation. The principle, however, can be extended to fit any situation. And the great majority of evangelicals accept that without question. (3.) We can put down our foot on truth, and it will prove solidwont collapse under our weight. That is a wonderful promise: Thou shalt not be afraid. If it had said, Thou shalt have no cause for fear, it would have been a very comforting word; but this is even more cheering, Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night.. Resource Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version(ESV), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. When multitudes die round about us, though thereby we must be awakened to prepare for our own death, yet we must not be afraid with any amazement, nor make ourselves subject to bondage, as many do all their life-time, through fear of death, Heb 2 15. Accordingly, we have updated our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions in order to comply with GDPR. Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; there shall no evil befall thee, There shall no evil befall thee. It may have the appearance of evil; but it shall turn out to thy good. He is a refuge that will not fail me; for he is my fortress and strong-hold." See Ps 34 19; 2 Tim 3 11; 4 18. We ought to ask ourselves, Now, am I in Gods way? We need 2 cookies to store this setting. It is not every professing Christian, nor every believer who attains this height of experience; but only such as believe the promise, and fulfill the heavenly condition of dwelling in the secret place of the most High. Many think that to Christ, as Mediator, these promises do primarily belong (Isa 49 2), not because to him the devil applied one of these promises (Matt 4 6), but because to him they are very applicable, and, coming through him, they are more sweet and sure to all believers. The wonderful thing is that God is love (1 John 4:16). It is also nimble enough to deflect blows from unexpected directions. ), Mounces Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2006), Renn, Stephen D., Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words: Word Studies for Key English Bible Words Based on the Hebrew and Greek Texts (Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., 2005), Richards, Lawrence O., Encyclopedia of Bible Words (Zondervan, 1985, 1991), Sakenfeld, Katharine Doob (ed. 4. I will say to the Lord, My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust. of That, whatever happens to them, nothing shall hurt them (v. 10): "There shall no evil befal thee; though trouble or affliction befal thee, yet there shall be no real evil in it, for it shall come from the love of God and shall be sanctified; it shall come, not for thy hurt, but for thy good; and though, for the present, it be not joyous but grievous, yet, in the end, it shall yield so well that thou thyself shalt own no evil befel thee. . However, we must guard against angel worship and the trivialization of angels popular in some circles today. and the Most High your dwelling place, God is willing to guard his people as the hen is to guard the chickens, and as able as a man of war in armour. - Oscar Cullmann, Immortality of the Soul - by Kaufmann Kohler, Technical Terms and Usages Preclude Innate Immortality - Froom, The Development of the Doctrine of Immortality from the Apostolic Fathers to Augustine, The Doctrine of Immortality in the Early Church. Since the UK is now no longer a member of the EU, you may be charged an import tax on this item by the customs authorities in your country of residence, which is beyond our control. Learn more today! John MacArthur) BRAIN GAMES. 91:1, 4. The way of the righteous. The word halas (deliver) has several meanings, at least two of which fit here. You will trample the young lion and the serpent underfoot. The promises which are here made, in God's name, to all those that do so in sincerity. It would have been familiar to the author(s) of Genesis. - Samuele Bacchiocchi, Ph. Psalms 91:5. The Almighty (Hebrew: sadday). Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, If you dwell near to God, you will not be deceived by Satan. We provide you with a list of stored cookies on your computer in our domain so you can check what we stored. The one who abides in the shelter or under the protection of the Most High God has a shadow over him or her, much like Gods providing the cloud of glory that protected Israel in her wanderings in the wilderness from the scorching sun and like a fortress, He will deliver those who face the snare or trap or the threat of a deadly pestilence or disease. In this case, the psalmist emphasizes its deadly character. 1. Hell Under Fire - CIANZ Annual Conference Address, Jesus' Teaching on Hell - Samuel G. Dawson, The Nature of Hell - Evangelical Alliance, The Origin of Hell-Fire in Christian Teaching, The Bible Verses the Traditional View of Hell - Babu G. Ranganathan, Applying the Resurrection 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. A man may die young, and yet die full of days, satur dierumsatisfied with living. This is unfortunate, since his works contain priceless gems of information that are found nowhere except in the ancient writings of the Jews. Both are appropriate in this verse. This is a precious promise, and speaks a great deal both of honour and comfort to the saints, nor is it ever the worse for being quoted and abused by the devil in tempting Christ, Matt 4 6. The Hebrew word qeteb means destruction, but can also mean sting (Hosea 13:14). It is to know relationally or by experience, and is therefore an intimate kind of knowledge. It is only because they have made the Lord God their dwelling place, dwelling in safety and abiding in Him, therefore as their refuge, nothing evil will befall them and no plague will come close to their tents. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. Most of us have never seen a fowler or a fowlers trap. Both are designed to protect the bearer, and each has a particular use. 12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. 2 I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. But it also means one more thing. 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. Psalms 91:8-10. 1. If he does not immediately put a period to their afflictions, yet they shall have his gracious presence with them in their troubles; he will take notice of their sorrows, and know their souls in adversity, will visit them graciously by his word and Spirit, and converse with them, will take their part, will support and comfort them, and sanctify their afflictions to them, which will be the surest token of his presence with them in their troubles. 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. Hebrews 6:4-8 on Apostasy - O death! His wings and his feathers suggest both power and softness. The word For connects this verse with verse 2. As is customary with poetry, the psalmist doesnt amplify on the meaning of seter, but instead leaves it up to us to tease out the possibilities. But God says, I will deliver him, and honour him.. 2. Seneca De Providentia. 13 Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet. Wherever the saints go the angels are charged with them, as the servants are with the children. 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. And from the noisome pestilence. Does God value such feeble and imperfect knowledge of his name as we possess? He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. They sometimes appear in human form (Genesis 18:2; Ezekiel 9:2). And under his wings shalt thou trust: God is to his people a strong defense and a tender defense. Psalms 91:6-7. While no one died, it was a terrible illness that required weeks for recovery. 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,and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler. - Herman Hanko, Problems and Limitations of the Traditional "Sermon" Concept, Quitting Church: Why the Faithful Are Fleeing - Ingrid Schlueter, Should One Man Be The Dominant, Focal-Point Of A Church Service. Being under His wings and in His fortress and Him as the refuge, the fear evaporates during the terror at night,noon, or any part of the day. In 1969, after graduating from Talbot Theological Seminary, John came to Grace Community Church. The Christian & Politics: Has the Contemporary Church Become Obsessed With Political Solutions? ), which the WEB has updated. - F. F. Bruce. 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. They are such as make the Most High their habitation (v. 9), as are continually with God and rest in him, as make his name both their temple and their strong tower, as dwell in love and so dwell in God. Can any language be loftier? Verses 1-16. Even if he should have but few years, yet he shall have a long life; for life is to be measured by the life that is in it, not by the length along which it drags. The completed registration allows us to send order and donation receipts to the email address you provided. Twice is he armed who hath Gods truth to be his shield and buckler. However, now we begin to hear from Yahweh directly. Find out how you can be at peace with God for eternity as John MacArthur shows you fifteen words that sum up the most powerful truth in all of Scripture. The great encouragement he gives to others to do likewise, not only from his own experience of the comfort of it (for in that there might possibly be a fallacy), but from the truth of God's promise, in which there neither is nor can be any deceit (v. 3, 4, etc. God does bothdelivering us and equipping us. Jesus countered, Again, it is written, You shall not test the Lord, your God.'. Watch over him today. El sadday, then, means Almighty God. (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2007), Freedman, David Noel (Ed. The Immortality of the Soul: 1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. The voice shifts with this verse. Psalms 91:14. Truth is faithful. Because these cookies are strictly necessary to deliver the website, refusing them will have impact how our site functions. He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. Is Hell eternal torment or eternal death. That they shall have a sufficiency of life in this world (v. 16): With length of days will I satisfy him; that is, [1.] Even there, God is present. However, the conditional nature of the promises serve as a warning that the promises will no longer apply if we disassociate ourselves from Yahweh. God loved us yesterday, and will love us tomorrow. 2. View Psalm 91. Plagues and pestilences of various kinds are still occasional threats in first world countries, and are frequent threats in less developed countries. The buckler is also part of the protection and this device is a defensive piece of armor used in ancient times when close range attacks occurred. We are all, by nature, God's enemies, and we deserve His wrath. 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. An integrated digital Bible study library - including complete notes from the NIV Study Bible and the NKJV MacArthur Study Bible - is just a step away! 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. quotation, for he left out the words in all thy ways. God will help us in our ways if we keep in his ways. Can any comfort be surer? This is the name that God revealed to Moses, saying, You shall tell the children of Israel this, Yahweh (YHWH), the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is my name forever, and this is my memorial to all generations (Exodus 3:15). ", You must enable JavaScript to view all available content on this page, Counterfeit Cross updated - We Walk by Faith Pt II - Taking Up Our Cross. 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. Under his wings you will take refuge. GOD IS MY REFUGE AND MY FORTRESS. Yet most people today have never heard of John Gill. They shall be enabled, by the grace of God, to look down upon the things of this world with a holy contempt and indifference, to look up to the things of the other world with a holy ambition and concern; and then they are set on high. 15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. When you hear a glorious doctrine preached, it may be very sweet to others; but the honey lies in the particular application of it to yourself. 1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. This book of praise manifests a very practical theology. Previous post: 6 Important Reasons To Bring Hidden Hurts To God For Healing, Next post: 7 Sample Prayers Before Surgery or a Medical Procedure. They shall think it long enough; for God by his grace shall wean them from the world and make them willing to leave it. Read them in the archive below. They shall be delivered from the malice of the powers of darkness (ver 3, 5, 6), and that by a distinguishing preservation, ver 7, 8. Strength and mastery may be united. Yahweh was Gods personal name for the Israelites. When we meet with trouble and accident, we ought to inquire whether we are in Gods way. By proceeding, you consent to our cookie usage. Click to enable/disable _ga - Google Analytics Cookie. Psalms 91:3. Psalm 91:1. 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. What the promises are which God makes to the saints. God Bless. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: Notice, that it is, He shall, and I will. The mighty grace of God shall make us pray, and the Almighty God of grace will answer our prayer: He shall call upon me, and I will answer him. How I love these glorious shalls and wills! God (Hebrew: elohim). He who is the Lord of the angels, who gave them their being and gives laws to them, whose they are and whom they were made to serve, he shall give his angels a charge over thee, not only over the church in general, but over every particular believer. The Hebrew word sel means shadow of shade. Note the contrast between dash your feet against a stone (v. 12b) and tread on the lion and cobra and trample the young lion and serpent (v. 13). 1. 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 We often find ourselves afraid in the middle of the nightwhat I call the Three Oclock Terrors. Yes; and he rewards that knowledge: I will set him on high.. I will say to the Lord, My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust. Help Grace to You bring important resources like this to people in your community and beyond, free of charge. Those that preserve their purity in times of general corruption may trust God with their safety in times of general desolation. That he will, in due time, deliver them out of trouble: I will deliver him (v. 14 and again v. 15), denoting a double deliverance, living and dying, a deliverance in trouble and a deliverance out of trouble. On their hands they will bear you up,lest you strike your foot against a stone. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. To encourage us to make the Lord our habitation, and to hope for safety and satisfaction in him, the psalmist intimates the comfort he had had in doing so: "He whom thou makest thy habitation is my refuge; and I have found him firm and faithful, and in him there is room enough, and shelter enough, both for thee and me." If you refuse cookies we will remove all set cookies in our domain. It is not an evil, an only evil, but there is a mixture of good in it and a product of good by it. Wishlist +. Some suffered mild impairment but others suffered catastrophic impairment. and from the deadly pestilence (Hebrew: deber) (v. 3b). Fifteen Words of Hope 2 Corinthians 5:21 Be Part of the Family God dispatched angels to help Isaac find a wife (Genesis 24:7)and to protect Israel in the Exodus (Exodus 23:20-23; 32:34; 33:2)and to sustain Elijah in his flight from Jezebel (1 Kings 19:5-8)and to carry people to heaven (Luke 16:22)and to release apostles from prison (Acts 5:19). 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. 1 Chronicles 16:11 Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually! (2.) However, we are familiar with traps of other kinds: Spam callers try to get us to get us to reveal our credit card numbers. Thy God will not leave thee in the glare of the sun, nor will he forsake thee when the damps of night-dews would put thee in peril. lin) in the shadow (Hebrew: sel) of the Almighty (v. 1b). Children and the Rod of Correction - Dave Miller, Ph.D. Christian Practice - Evidence of Grace - Edwards, Meditating On The Future Life - John Calvin w/ audio, Others May, You Cannot - by G. D. Watson w/audio, The Bible Doctrine of the Separated Life - by Johannes G. Vos, The Christian and Entertainment - Rev. The word sillumah means punishment, but carries the connotation of deserved punishment. We havent had to watch carefully for fowlers traps as we walk along sidewalks or drive along roadsor even when we hike through woods. - Oscar Cullmann, Immortality or Resurrection? It means delivering from danger, which is how this translation sees it. Some of the ancients were of opinion that Moses was the penman, not only of the foregoing psalm, which is expressly said to be his, but also of the eight that next follow it; but that cannot be, for Ps 95. is expressly said to be penned by David, and long after Moses, Heb 4 7. Wisdom shall keep thee from being causelessly afraid, and faith shall keep thee from being inordinately afraid. 5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; 6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. and ten thousand at your right hand; We may request cookies to be set on your device. 9-10). But surely in the day-time, when we can look about us, we are not so much in danger; yes, there is an arrow that flieth by day too, and yet flies unseen; there is a destruction that wasteth at high-noon, when we are awake and have all our friends about us; even then we cannot secure ourselves, nor can they secure us. There being no reason to question his sufficiency, fitly does it follow, In him will I trust. A Protest - Joseph Agar Beet D.D. (9b means the second part of verse 9). Great danger supposed; the mention of it is enough to frighten us; night and day we lie exposed, and those that are apt to be timorous will in neither period think themselves safe. In singing this we must shelter ourselves under, and then solace ourselves in, the divine protection. 1 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High. Theologian Paul on Life, Death, and Immortality - Froom, Gravity of Ascribing False Teachings to Christ - (refernce to Dives and Lazarus), The Old Testament Use of the Word Sheol (Hell), The Rich Man and Lazarus: An Intermediate State? We owe it, more than we are sensible, to the care of the divine Providence that we have been kept from infectious diseases and out of the hands of the wicked and unreasonable. 13 You will tread on the lion and cobra. 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. That famous old Puritan, holy Mr. Dodd, having to cross a river, had to change from one boat into another, and being little used to the water, he fell in, and, when he was pulled out, in his simplicity and wisdom he said, I hope that I am in my way. That was the only question that seemed to trouble him. A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it will not come near you (v. 7). - James P. Shelly, Genesis Week - Refuting Evolution - 100 Videos, The Enormity of the Error of Perverting the Gospel. But he is confident that Yahweh will deliver him from plagues and pestilence, because he dwells in the secret place of the Most High.. - Bullinger, Rise Of The Theory Of Universal Restoration - Henry Constable, Universal Restoration Substituted for Eternal Torment, Absent From The BodyPresent With The Lord, Cross Purposes: Atonement, Death and the Fate of the Wicked. 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