1. 12 They will bear you up in their hands, A crowd of people (called the "chorus") in the usual letters: verses 1, 3 - 8, 9b - 13. The Septuagint (LXX: Greek version of the Old Testament) attributes this psalm to David, but that remains in question. will rest (Heb. there is no doubt about this great truth, Surely, he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.. In this study, Dr. MacArthur examines the book of Psalms and reveals how the hymns it contains points to an all-powerful God who is to be respected, worshiped, and praised for his loving care of his peopleand to whom we can turn to help in times of need. The Hebrew word sadday means almighty or the Almighty. Whatever is done our heavenly Father's will is done; and we have no reason to be afraid of that. And from the noisome pestilence. For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence.. Those that preserve their purity in times of general corruption may trust God with their safety in times of general desolation. These verses include conditional promises. Others make idols their refuge, but I will say of Jehovah, the true and living God, He is my refuge: any other is a refuge of lies. The pestilence is something that you cannot see. Bible commentary, In this premiere volume, John MacArthur brings you a complete Bible commentary in one volume. Get Your Bible Minute in Your Inbox Every Morning. I conclude that Psalm 91 means two things about the suffering of the saints. Angels are not appropriate objects of our worship. Hebrews 6:4-8 on Apostasy - 2 TIMOTHY 2:15. 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. This verse repeats the idea of verse 1b, but with different imagery. Changes will take effect once you reload the page. Some of them are speedily taken home; still this text is, as a rule, literally fulfilled, With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation. He shall see Gods salvation even here; and when he dies, and wakes up in the likeness of his Lord, he will see it to the full. (2.) He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. You must, like the bee, go down into the bell of the flower yourself, and fetch out its nectar. 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.. Bible Study, When the child is in perfect health she can leave it in the hands of the nurse; but when it is sick she will attend it herself; she will say to the nurse, You may attend a while to some other business, I will watch over the child myself. (Dawson, cited in Spurgeon), (c) 2020 The Enduring Word Bible Commentary by David Guzik ewm@enduringword.com. 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. We will do well to avoid such dangers, but the promise is that Yahweh will enable us to tread on and trample them without fear. The Immortality of the Soul: Enter your email address and we will send you instructions on how to reset your password. 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. Psalms 91:3. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, If you dwell near to God, you will not be deceived by Satan. His faithfulness (emettruth) is your shield (Hebrew: sinnah) and rampart (Hebrew: soherahbuckler) (v. 4c). ; and Briggs, Charles A., The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon (Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, 1906, 2004), Doniach, N.S. 3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. Does The Bible Provide an Adequate Answer to Suffering? 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. Towns across the country closed their swimming pools. May that be the portion of each of us! If you refuse cookies we will remove all set cookies in our domain. 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. 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. PSALM 91:1-2. Yes; and he rewards that knowledge: I will set him on high.. You are free to opt out any time or opt in for other cookies to get a better experience. Yahweh does David an honor by using this word for David, where he refers to David as the elyon (highest) of the kings of the earth (Psalm 89:27). . The verb yada (has known) means to knowbut more. 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. Those of us who live in first world countries have almost forgotten the dangers of deadly diseases that spread rapidly and kill large numbers of people. What does the phrase "gnashing of teeth" mean? They are such as know God's name. We ought to think more of the saint and the dragon. {"lang_button_processing":"Please Wait..","lang_button_notify":"Subscribe","lang_heading_notify":"Notifications","lang_text_notify_info":"Notify me of new comments\u003Cspan class=\"cmtx_info_extra\"\u003E via email\u003C\/span\u003E","lang_title_cancel_notify":"Cancel this notification","lang_link_cancel":"[Cancel]"}, {"commentics_url":"\/\/www.truthaccordingtoscripture.com\/comments\/","page_id":948015,"is_permalink":false,"lang_text_view":"View","lang_text_reply":"reply","lang_text_replies":"replies","lang_text_replying_to":"You are replying to","lang_title_cancel_reply":"Cancel this reply","lang_link_cancel":"[Cancel]","lang_text_privacy":"Privacy","lang_text_terms":"Terms","lang_text_agree":"[1] \/ [2]","lang_text_not_replying":"You are not replying to anyone","lang_button_loading":"Loading..","lang_button_more":"More Comments","lang_button_edit":"Edit Comment","lang_button_reply":"Add Reply","lang_link_reply":"Switch to full reply","lang_link_refresh":"[Refresh]","date_auto":false,"show_pagination":true,"quick_reply":false,"pagination_type":"button","timeago_suffixAgo":"ago","timeago_inPast":"a moment","timeago_seconds":"less than a minute","timeago_minute":"a minute","timeago_minutes":"%d minutes","timeago_hour":"an hour","timeago_hours":"%d hours","timeago_day":"a day","timeago_days":"%d days","timeago_month":"a month","timeago_months":"%d months","timeago_year":"a year","timeago_years":"%d years"}, JavaScript must be enabled for certain features to work, {"commentics_url":"\/\/www.truthaccordingtoscripture.com\/comments\/","page_id":948015,"enabled_country":false,"country_id":0,"enabled_state":false,"state_id":0,"enabled_upload":false,"maximum_upload_amount":3,"maximum_upload_size":5,"maximum_upload_total":5,"captcha":true,"captcha_url":"https:\/\/www.truthaccordingtoscripture.com\/comments\/frontend\/index.php?route=main\/form\/captcha&page_id=948015","cmtx_wait_for_comment":"cmtx_wait_for_comment","lang_error_file_num":"A maximum of %d files are allowed to be uploaded","lang_error_file_size":"Please upload files no bigger than %.1f MB in size","lang_error_file_total":"The total size of all files must be less than %.1f MB","lang_error_file_type":"Only image file types are allowed to be uploaded","lang_text_loading":"Loading ..","lang_placeholder_country":"Country","lang_placeholder_state":"State","lang_text_country_first":"Please select a country first","lang_button_submit":"Add Comment","lang_button_preview":"Preview","lang_button_remove":"Remove","lang_button_processing":"Please Wait.."}, {"commentics_url":"\/\/www.truthaccordingtoscripture.com\/comments\/","auto_detect":false}, Pop-up verses - "Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation Used by permission. The charge given to the angels concerning the saints. 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. One is that often God amazingly delivers them physically when others around them are falling. Because these cookies are strictly necessary to deliver the website, refusing them will have impact how our site functions. Should Pastors Be Salaried? Resource Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version(ESV), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Jan. 1, 2023. 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. 14 Because he has set his love on me, therefore I will deliver him. Seneca De Providentia. A Protest - Joseph Agar Beet D.D. For example, in Psalm 1, we are not to spend all our time just meditating on the Word, but become busily involved as Jesus was in the lives of others, p. 3. Registered User They will bear you up in their hands, so that you wont dash your foot against a stone (vv. 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. We havent had to watch carefully for fowlers traps as we walk along sidewalks or drive along roadsor even when we hike through woods. Nor for the arrow that flieth by day; Both night and day thou shalt be safe. 2. But this will always prompt you to accept/refuse cookies when revisiting our site. But those promises are conditional on making Yahweh your refuge and the Most High your dwelling place. Verse 9 assumes that the reader has complied with these conditions, so the promises apply. $30.00. Or be unhurt by such savage and poisonous creatures; as the Israelites, when they travelled through the wilderness, in which were serpents and scorpions; and many of the servants of God have been delivered from them, or have slain them, as Samson, David, and Daniel; and so Christ was among the wild beasts in the wilderness, and yet not touched or b. Every bullet has its commission. El sadday, then, means Almighty God. Psalms 91:3. - 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. 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. Surely, oh, blessed word! SCRIPTURE QUOTATIONS are from the World English Bible (WEB), a public domain (no copyright) modern English translation of the Holy Bible. (2.) The MacArthur Bible Commentary treats every passage of the Old and New Testaments phrase by phrase, with hundreds of word studies as sidebars throughout. (6.) He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. ), The New Interpreters Dictionary of the Bible, 5 vol. Read them in the archive below. By far the most common name for God in the Old Testament is Yahweh, which means I am who I am (Exodus 3:14)but elohim is the next most common. In this case, the psalmist emphasizes its deadly character. A commonly misunderstood phenomenon in Psalms is the association that often develops between the "one" (the psalmist) and the "many" (the theocratic people). Psalms 91:8-10. 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! Aye, that is true, you will say, who makes any doubt of it? Observe, 1. He did his graduate work at Moody Theological Seminary. Yahweh is promising to bless the person who knows him in this intimate way. In Hebrew thought sel is most often welcoming shade from noonday sun or protection afforded by the shadow of Yahwehs wings (Psalm 17:8). In my father's house there are many mansions, one needs not crowd another, much less crowd out another. The Unholy Trinity: The World, The Flesh, The Devil Psalms--BASICS Psalm 91 OUTLINE vs. 1-2: Assurance of God's Protection vs. 3-8, 11-13: The Ways God Protects vs. 9-10: An Invitation to Receive God's Protection vs. 14-16: Promises from the Lord for His Protection It is not every man who dwells there; no, not even every Christian man. Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (Complete). of the Traditional "Sermon" Concept, A Biblical Defense of Conditional Immortality, Biblically Dispelling the Myth of Eternal Torture. Can True Christians Commit Apostasy? Verses 1-16. Psalm 91 Inductive Bible Study Guide and Questions for Small Group He was quite right in the application; but he was quite wrong in the. When I lived in New York City years ago, I learned not to walk close to buildings when I was walking at night. MacArthur is a fifth-generation pastor, a popular author and conference speaker and has served as pastor-teacher of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California since 1969 . 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. See Ps 34 19; 2 Tim 3 11; 4 18. 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. I'm reading this passage twice a day as a prescription instruction from a Bishop. There shall be but the appearance of evil, not the reality of it: There shall no evil befall thee.. Psalm 91 continues to be a source of strength, hope, promise and encouragement for every generation. (3.) This word the devil left out when he quoted the promise to enforce a temptation, knowing how much it made against him. Our church recently experienced a norovirus that sickened 54 of the 60 people present for worship that Sunday. What does it mean to take the Lord's name in vain? nor of the destruction that wastes at noonday. Today they have to watch for IEDs. 5 You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, The seashore or forest where nature calms our souls and draws us to God. 3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. (5.) 10 no evil shall happen to you, 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. Purgatory: Purifying Fire or Fatal Fable? There is need to fear the night filled with terror or the arrows that are visibly seen flying during the day. Click on the different category headings to find out more. Watch over him today. Under his wings you will take refuge. Therefore the psalmist is probably saying more than he understooddeliverance from trouble and salvation to eternal life. Yahweh is speaking about those who attach themselves to himbind themselves to himlove himtake delight in him. How could cholera or fever get into the secret place of the most High? For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. Yahweh was Gods personal name for the Israelites. 1 Chronicles 16:11 Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually! We can put down our foot on truth, and it will prove solidwont collapse under our weight. How Daniels Prophecy of 70 Weeks Connects to the End Times. We can count on it. The word elyon is usually translated Most High, and is usually used for God. They shall live long enough: they shall be continued in this world till they have done the work they were sent into this world for and are ready for heaven, and that is long enough. At the height of the battle during the noonday sun there is nothing but destruction but under the protection of Gods wings there is a sure refuge and He is the shield that is faithfully there throughout. All of this because He says we know Him by name (v 14) and can call Him Father. 3 For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler, Yet the Church, for the most part, has allowed it to go unnoticed. 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. Note, 1. Plagues and pestilences of various kinds are still occasional threats in first world countries, and are frequent threats in less developed countries. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Here we read about thousands falling to the left and to the right as in the day when Israel battled ancient nationsthe land would be scattered with dead bodies so those who read this at the time it was written had a good idea what this meant. 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. 2 I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. Psalm 91 appears to be a psalm in the setting of warfare with threats of an imminent battle that is about to, has or is currently taking place between solders that may be facing impossible odds. (3.) O death! 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. I will say of the Lord, He is my then come three mys, as if the psalmist could grasp the Triune Jehovah, my refuge, my fortress, my God; in him will I trust. What a grand word that is, My God! 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? Such evil will never befall you. Neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. I will be with him in trouble; Whatever that trouble is, I will be with him in it. - James P. Shelly, Genesis Week - Refuting Evolution - 100 Videos, The Enormity of the Error of Perverting the Gospel. In the light of the Lord you will see light; and you will discover the limed twigs and the nets and the traps that are set to catch you: He shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler.. To whom these promises do belong; they are described by three characters:(1.) But he is confident that Yahweh will deliver him from plagues and pestilence, because he dwells in the secret place of the Most High.. Psalms 91:15. 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. A wicked worldly man is not satisfied, no, not with long life; he still cries, Give, give. The sprinkling of blood secured the first-born of Israel when thousands fell. Please be aware that these items are sent out from our office in the UK. To the extent that we believe that, it will allay our fear. II. 8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. God Bless. They shall triumph over their enemies, ver 13. Psalms 91:13. The word sillumah means punishment, but carries the connotation of deserved punishment. It is he that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High, who, by Gods help, treads upon the lion and adder, and of whom it is written, The young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.. 2. The psalmist wrote it to assure Israel that Yahweh would keep them safe through all trials IF they put their trust in him and tried to live faithfully in accord with Yahwehs will. Yahweh is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. 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 following cookies are also needed - You can choose if you want to allow them: You can read about our cookies and privacy settings in detail on our Privacy Policy Page. Hardcover. This psalm, without title in the Hebrew text, is a triple proclamation of God's holiness, as Isaiah would later do ( Isaiah 6:3 ).