Some of the most powerful evidence that proves Jesus to be Whom he claimed to be is found in the historical fulfillment of the prophsies He foretold in the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 a.d. When I lived in New York City years ago, I learned not to walk close to buildings when I was walking at night. I will set him on high (Hebrew: sagab), because he has known (Hebrew: yada) my name (Hebrew: sem) (v. 14b). The way of the righteous. Psalms 91:4. In verses 1-2, the psalmist uses four names for God: The Most High (Hebrew: elyon). and the Most High your dwelling place, If you refuse cookies we will remove all set cookies in our domain. Observe, [1.] 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. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. We have heard of people who have attributed their recovery from serious illness to the prayers said in their behalf. Here are more promises to the same purport with those in the foregoing verses, and they are exceedingly great and precious, and sure to all the seed. Life and Immortality - Basil Atkinson, M.A., PhD. To this the great God is pleased to compare his care of his people, who are helpless as the chickens, and easily made a prey of, but are invited to trust under the shadow of the wings of the divine promise and providence, which is the periphrasis of a proselyte to the true religion, that he has come to trust under the wings of the God of Israel, Ruth 2 12. It might be chinks in my faith that leave me vulnerable to fearbut I dont know anyone who has no chinks in their faith. (General Editor), New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology & Exegesis, 5 vol., (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1997), Again, it is written, You shall not test the Lord, your God. God truly is our fortress and our refuge. 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. 7 A thousand may fall at your side, There being no reason to question his sufficiency, fitly does it follow, In him will I trust. III. In this premiere volume, John MacArthur brings you a complete Bible commentary in one volume. The Immortality of the Soul:
That they shall be preserved in common calamities, in a distinguishing way (v. 7): "When death rides in triumph, and diseases rage, so that thousands and ten thousands fall, fall by sickness, or fall by the sword in battle, fall at thy side, at thy right hand, and the sight of their fall is enough to frighten thee, and if they fall by the pestilence their falling so near thee may be likely to infect thee, yet it shall not come nigh thee, the death shall not, the fear of death shall not." But we must also acknowledge that not all prayers for healing are answered. ), Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2000), Mounce, William D., (ed. The large shield offers protection over a larger areaand a line of soldiers can put their rectangular shields together to form a nearly impenetrable wall against enemy arrows. The Lord's Supper - A Historical Overview, Ten Indictments Against the Modern Church - Paul Washer - Video, The Bible Without Comment - William E. Cox, Amusing Ourselves to Death - Neil Postman, Everybody Loves Jesus: The Culture Cherishes a Counterfeit Christ, Historian David Barton on Jon Stewart Show, Hollywood's War on Traditional Values - Video, Homosexuals Brainwashing Our Children in Elementary Schools, The Homosexual Propaganda Campaign in America, The Motion Picture Production Code of 1930 (Hays Code), The New England Primer - First Elementary School Textbook - 1777, What same-sex "marriage" has done to Massachusetts, Why Does Socialism Always Fail? How Daniels Prophecy of 70 Weeks Connects to the End Times. 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 Believer's Covenant Psalm 91 can also be referred to as the constitution of the Kingdom. - Richard A. Wiedenheft, Immortality - The Gift Of God Through Faith In Jesus The Christ, Immortality or Resurrection of the Dead? Once at the beginning of day. 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. (3.) That he will exalt and dignify them: I will set him on high, out of the reach of trouble, above the stormy region, on a rock above the waves, Isa 33 16. Pastor John MacArthur interview in Servant 991 tells about being on a Christian talk show where he said to the host Dont you believe that the Holy Spirit the Word of God and . there is no doubt about this great truth, Surely, he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.. 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. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site. There is need to fear the night filled with terror or the arrows that are visibly seen flying during the day. They shall be taken under the peculiar care of Heaven, Ps. I will deliver him, and honor him. Aye, that is true, you will say, who makes any doubt of it? In 1969, after graduating from Talbot Theological Seminary, John came to Grace Community Church. 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. 2. Some think that this promise had its full accomplishment in Christ, and the miraculous power which he had over the whole creation, healing the sick, casting out devils, and particularly putting it into his disciples' commission that they should take up serpents, Mark 16 18. When he calls to me, I will answer him;I will be with him in trouble;I will rescue him and honor him. Commentary on Psalm 91:1-8 (Read Psalm 91:1-8) He that by faith chooses God for his protector, shall find all in him that he needs or can desire. The word sagab (set him on high) means to raise, exalt, or defend. The Septuagint (the Greek version of the Old Testament) translates the Hebrew word sadday as the Greek word protokrator, which literally means all power or all dominion, and is usually translated Almighty One. Once again, the idea is of the protection afforded by the Almighty God. 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. Yahweh (Hebrew: YHWH or yahweh). Be worshipful : glorifying God for who he is : OT commentary, Psalms 1 - 89 by Warren Wiersbe. O death! Scriptures Relating to the Second Coming, Apocalypse of the Gospels - Milton S. Terry, Commentary on Matthew 24 - J. In that culture, as today, a persons name referred to the essential character of the personin this case, Yahweh. GDPR is the new European privacy regulation, which will replace the Data Protection Act 1998 in the UK and the equivalent legislation across the EU Member States. Wherever the saints go the angels are charged with them, as the servants are with the children. Register. We use cookies to let us know when you visit our websites, how you interact with us, to enrich your user experience, and to customize your relationship with our website. lin) in the shadow (Hebrew: sel) of the Almighty (v. 1b). 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! 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. Pastor John MacArthur writes, Contemporary evangelicalism has been beguiled and sabotaged by a ruinous lack of confidence in God's Word. 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. John F. MacArthur, Jr. is a United States Calvinistic evangelical writer and minister, noted for his radio program entitled Grace to You and as the editor of the Gold Medallion Book Award winning MacArthur Study Bible. 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. Oh, labour to get to that blessed position! and show him my salvation.. Click to enable/disable _gid - Google Analytics Cookie. But, (2.) (2.) SCRIPTURE QUOTATIONS are from the World English Bible (WEB), a public domain (no copyright) modern English translation of the Holy Bible. Yahweh was Gods personal name for the Israelites. This promise protects, (1.) 75 Bible Commentaries - Matthew Henry, Adam Clarke, Pulpit Commentary, etc. A believer needs not fear, and therefore should not fear, any arrow, because the point is off, the poison is out. But observe the extent of the promise; it is to keep thee in all thy ways: even where there is no apparent danger yet we need it, and where there is the most imminent danger we shall have it. Bible commentary, We need both kinds of protection, because Satan sometimes attacks us in a frontal assault, but also comes at us from unexpected quarters. 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. That is true in this verse, where we see the wicked being punished. Learn more today! The psalmist can feel secure, because he is confident that Yahweh will deliver him from the snare (pah) of the fowler (a person who sets traps to catch birds, usually for eating). The Life-Giving Shepherd (John 10:1-11) Pastor John MacArthur. Wishlist +. Oh, yes, he values the love of his people, for he knows where it came from; it is a part of his own love; the creation of his grace! 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. Life is filled with problems both small and big. We need 2 cookies to store this setting. - F. F. Bruce. Immortality of the Soul or Resurrection? Truth doesnt shift with every passing folly. Talk of St. George and the dragon! Because these cookies are strictly necessary to deliver the website, refusing them will have impact how our site functions. Click to enable/disable essential site cookies. All rights reserved. Who would wish to live a day longer than God has some work to do, either by him or upon him? But this will always prompt you to accept/refuse cookies when revisiting our site. . The MacArthur Bible Commentary treats every passage of the Old and New Testaments phrase by phrase, with hundreds of word studies as sidebars throughout. 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? When God takes his people to dwell in nearness to himself, and they have faith in this promise, I make no doubt that, literally, in the time of actual pestilence, they will be preserved. 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. Towns across the country closed their swimming pools. It is not every man who dwells there; no, not even every Christian man. The seashore or forest where nature calms our souls and draws us to God. Because we dont want you to incur expenditure for which you are not prepared, could you please confirm whether you are willing to pay this charge, if necessary? 2 TIMOTHY 2:15. Commentaries for Psalm Chapter 91 The safety of those who have God for their refuge. 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). Please be aware that these items are sent out from our office in the UK. The pestilence is something that you cannot see. Psalms 91:4. 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. The Christian & Politics: Has the Contemporary Church Become Obsessed With Political Solutions? 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 New Interpreters Dictionary of the Bible, 5 vol. God by his grace will keep thee from disquieting distrustful fear (that fear which hath torment) in the midst of the greatest dangers. Amen. He will be in peril; Psalms 91:12. Romans 12:2 He will call on me, and I will answer him. Psalm 99 - The Holy God, Present and Revealed. 2 I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. I will deliver (Hebrew: halas) him, and honor (Hebrew: kabed) him (v. 15c). It is not an evil, an only evil, but there is a mixture of good in it and a product of good by it. Purgatory: Purifying Fire or Fatal Fable? 7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. With death all around them God tells them that it will not even come near them because they are not looking at all the dead bodies but their eyes are looking at the Lord Who is recompensing or paying back those who are the enemies. 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. Psalms 91:13. 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. 45MBC. The secret place of the Most High could be: The temple. II. The psalmist assures believers of divine protection, from his own experience; and that which he says is the word of God, and what we may rely upon. A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it will not come near you (v. 7). The charge is to keep thee in all thy ways; here is a limitation of the promise: They shall keep thee in thy ways, that is, "as long as thou keepest in the way of thy duty;" those that go out of that way put themselves out of God's protection. 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. Accordingly, we have updated our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions in order to comply with GDPR. Thanks for stopping by! We find this name as early as Genesis 15:2, but whether that name was familiar to Abram is uncertain. So the psalmist is talking about a serious threat when he uses the word deber. 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. 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. Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. Old Testament Prophecy Fulfilled in Christ. One old divine calls a man a worm six feet long; and it is rather a flattering description of him. He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust. Most of us have never seen a fowler or a fowlers trap. 12 They will bear you up in their hands, You will only look with your eyes, and see the recompense (Hebrew: sillumahpunishment) of the wicked (v. 8b). There is also a pestilence that walketh in darkness, as that was which slew the first-born of the Egyptians, and the army of the Assyrians. And the great majority of evangelicals accept that without question. He will live as long as he wants to live. 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. They are such as have set their love upon him; and those who rightly know him will love him, will place their love upon him as the only adequate object of it, will let out their love towards him with pleasure and enlargement, and will fix their love upon him with a resolution never to remove it to any rival. That he will, in the mean time, be with them in trouble, v. 15. The voice shifts with this verse. Resource Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version(ESV), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. 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. - Hal Licino, Why Modern Liberalism is Contrary to Christianity, Matthew 24 The End of the Holy City - Morrison Lee, Scripture Charts As Relates to the Second Coming, The Beast of Revelation Revealed - Dr. Kenneth L. Gentry, The Destruction of Jerusalem - Proof of Christianity, The Last Days According to Jesus - R. C. Sproul, All the N.T. Until now, we have been listening to the psalmist as he conveys Yahwehs promises. 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. With the greatest power and efficacy. See an excellent practice of this, Psalms 91:1, He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty; that is, he shall be safe from all fears and dangers. Of course He did. The charge given to the angels concerning the saints. He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. It is the daytime equivalent of the night-stalking pestilence of verse 6a. All Rights Reserved. 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. The noun sem (name) means name or reputation or fame. Neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. 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. 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! God protects believers, (1.) 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. A Protest - Joseph Agar Beet D.D. For he will deliver you from the snare (Hebrew: pah) of the fowler (v. 3a). 13 Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet. and ten thousand at your right hand; We havent had to watch carefully for fowlers traps as we walk along sidewalks or drive along roadsor even when we hike through woods. (5.) So first, Psalm 91 means I'm invincible till God is done with me. Whatever the case, these verses assure us that God will deliver us. 11 For he will put his angels in charge of you, The natural life, and is often fulfilled in our preservation from those dangers which are very threatening and very near, while yet we ourselves are not apprehensive of them, any more than the bird is of the snare of the fowler. His truth shall be thy shield and buckler. Nor for the arrow that flieth by day; Both night and day thou shalt be safe. Verse 1 "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty" "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High." The blessings here promised are not for all believers, but for those who live in close fellowship with God.