The MacArthur Bible Studies provide intriguing examinations of the whole of Scripture. 2 I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. That herein he will answer their prayers: He shall call upon me; I will pour upon him the spirit of prayer, and then I will answer, answer by promises (Ps 85 8), answer by providences, bringing in seasonable relief, and answer by graces, strengthening them with strength in their souls (Ps 138 3); thus he answered Paul with grace sufficient, 2 Cor 12 9. To whom these promises do belong; they are described by three characters:(1.) He assures us that we can enjoy the same confidence if we dwell in he secret place of the Most High (v. 1). The wonderful thing is that God is love (1 John 4:16). Eternal Torment or Complete Annihilation? 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). 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 (3.) 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? That he will not only keep them from evil, but from the fear of evil, v. 5, 6. 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. If this is your position, you shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. You are not safe in the outer courts; you are not protected from all danger anywhere but within the vail. Pastor John MacArthur writes, Contemporary evangelicalism has been beguiled and sabotaged by a ruinous lack of confidence in God's Word. Yahweh is like that. How Daniels Prophecy of 70 Weeks Connects to the End Times. 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." The word For connects this verse with verse 2. It might be chinks in my faith that leave me vulnerable to fearbut I dont know anyone who has no chinks in their faith. This psalm, without title in the Hebrew text, is a triple proclamation of God's holiness, as Isaiah would later do ( Isaiah 6:3 ). 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. of Psalms 91:8-10. This is unfortunate, since his works contain priceless gems of information that are found nowhere except in the ancient writings of the Jews. 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 charge given to the angels concerning the saints. Does The Bible Provide an Adequate Answer to Suffering? Read them in the archive below. 91:1, 4. 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). Dec. 18, 2022. He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. The sprinkling of blood secured the first-born of Israel when thousands fell. 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. and show him my salvation.. Accordingly, we have updated our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions in order to comply with GDPR. He was quite right in the application; but he was quite wrong in the. In our experience, most hunting is done with guns instead of traps. 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. The character of those who shall have the benefit and comfort of these promises; it is much the same with that, v. 1. Plagues and pestilences of various kinds are still occasional threats in first world countries, and are frequent threats in less developed countries. The principle, however, can be extended to fit any situation. Not only does He deliver His own from trouble, He honors them and satisfies them, promises them long life and how long is the life that comes when He shows us His salvation? 9 Because you have made Yahweh your refuge, Lions serve as a metaphor for powerful forces that can take us apart with one swipe of their claws. Psalms 91:15. God loves each of us as if there were only one of us"- Augustine. We need both kinds of protection, because Satan sometimes attacks us in a frontal assault, but also comes at us from unexpected quarters. Verse six presents a key to understanding Psalm 1: "For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish."In this psalm, the way of the righteous and the way of the ungodly are contrasted. In that culture, as today, a persons name referred to the essential character of the personin this case, Yahweh. 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 church sanctuary, hospital chapel, or airport prayer room. It would have served them well during the Babylonian Exile, when only the eyes of faith could see the possibility that they would ever again see Jerusalem. 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? Cobras and serpents serve as a metaphor for smaller but equally deadly forces that appear suddenly, seemingly from nowhere. Growing Up With Two Moms: The Untold Childrens View. Click to enable/disable _gid - Google Analytics Cookie. I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. Historically, more soldiers have died from disease than from swords, spears, and bullets. The word elyon is usually translated Most High, and is usually used for God. Thou shalt not be afraid of the arrow, as knowing that though it may hit thee it cannot hurt thee; if it take away the natural life, yet it shall be so far from doing any prejudice to the spiritual life that it shall be its perfection." There shall be but the appearance of evil, not the reality of it: There shall no evil befall thee.. Vaccines and other medical treatments have almost eliminated them for us. 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 A crowd of people (called the "chorus") in the usual letters: verses 1, 3 - 8, 9b - 13. [2.] 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. A quiet place where we can go to God in prayerour bedroom or prayer closet. Biblical and Practical Advantages for Meeting Within Homes. . It is not every man who dwells there; no, not even every Christian man. GOD IS MY REFUGE AND MY FORTRESS. 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. What Does It Mean That There Is No One Holy Like God? In this verse, pestilence is portrayed as walking at nightan unseen and deadly threat. I will say to the Lord, My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust. 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. 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. The word kabed (honor) means to give a person honor or to make them heavy (in the sense of powerful. The noun sem (name) means name or reputation or fame. Scriptural Evidence for the Necessity of Obedience in Salvation, The Doctrine of Immortality in the Early Church - John H. Roller, Luther's views on soul sleep and the after life, Make Good Use of Your Servitude - Observations on Biblical Slavery, The Consensus of Current Scholarship: The Soul is Not Immortal, Killing the Canaanites - A Response to the New Atheism's "Divine Genocide" Claims. Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet. 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. 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. 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. 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. If you refuse cookies we will remove all set cookies in our domain. Help Grace to You bring important resources like this to people in your community and beyond, free of charge. 45MBC. Long life is usually a blessing (unless it involves prolonged suffering, dementia, or something else that inhibits the quality of life). Truth is faithful. God hides not his people in a casing of iron; their shelter is stronger than iron, yet it is soft as the downy wings of a bird for ease and comfort. (2.) 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. But God says, I will deliver him, and honour him.. 1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. The promises which are here made, in God's name, to all those that do so in sincerity. I. God puts honour upon us, poor dishonourable worms that we are. 1. Learn more today! The "Clergy/Laity" Distinction: A Hindrance to the Church? 15 He will call on me, and I will answer him. A man may die young, and yet die full of days, satur dierumsatisfied with living. Our church recently experienced a norovirus that sickened 54 of the 60 people present for worship that Sunday. See the comments on verse 3b (above) for an explanation of deber (pestilence). 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). 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. 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. Truth doesnt shift with every passing folly. 4. I will be with him in trouble; Whatever that trouble is, I will be with him in it. Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (Complete). In this case, the psalmist emphasizes its deadly character. This promise protects, (1.) The secret place of the Most High could be: The temple. With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation. 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. All these promises, some think, point primarily at Christ, and had their accomplishment in his resurrection and exaltation. Registered User God loved us yesterday, and will love us tomorrow. I conclude that Psalm 91 means two things about the suffering of the saints. However, the conditional nature of the promises serve as a warning that the promises will no longer apply if we disassociate ourselves from Yahweh. ', All Rights Reserved | 1997-2023 Richard Niell Donovan. If Jehovah be our God, our refuge, and our fortress, what can we desire which we may not be sure to find in him? 12 They will bear you up in their hands, Neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. Towns across the country closed their swimming pools. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. Yahweh is promising to bless the person who knows him in this intimate way. 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. The word halas (deliver) has several meanings, at least two of which fit here. (1.) Angels are not appropriate objects of our worship. 2 I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. 75 Bible Commentaries - Matthew Henry, Adam Clarke, Pulpit Commentary, etc. ", 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. Log In He will deliver those people. Both are appropriate in this verse. Psalm 91 God's Protection 911: Christians are under attack! Register. But in these words, the psalmist is quoting Yahweh, who would help his people to develop a strong belief in eternal life. 9-10). With his wing shall fence thy head; And his truth around thee wield, Strong as targe or bossy shield! 91:10 There shall no [nothing comes our way God has either not decreed or not allowed] evil [that which is the opposite of good; any misfortune] befall thee, neither shall any plague [refers to some physical blow; general term for plague] come nigh thy dwelling. The promises that are sure to all those who have thus made the Most High their habitation. He will cover you with his feathers. He who dwells in the secret place (Hebrew: seter) of the Most High (v. 1a). Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site. Why I Don't Have a Television - John Piper, Why People Find the Bible Difficult - A. W. Tozer, Your Life is Like the Morning Fog - James P. Shelly, A Challenge to Unscriptural Traditions and Practice - Video, Are Seminaries Legitimate? Study to show thyself approved . It means delivering from danger, which is how this translation sees it. 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. We sent you an email. I will deliver him, and honor him. The other is that God often wills for his children to suffer, but forbids that the suffering hurts them in the end. You have probably been the victim of some sort of trap, possibly in quite recent memory. Talk of St. George and the dragon! 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.. The Life-Giving Shepherd (John 10:1-11) Pastor John MacArthur. We, dear friends, may have secret enemies, who shoot at us, but we shall not be afraid of the arrow. 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. Copyright 2010-2023 Telling Ministries LLC. We arent certain of the time and circumstances of its writing. ), The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary, 6 vol. 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. Counterfeit Cross updated- Sanctification and Growing in Righteousness, Errors of the Invitation System or Alter Call, Counterfeit Cross - The Lordship of Christ in Salvation - Part II, A Historical Overview of The Lord's Supper, Set Your Mind on Things Above - Matthew Henry, Prophecies of the Destruction of Jerusalem which have remarkably been fulfilled - Thomas Newton.
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