The word deber means plague or pestilence. While no one died, it was a terrible illness that required weeks for recovery. to guard you in all your ways. Log In The word For connects this verse with verse 2. Verses 1-16. 3. Psalms 91:1. - Curtis Dickinson, Do we have an immortal soul? Psalms 91:8-10. His nature we cannot fully know; but by his name he has made himself known, and with that we must acquaint ourselves. 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. Because you have made the Lord your dwelling placethe Most High, who is my refuge no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent.. This (without el) is how it appears in this and a number of other verses, especially in the book of Job. All rights reserved. Clinging to a Counterfeit Cross - James P. Shelly w/ audio, A Treatise of Earthly-Mindedness - Jeremiah Burroughs. The first of those meanings (deliver) has God pulling the person out of the troubled situation, a scenario where the troubled person plays only a passive role. Should Pastors Be Salaried? If Jehovah be our God, our refuge, and our fortress, what can we desire which we may not be sure to find in him? Jesus countered, Again, it is written, You shall not test the Lord, your God.'. there is no doubt about this great truth, Surely, he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.. As you may be aware, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) comes into full effect on 25th May 2018. They shall be taken under the peculiar care of Heaven, Ps. 2. - Darryl M. Erkel, Church Leaders and the Use of Honorific Titles, Feeding Sheep or Amusing Goats - Charles Spurgeon, House-Churches? 7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. 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." Jack has written 1285 articles on What Christians Want To Know! To the extent that we believe that, it will allay our fear. quotation, for he left out the words in all thy ways. God will help us in our ways if we keep in his ways. "Here, after the carefree delight of Psalm 98, we recollect how exalted and holy he is, and how profound is the reverence we owe him." (Derek Kidner) A. 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. Facing a Tolerant World with Intolerant Truth (Selected Scriptures) Pastor John MacArthur. 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. He will live as long as he wants to live. Otherwise you will be prompted again when opening a new browser window or new a tab. 5. 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. Psalms 91:3. 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. See Ps 34 19; 2 Tim 3 11; 4 18. We may request cookies to be set on your device. "He, his shadowy plumes outspread. The Christian & Politics: Has the Contemporary Church Become Obsessed With Political Solutions? 3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. If we are to keep our equilibrium in such circumstances, we need assurance that God is with usthat God loves us and is committed to helping usthat God will redeem even our darkest day. Muggers would hide in recessed doorways and whack people whom they could reach easily. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. 2. 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. Yahweh is an accessible God, who answers when called and walks with people in the midst of their troubles. 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). Because he has set his love (Hebrew: hasaq) on me, therefore I will deliver him (v. 14a). When we are retired into our chambers, our beds, and have made all as safe as we can about us, yet there is terror by night, from thieves and robbers, winds and storms, besides those things that are the creatures of fancy and imagination, which are often most frightful of all. I'm not talking about the question of whether God gave us an inerrant Bible. 2 I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. ", Counterfeit Cross - Bear or Burn: The Fruit of Obedience in the Parables of Christ - updated, Counterfeit Cross - What is a "Carnal Christian"? The way of the righteous. Eternal Torment or Complete Annihilation? That brings us back to v. 13. ), 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. For he will put his angels in charge of you, to guard you in all your ways. 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. A soldier would be equipped with one shield or the other, but the psalmist perceives Yahwehs truth as embodying the advantages of both. 2. The completed registration allows us to send order and donation receipts to the email address you provided. Truth is faithful. 1. 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. Life is filled with problems both small and big. Psalms: John F. MacArthur: 9780310123781 - Christianbook.com A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it will not come near you (v. 7). What does it mean to take the Lord's name in vain? Resource Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version(ESV), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. 4 He will cover you with his feathers. I will be with him in trouble: Again God speaks and acts like a tender-hearted mother towards a sickly child. This is unfortunate, since his works contain priceless gems of information that are found nowhere except in the ancient writings of the Jews. Read them in the archive below. 8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. This book of praise manifests a very practical theology. 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. [2.] What Does It Mean That There Is No One Holy Like God? ), The New Interpreters Dictionary of the Bible, 5 vol. I will say to the Lord, My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust. We know that death and taxes are the two certainties in lifedeath being the most certain of the two. nor of the destruction that wastes at noonday. B. Lightfoot, Consummation of the pre-Messianic Age and the Parousia, Destruction of Jerusalem vs. The MacArthur Bible Commentary. That believers shall be kept from those mischiefs which they are in imminent danger of, and which would be fatal to them (v. 3), from the snare of the fowler, which is laid unseen and catches the unwary prey on a sudden, and from the noisome pestilence, which seizes men unawares and against which there is no guard. God loves each of us as if there were only one of us"- Augustine. 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. Yes; and he rewards that knowledge: I will set him on high.. I will be with him in trouble (v. 15ab). SCRIPTURE QUOTATIONS are from the World English Bible (WEB), a public domain (no copyright) modern English translation of the Holy Bible. He that has given grace to be the glory of the soul will create a defence upon all that glory. God puts honour upon us, poor dishonourable worms that we are. 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? The MacArthur Bible Studies provide intriguing examinations of the whole of Scripture. Yahweh (Hebrew: YHWH or yahweh). 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. 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. Sermons about Psalms 91 - SermonCentral.com In this case, the psalmist emphasizes its deadly character. 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. The sprinkling of blood secured the first-born of Israel when thousands fell. 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. Bible Study, D, The Duration And Nature Of Future Punishment - Henry Constable. Jesus ChristUnique Savior or Average Fraud? - 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. $30.00. - Oscar Cullmann, Immortality or Resurrection? 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. Until now, we have been listening to the psalmist as he conveys Yahwehs promises. Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site. He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. Still, Gods children do live to a far longer age than any other people in the world; they are on the whole a long-lived race. Commentary On Psalm 91 9 16 Working Preacher From Luther Seminary John 414 Life as a Fountain.. (3.) Click to enable/disable Google reCaptcha. Idolaters called their idols Mahuzzim, their most strong-hold (Dan 11 39), but therein they deceived themselves; those only secure themselves that make the Lord their God, their fortress. lin) in the shadow (Hebrew: sel) of the Almighty (v. 1b). PSALM 91:1-2. (4.) Whatever the case, these verses assure us that God will deliver us. 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. It also means preparing, to include equipping for war. 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. Such evil will never befall you. The promises which are here made, in God's name, to all those that do so in sincerity. will rest (Heb. These cookies collect information that is used either in aggregate form to help us understand how our website is being used or how effective our marketing campaigns are, or to help us customize our website and application for you in order to enhance your experience. 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). 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.. Copyright 2023, Bible Study Tools. A soldier can move the smaller round shield quickly to counter threats from unexpected quarters. ): Surely he shall deliver thee. All of this because He says we know Him by name (v 14) and can call Him Father. Psalms for the Anxious - Grace to You However, when I was a child in the 1940s and 50s, before the polio vaccine became available, I had friends who had suffered from polio. That he will not only keep them from evil, but from the fear of evil, v. 5, 6. {"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. 3 For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler, They who fear God are delivered from the vices which would deprive them of the vigor of life; and the joy and contentment they have in God help them to live longer than others. It is not an evil, an only evil, but there is a mixture of good in it and a product of good by it. The Nature of Man - Dualistic or Holistic? John MacArthur) BRAIN GAMES. He will deliver those people. Christianity: The Best Thing That Ever Happened to Women, The Pursuit of God - A W Tozer - Complete Book. 2 TIMOTHY 2:15. Psalms 91:1. Salem Media Group. 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 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. Most of us have never seen a fowler or a fowlers trap. However, we are familiar with traps of other kinds: Spam callers try to get us to get us to reveal our credit card numbers. 2. Observe, I. 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. 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. Chicks taking refuge under their mothers wings serve as a metaphor for people finding refuge in Gods presence. Your Executioner May Laugh You to Scorn for Quoting Psalm 91 He did his graduate work at Moody Theological Seminary. Amen. What Does It Really Mean That Your Body Is a Temple? In 1969, after graduating from Talbot Theological Seminary, John came to Grace Community Church. I will say of Yahweh, He is my refuge (Hebrew: manseh) and my fortress (Hebrew: mesudah); my God, in whom I trust' (Hebrew: batah) (v. 2). 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. 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. 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. Our website uses cookies to store user preferences. 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! Even there, God is present. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. 2 I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. 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. Commentaries for Psalm Chapter 91 The safety of those who have God for their refuge. Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: Does God take notice of our poor love? 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. Psalms 91:5. This psalm is a powerful chapter when a believer is in a time of crisis. But this will always prompt you to accept/refuse cookies when revisiting our site. His faithfulness is your shield and rampart. Once at the beginning of day. Thanks for stopping by! If you do not want that we track your visit to our site you can disable tracking in your browser here: We also use different external services like Google Webfonts, Google Maps, and external Video providers. Psalm 91:1 Commentaries: He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High 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! The voice shifts with this verse. Psalm 99 - The Holy God, Present and Revealed. [2.] Nor for the arrow that flieth by day; Both night and day thou shalt be safe. They are such as know God's name. 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. 2. See the comments on verse 3b (above) for an explanation of deber (pestilence). (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1979-1988), Brown, Francis; Driver, S.R. There are some who come to God's house; but the man mentioned here dwells with the God of the house. You remember how the devil misapplied this text to Christ. They sometimes appear in human form (Genesis 18:2; Ezekiel 9:2). A Protest - Joseph Agar Beet D.D. Thank you. I will honour him; those are truly honourable whom God puts honour upon by taking them into covenant and communion with himself and designing them for his kingdom and glory, John 12 26. You will tread on the lion and the adder; the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.. 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! nor of the arrow that flies by day; 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. The word halas (deliver) has several meanings, at least two of which fit here. 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 Previous post: 6 Important Reasons To Bring Hidden Hurts To God For Healing, Next post: 7 Sample Prayers Before Surgery or a Medical Procedure. and from the deadly pestilence (Hebrew: deber) (v. 3b). so that you wont dash your foot against a stone. 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.. That seems to overstate the case. The word kabed (honor) means to give a person honor or to make them heavy (in the sense of powerful. But God says, I will deliver him, and honour him.. Psalms 91:6-7. 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. (2.) Is Sovereign the Best Descriptor for God? The Hebrew word lin (rest) means to lodge or dwell or tarry or rest, and can designate either a temporary or permanent lodging. 4. i. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2014), Gower, Ralph, The New Manners and Customs of Bible Times (Chicago: Moody Press, 1987), Kidner, Derek, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries: Psalms 73-150, Vol. You are free to opt out any time or opt in for other cookies to get a better experience. and Kahane, Ahuvia, The Oxford English-Hebrew Dictionary (Oxford University Press, 1998), Fohrer, Georg, Hebrew & Aramaic Dictionary of the Old Testament (SCM Press, 2012), Freedman, David Noel (ed. 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. 91:1, 4. That is a message that we need to hear in good times so that it will bring us strength during bad times. When I lived in New York City years ago, I learned not to walk close to buildings when I was walking at night.