psalm 91 commentary john macarthur

A soldier would be equipped with one shield or the other, but the psalmist perceives Yahwehs truth as embodying the advantages of both. Due to security reasons we are not able to show or modify cookies from other domains. All rights reserved. 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. Once at the beginning of day. - 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. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. 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. - Curtis Dickinson, Do we have an immortal soul? The Hebrew word batah (trust) means to feel secure or to have confidence in. The psalmists faith in God gives him confidence and a feeling of security. If Jehovah be our God, our refuge, and our fortress, what can we desire which we may not be sure to find in him? Psalms 91:13. 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. A believer needs not fear, and therefore should not fear, any arrow, because the point is off, the poison is out. Dale Kuiper, The Christian and the Mosaic Law - Philip Mauro, The Preciousness of Time and the Importance of Redeeming It. Proud member I will say to the Lord, My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust. The angels keep the charge of the Lord their God; and this is the charge they receive from him. 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! Such a message is timeless. I will be with him in trouble; Whatever that trouble is, I will be with him in it. In singing this we must shelter ourselves under, and then solace ourselves in, the divine protection. But he that has his treasure and heart in another world has soon enough of this; he would not live always. 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. The Hebrew word lin (rest) means to lodge or dwell or tarry or rest, and can designate either a temporary or permanent lodging. 3. There being no reason to question his sufficiency, fitly does it follow, In him will I trust. For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence." of 2. 1. ", 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. 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. Psalm 91, Jack Wellman is a father and grandfather and a Christian author and pastor of Heritage Evangelical Free Church in Udall, KS [https://modelchrist.org/] & also a Prison Minister. 1 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High 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. God (Hebrew: elohim). That is a message that we need to hear in good times so that it will bring us strength during bad times. How Daniels Prophecy of 70 Weeks Connects to the End Times. With his wing shall fence thy head; And his truth around thee wield, Strong as targe or bossy shield! The psalmist's own resolution to take God for his keeper ( Ps. (1.) This book of praise manifests a very practical theology. ", Counterfeit Cross - Bear or Burn: The Fruit of Obedience in the Parables of Christ - updated, Counterfeit Cross - What is a "Carnal Christian"? (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2006-2009), VanGemeren, Willem A. His truth shall be thy shield and buckler. The Immortality of the Soul: The psalmist's own resolution to take God for his keeper (ver 2), from which he gives both direction and encouragement to others, ver 9. Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet. Prayer: The Believer's Constant Conversation (Ephesians 6:18-24) Pastor John MacArthur. Thanks for stopping by! That they shall have an eternal life in the other world. But he is confident that Yahweh will deliver him from plagues and pestilence, because he dwells in the secret place of the Most High.. I. If he be dishonoured, if he be in poverty, if he be in sickness, if that sickness should drive his best friend away from his bed, still, I will be with him in trouble.. Nor for the arrow that flieth by day; Both night and day thou shalt be safe. 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. 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. 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. They sometimes appear in human form (Genesis 18:2; Ezekiel 9:2). 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. Psalms 91:3. ), The New Interpreters Dictionary of the Bible, 5 vol. The sprinkling of blood secured the first-born of Israel when thousands fell. 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.) 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 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. 1. 12 They will bear you up in their hands, This word the devil left out when he quoted the promise to enforce a temptation, knowing how much it made against him. D, The Duration And Nature Of Future Punishment - Henry Constable. Yet most people today have never heard of John Gill. It is possible to misuse passages such as this that are intended to reassure us of Gods help in dangerbut are not intended to encourage us to test God (Matthew 4:7; Luke 4:12). Yahweh is promising to exalt the person who knows his name. He did his graduate work at Moody Theological Seminary. (5.) A soherah (more often translated buckler) is a small round shield. 1. 9 Because you have made Yahweh your refuge, Chicks taking refuge under their mothers wings serve as a metaphor for people finding refuge in Gods presence. Resource Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version(ESV), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. 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? What Is The Evidence For/Against The Existence Of God? We fully respect if you want to refuse cookies but to avoid asking you again and again kindly allow us to store a cookie for that. 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. 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 Nephesh (Soul) - E. W. Bullinger. 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. He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. They shall think it long enough; for God by his grace shall wean them from the world and make them willing to leave it. You will trample the young lion and the serpent underfoot. That he will not only keep them from evil, but from the fear of evil, v. 5, 6. Take a look at another study and commentary: Psalm 27. We ought to think more of the saint and the dragon. SCRIPTURE QUOTATIONS are from the World English Bible (WEB), a public domain (no copyright) modern English translation of the Holy Bible. 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). Today they have to watch for IEDs. - F. F. Bruce. of the Traditional "Sermon" Concept, A Biblical Defense of Conditional Immortality, Biblically Dispelling the Myth of Eternal Torture. The Hebrew word qeteb means destruction, but can also mean sting (Hosea 13:14). Christianity: The Best Thing That Ever Happened to Women, The Pursuit of God - A W Tozer - Complete Book. And now, as before, we must observe. Help Grace to You bring important resources like this to people in your community and beyond, free of charge. Psalm 119:90 Psalm 119:91 Psalm 119:92 Psalm 119:93 Psalm 119:94 Psalm 119:95 Psalm 119:96 Psalm 119:97 . Can True Christians Commit Apostasy? We, dear friends, may have secret enemies, who shoot at us, but we shall not be afraid of the arrow. We read of fear in the night, Cant 3 8. If they were, no one would ever die. The word elyon is usually translated Most High, and is usually used for God. It is more probably that the word refers to the better country, that is, the heavenly, which the patriarchs desired and sought: he will show him that, bring him to that blessed state, the felicity of which consists so much in seeing that face to face which we here see through a glass darkly; and, in the mean time, he will give him a prospect of it. "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. - 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. However, the conditional nature of the promises serve as a warning that the promises will no longer apply if we disassociate ourselves from Yahweh. To know Yahwehs semhis name or reputationis to know Yahweh. Psalm 91 continues to be a source of strength, hope, promise and encouragement for every generation. And under his wings shalt thou trust: God is to his people a strong defense and a tender defense. 3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. Satan said, If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, He will put his angels in charge of you. and, On their hands they will bear you up, so that you dont dash your foot against a stone' (Matthew 4:6). Psalms 91:8-10. It goes beyond head-knowledge to heart-knowledge. What is Psalm 91 all about? Psalms 91:5. Dec. 25, 2022. where is thy sting? . 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." Nay, not thy person only, but thy dwelling, shall be taken under the divine protection: There shall no plague come nigh that, nothing to do thee or thine any damage." Once again, the idea is of the protection afforded by the Almighty God. We can put down our foot on truth, and it will prove solidwont collapse under our weight. 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. 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. We need both kinds of protection, because Satan sometimes attacks us in a frontal assault, but also comes at us from unexpected quarters. The important thing is not the place but that we meet the Most High there. 4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings But, there is hope! How could cholera or fever get into the secret place of the most High? I will be with him in trouble. Gender Revolution - What are they teaching your kids? 5. 2. Changes will take effect once you reload the page. 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. and ten thousand at your right hand; 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. 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. but it will not come near you. He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 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. Protokrator appears several times in the New Testament in passages that emphasize Gods almighty power (2 Corinthians 6:18; Revelation 1:8; 4:8; 11:17; 15:3; 16:7, 14; 19:6, 15; 21:22). Hardcover. These thousands and tens of thousands are most likely the victims of pestilence and destruction mentioned in verse 6? 8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. (3.) 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. Click to enable/disable _gid - Google Analytics Cookie. Strength and mastery may be united. Because these cookies are strictly necessary to deliver the website, refusing them will have impact how our site functions. It might be chinks in my faith that leave me vulnerable to fearbut I dont know anyone who has no chinks in their faith. 16 I will satisfy him with long life, You will only look with your eyes, and see the recompense (Hebrew: sillumahpunishment) of the wicked (v. 8b). We often find ourselves afraid in the middle of the nightwhat I call the Three Oclock Terrors. Life and Immortality - Basil Atkinson, M.A., PhD. 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. Yet the Church, for the most part, has allowed it to go unnoticed. I will deliver him, and honor him. It means delivering from danger, which is how this translation sees it. A man may die young, and yet die full of days, satur dierumsatisfied with living. Yahweh is speaking about those who attach themselves to himbind themselves to himlove himtake delight in him. Elohim is plural, so it can apply to any gods. Get Your Bible Minute in Your Inbox Every Morning. See Ps 34 19; 2 Tim 3 11; 4 18. It is not every man who dwells there; no, not even every Christian man. God by his grace will keep thee from disquieting distrustful fear (that fear which hath torment) in the midst of the greatest dangers. Romans 12:2 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. The noun sem (name) means name or reputation or fame. 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. He that dwelleth in the secret place, &c. He that makes God his habitation and refuge, as he is called Psalm 91:9, that has recourse to him, and relies on him in his dangers and difficulties; that has access to him, intercourse with him, and worships within the veil, living a life of constant communion with him; shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty He shall not be . The care which the angels take of the saints, pursuant to this charge: They shall bear thee up in their hands, which denotes both their great ability and their great affection. The completed registration allows us to send order and donation receipts to the email address you provided. 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. 7 A thousand may fall at your side, my God, in whom I trust.. . I conclude that Psalm 91 means two things about the suffering of the saints. ), Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2000), Mounce, William D., (ed. 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. 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. Home. God does bothdelivering us and equipping us. These cookies are strictly necessary to provide you with services available through our website and to use some of its features. Be worshipful : glorifying God for who he is : OT commentary, Psalms 1 - 89 by Warren Wiersbe. Yahweh was Gods personal name for the Israelites. 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. Amen. The other names are all descriptive (such as Most High and Almighty). It is not every man who dwells there; no, not even every Christian man. The word emet is usually translated truth. 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! Nederlandstalige Bijbelstudies door Stan Marinussen, Copyright - Enduring Word | . 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. 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. Observe, 1. The promises are that no evil shall happen to you and neither shall any plague come near your dwelling.. 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.