psalm 91 commentary john macarthur psalm 91 commentary john macarthur

Jan. 1, 2023. Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. The Believer's Covenant Psalm 91 can also be referred to as the constitution of the Kingdom. The Nature Of The Death Threatened As The Penalty Of Sin - Edward White, The Penalty of Death for Disobedience - Froom, Traditionalism and the (Not So) Second Death - Chris Date, Biblical Examples of Everlasting Destruction, Destroyed For Ever: An Examination of the Debates Concerning Annihilation and Conditional Immortality, Eternal Destruction Is Decreed Doom of Wicked - Leroy Edwin Froom, Further Biblical Support for Everlasting Destruction, The Destruction of the Finally Impenitent - Clark H. Pinnock, Biblical Analysis of Claimed Support Texts for Eternal Torture, Challenge to the Doctrine of Eternal Torment, Future Punishment is Eternal - Henry Constable - 1875, MAJOR Problems for the Eternal Torment Position, The Doctrine Of Future Rewards And Punishments In The Old Testament - Edward White, The Final End of the Wicked - Edward Fudge - Audio Interview, The Nature of the Future Punishment of the Wicked - C. F. Hudson, Thirty Questions For Teachers Of Eternal Torment, Universal Restoration Substituted for Eternal Torment - Froom. Verses 1-16. Until now, we have been listening to the psalmist as he conveys Yahwehs promises. 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. Click on the different category headings to find out more. The promises which are here made, in God's name, to all those that do so in sincerity. (2.) Since the UK is now no longer a member of the EU, you may be charged an import tax on this item by the customs authorities in your country of residence, which is beyond our control. You must, like the bee, go down into the bell of the flower yourself, and fetch out its nectar. Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him;I will protect him, because he knows my name. 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). Try it free for 30 days. Yahweh is promising to exalt the person who knows his name. 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. 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. 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 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. 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. Jack has written 1285 articles on What Christians Want To Know! A Protest - Joseph Agar Beet D.D. But, there is hope! 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. Examine Yourselves as to Whether You Are in the Faith - updated, The Christian's Craving for God's Word - MacArthur, Sproul, Piper, Washer, Chan. quotation, for he left out the words in all thy ways. God will help us in our ways if we keep in his ways. Who would wish to live a day longer than God has some work to do, either by him or upon him? 12 They will bear you up in their hands, He shall cover thee with his feathers, The psalmist uses a wonderful metaphor when he ascribes feathers to God, and compares him to a hen, or some mother-bird, under whose wings her young find shelter. and from the deadly pestilence (Hebrew: deber) (v. 3b). The promises that are sure to all those who have thus made the Most High their habitation. The completed registration allows us to send order and donation receipts to the email address you provided. 4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings 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. His faithfulness (emettruth) is your shield (Hebrew: sinnah) and rampart (Hebrew: soherahbuckler) (v. 4c). Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site. and from the deadly pestilence. 1. In this premiere volume, John MacArthur brings you a complete Bible commentary in one volume. God does bothdelivering us and equipping us. They shall be delivered from the malice of the powers of darkness (ver 3, 5, 6), and that by a distinguishing preservation, ver 7, 8. Take a look at another study and commentary: Psalm 27. The secret place of the Most High could be: The temple. If you like what you're reading, you can get free daily updates through the RSS feed here. In that culture, as today, a persons name referred to the essential character of the personin this case, Yahweh. Psalms 91:4. 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). However, now we begin to hear from Yahweh directly. No locks nor bars can shut out diseases, while we carry about with us in our bodies the seeds of them. Twice is he armed who hath Gods truth to be his shield and buckler. will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. Psalms 91:14. 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. ), Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2000), Mounce, William D., (ed. He who is the Lord of the angels, who gave them their being and gives laws to them, whose they are and whom they were made to serve, he shall give his angels a charge over thee, not only over the church in general, but over every particular believer. 91:2 ), from which he gives both direction and encouragement to others, Ps. In the Psalms you can identify with the psalmist as he expresses his deepest distress, and learn along with him as God teaches him how to view things from His perspective. I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. 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. (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2007), Freedman, David Noel (Ed. 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. Yet most people today have never heard of John Gill. 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. Thanks for stopping by! The New Testament Documents: Are they Reliable? There being no reason to question his sufficiency, fitly does it follow, In him will I trust. I am old, and expect to die within a few years. 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 Complete WordStudy Old Testament (Chattanooga; AMG Publishers, 1994), Baker, Warren and Carpenter, Eugene, The Complete WordStudy Dictionary: Old Testament (Chattanooga: AMG Publishers, 2003), Bromiley, Geoffrey (General Editor), The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Revised, 4 vols. Life is filled with problems both small and big. 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. Plagues and pestilences of various kinds are still occasional threats in first world countries, and are frequent threats in less developed countries. 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. 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. Let us come boldly there; and, when we once enter, let us dwell there. For he will put his angels in charge of you, to guard you in all your ways. This psalm, without title in the Hebrew text, is a triple proclamation of God's holiness, as Isaiah would later do ( Isaiah 6:3 ). May that be the portion of each of us! 13 Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet. He will call on me, and I will answer him. The Hebrew Word Nephesh (Soul) - E. W. Bullinger. See Ps 34 19; 2 Tim 3 11; 4 18. Psalms 91:3. 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. The voice shifts with this verse. 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. i. I will be with him: So, no man need add solitude to sadness, but may have God sitting with him, like Jobs friends, waiting to comfort him with true comfort. (Maclaren), ii. Dec. 25, 2022. Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. Psalm 99 - The Holy God, Present and Revealed. Can True Christians Commit Apostasy? The word emet is usually translated truth. 4 (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1996), Ross, Allen P., A Commentary on the Psalms, 90-150, Vol. You are free to opt out any time or opt in for other cookies to get a better experience. Neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. He brings in God himself speaking words of comfort to the saints, and declaring the mercy he had in store for them, v. 14-16. What are things that we can learn from it for today? Talk of St. George and the dragon! Otherwise you will be prompted again when opening a new browser window or new a tab. Psalms 91:13. 1. GOD IS MY REFUGE AND MY FORTRESS. 8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. He assures us that we can enjoy the same confidence if we dwell in he secret place of the Most High (v. 1). We can put down our foot on truth, and it will prove solidwont collapse under our weight. He is my refuge and my fortress: The one who lives intimately with God knows the greatness of His protection. 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. 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. We know that death and taxes are the two certainties in lifedeath being the most certain of the two. [2.] Ought the Church to Pray for Revival? [3.] 1 Chronicles 16:11 Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually! This (without el) is how it appears in this and a number of other verses, especially in the book of Job. 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. 15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. I will say to the Lord, My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust. 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! 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. There are some who worship in the outer court of the temple; but he that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High lives in the Holy of Holies; he draws near to the mercy-seat, and keeps there; he walks in the light, as God is in the light; he is not one who is sometimes on and sometimes off, a stranger or a guest, but like a child at home, he dwells in the secret place of the most High. I am one of those. This promise protects, (1.) You have probably been the victim of some sort of trap, possibly in quite recent memory. There has even been protection from the wild predators, snakes, spiders, and a multitude of various other dangerous insects and animals that many have experienced receiving protection from, like Paul when he was bitten by a poisonous snake and should have died (Acts 28:3-5). All rights reserved. 2. (2.) 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 2023 Grace to You. 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. Please contact the publisher to obtain copies of this resource. Romans 12:2 Yahweh is like that. That the powers of darkness shall be triumphed over by them (v. 13): Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder. lin) in the shadow (Hebrew: sel) of the Almighty (v. 1b). It goes beyond head-knowledge to heart-knowledge. However, the words shadow and shade also acknowledge that the faithful person dwells in a world that is sometimes dark. Am I really moving today and acting today as divine providence leads me, and as duty calls me? He who travels on the kings business, by daylight, along the kings highway, may be sure of the kings protection. Yes; and he rewards that knowledge: I will set him on high.. Chicks taking refuge under their mothers wings serve as a metaphor for people finding refuge in Gods presence. so that you wont dash your foot against a stone. Psalms 91:4. God protects believers, (1.) They shall be the charge of the holy angels, ver 10-12. It denotes the great care God takes of the saints, in that the angels themselves shall be charged with them, and employed for them. 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. God Bless. So the psalmist is talking about a serious threat when he uses the word deber. Yet the condescension of God is such that he allows us to speak of him thus: He shall cover thee with his feathers.. Oh, labour to get to that blessed position! 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 Yahweh is his mesudah (hiding place, stronghold, fortress). (2.) The way of the righteous. But we must also acknowledge that not all prayers for healing are answered. Their Worm Does Not Die: Annihilation and Mark 9:48, Evidence for the Resurrection - William Lane Craig -Text and Audio, The Evidence for Jesus - William Lane Craig - Text and Video. These verses include conditional promises. (1.) When he calls to me, I will answer him;I will be with him in trouble;I will rescue him and honor him. Wishlist +. will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. 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Champions of Conditional Immortality in History, Conditional Immortality - Its Relation to Final Retribution, Conditional Immortality - Samuel M. Ohmart, Fallacies In The Annihilationism Debate: A Critique Of Robert Peterson, Important Forgotten History - Roots of Opposition to Conditionalism, Life in Christ - A Summary of Conditional Immortality, Summing Up the Case for Biblical Conditionalism - Froom, The Hypothesis of Conditional Immortality - William R. Huntington - 1878, Why I Believe In Conditional Immortality - by Sidney A. Hatch, Death and the Afterlife by Robert A. Morey - A Review by Edward Fudge, Martin Luther & William Tyndale On the State of the Dead, Near Death Experiences - Samuele Bacchiocchi. ", Counterfeit Cross - Bear or Burn: The Fruit of Obedience in the Parables of Christ - updated, Counterfeit Cross - What is a "Carnal Christian"? We often find ourselves afraid in the middle of the nightwhat I call the Three Oclock Terrors. 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. 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. That he will, in the mean time, be with them in trouble, v. 15. 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. He will cover you with his feathers. $30.00. The MacArthur Bible Studies provide intriguing examinations of the whole of Scripture. 9 Because you have made Yahweh your refuge, They sicken millions of people every year, and often kill them. 91:9. The promises which are here made, in God's name, to all those that do so in sincerity. God (Hebrew: elohim). Yahweh (Hebrew: YHWH or yahweh). A. The ending of all of this is the most powerful of all as God says He will show him [or her], His salvation. If you have salvation, all of these other serious circumstances of plagues, night terrors, thousands dropping at your sides or any other threat are only temporary because ultimately, God is our refuge, our fortress, our shield, our buckler, and His love overshadows us and will bring us safely into the kingdom someday. Once again, the idea is of the protection afforded by the Almighty God. 9-10). His books are include: Teaching Children The Gospel/How to Raise Godly Children, Do Babies Go To Heaven?/Why Does God Allow Suffering?, "The Great Omission; Reaching the Lost for Christ," and Blind Chance or Intelligent Design?, Empirical Methodologies & the Bible.". i. 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. : A Closer Look At A Popular Tradition, Audio of "Church Leaders and the Use of Honorific Titles", The Nativity Story - Download A 16min Edited Version for Christmas, Binding and Loosing (Matthew 16:19) - w/audio, What does "God blesses those who bless Israel really mean? Naught shall strike thee with dismay, Fear by night, nor shaft by day." Verse 7. II. 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 In this verse, resting in the shadow of the Almighty is the blessing that the faithful person experiences for dwelling in Yahwehs presence. 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. Help Grace to You bring important resources like this to people in your community and beyond, free of charge. In our experience, most hunting is done with guns instead of traps. It was in the day-time that that pestilence wasted which was sent to chastise David for numbering the people, on occasion of which some think this psalm was penned. The Hebrew word hasaq (set his love) means to attach, love, delight, or bind. 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. Psalms 91:10-11. Prayer: The Believer's Constant Conversation (Ephesians 6:18-24) Pastor John MacArthur. God puts honour upon us, poor dishonourable worms that we are. Both are appropriate in this verse. A church sanctuary, hospital chapel, or airport prayer room. 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. However, as noted in these verses, daylight often ushers in daily battles, whether with spear and sword or pen and PowerPointso we feel vulnerable by night or by day. We know whom we have trusted. Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet. 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. 4. Get Your Bible Minute in Your Inbox Every Morning. 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. A quiet place where we can go to God in prayerour bedroom or prayer closet. We read of fear in the night, Cant 3 8. Aye, that is true, you will say, who makes any doubt of it? 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. How about eternity? In 1969, after graduating from Talbot Theological Seminary, John came to Grace Community Church. A sinnah is a large rectangular shield. 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