91st Psalm, 1-16: Our God of Shelter Against the Plague
Apr 4, 2020 13:52:57 #
"Whoever shelters in the protection of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust."
He Himself will deliver you from the hunter's net, from the destructive plague.
He will cover you with His feathers; you will take refuge under His wings.
His faithfulness will be a protective rampart and shield.
You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day,
the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that ravages at midday.
Though a thousand fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand, the pestilence will not reach you.
You will only see it with your eyes and witness the punishment of the wicked.
If you say, "The LORD is my refuge," and you make the Most High your dwelling place,
no harm will befall you; no plague will come near your habitation.
For He will give His angels orders concerning you, to protect you in all your ways.
They will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
You will tread on the lion and the adder; the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.
"Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
When he calls out to Me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble. I will rescue him and give him honor.
I will satisfy him with a long life and show him My salvation."
When life is its most daunting and there appears to be no time or place to rest, the words of this psalm are reassuring, comforting and encouraging.
In the span of just the first two verses we see the beauty of God: His ways are higher than our ways, yet we can speak to Him as friend. What a takeaway! God is at the same time unsearchable yet so very near to us. In His shadow and in His shelter, we find strength, comfort, and rest for our souls.
But there is also a deeper meaning in this passage, hidden in plain sight. Within the first stanzas of this psalm, there are four names for God: 1) the Most High, 2) the Almighty, 3) the Lord, 4) my God. It is significant that the inspired writer uses four different names in two verses.
The first name, the Most High, is the Hebrew word Elyon. It suggests a Supreme monarch, one who is elevated above all things. The name signifies God's majesty, sovereignty, and pre-eminence. It carries a connotation of a Davidic king that reigns above all other kings, and is first used in Scripture2) in Genesis 14:18, describing Abraham's encounter with the priest/king Melchizedek, "Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High." Melchizedek gives us a picture of Christ in several ways, and it is fitting that this story contains the first use of this name of God in Scripture. Verse 1 speaks to the protection of one who 'dwells in the shelter of the Most High,' and it causes us to ask where it is that we dwell. Do we dwell in our own self-doubt? Do we dwell in anger? Do we dwell in what could be or what could have been? Or do we dwell in the shelter of the Most High God, the Holy king of heaven who promises to protect and keep us?
The second name, the Almighty, is translated from the word Shaddai (If you are thinking of the Amy Grant song right now, I assure you you are not alone). Shaddai has many meanings, but it, as you may imagine, primarily suggests a mighty, powerful God who is strong beyond our imagination and is more than capable to supply our every need. He is the God who parted the sea and controls all of creation. In His name and in His power, there is no need that cannot be met, and no circumstance he cannot overcome.
The third name, the LORD, is the personal name for God, revealed to Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 6:2). This personal name for God was considered so sacred in Judaism, that the original pronunciation is uncertain, only that it contained the letters YHWH, (JHVH in Latin). It has been translated as Yahweh, Jehovah, and more often as the LORD (in all caps). The significance of this name is that it represents a relatable God who seeks for us to know Him on a deep, personal level. The God who is the all-powerful, Divine ruler of all things is also the God who knows every hair on our heads, every joy and fear in our hearts, and desires us to know Him as intimately as a friend. This God who created the universe and all it contains is not just some far-off unknowable being, but a Father, redeemer and friend.
The fourth name, my God, comes from the Hebrew Elohim. This name first appears at the very beginning of the Bible in Genesis 1:1, "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." When Elohim occurs in Scripture, it is typically translated as "God." In Greek, it is translated as Theos, which is where we get our word theology. It means the one who is first, or the creator, and is technically a plural word. So it is fitting that this is how God is referenced in Genesis 1:1; as a creator who is one, yet plural (Father, Son, Spirit). The Psalmist is proclaiming that the God in whom he trusts is the same God who created all things, the first and the last, and the God who is forever faithful to His creation.
91st Psalm: 1-16
https://www.crosswalk.com
Jason Soroski.wordpress.com
I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust."
He Himself will deliver you from the hunter's net, from the destructive plague.
He will cover you with His feathers; you will take refuge under His wings.
His faithfulness will be a protective rampart and shield.
You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day,
the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that ravages at midday.
Though a thousand fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand, the pestilence will not reach you.
You will only see it with your eyes and witness the punishment of the wicked.
If you say, "The LORD is my refuge," and you make the Most High your dwelling place,
no harm will befall you; no plague will come near your habitation.
For He will give His angels orders concerning you, to protect you in all your ways.
They will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
You will tread on the lion and the adder; the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.
"Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
When he calls out to Me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble. I will rescue him and give him honor.
I will satisfy him with a long life and show him My salvation."
When life is its most daunting and there appears to be no time or place to rest, the words of this psalm are reassuring, comforting and encouraging.
In the span of just the first two verses we see the beauty of God: His ways are higher than our ways, yet we can speak to Him as friend. What a takeaway! God is at the same time unsearchable yet so very near to us. In His shadow and in His shelter, we find strength, comfort, and rest for our souls.
But there is also a deeper meaning in this passage, hidden in plain sight. Within the first stanzas of this psalm, there are four names for God: 1) the Most High, 2) the Almighty, 3) the Lord, 4) my God. It is significant that the inspired writer uses four different names in two verses.
The first name, the Most High, is the Hebrew word Elyon. It suggests a Supreme monarch, one who is elevated above all things. The name signifies God's majesty, sovereignty, and pre-eminence. It carries a connotation of a Davidic king that reigns above all other kings, and is first used in Scripture2) in Genesis 14:18, describing Abraham's encounter with the priest/king Melchizedek, "Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High." Melchizedek gives us a picture of Christ in several ways, and it is fitting that this story contains the first use of this name of God in Scripture. Verse 1 speaks to the protection of one who 'dwells in the shelter of the Most High,' and it causes us to ask where it is that we dwell. Do we dwell in our own self-doubt? Do we dwell in anger? Do we dwell in what could be or what could have been? Or do we dwell in the shelter of the Most High God, the Holy king of heaven who promises to protect and keep us?
The second name, the Almighty, is translated from the word Shaddai (If you are thinking of the Amy Grant song right now, I assure you you are not alone). Shaddai has many meanings, but it, as you may imagine, primarily suggests a mighty, powerful God who is strong beyond our imagination and is more than capable to supply our every need. He is the God who parted the sea and controls all of creation. In His name and in His power, there is no need that cannot be met, and no circumstance he cannot overcome.
The third name, the LORD, is the personal name for God, revealed to Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 6:2). This personal name for God was considered so sacred in Judaism, that the original pronunciation is uncertain, only that it contained the letters YHWH, (JHVH in Latin). It has been translated as Yahweh, Jehovah, and more often as the LORD (in all caps). The significance of this name is that it represents a relatable God who seeks for us to know Him on a deep, personal level. The God who is the all-powerful, Divine ruler of all things is also the God who knows every hair on our heads, every joy and fear in our hearts, and desires us to know Him as intimately as a friend. This God who created the universe and all it contains is not just some far-off unknowable being, but a Father, redeemer and friend.
The fourth name, my God, comes from the Hebrew Elohim. This name first appears at the very beginning of the Bible in Genesis 1:1, "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." When Elohim occurs in Scripture, it is typically translated as "God." In Greek, it is translated as Theos, which is where we get our word theology. It means the one who is first, or the creator, and is technically a plural word. So it is fitting that this is how God is referenced in Genesis 1:1; as a creator who is one, yet plural (Father, Son, Spirit). The Psalmist is proclaiming that the God in whom he trusts is the same God who created all things, the first and the last, and the God who is forever faithful to His creation.
91st Psalm: 1-16
https://www.crosswalk.com
Jason Soroski.wordpress.com
Apr 5, 2020 08:41:49 #
TexaCan
Loc: Homeward Bound!
Zemirah wrote:
"Whoever shelters in the protection of b the... (show quote)
Thank you for sharing this with us!
The Bible is the most sold book ever....as it should be! Nowhere else can we find the comfort, strength,
Hope, peace, knowledge, wisdom, supernatural stories, love stories, intriguing stories, history, joy, and above all, God’s love ! I’m sure that others could add even more that can be found in this Instruction Manuel for Life that God wrote through men that He chose ! It’s a book that can be read and studied for a lifetime and still not touch all the wisdom and lessons that God placed in His book!
Apr 5, 2020 12:10:16 #
Zemirah wrote:
"Whoever shelters in the protection of b the... (show quote)
Amen and Amen thank you Zemirah for sharing that with us today especially at this scary time for all of us in America fighting off this COVID-19 virus as it strikes all over these United States. We need to remember that the Lord our God will protect each of us that call upon His name during this time of trouble. Again thanks for posting this at such a critical time. May God bless you this day Zemirah.🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
Apr 5, 2020 12:24:27 #
For all God's born again, bible believers, His word is ever new... as the indwelling Holy Spirit touches and informs the mind, the heart and the spirit of each, according to our need.
Through the reading of it, the Gospel message, nonbelievers are convicted of their own sinfulness and need of Jesus' Salvation by that same Holy Spirit of God, "Who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth" (1 Timothy 2:4).
But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us
(Romans 5:8).
"But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God" (John 1:12).
(Jesus:) "All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out" (John 6:37).
quote=TexaCan]Thank you for sharing this with us!
The Bible is the most sold book ever....as it should be! Nowhere else can we find the comfort, strength,
Hope, peace, knowledge, wisdom, supernatural stories, love stories, intriguing stories, history, joy, and above all, God’s love ! I’m sure that others could add even more that can be found in this Instruction Manuel for Life that God wrote through men that He chose ! It’s a book that can be read and studied for a lifetime and still not touch all the wisdom and lessons that God placed in His book![/quote]
Through the reading of it, the Gospel message, nonbelievers are convicted of their own sinfulness and need of Jesus' Salvation by that same Holy Spirit of God, "Who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth" (1 Timothy 2:4).
But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us
(Romans 5:8).
"But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God" (John 1:12).
(Jesus:) "All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out" (John 6:37).
quote=TexaCan]Thank you for sharing this with us!
The Bible is the most sold book ever....as it should be! Nowhere else can we find the comfort, strength,
Hope, peace, knowledge, wisdom, supernatural stories, love stories, intriguing stories, history, joy, and above all, God’s love ! I’m sure that others could add even more that can be found in this Instruction Manuel for Life that God wrote through men that He chose ! It’s a book that can be read and studied for a lifetime and still not touch all the wisdom and lessons that God placed in His book![/quote]
Apr 5, 2020 21:06:42 #
Apr 6, 2020 10:25:36 #
May 5, 2020 00:58:33 #
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