Psalm 91 Dedicated to Freda Linn

1 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most HighShall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.2 I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress;My God, in Him I will trust."Let us break this down; in the secret place: This is when a person trusts in God and lives close to Him. The title Most High emphasizes God's magnificence and is equivalent to the term Almighty, a translation of the divine title Shaddai. Jointly the terms Most High and Shaddai speak of God as a mountain-like majesty, in whose company there is a "secret place" or a shadow. My refuge and my fortress may be rephrased as "my protected stronghold."3 Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the £fowlerAnd from the perilous pestilence.4 He shall cover you with His feathers,And under His wings you shall take refuge;His truth shall be your shield and buckler.When it says Fowler and pestilence: The images of a bird trap and a wide range of types of illness are an explanation of dangers that might come to weak people.His feathers and His wings: God is described as a mother hen beneath whose wings we can come for refuge. Shield and buckler indicates complete protection from all harm. God is an all protective shield for the believer.5 You shall not be afraid of the terror by night,Nor of the arrow that flies by day,6 Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness,Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.The relationship of the words night and day in these verses indicates the universal nature of God's protection. The Words Terror, arrow, pestilence, and destruction together refer to evil.7 A thousand may fall at your side,And ten thousand at your right hand;But it shall not come near you.8 Only with your eyes shall you look,And see the reward of the wicked.Though thousands fell the Israelites in Egypt were spared the danger that touched their neighbors. Believers in the Lord are sheltered from any attack. Look and see the punishment of the wicked and rest assured the deliverance of the blameless.9 Because you have made the LORD, who is my refuge,Even the Most High, your dwelling place,10 No evil shall befall you,Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling;My refuge is in the coming one our lord Jesus Christ. Dwelling place refers to the Lord as the "refuge" of His people. The title Most High emphasizes God's majesty and is equivalent to the term Almighty.11 For He shall give His angels charge over you,To keep you in all your ways.12 In their hands they shall bear you up,Lest you dash your foot against a stone.13 You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra,The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.The words His angels and a stone were words used by Satan to tempt the Savior. The lion and the cobra are animal and snake imagery and in this verse pictures all kinds of evil that might threaten the coming One. The Father will shield Him no matter what the threat.14 "Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him;I will set him on high, because he has known My name.The word love has the idea of "holding close to," even "hugging tightly in love". He has known my name, speaks of a close, experiential knowledge of the Father. (experiential meaning derived from or relating to experience as opposed to other methods of acquiring knowledge)15 He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him;I will be with him in trouble;I will deliver him and honor him.(He shall call upon me) He must continue to pray; all his blessings must come in this way, when he calls, I will answer him and I will give him whatever is best for him.(I will be with him in trouble) Literally, I am with him. Immediately as the difficulty comes, I am there.(I will deliver him) For his good I may permit him to be exercised for a time, but he will be delivered.(And honor him) "I will glorify him." I will load him with honor; that honor that comes from God. I will even show to men how highly I prize such.16 With long life I will satisfy him,And show him My salvation."(With long life) with length of days will I fill him up?He shall neither live a ineffective life, nor die prior to his time. He shall live joyful and die joyful.(And show him my salvation) He shall dwell in my glory, and throughout eternity increase in his resemblance to and delight of me. he shall have a extended life in this world, and an eternity of blessedness in the world to come