18 August 2024 // Psalm 91
SCRIPTURAL APPLICATION: Psalm 91
SERMON REVIEW:
I. Praising God for His Shelter. vv. 1-2
A. Position:
Dwell-
Abide-
B. Knowledge of His Names:
Most High-
Almighty-
LORD-
God-
C. Condition To Trust.
II. Praising God for His Security. vv. 3-13
A. Comfort vv. 3-6
(Traps, Toxins, Terror)
B. Confidence vv. 7-13
III. Praising God for his Salvation. Vv. 14-16
QUESTIONS:
1. What did the message teach me about God/Jesus/Holy Spirit?
2. What did the message teach me about the human condition?
3. Is there anything I need to confess, repent, or be grateful for, because of this passage?
4. How do I need help in believing and applying this scripture to my life?
5. How can I encourage others with this passage?
Life Application:
One day my friend offered to send his employees, at his own expense, to a Bible Seminar. The recently hired man decided that this was his chance. He’d go! He’d get some insight into this mysterious book, the Bible. Then maybe he could talk his employer’s language and improve his own chances of success within the corporation. So he went—and was soundly saved as a result! He now understands the Bible, knows why he could not understand it before, and smiles at his former ignorance.
The devil studies the Bible just like that man studied it. He studies it for his own twisted ends. And he is a very diligent student of the Bible, far more diligent than we. His use of this psalm shows us how well he had mastered God’s Word.
This lovely psalm was first written in Hebrew, but before the coming of the Lord Jesus into this world the whole Hebrew Bible (our Old Testament) was translated into Greek. In that translation, the Greek Septuagint version, verse 12 has an addition: “He shall give His angels charge over thee … they shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.” Then the words “at any time” are added. They do not appear in the Hebrew Bible, but have been added in the Greek translation. That addition suited Satan perfectly. When he quoted from Psalm 91 in the temptation of our Lord he did not quote the Hebrew, but the Greek. That’s how good a student he is of the Bible. He found a version which suited his purpose and quoted from that one. The Lord Jesus refused to fight Satan over which version should be used. He sidestepped that issue by countering Satan’s quotation with another and so disarmed the evil one entirely.[1]
Digging Deeper:
“He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in Him will I trust.” The psalmist uses four names for God in this one statement: Elyon, Shaddai, Jehovah, Elohim. What a great collection of divine names, each having its own special meaning of promise or of power.
1. Elyon, “the Most High”: Possession
He is “the possessor of Heaven and earth”—that is the thought connected with this name. He owns everything. The thought is that of possession. There’s a hiding place for us! We have a God who owns everything! Thirty-six times in the Bible God calls Himself by this name. How about that for a hiding place!
2. Shaddai, “the Almighty”: Provision
Someone might say: “It’s all very well to know God owns everything. But what does that mean to me?” Two men were passing a bank in a big city. One man said to the other: “They put five million dollars in cold cash in that bank yesterday. I watched the armored truck pull up and saw the money going in.” The other man was not at all impressed. The first man had left off two important words—“for you!”
God is Elyon, the possessor of everything, but He is also Shaddai. The thought behind that name, embedded right into its Hebrew structure, is that God is not just a living God, but a giving God. He is the one who supplies all our needs. The thought is that of provision. How about that for a hiding place!
3. Jehovah, “the Lord”: Promise
This was the greatest name for God among the Hebrew people. He is the God who exists because He exists, the I AM, the eternal, immutable, unchangeable One. Especially, He is God in covenant-relation with His own. The thought here is that of promise. He is the God who has pledged Himself to do certain exceeding great and wonderful things for His own, things which cannot be thwarted by any demon in hell, any adversary on earth, or any failure in us. How about that for a hiding place!
4. Elohim, “God the Creator”: Power
The word always occurs in a plural form accompanied by a singular verb—something which would be very bad grammar in connection with anyone but God. If I said, “We is going back to Atlanta,” I would be using poor English. God can say: “We is” because He exists in three persons and yet is one God. The word Elohim in the singular would simply not be full enough to convey all that is meant in the revelation of God. Elohim occurs twenty-seven hundred times in the Bible. Its first occurrence links it with creation. Thus, Elohim is God as creator. The thought is that of power. How about that for a hiding place!
Possession, Provision, Promise, Power—such is our fortress, our refuge, our hiding place! Surely we owe this psalmist a vote of thanks for giving us such a great thought of God. Thus, the psalmist shows us his fortress.[2]
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. How does Psalm 91 define the concept of 'refuge'? How can you seek this refuge in your daily life?
2. What specific fears or dangers are mentioned in this Psalm? How does this translate to modern-day fears or anxieties you might face?
3. How can the imagery used in Psalm 91 (such as the 'fowler's snare' and 'deadly pestilence') be interpreted in today's context?
4. Reflect on the assurance given in verses 9-13. How can you apply this faith and assurance in the face of life's challenges?
5. In verses 14-16, God makes direct promises to those who love Him. What do these promises mean to you personally?
6. How does the promise of God's protection in Psalm 91 provide comfort in difficult times?
PRAYER:
[1] John Phillips, Exploring Psalms 89–150: An Expository Commentary, vol. 2, The John Phillips Commentary Series (Kregel Publications; WORDsearch Corp., 2012), Ps 91.
[2] John Phillips, Exploring Psalms 89–150: An Expository Commentary, vol. 2, The John Phillips Commentary Series (Kregel Publications; WORDsearch Corp., 2012), Ps 91:1–2.
SERMON REVIEW:
I. Praising God for His Shelter. vv. 1-2
A. Position:
Dwell-
Abide-
B. Knowledge of His Names:
Most High-
Almighty-
LORD-
God-
C. Condition To Trust.
II. Praising God for His Security. vv. 3-13
A. Comfort vv. 3-6
(Traps, Toxins, Terror)
B. Confidence vv. 7-13
III. Praising God for his Salvation. Vv. 14-16
QUESTIONS:
1. What did the message teach me about God/Jesus/Holy Spirit?
2. What did the message teach me about the human condition?
3. Is there anything I need to confess, repent, or be grateful for, because of this passage?
4. How do I need help in believing and applying this scripture to my life?
5. How can I encourage others with this passage?
Life Application:
One day my friend offered to send his employees, at his own expense, to a Bible Seminar. The recently hired man decided that this was his chance. He’d go! He’d get some insight into this mysterious book, the Bible. Then maybe he could talk his employer’s language and improve his own chances of success within the corporation. So he went—and was soundly saved as a result! He now understands the Bible, knows why he could not understand it before, and smiles at his former ignorance.
The devil studies the Bible just like that man studied it. He studies it for his own twisted ends. And he is a very diligent student of the Bible, far more diligent than we. His use of this psalm shows us how well he had mastered God’s Word.
This lovely psalm was first written in Hebrew, but before the coming of the Lord Jesus into this world the whole Hebrew Bible (our Old Testament) was translated into Greek. In that translation, the Greek Septuagint version, verse 12 has an addition: “He shall give His angels charge over thee … they shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.” Then the words “at any time” are added. They do not appear in the Hebrew Bible, but have been added in the Greek translation. That addition suited Satan perfectly. When he quoted from Psalm 91 in the temptation of our Lord he did not quote the Hebrew, but the Greek. That’s how good a student he is of the Bible. He found a version which suited his purpose and quoted from that one. The Lord Jesus refused to fight Satan over which version should be used. He sidestepped that issue by countering Satan’s quotation with another and so disarmed the evil one entirely.[1]
Digging Deeper:
“He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in Him will I trust.” The psalmist uses four names for God in this one statement: Elyon, Shaddai, Jehovah, Elohim. What a great collection of divine names, each having its own special meaning of promise or of power.
1. Elyon, “the Most High”: Possession
He is “the possessor of Heaven and earth”—that is the thought connected with this name. He owns everything. The thought is that of possession. There’s a hiding place for us! We have a God who owns everything! Thirty-six times in the Bible God calls Himself by this name. How about that for a hiding place!
2. Shaddai, “the Almighty”: Provision
Someone might say: “It’s all very well to know God owns everything. But what does that mean to me?” Two men were passing a bank in a big city. One man said to the other: “They put five million dollars in cold cash in that bank yesterday. I watched the armored truck pull up and saw the money going in.” The other man was not at all impressed. The first man had left off two important words—“for you!”
God is Elyon, the possessor of everything, but He is also Shaddai. The thought behind that name, embedded right into its Hebrew structure, is that God is not just a living God, but a giving God. He is the one who supplies all our needs. The thought is that of provision. How about that for a hiding place!
3. Jehovah, “the Lord”: Promise
This was the greatest name for God among the Hebrew people. He is the God who exists because He exists, the I AM, the eternal, immutable, unchangeable One. Especially, He is God in covenant-relation with His own. The thought here is that of promise. He is the God who has pledged Himself to do certain exceeding great and wonderful things for His own, things which cannot be thwarted by any demon in hell, any adversary on earth, or any failure in us. How about that for a hiding place!
4. Elohim, “God the Creator”: Power
The word always occurs in a plural form accompanied by a singular verb—something which would be very bad grammar in connection with anyone but God. If I said, “We is going back to Atlanta,” I would be using poor English. God can say: “We is” because He exists in three persons and yet is one God. The word Elohim in the singular would simply not be full enough to convey all that is meant in the revelation of God. Elohim occurs twenty-seven hundred times in the Bible. Its first occurrence links it with creation. Thus, Elohim is God as creator. The thought is that of power. How about that for a hiding place!
Possession, Provision, Promise, Power—such is our fortress, our refuge, our hiding place! Surely we owe this psalmist a vote of thanks for giving us such a great thought of God. Thus, the psalmist shows us his fortress.[2]
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. How does Psalm 91 define the concept of 'refuge'? How can you seek this refuge in your daily life?
2. What specific fears or dangers are mentioned in this Psalm? How does this translate to modern-day fears or anxieties you might face?
3. How can the imagery used in Psalm 91 (such as the 'fowler's snare' and 'deadly pestilence') be interpreted in today's context?
4. Reflect on the assurance given in verses 9-13. How can you apply this faith and assurance in the face of life's challenges?
5. In verses 14-16, God makes direct promises to those who love Him. What do these promises mean to you personally?
6. How does the promise of God's protection in Psalm 91 provide comfort in difficult times?
PRAYER:
[1] John Phillips, Exploring Psalms 89–150: An Expository Commentary, vol. 2, The John Phillips Commentary Series (Kregel Publications; WORDsearch Corp., 2012), Ps 91.
[2] John Phillips, Exploring Psalms 89–150: An Expository Commentary, vol. 2, The John Phillips Commentary Series (Kregel Publications; WORDsearch Corp., 2012), Ps 91:1–2.