Interpretation of Psalms 91 is perhaps one of the most beautifully written and popular psalms of all time. It is a psalm about God’s unfailing and powerful protection to His people.
In the Hebrew Masoretic Text, Psalms 91 is without attribution, but the Greek Septuagint version adds a superscription saying that the psalm is “of David.”
I think Zondervan NIV Study Bible wonderfully described Psalm 91 as a “glowing testimony to the security of those who trust in God.”
Indeed, Psalms 91 is God’s way of telling us that whoever runs to Him and seeks His divine protection will be saved from calamity and destruction.
However, some people mistakenly thought that the teaching of Psalm 91 is an unconditional promise of God and uses this psalm as a “proof” that life would be smooth sailing as long as we stay close to our Creator.
This kind of thinking is often preached by pastors and ministers who teach the false and deceptive prosperity gospel.
Nothing can be farther from the truth.
God promised protection, but it doesn’t mean that we won’t suffer anymore.
That’s why in this blog, I want us to take a deeper look at the message of Psalm 91. I want to break down each word, verse, and sentence to give you a more proper understanding of God’s plan and purpose in our lives.
Join me now as we study Psalms 91. This can be a long article, but I can assure you, it’s going to be worth your time.
Are you ready?
Let’s begin!
A quick look at Psalms 91
He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall 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.”3 Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler
And 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.
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.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.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;
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.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.
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.
16 With long life I will satisfy him,
And show him My salvation.”
Lesson no. 1: Strive to be with God
Psalm 91 opens with this statement:
He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
The opening verse tells us that he who “dwells.” It didn’t say, “he who dwelt” or “he who will dwell,” but it clearly says, “He who dwells” in the secret place of the Most High. It denotes an active willingness to stay within the territory of God.
It means that you can’t be dwelling in God’s secret place while enjoying the pleasures of sins. It doesn’t work that way.
You can’t be living near to God one day and other days, you are sleeping with the spiritual enemies.
You need to make the decision that you choose to be with God, not just temporarily, but for good. It means that you make God’s companionship as your permanent dwelling.
Actively seek God’s presence. You must have that burning desire, urge, and passion to be with God.
Lesson no. 2: God’s name and titles reveal His character
It is worth noting that God has been referred to in this Psalm with different terms.
We read that He is called the Most High, Almighty, LORD, and God. All these descriptive titles and names provide a special insight into the character of God.
It also gives us the FULL assurance that it is truly the most powerful and supreme Being who will protect us all the time!
Now, let us see what those names or titles mean.
- Most High – in Hebrew, it is Elyon. It means lofty, elevation, and supreme. Most High denotes God’s supreme authority over all other authorities.
- Almighty – in Hebrew, it is Shadday. It means most powerful, denoting that there is no power greater than God in the vast universe.
- LORD – in Hebrew, it is written as YHWH. Most scholars would agree that it is pronounced as Yahweh. YHWH literally means the Self-Existent or Eternal One. The name Yahweh itself implies the eternal nature of God. He is outside the physical realm. He is not limited by time, space, and matter! Yahweh has no beginning nor end.
- God – came from the Hebrew word, Elohim. It basically means God.
With this in mind, we can have the full assurance that the Yahweh, the Most High, Almighty, and God is on our side. He is the one who is protecting us!
Even if you combine all the forces in the world, including Satan’s evil devices, NOTHING can overcome God’s ability to protect us from danger.
Lesson no. 3: God protects you from hidden dangers
Verse 3 tells us:
Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler.
Fowlers or hunters use a snare to catch animals. A snare is a trap, it is well-hidden. An unsuspecting animal can easily get caught and be killed.
In verse 3, God is declaring that He is able to save us from hidden dangers. He can shield us from the destruction that we thought never existed.
Have you ever wondered how many times God has already saved you without you knowing it?
Maybe, there are times when He inspired us to do something that if we haven’t done, we could have been in harm’s way.
Perhaps, there was a reason why you couldn’t afford to buy a new car or travel around the world. Because, maybe, if you are able to do those stuff, bad things could have happened to you.
I remember a church member who quit her job because her boss won’t give her a Sabbath day off. Three months later, the office where she previously worked burned down leaving almost 40 people dead. Now, I strongly believe God took her away from that place before it was too late.
There was also a time when someone offered me a very inexpensive house. I badly want the house, but I just don’t have the money. Months later, a typhoon hit our city and that house was among the properties destroyed by the calamity.
These are some of the ways God protects us from hidden dangers – dangers that could have cost us a lot if it weren’t for God. It teaches us that doing God’s commandment and following His will in our lives protect us from all forms of evil.
Lesson no. 4: God protects you from open dangers
If God can protect us from hidden dangers, then it is certain that He can also protect us from obvious and open dangers.
We can read this promise from Psalm 91 as well:
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.
We can see that God protects us from the destruction that lays waste visibly and openly. Whether the danger comes from pestilence or war, we can have the peace of mind that God will help us go through these dangers.
Even if we are cut off or we lose our lives, we still have nothing to fear. God has given us the hope of a better life – a better resurrection in His Kingdom!
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This post originally appeared on BecomingChristians.com and was republished with permission. The article was written by Joshua Infantado.
Joshua’s Outpost is a source for men to find encouragement to be bold in their faith and walk with Jesus Christ.
