Psalm 91:1-16

... in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.  Amen.  Through the prayers of our holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us.  Amen.  Glory to You, our God, Glory to You.

O Heavenly King, the Comforter, the Spirit of truth, You are everywhere and fill all things, Treasury of blessings, and Giver of life: come and abide in us, and cleanse us from every impurity, and save our souls, O Good One.

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us (three times).

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, as it is now, was in the beginning, and ever shall be, world without end.  Amen.

Psalm 91:1-16[1]

He who dwells in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say of the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God.  I will trust in Him.”

Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler, from the noisome pestilence.  He shall cover you with His feathers.  You shall trust under His wings.  His truth [is your] shield and buckler.  You shall not be afraid for the terror by night; [nor] for the arrow [that] flies by day;[2] [nor] for the pestilence [that] stalks in darkness; [nor] for the destruction [that] wastes at noonday.  A thousand shall fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand.  It shall not come near you.  Only with your eyes shall you behold and see the reward of the wicked.

Because you have made the Lord, my refuge, the most High, your dwelling.  There shall no evil befall You.  Nor shall any plague come near Your dwelling: For He shall give His angels charge over You, to keep You in all Your ways.  They shall bear You up in [their] hands, lest You dash Your foot against a stone.  You shall tread on the lion and adder.  The young lion and the dragon You shall trample underfoot.

Because He has set His love on Me.  Therefore, I will deliver Him.  I will set Him on high, because He has known My name.  He shall call on Me.  I will answer Him.  I [will be] with Him in trouble.  I will deliver Him, and honor Him.  I will satisfy Him with long life, and show Him My salvation.[3]

---

[1] This Psalm is frequently cited as the guarantee of a Christian’s survival in combat, which is not what this Psalm teaches at all.  This Psalm is exclusively prophetic of The Temptation of Christ in Matthew 4:6; 4:11 and records details of intimate conversation between Jesus Christ and the Father.  The lengthy title itself indicates what applications may be made for those who are in Christ.  “He who dwells in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty,” whether in life or in death.  Millions of martyrs, especially the Crucifixion of Christ, testify that Christianity is no amulet or talisman to ward off death.  On the contrary, becoming a Christian is a guarantee of persecution and death.  What this Psalm promises is life in resurrection, and no other.

Jesus salutes His Father, Yahweh, in much the same way as champions or gladiators addressed their king before combat.  “We who are about to die, salute you.”  “My refuge and my fortress, my God.  I will trust in Him.”

The next paragraph shows why Jesus, and we in Him, should set aside fear in battle.  Jesus finds His all sufficient protection in Yahweh’s most holy place in heaven, where the ever attendant Cherubim and Seraphim conduct Him through death to the resurrection.  It is not in battle where we are secure, but under His wings, covered with angelic feathers.  Only Jesus is truly invincible, “trampling down death by death.”

Now that the principle of resurrection is established the specific application to Jesus’ battle with Satan is spelled out in greater detail.  “He shall give His angels charge over You….”  Satan is to be defeated, “trampled underfoot.”

In the closing address, Yahweh the Father addresses, Jesus, God the Son.  The Crucifixion and Resurrection are the final battle.  We live in the aftermath of victory.  He is risen!  The Holy Ghost leads us in the mop-up operation, as we look to the glorious consummation proclamation.  He has returned!

[2] Very possibly a reference to the death of Ahab foretold in 1 Kings 22 (see especially verse 34).  The idea would be that Jesus would not be judged as wicked Ahab was judged, by a randomly launched arrow.  It does not indicate that Jesus would not die at the deliberately launched plot of the wicked Jews and Romans.

[3] If you have been blessed or helped by any of these meditations in Psalms, please repost, share, or use any of them as you wish.

These meditations are not controlled by Creative Commons or other licenses, such as: copyright, CC, BY, SA, NC, or ND.  They are designed and intended for your free participation.  They were freely received, and are freely given.  No other permission is required for their use.

Psalm 35:1-28

... in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.  Amen.  Through the prayers of our holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us.  Amen.  Glory to You, our God, Glory to You.

O Heavenly King, the Comforter, the Spirit of truth, You are everywhere and fill all things, Treasury of blessings, and Giver of life: come and abide in us, and cleanse us from every impurity, and save our souls, O Good One.

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us (three times).

Psalm 35:1-28[1]

[A Psalm] of David.

Plead [my cause], Lord, with those who strive with me.  Fight against those who fight against me.  Take hold of shield and buckler, Stand up for my help.  Draw out also the spear, Stop [the way] against those who persecute me.  Say to my soul, “I [am] your salvation.”

Let them be confounded and put to shame, who seek after my soul.  Let them be turned back and brought to confusion, who devise my hurt.  Let them be as chaff before the wind.  Let the Angel of the Lord chase [them].  Let their way be dark and slippery.  Let the Angel of the Lord persecute them: for without cause, they have hid their net [in] a pit for me; without cause, they have dug for my soul.  Let destruction come on him unawares.  Let his net that he has hid, catch him.  To that very destruction let him fall.

My soul shall be joyful in the Lord.  It shall rejoice in His salvation.  ¹⁰ All my bones shall say, Lord, “Who [is] like You, Who delivers the poor from him who is too strong for him, yes, the poor and the needy from him who spoils him?”

False witnesses rose up.  They laid to my charge [things] that I knew not.  They rewarded me evil for good, the spoiling of my soul.  But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing [was] sackcloth.  I humbled my soul with fasting.  My prayer returned to my own bosom.  I behaved myself as though [he was] my friend [or] brother.  I bowed down heavily, as one that mourns [his] mother.  But in my adversity they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together.  The despicable gathered themselves together against me, and I knew [it] not.  They tore [me], and ceased not.  With hypocritical mockers in feasts, they gnashed at me with their teeth.

Lord, how long will You look on?  Rescue my soul from their destructions, my darling from the lions.  I will give You thanks in the great congregation.  I will praise You among many people.  Let not those who are my enemies wrongfully rejoice over me.  Let them [not] wink with the eye, who hate me without a cause: for they speak not peace.  But they devise deceitful matters against [the] quiet in the land.  Yes, they opened their mouth wide against me, [and] said, “Aha, aha, our eye has seen it.”

You have seen, Lord.  Keep not silence.  Lord, be not far from me.  Stir Yourself up, Awake to my judgment, to my cause, my God and my Lord.  Judge me, O Lord my God, according to Your righteousness.  Let them not rejoice over me.  Let them not say in their hearts, “Ah, so would we have it.”  Let them not say, “We have swallowed him up.”  Let them be ashamed and brought to confusion together that rejoice at my hurt.  Let them be clothed with shame and dishonor, who magnify [themselves] against me.

Let them shout for joy, and be glad, who favor my righteous cause.  Yes, let them say continually, “Let the Lord be magnified, Who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.”  My tongue shall speak of Your righteousness [and] of Your praise all the day.

________

If you have been blessed or helped by any of these meditations in Psalms, please repost or share all of them.

---

[1] David understands redemption in terms of classic battle.  Whole armies do not usually go out to fight: a single hero, a champion stands for the whole nation.  Redemption, which is only the first part of salvation, delivers the whole nation; but, it is no guarantee that all of those who benefit, will sincerely enter into its fruits through faith hope, and love: many of the redeemed remain as skeptics, unbelievers, haters of God disguised as sheep, wolves in sheep’ clothes disturbing the flock.  Such clever adversaries have even achieved the highest ranks of hierarchy in The Church on earth.

David’s prayer is that such traitors be confounded, shamed, routed (turned back), disordered (confusion), like so much dust in the wind; so he looks to his champion, the Angel of the Lord to find and deal with them.  Such adversaries do not confront openly, as armies do in battle; they work in secret with nets and pits, so David asks that they would be defeated by their own treacherous plans and inventions.  The Angel of the Lord, our Champion is Jesus, Who appears here, before His glorious Incarnation, the Messenger with His message, the Word with His words.

David is grateful for such redemption.  Fully aware of its benefits he sincerely enters into its fruits through faith hope, and love.

The wicked, on the other hand, arise as gainsayers: bringing secret false charges, rewarding evil for good.  David, not discovering their true character, receives these evil traitors at his dearest friends; he is faithful in prayer for them and their troubles; yet, in so doing, he unknowingly heaps coals of burning fire upon their heads (Proverbs 25:21-22; Romans 12:20-21): thus overcoming despicable evil with good.  Now, in this adversity, the crucifixion of Christ is unveiled for us to see clearly.

David is wearied by the duration of this affliction and his words are reminiscent of the cry, “My God, My God, Why have You forsaken me?” (Psalm 22:1; Matthew 27:46)

David’s plea is met with the reality that God has seen and is not silent.  God’s last word is resurrection, which brings life to David and to His Christ, and shame and defeat to all His enemies.  Those who rejoice at Christ’s suffering in the crucifixion are routed and put to shame.

The faithful have only joy in Yahweh’s magnificent righteousness, it is all they can talk about, and they speak of it endlessly in words of glowing praise.  Finally, in Christ’s glorious ascension into heaven, and His seating on the throne of David (Acts 2:29-33), David looks ahead to an indescribable prosperity.