GOD’S GUARANTEE OF PROTECTION & HEALING

From Psalm 91

God's guarantee of protection from terrorism, accidents, sickness, disease, and premature death.

Most scholars agree this psalm was written by Moses in the wilderness.

However, we will see how Moses was speaking prophetically for the Lord Jesus Christ, as the Lord gives a message to us, His Church.

Verse 1 is a general observation:

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

- “Dwells” means to stake a claim and possess, as in land settlements. We stake a claim under the shadow of the Almighty.

Verse 2 is written in first person, as Jesus speaks to His Church:

I will say of the Lord [My Father], “He is my refuge [where I run] and my fortress [My high tower]; my God [My Father], in Him will I trust.”

Verses 3-8 were written to believers as covenant promises:

Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler [bird catcher], and from the perilous pestilence.

- The “snare of the fowler” is the trap of the predator, or Satan.

- A “perilous pestilence” is a rushing calamity, as a tornado or tsunami.

Verse 4: He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler.

- “Covered with His feathers” refers to angelic protection or protection like a mother hen.

- A “buckler” is a small, round shield either carried or worn on the arm, while a “shield” provides greater protection from all sides.

Verse 5: You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, Nor of the arrow that flies by day.

- “Terror” is sudden, startling alarm producing great fear.

- “Terror by night” refers to dreams or imagined harm.

- An “arrow that flies by day” is a real threat of harm.

Verse 6: Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, Nor of the destruction that lays waste [devastates] at noonday.

- “Pestilence that walks in darkness” are night attacks.

- “Destruction that lays waste at noonday” are day attacks.

Verse 7: A thousand may fall at your side. And ten thousand at your right hand; But it shall not come near you.

- The 1,000 at your side are those fighting with you.

- The 10,000 at your right hand are enemies slain by you, as “your right hand” refers to your sword-wielding hand.

- No matter what happens to others, it does not have to happen to you! You have favor and the blessing of the covenant.

Verse 8: Only with your eyes shall you look, And see the reward of the wicked.

- Your eyes shall eventually see every sin and rebellion reap a negative reward.

- Romans 12:19: “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.”

Verse 9 is personalized by Jesus again:

Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place,

- Jesus again magnifies His Father as His refuge. If Jesus needs to run to God for a refuge, how much more do we?

- In John 20:17, Jesus said to Mary Magdalene, “...Go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.’”

Verse 10: No evil [adversity, affliction, or calamity] shall befall you, Nor shall any plague [striking blow or infliction of a wound] come near your dwelling [body];

- No sickness or evil is able to get near you.

Verse 11: For He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways.

- You have angelic protection. (See also Psalm 34:7.)

Verse 12: In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.

- We are protected even from harm.

- Satan quoted verse 11 and 12 when he tempted Jesus in the wilderness (see Luke 4:9-11), but he failed to mention verse 13.

Verse 13: You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.

- Lion, cobra, young lion, and serpent all refer to aspects of Satan's power that Jesus trampled underfoot, or defeated. (See Luke 10:17-19.)

Verse 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.”

- This verse changes again to first person. This time, it clearly identifies the one speaking as deity. We see it is Jesus, the Word of God, the second person of the Godhead who has been magnifying God the Father as His refuge.

- Here Jesus is speaking about you and me! We could apply these verses personally by saying, “Because I have set my love upon Jesus, therefore Jesus will deliver me: Jesus will set me on high, because I have known His name.”

- We are “delivered” and “set on high” or exalted because we know the power in the name of Jesus, the name above every name!

Verse 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.”

- Jesus answers our prayer for deliverance and provision.

- We could personalize this by saying, “I shall call upon Jesus, and Jesus will answer me; Jesus will be with me in trouble; He will deliver me and honor me.”

Verse 16: “With long [healthy] life I will satisfy him, And show him My salvation [yeshua].”

- This means satisfied with a long, healthy life (up to perhaps 120 years) and shown God's salvation [deliverance, aid, victory, prosperity, health, help] purchased by Jesus in its fullest sense and measure.

- The length of your days is promised in Deuteronomy 30:20 - “He is your life and the length of your days.”

- The full number of your days is promised in Exodus 23:26 - “I will fulfill the number of your days.”

- Some say that we are promised only 70 to 80 years as stated by Moses in Psalm 90:10.

- This Psalm is referring to Israel in the desert - as they are being judged for inequities and secret sins (see verses 7-10).

- In Genesis 6:3, God sets man’s days at 120 years.

- Moses himself lived to be 120 years old (Deuteronomy 34:7).

- We could personalize this verse by saying, “With a long, healthy life Jesus will satisfy me, and show me His complete deliverance.”