Greetings to you, our friends in Christ Jesus. It’s an honour and joy to serve the Lord and especially to open up His word.
Fear in The Atmosphere
At a time like this when we are struggling or grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic, fears are very high. Many people are in a state of hopelessness and helplessness. Lockdown has made matters much worse – with many losing their jobs. Many not even being sure of their next meal. A number of people not being able to access medical services.
There’s a lot of fear in the atmosphere, no matter where you look. Lots of unanswered questions: “where is God in all this?” And so many people, especially Christians, are turning to the scriptures to look for answers; are turning to the internet, social media, to the TV and radios. Wondering what God may be up to in this current crisis.
What is God’s Purpose?
There is no doubt that so many people have been drawn closer to God and His scriptures and would really like to know if God has a purpose in all of this. At a time like this, we have a number of people who are teaching and seeking to offer hope to those who are in crisis and suffering. Unfortunately, some of these people who are preaching are abusing or misusing several Bible passages.
The famous Psalm 91 is one of those Bible passages that has been grossly misinterpreted or misrepresented
Seeking Answers in Psalm 91
You may recognise that one of those Bible passages – that has grossly been misinterpreted or misrepresented – is our famous Psalm. Psalm 91. And usually the question you hear is “if I pray and I claim the promises of Psalm 91, will God protect me from COVID-19? Will God make sure that all my problems will disappear? Is it possible that I will never suffer? I will never face enemies, I will never have reason to fear anything – especially because of the express promise given in Psalm 91:1?” This says whoever “dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.”
Is it really possible that Psalm 91 is a guarantee of security from troubles, from trials, from tribulations? Is it possible that those who believe and claim the promises of Psalm 91 will come to no harm?
A Wrong Approach Leads To Misinterpretation
What does Psalm 91 really say? What does Psalm 91 really mean? And especially in the current crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic.
As we reflect on this wonderful Bible passage or chapter, you will notice that there is so much it says about the goodness and greatness of God. Yet in the same breath, there is so much that could be easily misunderstood – misinterpreted, misapplied – depending on the approach one takes to interpreting this wonderful Psalm.
Before we go to it I would like to pray and read it. And then we will hear what it says and what it does not say.
Opening Prayer
Father, we thank you for the privilege of opening your word. Especially knowing that you are the one who can give us the insight we need to understand it. It’s one thing to read the scripture. It’s another thing to understand it or to apply it rightly. Experience shows that many of us approach scripture with our own assumptions or when we’ve read and made up our minds on what it should mean. And often we miss the real intended meaning, which should result in a blessing.
It’s one thing to read the scripture. It’s another thing to understand it or to apply it rightly.
Would you help us as we open Psalm 91, that we many understand what it is the Psalm is saying, and what it is that you are promising. That we might rightly claim the promises that are intended in this Psalm for our benefit and for the glory of your name. We pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Psalm 91
So Psalm 91. This is what it says:
1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”
3 Surely he will save you
from the fowler’s snare
and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
5 You will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor the plague that destroys at midday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
8 You will only observe with your eyes
and see the punishment of the wicked.
9 If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,”
and you make the Most High your dwelling,
10 no harm will overtake you,
no disaster will come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;
12 they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread on the lion and the cobra;
you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
14 “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
15 He will call on me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honour him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him
and show him my salvation.”
Praise the Lord. Wonderful Psalm indeed.
The Promises Are Enticing!
No doubt whatsoever. A Psalm that promises triumph and victory for those who trust in the Lord. A Psalm in which we see God’s presence, we see God’s protection, we see God’s provision, we see God’s preservation. And the promises in this great Psalm are really so enticing. No wonder that many of us who approach this Psalm don’t even take the moment to think what they might mean beyond what we read. Because we just like what we see!
We don’t take a moment to think what the promises of Psalm 91 might mean beyond what we read. Because we just like what we see!
It presents what one would call a theology of glory. A place where there is immunity from any suffering, from any pain. Including the current pandemic that we are facing today.
But Are The Promises Really True?
But when we look at this Psalm, while it is a triumphant Psalm, it is also a troubling Psalm. It leaves us wondering whether these promises are actually true – or whether then can be claimed as ours today. Especially as we compare it’s promises with the current troubles and pains that we go through on this side of heaven – in a broken world like ours. Where sickness, pestilence, diseases, wars, adultery, murders, rape – all sorts of social and economic injustices taking place.
We are left wondering… if Psalm 91 is indeed true, if it can be claimed for those who believe, why is it that even we believers continue to face the same challenges in this world? Why is it that a disease or a virus or a pandemic like COVID-19, that when it comes it sweeps regardless of who is who? Young and old. Male and female. Believer or non-believer. COVID-19 does not seem to care. Clearly it is sweeping the globe and taking whoever it finds in its wake.
The Promises Don’t Match Reality
How are believers supposed to understand such express protection and preservation as presented in Psalm 91, if they do not see it happening in the day to day realities that we all face. Should we conclude that Psalm 91 maybe was not written for us or meant for us? Could it be that there are some terms and conditions that we are supposed to fulfil that you and I have forgotten? What is really going on?
As we look at Psalm 91 we are presented with a theology of glory, but one that does not seem to fit the experience of our fallen world. That in this Psalm we will see a lot of promises of hope and protection and prevention. But then we look all around us and we see failure and foils and fraud and disabilities and divorce and death and injustice and the cross. And we are left wondering… how do we reconcile our current suffering with the theology and the promise of glory that we encounter in Psalm 91?
And to make matters worse, we also recognise that this Psalm is one of the most popular Psalms in scripture. Not necessarily because of its promises, but because of the way it has been used before in the past.
Satan’s Use of Psalm 91
Did you know that it is the very Psalm in the New Testament in Matthew 4 and in Luke 4 that Satan uses during the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness. Satan (turning to verses 11 and 12 of Psalm 91). He calls upon Jesus to put God to the test. And what is he supposed to do? Jump from the pinnacle of the highest building in the name that scripture would be fulfilled because God would send his angels to guard Jesus – that his feet would not even hit the stone.
And indeed that’s how it is captured in Psalm 91. But what is Jesus’ response to Satan? That Satan should not put the Lord God to the test. Meaning that while Satan reads the Psalm and twists it out of context to test Jesus, Jesus confirms that there is more to the Psalm than merely what Satan has just picked and quoted.
Preachers’ Use of Psalm 91
And of course it’s not just Satan who uses this Psalm. As we grapple with the current COVID-19 pandemic we are seeing people across social media, on the internet, all using Psalm 91 as a bracket statement against COVID-19.
we see people across social media, on the internet, all using Psalm 91 as a bracket statement against COVID-19.
We are hearing preachers saying that believers are above and beyond the attack of a virus. That believers should not worry because they cannot be sick of the virus. That in fact the government has done wrong to put lockdown on church gatherings, since believers have no reason to fear. After all, the virus does not attack those who believe.
Are Believers Immune to Sickness?
At a time like this, when we are receiving assurances from modern preachers that we are above and beyond attacks of sickness and the powers of darkness, can we really claim Psalm 91 as the solution to the COVID-19 pandemic? Can we really conclude and say that whoever claims these promises and believes in them will actually not be affected by the COVID-19 virus?
It’s a question that you and I face today and one which we indeed must answer for us to be at peace, and be sure that we understand the claim of Psalm 91.
Some Challenges With Claiming Psalm 91’s Promises
We must recognise also, as we look at this Psalm, that this Psalm has some challenges with it. If you look at the description of the protection and preservation that is given in this Psalm, it is given to a category of people. A certain people who behave in a certain way, who live in a certain way, especially as you look at verses 14-16.
A Perfect Man Receives the Blessings
The kind of person that the Lord blesses and loves and exalts and honours. The picture presented there is one of a perfect man.
So clearly, one of the things that troubles us as we open this Psalm, is that we recognise that no human being can perfectly fulfil the requirements of this Psalm. For one to claim the blessings and the promises captured in this Psalm, they must be in a certain way – or in a certain level – of perfection that cannot be found anywhere on this side of heaven. And it leaves us wondering, if no one can fulfil the criteria for the promises espoused in the Psalm, does that mean, therefore, that the Psalm actually has no use for us?
How do we make sense of the promises if we cannot meet the requirements for receiving them?
How do we make sense of the promises if we cannot meet the requirements for receiving the promises? And that’s really a serious challenge that you and I need to think about.
Mockery? Or Hope in Brokenness?
We must answer the question: if this Psalm and it’s promises do not match our current earthly experience, even for the best of believers, should we then conclude that this Psalm is a mockery at the struggling believers today? As they grapple with their pain and crises? Or could it be that this Psalm in God’s providence has provided it as a call to hope in the midst of brokenness?
That it is a Psalm where we must go, realign our theological convictions – our understanding of who we are before God, the kind of life we need to live – and what we can expect as we continue to walk with Jesus. Especially in a time like ours, when things seem to be falling apart and the future does not look certain at all.
As we look at this Psalm, not only do we find challenges with it and discrepancies with the reality we are in – compared to what it describes – but we also recognise that this Psalm is limited in its scope and application.
Limits of Scope and Application
It is not a Psalm you can apply to anybody you just meet anywhere one the road or any churchgoer. But actually, the Psalmist describes it within the parameters of “those who dwell”. Those who abide. Those who stay in the shelter of the most high. Those who rest in the shadow of the almighty.
“Those Who Dwell”
And the Psalmist seems to be saying that one of the prerequisites of becoming a candidate for the promises and the providence that we find in this Psalm, is that this person must be a believer or a Christian. Somebody who has learnt to find his refuge or his dwelling place in the almighty. And what dwelling communicates is a state of permanence. A state of continuance. It could mean to stay or to remain or to remain connected.
Just like the branches are on the tree, the disciples must also be in Christ in order for them to bear fruit.
In a way it reminds of us Jesus’ call in John 15 where he tells the disciples that if they are to bear fruit, they must abide in him. Just like the branches are on the tree, the disciples must also be in Christ in order for them to bear fruit.
Fellowship & Faith Are Required
So what the Psalmist is really saying, is that the foundation for claiming these promises, first and foremost, is that the person must be a believer in Christ Jesus. The person must have a relationship with God already. The person must not be the kind who comes to God in an emergency or out of crisis. But one who has come to stay. One who walks, one who lives, one who fellowships in God and in his presence.
So simply put, the Psalmist seems to be saying that there is an aspect of fellowship, and an aspect of the fellowship of faith as we live in God. And that fellowship and faith are the ones that will bring favour and fruit that we find in this Psalm.
The Outrageous Promises of Psalm 91
In this Psalm we find that God provides security for those who dwell in and trust in Him. And once we state that, then we begin to see a number of promises that I would call outrageous! Promises that every one of us wish we would actually get into and enjoy and celebrate. But also promises that leave us wondering… how far can we stretch these promises?
Like, for instance, when we read verse 9:
If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,”
and you make the Most High your dwelling,
10 no harm will overtake you,
no disaster will come near your tent.
Wow! What a powerful promise! Yes, much as it is conditional and it is contingent upon making the Lord God your refuge, there is a question that deserves attention.
What About the Suffering Saints?
Is it really true that anyone who has made the Lord his refuge and has made the most high his dwelling, that no harm will overtake them? If that statement is true, how do we make sense of the suffering saints in scripture? Who no doubt were men of God, by the way, and most of them really, really, really men of God. To the extent that even God would identify them as their friends or as righteous men.
People like Job who was known as a righteous man of God, and yet he suffered seriously. Lost everything. How do we make sense of people like Abraham who was called God’s friend. And yet, in all his life he never even inherited the promises of the promised land? He lived as a pilgrim; as a sojourner. As a tent maker moving from one place to another. And yet he is the man from whom God promised to bless the whole
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