Psalm 91
The term psalm is derived from the Latin language psalmus and means songs to God. The psalm 91 christian bible reveals to us one of the most powerful secrets that God has for his children.
Before starting with analysis of psalm 91 It is important to remember that God's will is that we have a life of peace, full of tranquility (Philippians 4:6-7; John 14:27-28). The life of the Christian depends entirely on God (Revelation 14:13; Ephesians 6:10). When we say that we have faith in God, it means that we have confidence in Him.
Philippians 4: 6-7
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but let your requests be known before God in all prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving.
7 And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.
However, this psalm reveals to us that we are surrounded by machinations, evil, traps, and that we must overcome the obstacles that we find along the way.
Therefore, Psalm 91 represents a prayer of faith and trust about God's protection. It is not known for sure who is the author of Psalm 91, however many scholars attribute it to Moses, who had an extraordinary communion with God. A person who spent a lot of time in prayer and fasting before God. He describes God very well, as we can see that the author uses the names of God.
Introduction to the biblical passage of Psalm 91
As we have noted, Psalm 91 is about the trust that the Christian places in God and the protection that He has in store for His children. Let's take a look at it verse by verse. what does psalm 91 say
At that time not everyone knew God like Moses, for example, in the psalm the name of God is used as the Most High, Almighty, Jehovah, My God (El Shaddai, YWHW, Elohim).
Another important aspect is that the fact of the cities of refuge is used as a simile. In this sense, when they went towards the conquest of the land of Canaan, the Israelites had to choose cities where any member of the twelve tribes of Israel would take refuge, while any crime or murder that had occurred while the investigations of the case were being investigated. . In those cities of refuge, these people would live until the sentence of innocence or guilt was declared.
These cities represented that protection, care, and shelter. If any member of the victim's family left the city, they could avenge the blood of their murdered or accidentally killed relative.
These cities protected these Israelites. If you were in that city of refuge, no one could touch you. Therefore, the term refuge was very important to the people of Israel.
Another of the terms that are revealed here is castle or bastion. This term is used by Paul in one of his epistles to Timothy (3:15) where he points out that the Church is the Christian's place of protection. A stronghold at that time were fortified places in the shape of a pentagon.
Psalm 91 is like a balm for our entire being. When we are distressed and fearful, a peace that surpasses all understanding begins to flow into our lives. It is a perfect antidote to anxiety, fear, and dread.
We can counteract fear with the coverage of God, then we invite you to read in the following link Psalm 27
Psalm 91: 1-2
The first two verses reveal to us that those of us who dwell (dwell, live and trust in God), and erect our tabernacle (pray, read the Word of God, unload our petitions before God) when we rise, we are under the shelter of God. That is, we take refuge in our city of refuge, there we are under the care and protection of him.
Psalm 91: 1-2
1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say to Jehovah: My hope, and my castle; My God, in whom I will trust.
The shadow of the Almighty symbolizes the Holy of Holies (Exodus 25:18). That place was where the High Priest hid in the Old Testament. In that place the high priest sprinkled the blood of the sacrifices to atone for sins and have communion with God. No one could get in there.
After Jesus' death, the veil was torn. The Word of God says that all Christians are priests, therefore we can confidently enter the Throne of Grace (Hebrews 4:16; Psalms 27:5). In that place we find the shadow of protection and care that the Lord gives us. The sacrifice that we sprinkle is a contrite and humbled heart (Psalms 51:17), because the Blood of the Lamb of God has already done the complete work of expiation of sins.
On the other hand, our trust must be placed in God. The Word of God warns us that the Christian who deviates from his trust on a person is cursed (Jeremiah 17: 5).
The Christian's hope, faith, and trust must be placed in our God. He represents our refuge, our shelter, our ever-present help in trials, and our city of refuge (Psalm 121:1-2; 27:1-3).
Let us remember that God is the Almighty (The Shaddai: it means the all-sufficient; Almighty, that is, the one who can do everything), just as the Lord revealed it to Abraham for the first time (Genesis 17:1; 28:3). That is, what we trust in God we hope in the One who can do everything.
The tabernacle that we should erect in our lives is about knowing God (John 17:3; Matthew 6:33)
Psalm 91: 3-4
Listed in these verses are a number of dangers that the Christian faces during his life. The hunter is Satan and his spiritual hosts of wickedness. All dangers (thefts, murders, rapes, conspiracies, snares, nightmares, among others, come from darkness). The Christian must be like a gazelle, that he must escape from the snares of life by placing his trust in God (Proverbs 6: 5; 2 Peter 2: 9; Matthew 23:37)
Pedro 2 2: 9
9 The Lord knows how to deliver the pious from temptation, and reserve the unjust to be punished on the day of judgment;
The comparison that the psalm makes to cover us with the wings, we can imagine the protection that the chicks feel under the wings of the hen. This is how God keeps the children who trust in God. He frees us from the traps of the enemy.
The Lord tells us that for those of us who trust in Him, whatever rises against us will first stumble against the Shield of God. He protects us from the enemy's arrows, as long as we remain under the shadow of faith and trust in God. A shield is a type of elongated shield that protects our lives from physical and animal enemies.
Trust and faith in God can only be found through the Word of God (Romans 10:17) where we find the Truth. Let us remember that Jesus told us that He was the Truth (John 14:6)
This place of protection is compared to God in Psalm 91 when the Christian dwells close to God. The Bible teaches us that God is our Shield of protection.
Psalm 91: 3-4
3 He will free you from the hunter's snare, From the destructive plague.
4 He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his truth is your shield and buckler.
Psalm 91: 5-7
As we pointed out at the beginning of this study on Psalm 91, God's will is that we have peace, that we trust in Him. A Christian cannot have a life full of fear. Many people fear the dark and the night.
The Lord promises us that he will keep us under his shadow, therefore we should not have any night fears. There are even Christians who resort to taking tranquilizer pills to fall asleep, however the Lord does not want us to enslave ourselves with anything (Joshua 1: 8-9; Galatians 5:1; John 8:34; Romans 8:15; John 8:38).
2 Timoteo 1: 7
7 For God has not given us a spirit of cowardice, but of power, love and self-control.
Joshua 1: 5-9
5 No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.
6 Be strong and courageous, for you shall divide this people as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.
7 Just be strong and be very brave, to take care to do according to all the law that my servant Moses commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, so that you may prosper in all that you undertake.
8 This book of the law shall never depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe and do according to all that is written in it; because then you will make your way prosperous, and everything will turn out well for you.
9 Look, I am commanding you to strive and be brave; do not be afraid or dismayed, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.
The Lord promises us that he will deliver us from any sword that is raised against us. He will also protect us from pests, diseases, just as he warned his people Israel (Leviticus 26: 8)
Psalms 91:5-7
5 You will not fear the terror by night, Nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 Nor pestilence that stalks in darkness, Nor destruction that destroys at noonday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it shall not come near you.
Psalm 91: 8-12
The Lord assures us that those who rise up against us, we will see how the Lord himself will give the battle. In His Word He commands us to stand still, for He will fight our battles (Exodus 14:14; 2 Chronicles 20:15-17)
2 Chronicles 20: 15-17
15 and he said: Hear, all Judah, and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat. Thus saith the Lord unto you: Do not fear nor be intimidated before this great multitude, for the war is not yours, but God's.
16 Tomorrow you will descend against them; Behold, they will go up the slope of Sis, and you will find them by the stream, before the desert of Jeruel.
17 There will be no reason for you to fight in this case; stand still, and see the salvation of Jehovah with you. O Judah and Jerusalem, do not be afraid or dismayed; go out against them tomorrow, for the Lord will be with you.
Verse 11 was used by Satan to tempt Jesus (Matthew 4). However, Jesus under rational worship (Romans 12:1) submits to the authority and will of God. He discerns the Word of God and the devil flees (James 4:7).
James 4:7
7 Submit yourselves therefore to God; Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
In the original Hebrew the word angels is in the singular meaning sent. It is said that this psalm is messianic, since the one sent by God is Jesus (Psalms 34:7). Jesus promised us during His Ministry on Earth that He would be with us until the end of the world (Matthew 28:20). The Lord protects us from what we know and what we do not know.
Once again in this section of Psalm 91, it is emphasized that the Christian who goes to God's abode, to the tabernacle, to the city of refuge will be under God's care and protection.
Psalms 91:8-12
8 Surely with your eyes you will look And see the reward of the wicked.
9 For you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, the Most High, your dwelling place,
10 No evil shall befall you, Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling.
11 For he will give his angels charge over you to guard you in all your ways.
12 They will carry you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
Psalms 91:13-16
Throughout the Bible, we can see that the dragon has always been associated with Satan. The Bible says that even if we have enemies like the lion, the Lord will guard and protect us like the viper. The fact is that the Word of God promises us that we will be under the lion, the viper, and the dragon. This means that we will be free from curses.
The phrase “Because he has put his love in me”, in it originates from Hebrew means that we have clung to Him, then He frees us from all evil, just as Jesus taught us in the Our Father prayer.
The Lord even says "because he has known my name", as Jesus manifested in his prayer when he interceded for his disciples (John 17:26; John 14: 13-16). One can only know that he knows someone when he knows his feelings, thoughts, values. To know God we must search the Holy Scriptures (John 17:3).
Psalms 91:13-16
13 About You will trample the lion and the adder; you will trample the young lion and the dragon.
14 Because he has put in me his love, I will also deliver him; I will set him on high, because has known my name.
15 He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him.
16 I will satisfy him with long life, And I'll show him my salvation
Ultimately, salvation is only possible through Jesus Christ. He told us that He was the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). Knowing the salvation of God is fundamental, because the gospel that Jesus preached and that assures us the way to the Kingdom of Heaven, for this we must know our Lord Jesus.
Therefore, we invite you to go through our special article that will allow you to learn more about Juan 14: 6 and the teachings that the word of the Lord offers us.
Powerful prayer for God's protection
After reading the powerful message contained in Psalm 91, we invite you to make a powerful prayer of protection to God. We note that this is a model of prayer as taught by Jesus Christ through the Our Father.
In this context we will follow the steps that Jesus taught us, therefore the prayers that we raise to God must be in the Spirit, this means that we can make this prayer united as a church, but you can take this prayer as an example to pray according to your communion with God.
Prayer based on Psalm 91
Father in Jesus Name
Dear Lord, who are seated on the Throne of Grace
You who shed the mighty Blood of the Lamb of God to atone for our sins
Eternal God, who out of love sent Your Beloved Son to die on that cross
Then you raised it up with Glory and Power
I come before You to take refuge in the Tabernacle, in Your Refuge
Save me, O God, from the bad day! Keep me from the plans of the enemy.
Quench with the fire of your Holy Spirit, the darts of the enemy.
Cover me with your mighty Shield.
With your love surround me.
Protect me with your Omnipotent Shadow.
May the Angel of Jehovah encamp around me, my house and my family and defend us
So we will rest your children under your Shadow.
Cleanse with your Powerful Blood my soul, mind and heart
May your mercy, which is renewed every morning, place in me a clean heart.
May it be according to your perfect Will and not mine.
Guide me on the path I have to walk.
Holy Thy name is
In the name of Jesus.
