Feathers And Wings Series

Psalm 91 - Part 13 - Feathers and Wings

We read in Psalm 91:4, “He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge. His truth is your shield and armor.” (GW)

There are two words that I wish to highlight from the above mentioned verse, feathers and wings. Often we don’t differentiate between feathers and wings, but in this study we will try to understand what the Lord would like to teach us through them. Feathers are generally soft and gentle and can be compared to the love of God. Wings on the other hand are tough and can be compared to the firmness that the Lord displays toward His children. While feathers give us the comfort, wings give us the strength that we are in need of. We will therefore, correlate feathers to the grace of God and wings to the truth of God. Just as wings without the feathers will be of no use, so also feathers without wings would be futile. In these last days there is much emphasis on the grace of God, but as children of God we must comprehend the fact that the grace and truth of God are inseparable.

We will study a few incidents from the bible to understand how the grace and truth of God are connected to each other.

1. When Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit

We read in Genesis 3:23, “So the LORD God sent them out of the Garden of Eden and made them cultivate the soil from which they had been formed.” (GNB)

When Adam and Eve sinned by disobeying God’s commands, and ate the forbidden fruit, God had to drive them out of the Garden of Eden. God’s heart must have grieved much as He did so, for the reason God created man was that He desired to have fellowship with Him. Only after God had completed all of creation did He create man, so that he could grant him the position to rule over all that He had created. Also while all other created things were varied in nature, man alone was made in the image and likeness of God Himself. This is a unique privilege that God has granted to us that we must be constantly aware of.

The Garden of Eden that Adam and Eve were placed in was a glorious one and the presence of God filled the garden. Nonetheless, God had to cast them out of the garden when they disobeyed His command.

We read in Genesis 3:21, “And the LORD God made clothes out of animal skins for Adam and his wife, and he clothed them.” (GNB)

The above mentioned verse is a most astounding one. God who is almighty, awesome, powerful, the One who created the heavens and the earth by the word of His mouth, though He punished man because He is a God of truth, He also made clothes out of animal skin and clothed them both. The fact that God cared enough to clothe both of them signifies the grace of God which is most evident through this loving act of His. God as one who is the epitome of truth could have left Adam and Eve to suffer for their rebellion, but instead He being a God of grace chose to lovingly clothe them. We discover how the truth of God and His grace were wonderfully displayed at the outset of creation itself.

2. When Moses struck the rock

We read in Deuteronomy 3:25, “Let me cross the Jordan River, LORD, and see the fertile land on the other side, the beautiful hill country and the Lebanon Mountains.'” (GNB)

This was the request that Moses implored of the Lord, that He would grant him permission to cross the Jordan River to enter the promised land and behold it’s beauty.

Here’s God’s reply to Moses as recorded in Deuteronomy 3:26, “"But because of you people the LORD was angry with me and would not listen. Instead, he said, 'That's enough! Don't mention this again!” (GNB)

Moses was the chosen one whom God used to deliver the Israelites from their bondage under the cruel hands of Pharaoh. Oftentimes he interceded with God on various matters and God had favorably answered Moses. However, as Moses appealed to God that he should be granted permission to enter the Promised Land, the Lord was resolute that He did not want Moses to even discuss it with Him any further.

There was a reason why the Lord responded to Moses this way. God is one of truth and He will not ignore the sins that we commit, as He is a God of justice. The reason why God forbade Moses to enter the Promised Land is explained to us in the passage mentioned below.