Bible Study - Psalm 91

The Psalms are filled with songs of praise for God. Promises of what we have in our Heavenly Father. We're going to go through the 91st Psalm. It's one of the most beautiful & uplifting in the book. Psalm 91 is a promise of security & protection from the enemy & blessings the Lord will give to those who follow Him faithfully. Let's dive in.

Verses 1 & 2 are about the security we have in the Lord. Someone please read Psalm 91 verses 1 & 2. (1)“The one who lives under the protection of the Most High dwells in the shadow of the Almighty. (2)I will say concerning the LORD, who is my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust.”

What do these verses say to you? What do we have when we're in a refuge & fortress?

The words “high” and “almighty” point out the power of God as the sovereign ruler of the world. God is higher & greater than all other creations. The word “almighty” is from the Hebrew word shadday. Some scholars believe this could be related to the Akkadian word sadu which means breast or mountain. When used of God it refers to His ability to supply abundantly. What do you notice about the word LORD in verse 2? What does that mean? The word LORD in all caps. This is the Hebrew name Yahweh; the name for God’s true & complete nature. This word expresses God in His fullness as Lord & Creator. It's their word for the most supreme being. The “shadow of the Almighty” most likely refers to the shadow of God's wings. It relates to care & protection of the covenant.

The phrase “I will say concerning the Lord” expresses the psalmist's faith toward God. He will say these things with assurance concerning God. God is “my refuge and my fortress”. When we are in trouble we seek safety. To a city a fortress is a structure offering safety & protection for the inhabitants of the city. In the same way God offers this for His children. Verse 2 concludes with saying, “my God in whom I trust” Who can we trust more than our Heavenly Father who only speaks words of truth & assurance? He will not tell us something that is false.

We know we can count on God to do what He says. What are some ways God has proven to you that He is reliable?

“(3)He himself will rescue you from the bird trap, from the destructive plague. (4)He will cover you with his feathers; you will take refuge under his wings. His faithfulness will be a protective shield. (5)You will not fear the terror of the night, the arrow that flies by day, (6)the plague that stalks in darkness, or the pestilence that ravages at noon. (7)Though a thousand fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand, the pestilence will not reach you. (8)You will only see it with your eyes and witness the punishment of the wicked.”

What's the psalmist telling us in these verses?

The psalmist listed how God delivers His children from different attacks. He writes that God will rescue believers from the bird trap. This is a familiar image of hunters trapping birds in nets & snares. It describes attempts on the life of the person. God will also deliver him from “the destructive plague”. Here again is a life-threatening enemy.

After listing these threats from which God will save us the psalmist writes how He could do these things. “His faithfulness will be a protective shield” We are protected by God's faithfulness. People can let each other down when we make promises. Not all people can be counted on as being faithful to their word. God is faithful & will not do that. We are shielded by God's faithfulness. We can trust what He says.

One example we can look to where God shows He is faithful in spite of circumstances is that He kept His promise to Abram. Someone please read Genesis 17:4-7. Here we see a couple things. First God tells Abram that he & Sarah, ages 99 & 90 respectively, will have a child. They are well past the age of being able to have children. We also see that God changed Abram's name to Abraham. This shows God's authority over him. The name Abram means “exalted father”. That name indicated that Abram came from royal lineage. In Hebrew the name Abraham sounds like ab hamon which means “father of a multitude”. God kept that promise when their son Isaac was born. From Isaac came King David whom God declared would always have a dependent on the throne. Someone please read 2 Samuel 7:16. God's promise to David was fulfilled with the king's most significant descendant in our Lord Jesus. Whose position on the throne of God is established forever.