First Sunday In Lent (B C P). Series

Psalm 91:1-12, Genesis 3:1-6, 2 Corinthians 6:1-10, Matthew 4:1-11.

A). OUR REFUGE IS THE LORD.

Psalm 91:1-12.

The opening verse of this Psalm seems to state the obvious: “those who take their shelter under the Most High are sheltered by the shadow of the Almighty” (PSALM 91:1). Yet there is a reason for this turn of speech: even those who are deemed ‘the people of the LORD’ are at best rebellious children, and struggle against His parental protection. Jesus complained of Jerusalem, 'How often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!' (cf. Luke 13:34).

If you are truly trusting in God, then be at peace: stop struggling to get out of the nest! Quiet faith snuggles in, and takes assurance in the LORD: “My refuge, my fortress, my God in whom I trust” (PSALM 91:2). This is spoken as a personal experience, and opens out into a testimony of His keeping power.

Whether understood literally or metaphorically, the examples in the middle of the Psalm stand as a testimony of the comprehensiveness of God’s protection.

The “snare of the fowler” (PSALM 91:3a) could represent the traps that people lay in order to catch Christians in their words. They did it to Jesus, and ‘the servant is not greater than his Lord’ (cf. John 15:20). We should ‘always be ready to give an account of the hope that is within' us (cf. 1 Peter 3:15).

“Deadly pestilence” (PSALM 91:3b) could be translated as ‘noisome words’ – slander perhaps?

Whichever way, God’s cover reaches far beyond that of the mother bird of PSALM 91:4. It is greater than any insurance policy that you might buy for yourself: put your trust here and His faithfulness (truth) will be your defence.

PSALM 91:5-6 speaks twice of the terrors of the night, and twice of the dangers of the day. (cf. Psalm 121:6 - 'The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.’)

“The arrow” of PSALM 91:5b could be either physical or spiritual, or both at once.

Christians under persecution have testified to the literal truth of PSALM 91:7-10 – but this does not alter the fact that Christians still do suffer. There are times when God does not deliver us FROM things, but rather delivers us IN things: 'Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us' (cf. Romans 8:37).

The important point is that our refuge is in the LORD, and that our natural habitat is in the Most High (PSALM 91:9-10).

We are assured of angelic protection: “angels” (plural) to protect “you” (singular) (PSALM 91:11).

The devil quoted PSALM 91:11-12, out of context, in his temptation of Jesus:

'And he brought Him to Jerusalem, and set Him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto Him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence: For it is written, He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee: And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone' (cf. Luke 4:9-11).

Had the devil cared to read the next verse, he would have seen his own doom (cf. Psalm 91:13).

B). THE TRICKS AND DECEPTIONS OF THE DEVIL.

Genesis 3:1-6.

Perhaps our first parents did not know the history of the fall of Lucifer, the day star in Isaiah 14:12-21 and Ezekiel 28:11-19. But it did not take long for the cunning serpent to draw them into his pernicious scheme to undermine the LORD who made us. How susceptible are we to the devil's suggestions?

The serpent began his enticement of the primeval couple by casting a shadow over the gracious and wonderful provision of God. The question he posed was structured in such a way as to extract a negative answer. What the LORD had told the man was that he may eat of all except one tree (cf. Genesis 2:16-17).

The tempter turned this into the negative, "Has God said, You shall not eat of every tree of the garden?" (GENESIS 3:1). A subtle twist, but please be aware that it is part of Satan's armoury to question the Word of God.

When we are enticed by the devil, we suddenly find ourselves leaping to defend the word of God. But the minute we begin to add to what God has said, we are on dangerous ground. Like Eve, we begin to lose sight of our covenant relationship with the LORD, speaking of Him as a "God" who is remote from our experience.

The woman refuted the devil's accusation against God, but added words of her own: "and neither shall you touch it" (GENESIS 3:3). Then the serpent began to question the certainty of death, and accused God of holding back something necessary for our human existence.