Protected from arrows
Psalm 91 - Study 16 - Protected from Arrows
We read in Psalm 91:5-6, “You will have no fear of the evil things of the night, or of the arrow in flight by day, or of the disease which takes men in the dark, or of the destruction which makes waste when the sun is high.” (BBE)
The part of the verse we are meditating on in this study is that we need not fear the arrows that fly by day. Arrows were widely used as weapons of warfare in days gone by to kill, hurt or pain those who were the targets. These arrows are almost unheard of as they are hardly in use in these days of modern warfare. However, I will show you a verse from the bible which will help us realize that there are arrows that are still being used even today, and we are in need of God’s protection from their attacks.
We read in Jeremiah 9:8,“Their tongue is a deadly arrow;”(ASV)
There are many people whose words are sharp and deadly like arrows. These words when hurled at us cause deep pain, but the psalmist encourages us to not be in dread of these deadly arrows that are directed towards us.
We will study in detail some of the incidents that transpired in David’s life and learn how he handled these arrows that were aimed at him.
1. The arrows of scorn and curses
Goliath despised David
In 1 Samuel 17:42-43 we read, “When the Philistine looked and saw David, he despised him, for he was only a boy and ruddy with a handsome appearance. So the Philistine said to David, "Am I a dog that you are coming to me with sticks?" Then the Philistine cursed David by his gods.” (LEB)
Goliath the Philistine looked on David who was a young man with contempt and spoke to him with utter disregard. David did not allow the scornful words of Goliath get him down. Not only did Goliath speak to David with defiance, he went further on to curse David by his gods. However, David did not get perturbed but instead he boldly declared to Goliath that he came against him in the name of the Almighty God who was on his side. By doing so, David ended up with a jubilant victory over the ungodly Goliath.
Often we may have heard people speak of us disrespectfully or with disdain. There are also those who might have cursed us with their words. It would be good to understand what these words of blessing or curse are, so that we will be better equipped to handle these assaults that are hurled against us. A majority of people consider their family or having their own house or a vehicle as their blessings. Let me explain blessings from the perspective of God in creation.
When God created Adam and Eve the first thing He did was to bless them and this He did so by pronouncing certain words over them. God gave them instructions as to the kind of life they were expected to lead which were His words of blessings. God blessed them so that they would multiply, fill the earth and rule over all that He had created. The words of God gave them strength and they became rulers over all of God’s creation just as He declared.
So also curses are words that are pronounced that declare our ruin or downfall. Often when we hear these words we get stressed and filled with fear that these could actually materialize to affect our family, work or even our future. If we are believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, every uncalled for curse that is hurled at us, will not affect us and there is no need for us to panic about them.
God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing
We read in Ephesians 1:3,“Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,” (LEB)
Everyone who has received the Lord Jesus as their Lord and Savior, have the blessed privilege of being those who are blessed with every spiritual blessings by God the Father. Therefore, none of the curses of men that are aimed at us will actualize in our lives.
Goliath was a trained warrior, David was just an ordinary young shepherd boy. While Goliath came with all his armor, David stood before him with nothing to protect himself. However the Lord stood with David and gave him an astounding victory. None of the words of contempt or curses of Goliath had any sort of impact on David for the Lord was on his side.
Just like David, the Lord will raise us up in the presence of those who spoke with disdain or scorned us. The Lord hears the words of disregard aimed at us, even before they reach our ears and He will fight on our behalf. Let us also be assured that any curse that is targeted towards those of us who are God’s children, will not affect us in any way for the Lord will turn them around to become a blessing to us.
Balaam could not curse the Israelites
There is an incident in the Old Testament that will help us understand this truth in a very practical way. As the Israelites journeyed toward the promise land, there was a king who was perturbed by their progress. His fear was that the Israelites who were numerous and strong would overcome him and overthrow his kingdom. King Balak who was the king summoned to Balaam who was a prophet to pronounce curses on the people of Israel. This incident is recorded in Numbers chapter 23. Balaam tried his best to curse the Israelites, but it proved utterly futile.
We read in Numbers 23:20, “He told me to bless them. He blessed them, so I cannot change that.” (ERV)
While the king ordered Balaam to curse the Israelites, God commanded him to bless them instead. The outcome was inevitable. Balaam ended up blessing the people of Israel as He was unable to go against God’s commands. When King Balak saw the turn of events, he was totally perplexed and filled with fear.
If the blessings of the Lord rests on someone, Satan cannot speak or bring to pass any of the evil curses he proposes to target them with. So also the blessings of the Lord cannot be nullified or reverted by the enemy.
2. The arrows of deceitful words
We read in Jeremiah 9:8, “Their tongue is a deadly arrow; it speaks deceitfully; with his mouth each speaks peace to his neighbor, but in his heart he plans an ambush for him.” (ESV)
This kind of arrow is the words of deceit that people practice. This refers to those who speak peaceably in the presence of the person and once their back is turned they will speak ill of them. When this sort of news reaches our ears we may be shocked that it came from those whom we thought were so kind to us. The Lord is able to protect us from such arrows of deceitful speech and there is no reason for us to be fearful of them for God has promised to be our shield.
Absalom deceives his father
We read in 2 Samuel 15:7, “And after forty years, Absalom said to king David: Let me go, and pay my vows which I have vowed to the Lord in Hebron.” (DRB)
David was the King of Israel. David’s son Absalom came to meet his father David and placed a request before him. He informed David that he had made a vow to the Lord which he was obligated to fulfill by going over to Hebron. David was so impressed by Absalom’s request that he readily granted him permission to do so.
If our children sought our permission to go to a prayer meeting or a camp, we too as parents would be delighted to send them, just like David did.
This was David’s reply as recorded in 2 Samuel 15:9-10, “And king David said to him: Go in peace. And he arose, and went to Hebron. And Absalom sent spies into all the tribes of Israel, saying: As soon as you shall hear the sound of the trumpet, say ye: Absalom reigneth in Hebron. (DRB)
David completely trusted his son Absalom and sent him with his blessings to Hebron. However, Absalom had an evil plot to take over the throne from his father David. Absalom sent out spies into all the tribes of Israel with the intention to elevate himself to be the king in the place of his father David. Behind his act of piety was a wicked scheme to overthrow his father David. Absalom took over the throne and David had to flee from his palace. However this was only for a really brief period, for soon Absalom lost all that he plotted and schemed to achieve.
There are those who like Absalom appear godly on the outside but their lives will be in complete contradiction to the faith they profess.
This incident is also a warning to children that they need to be truthful with their parents. It is good to say things as they are. Instead if they tell lies or use deceit to escape a situation, the ones to face the consequence are not parents but children themselves.
We read in 2 Timothy 3:5, “they will hold to the outward form of our religion, but reject its real power. Keep away from such people.” (GNB)
In the above mentioned verse Paul cautions young Timothy that there will be those who will appear very religious on the outside but will be totally lacking in the real power and that he should stay away from such people.
If we are to assess as to who is a godly person they will be proper in all areas of their lives. They will be upright in all their relationships, with no deceit in their speech. They will have integrity in handling finances. Sadly, there are many believers too who borrow money from others promising that they would repay them on a certain date, but neither give back the loan and don’t even inform the concerned person of their inability to do so. This is certainly not a mark of a godly person. So also in relating with the opposite gender, a godly person should be a good example. Our godliness should not be a cover up. There are many believers whose work table at office will portray that they are godly people, but their dealings will be in total contradiction to what they profess. We must constantly be reminded that godliness is not just an outward form but it is should be evident in our day to day lives as the way we actually live.
It is strange that there is so much of talk about social distancing these days, but this was the admonition Paul gave to Timothy way back then that he should stay away from those whose words and deeds don’t match. We must be careful to not associate with such people, who are unable to keep up their words or at least inform us that they are not able to do so.
The New Testament talks about a man who had two sons. The younger son demanded for his share of property only because he did not respect his father. As children we must always learn to honor our parents for if we do not do so, our future will be uncertain. Honoring one’s parents is different from obeying. Honoring is to esteem our parents and place them in high regard. Our parents may be economically backward, or not as educated as we are, but the commandment of God stands that we honor them anyways.
3. The arrows of betrayal
Ahithophel betrays David
As David fled from his palace into hiding, Ahitophel who was one of the most trusted advisors and a wise counsellor to David chose to switch sides and went along with Absalom. If there is a term that can be used for what Ahitophel did it was treachery. Ahitophel promised Absalom that he would be a loyal counsellor to him just as he was to his father David.
When the news of this betrayal reached David, he was not perplexed. We will read the verse below to find out how David dealt with this sort of disloyalty.
We read in 2 Samuel 15:31, When David was told that Ahithophel had joined Absalom's rebellion, he prayed, "Please, LORD, turn Ahithophel's advice into nonsense!" (GNB)
When David heard that Ahitophel had turned traitor, David took the matter up to the Lord immediately. He prayed to the Lord that he should turn Ahitophel’s advice into foolishness. Absalom rebelled against his own father and woefully he had a tragic end. Ahitophel gave advice which was not heeded and in total desperation, Ahitophel appallingly ended his own life.
We may have had such experiences where the ones whom we helped much, those who received numerous blessings through us have turned against us. This kind of betrayal will cause us immense pain and agony. Many people think that we must act in such situations when someone speaks wrongly and get even with them. Every time we encounter these words of betrayal and acts of treason, let us like David take it to the Lord and commit it to Him. The Lord fully understands this perfectly as one of his chosen twelve who was closest to Him, decided to betray Him. As Judas Iscariot left to betray Jesus, the Lord was not perturbed for He knew who He was and the reason for which He had come down to the earth.
Arrows that are aimed at us can be of three types. Words of scorn and curse that Goliath spewed out at David. Deceitful words like the ones Absalom used to cheat his father King David. Words and acts of betrayal like those of Ahitophel to his master King David. David encountered all these arrows, but the Lord delivered him from all of them and He established David’s throne so that David was never shaken.
As God’s children we are to constantly be reminded that when enemy heaps on us words of scorn and curse let us trust God and move on, knowing that He will give us victory. Secondly when words of deceit are spoken against us by those closest to us, instead of being shattered, let us not be dismayed because the Lord heard those words even before we heard them, and He will deal with them. Thirdly, when words of treason are spoken against us, let us go to the Lord in prayer believing that He will overcome and overthrow every treachery that is formed against us. God’s word encourages us that no weapon formed against us will prosper, and we must learn to stand firm in the Lord.
The word of the Lord encourages us that we need not be fearful of any of these arrows that are hurled at us by day. The Lord is our shield and fortress and we can be confident that none of these arrows will harm us in any way, for we are safe in His care and keeping.
Pastor F. Andrew Dixon
