Under His Shadow, Pt. 1
In the coming weeks, I plan to examine Psalm 91. This psalm arguably brings together all the promises of protection found in the Bible.
Isn’t it interesting that our emergency number is 911? I wonder if those who established our emergency call number had Psalm 91:1 in mind!
Psalm 91 describes the security and confidence believers can enjoy through their faith in Christ. Psalm 91 is both a prayer and a declaration of trust in God and his promises.
This psalm does not guarantee that believers will lead a carefree life. The purpose of Psalm 91 is to encourage people and persuade them to have total trust in God.1
Consider the “insecurity the Israelites faced. They had no insurance, no welfare, no pension plans. Their livelihood depended on the weather. Their nation, located on the land bridge between Asia and Africa, saw frequent military traffic, which often put their security in jeopardy. Into this frightening world, God speaks the promise of protection in Psalm 91.” 2
God Almighty
Verse 1 of Psalm 91 sets the tone for the remainder of this Psalm or Song. This verse, and the entire Psalm, is about shelter and security in God. But it is conditional!
That secret place is found in the Lord, in His nature and character: His righteousness, peace, and joy, along with His love and grace. These elements are the essence of His kingdom.
But how do we dwell in the secret place, the shelter of God? You must go to the shelter! That shelter is Jesus Christ. You must abide in Him and walk with Him as a follower, a disciple.
Verse 1 reads:
1 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. NKJV
The phrase “sit enthroned” could also be translated or “He who dwells, or “O, you who sits enthroned.” The Hebrew word used here, yashab, is often associated with one seated as royalty. It is translated in Ezek. 27:8 as “leaders or rulers.”
Consider that in Christ, you are now seated with Him as royalty! You are a royal ambassador, a priest, and a king for God. You sit enthroned with Him, not as a co-equal with God, but as an adopted son or daughter who is regarded as royalty in Christ. You can be secure and confident in God!
Let’s examine Shaddai (from the Hebrew šadday), which is derived from a Hebrew root word that carries many expressive meanings. Shaddai, or El Shaddai, is the eighth name that God has attributed to Himself.
Thus, Shaddai or El-Shaddai can mean “God Almighty,” “God of the Mountain,” “The God Who is Enough,” “The One Who is Self-Sufficient,” “God the Destroyer of Enemies,” and “The All-Powerful.” Shaddai represents God as our source of all blessings, power, and deliverance.
Shaddai first appears in Genesis 17:1, “When Abram was 99 years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am El Shaddai. Walk with me and be trustworthy.” CEB.
This passage relates to the promise of the birth of Isaac, and God changes his name from Abram (exalted father) to Abraham (father of a multitude). God also confirms his covenant with Abraham.
Later in Exodus 6:3 “I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty (or El-Shaddai), but by My name the Lord (or Yahweh or Jehovah) I was not known to them.” NKJV
God revealed himself as El-Shaddai in situations where people are hard-pressed and need assurance. In Genesis 28:3, Isaac asks El-Shaddai to bless Jacob as he goes to obtain a wife. In Genesis 35:11, El-Shaddai reaffirms the Abrahamic covenant with Jacob and affirms his new name, Israel, just prior to Rachel’s death. In Genesis 49:25, Jacob blesses his son Joseph before his death.
A simple definition of El-Shaddai could be, “He is the mighty God who can do for us what we cannot do for ourselves.”
You sit enthroned with El-Shaddai as His beloved child and royal ambassador! You are abiding in Him, His authority and might. What do you need Him to do for you in this season?
Verse 2 of Psalm 91 reveals that God is our stronghold and shelter, our great confidence:
2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust. NKJV
Do you notice how verses 1 and 2 are connected? In verse 2, we are called to acknowledge the Lord, to say or confess that He is our refuge and fortress!
Jesus stated that if we have faith as small as a mustard seed, we can tell the mountain to be picked up and thrown into the sea. There are times when we should simply speak aloud, even recite to the Lord, the truth of who He is and what His word says.
We are called to trust the Lord. And we need to confidently declare our trust in Him!
A worship song reflects on God’s care and our confidence in Him, stating, “My confidence is your faithfulness…” (from Yes and Amen, Housefires).
He is the hope that sustains me. As Paul would say, “Now abide these three: faith, hope, and love.” It is essential to cling to hope and allow God to be our shelter and confidence. Trusting God in times of uncertainty preserves hope—a joyful expectation of good.
Consider Proverbs 3: 5-6:
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. NKJV
Amid challenges and uncertainty, our confidence remains in El-Shaddai, the Almighty God who can do for me (or you) what I cannot do for myself! That’s good news! In today’s vernacular, “God’s got this; trust Him confidently, people!”
He Shall Deliver Us
3 Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence. NKJV
Do you see the promise? He will rescue you from every hidden trap of the enemy, protecting you from false accusations and every curse spoken. Satan is the accuser of the brethren; recognize we aren’t wrestling with flesh and blood but spiritual powers that use words through others to attempt to tear us down and destroy us
James said the tongue could be used to bless and to curse. Proverbs tells us that life and death are in the power of the tongue. Have you ever spoken something to someone and you knew it blessed them?
Conversely, have you ever spoken to something to someone and knew that was wrong? Worse, it may have been from the enemy.
Notice that verse 3 speaks of how God will also deliver us from the perilous pestilence. Pestilence isn’t grasshoppers or locusts destroying crops or a disease affecting livestock. Rather, pestilence is defined as any virulent or fatal disease, an epidemic that strikes large numbers of people.
Therefore, verse 3 speaks of how the enemy will assault from the spiritual and physical domains. But God promises to deliver His people who trust remain in and trust Him.
Sheltering Wings
4 He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler. NKJV
You can run under his covering; some translations say wings or arms, which speaks not of God having wings but of the wings of the cherubim resting on the mercy seat. The implication is that we can always come to the mercy seat and rest without fear.
Aren’t you glad His mercies are new every day? Jesus has done this for us; He has become our mercy seat. He is mercy, grace, and love to all of us—even those who don’t deserve it!
His truth is our shield and buckler. Truth is the strength of God’s shield over us. God’s truth is ratified in the blood of Jesus! Just like the children of Israel were protected from the destroyer because of the blood of the Passover lamb on their lintels (Exodus 12:23), we are protected (shielded) by the blood of Christ.
As Paul stated in Ephesians 6:16, we are to use our shield of faith to quench the attacks and lies of the enemy.
But what is a buckler, or bulwark, or tower? Think in military terms. It is a high, protected point on a ship or a wall, used to observe the enemy’s advance and to safely counterattack. Therefore, God’s truth serves as both our shield and tower against the enemy. As we remain in the Lord and His truth, we are protected!
Do Not Fear
5 You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day,6 Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday. NKJV
Jesus, throughout the scriptures, tells us to “fear not!” Yet, we often succumb to fear. The enemy tries to lead us into fear, especially during the night. Fear arises, whether night or day, when we believe we are responsible for our own protection. No, we trust in the Lord; He is our protector!
Verses 5–6 are seen by many Jewish scholars as a reference not merely to pestilence and natural dangers but to the realm of spiritual darkness that would come against God’s servants. These spirits are equated to “arrows that fly in the daytime” or “a pestilence that walks” in the darkness. God’s sheltered ones are kept from the harm that could come from natural sources or supernatural sources.
Jewish teachers recommended Psalm 91 for repelling demons. Both Jewish and Christian mystics believe it’s in the night season that most demonic assault occurs. Psalm 91 was also used to discourage God’s people from the practice of witchcraft, but rather to trust in God, El-Shaddai.
If we find ourselves afraid of the terror by night, it is a barometer—the solution is to get closer to Jesus and trust Him! We walk by faith, not by sight! (2 Cor. 5:7)
I’ll continue next week with this important Psalm of protection!
FootNotes
1 Willem S. Prinsloo, “The Psalms,” in Eerdmans Commentary on the Bible, ed. James D. G. Dunn and John W. Rogerson (Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2003), 409.
2 Stephen J. Lennox, Psalms: A Bible Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition (Indianapolis, IN: Wesleyan Publishing House, 1999), 281.
