Psalm 91-A Fresh Commentary. The Secret Place of The Most High Revealed.
Why Psalm 91 is so Powerful
Book of Tehillim (Psalm 91):
91:1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High
shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
91:2 I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my
fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
91:3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the
fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
91:4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his
wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
91:5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor
for the arrow that flieth by day;
91:6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor
for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.
91:7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at
thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.
91:8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the
reward of the wicked.
91:9 Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge,
even the most High, thy habitation;
91:10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any
plague come nigh thy dwelling.
91:11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep
thee in all thy ways.
91:12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash
thy foot against a stone.
91:13 Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young
lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.
91:15 He shall call
upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver
him, and honour him.
91:16 With long
life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.
Origin of
Psalm 91
It is argued that this Psalm was first composed and spoken by Moses the servant of the Lord as he ascended Mt. Sinai into the cloud to talk to God. Then David by the Spirit of the Lord wrote it down.
Psalm 91 as is used;
In Judaism, Psalm 91 is prominent in their Jewish
liturgy and ritual. It is recited during many feasts and occasions. It is also
recited after the nightly Bedtime Shema. In each of these prayers, verse
16 is said twice. The doubling of the verse is believed to complete the
spelling of a name of God.
Further, Psalm 91 is recited seven times during burial
ceremonies. Sometimes, specific verses are used, like Verse 11 of the psalm
which is recited after the liturgical poem Shalom Aleichem at
the Friday night meal.
Psalm 91 was found to have been included as one of the
"Four Psalms Against Demons" in Dead Sea Scroll 11QapocrPs,
the other three psalms being previously unknown, which are thought to have been
used by the Qumran community for exorcisms.
Generally, Psalm 91 is often recited as a prayer for
protection by many Christians. Some say it before embarking on a
journey. Verses 11 and 12 are quoted by the devil during
the temptation of Christ in Matthew
4:6 and Luke 4:10–11. Verse 13 is quoted in Luke 10:19.
These beliefs are okay, but newer and fresher revelations of this Psalm keep coming. Notice that there are instances in the Psalm where the first-person singular is used, followed by the second person, like in verse 9, which commentator Kirkpatrick terms ‘somewhat Perplexing.’ Many other commentators argue that the text is corrupt and ‘amend it’ in their commentary. Many amendments have been made during translation to ensure that the text aligns with common grammar.
However, considering the King James Version, I
would like to submit to all that there is no error in these wordings or the
mixture of the voices; for every one that listens keenly will hear two distinct
voices in this Psalm and both are addressing either one another or humanity.
It is written in John 10:5,27...that my sheep hear my
voice and the voice of a stranger they will not follow. Therefore, every
believer should be able to hear the voice of the great shepherd in this Psalm
and voice it out against the powers of darkness from understanding. We all can
draw a lot of virtue from this Psalm to help us in times of need, but first we
need to know who is speaking, what he is saying, and to whom.
A look at
the text verse by verse. (Understand who is speaking, and to whom)
91:1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most
High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
These words are spoken by Jesus, the Son of God, as a statement of fact. This is sure and unchanging for all eternity. It is open for anyone to hear and believe.
Unpacking the Secret Place of the Most High
- To dwell is to: live in or reside at a specified place.
- A secret place is a hideout, an unreachable place. Unreachable because it is unknown or it is considered dangerous territory.
- The Most High is the God and Father of all existence
So, who, what, and where is the secret place of the Most High?
The secret place of the Most High is the very person of Jesus Christ. To understand how Jesus is the Secret Place, we can begin by viewing the secret place in the context of a physical place and a spiritual reality. A physical place because we believe that God has a dwelling place called Heaven and He has a throne where He sits, and that His resurrected Son Jesus is seated on His right Hand on the Throne.
As we are about to find out, our redeemed souls are seated where Christ is…They dwell or live in that physical Heavenly place because they are in Christ. Whosoever dwells in this place abides under the shadow of the Almighty, for no power can ever get anywhere near him.
Jesus, the secret place as a spiritual reality
Whenever a person receives Jesus Christ as their saviour, a series of events in the spiritual realm take place. We know that to receive the forgiveness of sin, one must bring blood. Thus, the believer does that by identifying with the death of Jesus as their sacrificial lamb through baptism.
During baptism, they die (to the law) and resurrect with Christ, so as to be married to another.
Romans 7:4 Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.
Thereafter, their clean/virgin Soul is attached/married to Christ in the Bridal Chamber so that it (The virgin soul) becomes unavailable in the spirit for any unclean thing to attach to it/defile it.
This soul now becomes hidden in Christ from all the powers of darkness, and as we know, Christ never exists alone. He is hidden in God! Therefore, whosoever is hidden in Christ, with Christ hidden in God, dwells in the secret place of the Most High.
Colossians 3:3 (KJV)For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
Consider that the final habitation of this soul is in God Himself. A place where no unclean thing can ever reach. This is why the believer is said to be seated in heavenly places in Christ. For where Christ is, there they are in him.
Ephesians 2:6-9 (KJV) 6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
It is generally true that the secret place of the Most High is God himself. The reality of the Triune God plays out here, where the Holy Spirit of God convicts a sinner of their sin and leads them to Christ. Christ then saves the sinner, and hides him inside the Father, where He (Christ) and the Holy Spirit dwell, for GOD IS ONE. Anyone who has not believed and received Jesus for the salvation of their soul is outside of this eternal and powerful covering. All creation is invited back into the Secret Place of the Most High for them to abide under the shadow of the Almighty!
Ps. This spiritual reality of dwelling in the secret place of the Most High precedes what is to come- the physical existence of those who have believed, dwelling in their glorified bodies in Heaven with Christ as explained in John 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
Continuing to divide Psalm 91,
91:2 I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
Here, Jesus is speaking of himself concerning his trust in the Father. He asserts his position in the Father wherein he is hidden.
91:3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
91:4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
91:5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
91:6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.
91:7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.
91:8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.
From verse 3-8, Jesus is addressing all creation that has taken refuge in him. After he has asserted that he is in the Father, and under his protection, he assures us that have believed and are in him that surely the Father shall protect and deliver us from the evil one on account of him, just as He, (The Father) protects and delivers him. The way that the Father loves and protects His Son, is the same way He will love and protect those who are hidden in His Son.
91:9 Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the Most High, thy habitation;
This verse is very revealing concerning what we have said above. Belief in Jesus Christ of Nazareth is belief in the Father and God of the whole earth for he and the Father are one! Jesus assures us that because we have chosen and made the LORD, The Most High, who happens to be his refuge our habitation or our dwelling place, then he says that we shall enjoy the benefits that follow in verses 10-13.
91:10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.
91:11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
91:12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.
91:13 Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.
The wordings of Jesus, either to himself or to us, end in verse 13. Then enters the reply of the Father unto His only begotten Son Jesus! The Most High assures Jesus that because he (a believing man) has set his love upon HIM (The Most High- through belief in the Salvation plan that He offered, who is Jesus), then He, The Most High, will do the following to such a man:
I WILL:
- deliver him.
- set him on high.
- answer him.
- be with him in trouble.
- deliver him and honour him.
- Satisfy him with Long Life.
- shew him my salvation.
91:14 Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.
91:15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.
91:16 With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.
It is no secret that the Secret Place is a person, Jesus Christ of Nazareth. The reality where you sit in Heavenly places or where you are hid in God the Father, can only happen through belief in Jesus Christ of Nazareth. When you abide in him, and he in you, then you dwell in the secret place of the Most High; therefore, all these benefits that are for those who dwell therein shall accrue to you.
Conclusion
Psalm 91 is a powerful conditional Psalm. It is for the child of the Godhead who has made Him, (The Most High) his habitation through belief in God’s Son Jesus Christ for the salvation of their souls. Who continuously does the will of God and keeps His commandments.
It is for those who are seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, all the while hidden in God the Father. A place where no evil can penetrate.
Therefore, thou confident believer, thunder this Psalm as often as you can to continually assert your standing in Christ and in God for the promised protection to be released upon you.
Surely these words must come to pass in the lives of those who believe in Jesus Christ, who by so doing dwell in the secret place of the Most High.
Amen.
Get to know the powerful meaning of the word Selah from the Psalms and Habakkuk
Here is a fun Sports Mascots coloring book
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