Key Passage
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress,my God, in whom I trust.” For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his pinions,and under his wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and buckler. Psalm 91 Verses 1-4(ESV)
A LITTLE HISTORY.
This Psalm is probably part of a trilogy of 90-92, written by a worshiper who was convinced of his security and protection in Yahweh. It emphasizes the Supremacy of Yahweh. It is a royal Psalm, possibly written by a king. Some scholars conclude it may have been written by Moses, but more likely by king David. The pestilence that is mentioned in verse three refers to 2 Samuel 24:13-15. It is a hymn which was meant to instruct as well as bring praise.
This Psalm correlates the concept of dwelling in Him with the promise of protection and care in the times of distress and trouble. It is a “premise – promise’ situation. He gives us an action, in this case, to dwell in His presence, and He promises to deliver us, protect us, to give us His peace! I call it a “if _____ then_____ situation. What is the if we______________, then we_____________ in your life?
He protects and delivers not only in times of turmoil, but this is a Psalm for all seasons. It is more than a word of encouragement, but rather a statement of reality for everyday living. To live in the shelter of the Most High is actively in rest and in peace!
This is a Psalm which was written from a point of knowing what Yahweh has done in the past. The Psalmist wrote this from a point of view of knowing He has already done so much for him, knowing that, he can rest in the knowledge Yahweh would again, prove Himself faithful now and forever!
The Almighty Yahweh
His name is referred to Shadday in the Hebrew which means Mighty.Yahweh is also called Most High which according to Strong’s is, “
עֶלְיוֹן ʿelyôwn, el-yone´; from 5927; an elevation, i.e. (adj.) lofty (compar.); as title, the Supreme:—(Most, on) high (-er, -est), upper (-most)
This is the purpose of Dwelling!
It is living with purpose of abiding in Him! As we have studied before, abide is a key focus of discipleship. To live in relationship, under His covering, we are told to abide. Ever notice that the LORD brings to our hearts and minds what He wants to get through to us by bringing it around over and over? He knows repetition is the best way to get through to our hearts? Psalm 91 focuses on another aspect of what it means to abide.
“lîyn, leen; a prim. root; to stop (usually over night); by impl. to stay permanently; hence (in a bad sense) to be obstinate (espec. in words, to complain):—abide (all night), continue, dwell, endure, grudge, be left, lie all night, (cause to) lodge (all night, in, -ing, this night), (make to) murmur, remain, tarry (all night, that night).Continue to dwell. To STAY. We’re being truly encouraged to stay right now. Endure, Remain, Tarry”
…We are in the middle of some difficult days. Uncertain times are in front of us. IT is frightening! Yet, we can know we are secure if we are OBEDIENT to abide.See, when something it brought up more then once in the Word, it declares it’s importance. God is repeating what He is teaching us and I dare say, declaring us to do! To take shelter, to stay close, and to dwell.
How are you dwelling in His presence today?
What does it look like to you to dwell in His presence?
Shelter
Yahweh is described as our Shelter and our Refuge. He is like a Mountain and we are called to live in the Shadow. It gives a word picture of shade, protection from the blistering heat, and protection from disasters which come from the extreme weather. He is our Refuge. In this life, we will have trials and tribulations, but He promises as a statement of His character, that He will provide for us in the midst of it all.
I also want to encourage you to Speak It! Speak it out loud, just as the Psalmist wrote, declare that He is our Shelter, Our Refuge! Speak His Truth OUTLOUD! I am not a blab it and grab it person, but there is something that happens in our spirit when we hear His truth and the enemy hears it too!To take refuge in this passage is a declaration and a statement of the past doings of Yahweh. Living under the shelter of His Wing is a reference for living in the security of the Supreme One. Think of hens with their chicks. The hen will cover her babies under her wing to warm them, to protect and nurture them.
How is He displaying Himself as your Refuge?
For He will Deliver..
To deliver means in the Hebrew
נָצַל nâtsal, naw-tsal´; a prim. root; to snatch away, whether in a good or a bad sense:—× at all, defend, deliver (self), escape, × without fail, part, pluck, preserve, recover, rescue, rid, save, spoil, strip, × surely, take (out).
He will deliver us, WITHOUT FAIL! He will preserve us! This is so reassuring! In such an uncertain time, we can and should be fully convinced that He will preserve us!Being Covered. By His Shield and Buckler. We are safe!
Take time to look up these Cross References
- Psalm 119:114
- Psalm 27:5
- Psalm 9:10
- Deuteronomy 32
- Psalm 17:8
- Psalm 34:7
- Psalm 18:2
Questions
- Does Yahweh’s protection mean we won’t suffer and go through trials? Why does God allow suffering? What does He promise in times of difficulty?
- What is one thing you can implement each day this week to make this a more intentional way of living.. Abiding in Him?
- What do you need deliverance and/or protection from? How can we pray?
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