March 27, 2020 – Psalm 91:11-13
Today, we continue our discussion on Psalm 91 by looking at one of the ways our Father will protect us as mentioned in Psalm 91:11-13. It reads:
11 For He will give His angels charge concerning you,
To guard you in all your ways.
12 They will bear you up in their hands,
That you do not strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread upon the lion and cobra,
The young lion and the serpent you will trample down.
– Psalm 91:11-13 (NASB)
Verse 11-12: God has commissioned His angels to care for believers who make God their refuge. Angels protect[1] from physical harm and give believers strength[2] to overcome difficulties, pictured here as wild lions and dangerous snakes (v. 13). Satan, in tempting Christ, quoted 91:11–12 (Matt. 4:6; Luke 4:10-11), which shows that even God’s most marvelous promises can be foolishly applied. Similarly, this reminds us that Satan knows the Scriptures and can twist and turn them in ways that we may not be prepared for.
The negative statements (“no harm … no disaster,” v. 10) have their counterpart in a positive declaration (“he will command his angels … to guard you,” v. 11). The Lord charges His angels with the protection of the believers and of their “dwelling” (v. 10, also translated as “tent”), meaning, all that belongs to them, wherever they may be (“in all your ways,” v. 11). The psalmist explained that no harm or disaster can befall those who have made the Lord their refuge (maḥseh, “shelter from danger”; v. 2; cf. 14:6) because He has commissioned angels to care for them. Instead of experiencing disaster, stumbling, or troubles along the way (“a stone … the lion … the cobra,” vv. 12–13), the angels will lift Christians out of danger and deliver them (cf. Ex 19:4; Isa 63:9 for discussion on angels). Whether our life is long or short, the main thing is that we gain during its existence the gracious and live-giving presence of God, and experience the saving help of the Most High. God does not merely send His servants and messengers to help His children, He also comes to help and deliver the righteous.
Verse 13: The animal imagery of “lion and the cobra” also pictures all kinds of evil that might threaten the coming Messiah referenced in the chapter.[3] We see the Father will protect Him no matter what the danger.
In this life, we will face many terrible things (cf. Job), but so did Jesus, our Lord, and He knows what we go through. God’s children know that nothing is out of His control. They trust their heavenly Father, while they act responsibly. Thus, they do not test the Lord to see to what extent He will deliver them from troubles. Satan tempted Jesus to act sinfully, but Jesus rebuked Satan by correctly responding that humans may not test the Lord (cf. Lk 4:10–12).
Look closely at the phrase, “in all your ways,” in verse 11. This is a reminder that wherever we go and whatever we do, God is there to guard us. The course of our life is subject to many changes and unexpected turns, and who can tell from one day to the next all the storms by which we are liable to be tossed. Except one and that is our God. The phrase “your ways” also is a warning to not make any rash steps or do things against God’s will. This is a call and a reminder to submission and surrender (see Psalm 139 for how God knows everything about us and the issues that we face).
The one who knows God, knows also what they have in God, and what they know of God they will declare under various circumstances at various times. We know that it is not easy to call upon, pray to, thank, and praise God in all times of need, even for the most pious. There are dangers all around us, enemies threatening us from all sides, and the attacks are countless and of many forms; visible and invisible, foreseen and unsuspected, concealed and openly displayed, by day and night (for more on this wording see previous post), in the house and everywhere else, at home and abroad, with violence, cunning, and wickedness, planned and executed for the destruction of many.
During our life and certain seasons of life we are faced with many hindrances to walking a righteous path. These seasons can be filled with a constant danger of sin. In these times, we are not merely dealing with the temptations we can see and on the outside of our “dwelling,” but also have to contend with temptations which arise within ourselves.
We start to battle the isolation in different ways. The lack of community may lead to depression which can cause us to look differently at ourselves. The hurtful words from coworkers and family members are still present. We still have to face those hurts and deal with them. The isolation does not protect us from those. We may seek to find comfort in things we should not. Our eyes and time focus on other things that are not holy.
We begin to believe the quiet temptations. Our view of ourselves begins to change. We listen to the attacks. We are not good enough. No one cares either way. Why would God love us? Why would He care so much for us? The evil attacks subtly, quietly, and unsuspectingly. The war begins and we do not know it, nor are we ready. The words sting and we seek comfort elsewhere. Our eyes are off of God. The first blows of battle begin to show.
Then, the depression gets deeper. The sadness increases. The shows have all been watched. The books have been read. The news has been watched with each fresh alert. The anxiety, worry, stress, and doubt have built inside of us. But it is too late. It has its stronghold. The virus of sin has spread within. The virus of doubt and remorse have caused us to listen to the lies that we do not matter. We are nothing. The lies tell us we are worthless. Nothing will help. Everything has been stripped away. We have believed the lies instead of God.
But no matter how late to the battle we are, we have a Deliverer. A Healer of our sin. A Great and Mighty God to fight our battles. We need divine encouragement to our soul. This brings God’s promises into view and confirms the promises of God’s help, as well as the help He will provide during the actual experience of the trial and tribulation.
The kinds of divine protection are again pointed out in these verses to assure God’s care and all-sufficiency. The benefits and requirements are secondary at this point because the emphasis is on the invitation to seek the Lord.
Piper concludes two things about the suffering of the saints: “One is that often God amazingly delivers them physically when others around them are falling. The other is that God often wills for his children to suffer, but forbids that the suffering hurts them in the end. Such evil will never befall you.”
Christians must take refuge in God’s truth, power, faithfulness, and love. Then, in all types of danger, we can trust in His protection, be guided by His Word, and learn to identify the subtle dangers of temptation (Matt 4:6; Luke 4:10-11). We stand firm in the fearless and confident trust in God, our refuge. We enjoy the shadow of His wings and the refreshment of abiding in Him as our Dwelling place. We contemplate and meditate on the Almighty, who alone knows the duration of our life, and we wait for the coming deliverance.
Spurgeon summarized Psalm 91 well when he said:
It is impossible that any ill should happen to the man who is beloved of the Lord; the most crushing calamities can only shorten his journey and hasten him to his reward. Ill to him is not ill, but only good in a mysterious form. Losses enrich him, sickness is his medicine, reproach is his honor, death is his gain. No evil in the strict sense of the word can happen to him, for everything is overruled for good. Happy is he who is in such a case. He is secure where others are in peril, he lives where others die. (The Treasury of David, Vol. 2, Part 2, 93)
Key Takeaways:
- We will experience trouble, but God is with us
- We will experience calamities, but God is our refuge
- In suffering and pain, we will not depend on ourselves or our power or any of our means, but solely on God.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] More information about angels in this regard can be found in the following verses: Psalm 34:7 (“The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them”); Hebrew 1:14 (“Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?”)
[2] “Tread” in verse 13 is cross-referenced with several other verses along these lines: Judges 14:6; Daniel 6:22; and Luke 10:19.
[3] Earl D. Radmacher, Ronald B. Allen, H. Wayne House, eds., Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Commentary (Nashville: Nelson, 1999), 710