The Hiding Place - Psalm 91

The Hiding Place

Much Better than Hitting the Trenches

                               Psalm 91                                  

Quacco Baptist Church, Jan. 19, 2022

 

May God add His blessing to the reading of His holy and inerrant word.

Introduction

David Jeremiah in the prologue to his book, The Book of Signs, published in 2019, which means it was written before that year, writes: . . . there will be more and more disease and devastation. Even today millions of people in the world are being affected by insufficient food, the spread of new diseases, antibiotic resistance, and the devastating effects of natural disasters.

Then along came the end of 2019 and the world famous Coronavirus-19, with the “D” variant a world-wide pandemic & at the beginning of the 3rd year, the “Omicron” variant. Add to this, the mixed, cross messaging of those who are the experts and the leaders.

 I’m not going to speculate on whether you can count this “pandemic” as one of the signs which Jesus spoke of that the world is getting closer to the time of Jacob’s Trouble & His return but look at the reaction that all this is causing within this nation & throughout the world. 

The puritan preacher, Thomas Watson said: “God loves to counterplot politicians; He uses their own wit to undo them and hangs Haman on his own gallows.” You know that is from the book of Esther. 

That’s our political leaders these days. One day they say one thing, the following day another and so it goes that people don’t really know what is what. If you listened to the president’s speech this past Tuesday, instead of addressing the issue of the virus he just rambled on further dividing the nation,

That is causing confusion, fear, depression, panic amongst the people and according to the medical experts, damaging the mental state of the young school children; not just here but world-wide. 

This can lead people, nations, to look for a leader, someone stable, that will come in and fix all this turmoil. Someone who will fix everything & take away their fears. I know all of you here remember the Cuban missile crisis and how close we were to a possible nuclear showdown. Well things will be getting worse and worse so much so that it will reach the point which Jesus described saying, For at that time there will be great tribulation, unmatched from the beginning of the world until now, and never to be seen again. If those days had not been cut short, nobody would be saved. But for the sake of the elect,those days will be cut short. (Matt. 24:21-22).

Just thinking about this makes me nervous. Maybe not so much for myself but for those younger than me, for those not saved, for those young people that have no idea what is about to come.

 Fellowship

Scripture tells us in Hebrews 10: 24-25 - let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. 

This verse disapproves of failure on the part of Christians, to meet with other Christians. The Greek term used here is enkataleipontes, referring to "an abandonment or forsaking according to the NASB." The ESV translated this term as "neglect," since it implies a failure to do something one ought to be doing. In clear terms, Christians have an obligation to fellowship with other Christians. This is not only necessary for discipleship, but so that we can meet each other's needs, and encourage and inspire other Christians in their faith (Hebrews 3:13; Colossians 3:16). I know that y’all look after each other and ask one another about each other.

The Christian life is not meant to be lived in isolation but in fellowship with other believers. For this reason, Hebrews 10:24–25 tells us to “consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” If we hope to grow spiritually and endure for the long haul, we need our brothers and sisters in Christ for encouragement.

Many churches have home study groups; I know Linda and Debbie you also meet with a women’s group study.

Well, the writer of Hebrews observed that many of his readers who professed to be Christians were throwing away their trust in the Lord (Hebrews 10:35). Persecution and hardship may have led some to give up meeting together. The solution was to start meeting together again.

For the past 3 centuries, the Christian Church has been the cornerstone of American life but in the last 4 to 5 decades much has changed. Americans are attending church less. Millennials and younger, are coming of age during a time of great skepticism & cynicism towards institutions, particularly the church. You hear terms like “organized religion” which is just a way of saying your disgust of Christianity in a “politically correct form.” Thinking back I see it as beginning in the early 60s after Kennedy’s assassination and the fiasco of the Vietnam war when distrust of everything was on the rise.- Add to this the broader secularizing of our culture.

The Barna Research Group in their The State of the Church 2016 -  report that almost three-quarters of Americans (73%) say they are a Christian, while (20%) claim no faith at all (that includes atheists and agnostics). Then (6%) identify with faiths like Islam, Buddhism, Judaism or Hinduism, and 1 percent are unsure. Of the 73% I wondered how many are born-again believers in Jesus Christ. Of the 73%, 31% are “practicing Christians” & 41% “non-practicing Christians”, whatever that means. I came up with the CINO’s. Christians In Name Only.

 

Who's fault is it?

Behind all of this lurks the Devil, Satan, the adversary & his minions, who probably is gloating over what is happening in the church. At the pastor’s meeting this past Monday it was discussed that as time progresses in our current situation, not even a “new normal”, whatever that is supposed to be, will be achieved.

The father of lies and confusion, who hasn’t changed his strategy & tactics since the fall, must believe he is gaining ground against Jesus Christ. He may just be saying, trying to put doubt in our minds, “Did Christ really say that the gates of hell will not prevail against His church?” (Matt. 16:18). 

Maybe he’s laughing and saying, look at the church, being defeated. Maybe he’s attempting to do what he tried against Job …

Fear - Depression

The experts, the politicians, the media, are feeding the people nothing but doom & gloom & comjectures, and the elected political leader’s just stand frozen, as if not knowing what to do. If they were leading troops in combat, they would cause the death of those relying on their leadership simply for their inability to exert their efforts in a constructive manner. Remember the evacuation of Afghanistan.  

 As I drive to Savannah from Pooler, I can count a minimum of 6 churches that have been closed, no services, since March 2020.

Where do they fellowship, how are they fed the living word of God? How do they partake of the Lord’s Supper?

Then there’s the unchurched public who are also living under the umbrella of the ever changing unknown…..

Well, from an article by Pastor Leo Giovanetti, of MVCF, San Diego CA. with his permission I quote: Jesus warned his disciples, and therefore us too: "...  Take Heed That No Man Deceive You." Matthew 24:4 (KJV) The book of Revelation says in the last day, God will judge the world for its corruption/sin and the men who have a reputation of being the "Movers & Shakers" (The great men)'

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the national public health agency of the United States. They along with the World Health Organization (WHO), under the direct influence of Dr. Anthony Fauci have been scaring the daylights out of the whole world by declaring that humanity is going to be destroyed unless we listen and do what he is ordering us to do!

What Then Do We Do? Who do we trust? We, Trust God for Assurance; Assurance is given to all those who put their trust in the Lord God -  

That brings us to the heart of the message; Psalm 91, our responsive reading today. Spurgeon says of this Psalm, “In the whole collection there is not a more cheering Psalm, its tone is elevated and sustained throughout, faith is at its best, and speaks nobly.”

Protection, comfort, and care of Yahweh.

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High, *

    abides under the shadow of the Almighty.

He shall say to the LORD,

"You are my refuge and my stronghold, *

    my God in whom I put my trust."

Moses spoke of God as the dwelling place of His people. The opening lines of Psalm 91 seem to take that idea further. “Moses spoke of God as the dwelling-place, the habitation, the home of man. This singer seems to accept that great idea, and then speaks of the most central chamber of the dwelling-place, referring to it as the Secret Place, and describing its complete security.” (Morgan)

ii. Many followers of Jesus Christ know very little of the secret place of the Most High or what it is to abide under His shadow. Many seem to regard this as only a thing for mystics or the super-spiritual. Yet David, if he wrote this, was a warrior and man well acquainted with the realities of life. It is true that the life of the spirit seems to come more easily for some than for others, but there is an aspect of the secret place of the Most High that is for everyone who puts his trust in Him.

iii. Charles Spurgeon says, “Every child of God looks towards the inner sanctuary and the mercy-seat, yet all do not dwell in the most holy place; they run to it at times, and enjoy occasional approaches, but they do not habitually reside in the mysterious presence.” 

            The shadow of the Almighty: “The expression implies great nearness. We must walk very close to a companion, if we would have his shadow fall on us.” (Duncan, cited in Spurgeon)

v. Spurgeon (borrowing from Frances Ridley Havergal) suggested four ways the Scripture speaks of the shadow of the Almighty.

· The shadow of the rock (Isaiah 32:2).

· The shadow of the tree (Song of Solomon 2:3).

· The shadow of His wings (Psalm 63:7).

· The shadow of His hand (Isaiah 49:2).

vi. These first two verses of Psalm 91 use four wonderful titles or names for God:

· Most High: Elyon.

· Almighty: Shadday.

· The LORD: Yahweh.

· My God: Elohay.

b. He is my refuge and my fortress: The one who lives intimately with God knows the greatness of His protection. God Himself becomes like a mighty refuge and fortress for the believer.

i. My refuge: “Have you ever said definitely, ‘O Lord, thou art my refuge’? Running from danger have you sheltered in Him from the windy storm and tempest, from the harrow by day, and pestilence by night, from man and devil?. Do not only think it, but say it.” I recall times when I have run to Him -- (Meyer)

c. My God, in Him I will trust: This close relationship with God and all the benefits that come from it are for those who know Yahweh as God, and who truly trust in Him. As a believer receives His protection, comfort, and care, he trusts God all the more, and increasingly knows Him as God.

i. Spurgeon suggested many different Biblical examples of people who had their own expression of the phrase My God.

· My God is the young convert’s confession (Ruth, as in Ruth 1:16).

· My God is the individual Christian’s belief (Thomas, as in John 20:28).

· My God is the declaration of the believer when opposed (Micaiah, as in 1 Kings 22:14).  “. . . the messenger who went to summon Micaiah said to him, "Behold, the words of the prophets with one accord are favorable to the king. Let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak favorably." 14 But Micaiah said, "As the LORD lives, what the LORD says to me, that I will speak."

· My God is the secret vow of the believer in consecration (Jacob, as in Genesis 32:28-30).

· My God is the deepest comfort to God’s children in great woe (Jesus, as in Matthew 27:46).  Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" that is, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

· My God is the celebration for the victorious believer (Miriam, as in Exodus 15:21).

           

(3-4) How God brings His protection, comfort, and care.

Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler(trapper)

And from the perilous pestilence; [the virus covid]

He shall cover you with His feathers,

And under His wings you shall take refuge;

His truth shall be your shield and buckler.

a. Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler: Now the psalmist describes the specific ways God protects and cares for His people – beginning with rescue from those who would trap God’s people as the fowler snares birds.

i. These are “…metaphors for the plots which would entangle our affairs (Psalm 140:1-5) or compromise our loyalty (Psalm 119:110).” (Kidner)

ii. “We are foolish and weak as poor little birds, and are very apt to be lured to our destruction by cunning foes, but if we dwell near to God, he will see to it that the most skillful deceiver shall not entrap us.” (Spurgeon) –

iii. The devil and his agents often work as the fowler/trapper works: They work in secret, they change the traps and methods; often entice with pleasure or profit; often use a decoy, they trap you with lies and false accusations.

iv. James Boice comments “The most striking feature of this section (and the one following) is the use of the singular you throughout, which is a way of saying that these truths are for each person individually. They are for you if you will truly trust or abide in God.”

b. And from the perilous pestilence: God also protects His people in times of plague and disease. The psalmist, inspired by the Holy Spirit, did not intend this as an absolute promise that every believer would be delivered from every snare or every pestilence. Instead, the idea is that the psalmist could point to many times when God did just that for His trusting people.

i. Again James Boice comments,“This does not mean that those who trust God never die from infectious diseases or suffer from an enemy’s plot. It means those who trust God are habitually delivered from such dangers. What Christian cannot testify to many such deliverances?” Think back to times in your life, even when you weren’t saved ---

ii. “Lord Craven, a Christian, was a nobleman who was living in London when plague ravaged the city in the fifteenth century. In order to escape the spreading pestilence Craven determined to leave the city for his country home, as many of his social standing did. He ordered his coach and baggage made ready. But as he was walking down one of the halls of his home about to enter his carriage, he overheard one of his servants say to another, ‘I suppose by my lord’s quitting London to avoid the plague that his God lives in the country and not in town.’ It was a straightforward and apparently innocent remark. But it struck Lord Craven so deeply that he canceled his journey, saying, ‘My God lives everywhere and can preserve me in town as well as in the country. I will stay where I am.’ So he stayed in London. He helped the plague victims, and he did not catch the disease himself.” (Boice)

iv. “Children of God are not always immune from physical plague and pestilence; but they are ever guarded from destructive spiritual forces as they dwell in the secret place of the Most High.” (Morgan)

c. He shall cover you with His feathers: In a metaphor, God is represented as a bird, sheltering young chicks under His wings –

i. “The mother eagle, spreading her…wing over her eaglets, is a wonderful symbol of the union of power and gentleness.” (Maclaren)

ii. Luther said; “it is faith which maketh thee the little chicken, and Christ the hen; that thou mayest hide, and hope, and hover, and cover under his wings; for there is health in his wings.” (Trapp)

iii. Boice connected Matthew 23:37 to verse 4: “Jesus would have saved and sheltered Jerusalem and its inhabitants, but the people were not willing. They would not come to him. They would not ‘dwell’ in the shelter of the Most High. They cried out for his crucifixion instead.” (Boice) – Today the people curse Him for the way things are.

d. His truth shall be your shield and buckler: God’s protection continue with His truth represented as the smaller, often round shield and the larger, often rectangular shield, the buckler.

i. “As for God’s care, it combines the warm protectiveness of a parent bird with the hard, unyielding strength of armour.” (Kidner)

iii. Boice on buckler: “The Hebrew word signifies something that is wrapped around a person for his or her protection; Police wear a Kevlar vest which covers the chest, the sides and the back. God is a greater protection if you dwell in the secret hiding place.

 Father, we thank you for this Psalm, this Hymn. It challenges us, rebukes us, motivates us, thrills us. Your Word is a never-ending source of treasure and great comfort. Bless it now, we pray, to our hearts and lives for Jesus’ sake. Amen.