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Tag: 91st Psalm

Give his angels charge over you

Written by LWOM Amsterdam on . Posted in Psalms, What’s new?.

What does it mean that He will give his angels charge over you? (Psalm 91:11)?

Angels are spiritual beings who assist God. One task assigned to angels is to carry out God’s sovereign protection over humans. In a time of crisis, the psalmist was assured:

For He [Yahweh] shall give His angels charge over you,
To keep you in all your ways.
In their hands they shall bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone
(Psalm 91:11–12, NKJV).

The phrase give charge over in Psalm 91:11 is a rendering of a Hebrew verb meaning “to command, give an order, or charge someone to do something.” The New Living Translation states, “For he will order his angels to protect you wherever you go.” The New International Version reads, “For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.” God is the One commanding protection; the angels are merely His agents to carry it out.

When the devil tempted Jesus in the wilderness, he misquoted this verse (leaving out the words in all your ways): “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’ and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone’” (Matthew 4:6, NKJV).

The patriarchs and prophets of the Old Testament recognized God’s supreme guidance and protection as He gave angels charge over them wherever they went (Genesis 19:15; 24:7; 32:1; 48:16; 2 Kings 6:17; Isaiah 63:9). When He shut the mouths of lions and safeguarded men from fiery flames, even ungodly kings like Nebuchadnezzar and Darius acknowledged that the God of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego gives His angels orders to protect and rescue those who trust in Him (Daniel 3:28; 6:22).

In the New Testament, God’s sovereign protection and guidance through angels continues (Matthew 18:10; Acts 8:26). While caught in a violent storm at sea, on the brink of shipwreck, the apostle Paul was visited by an angel who reassured him of God’s protection. Paul told the men onboard, “But take courage! None of you will lose your lives, even though the ship will go down. For last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me, and he said, ‘Don’t be afraid, Paul, for you will surely stand trial before Caesar! What’s more, God in his goodness has granted safety to everyone sailing with you.’ So take courage! For I believe God. It will be just as he said” (Acts 27:22–25, NLT).

After Peter and the apostles were imprisoned for preaching the gospel, God commanded His angel to deliver them back to the task of saving souls: “An angel of the Lord came at night, opened the gates of the jail, and brought them out. Then [the angel] told them, ‘Go to the Temple and give the people this message of life!’ So at daybreak the apostles entered the Temple, as they were told, and immediately began teaching” (Acts 5:19–21, NLT).

At the time of His arrest, Jesus told the disciples not to resist the soldiers: “Put away your sword,” Jesus ordered them. “Don’t you realize that I could ask my Father for thousands of angels to protect us, and he would send them instantly?” (Matthew 26:52–53, NLT). God gave His angels charge over Jesus to guide and protect Him throughout His life (Matthew 2:13, 19–20; 4:11; Luke 22:43).

The Lord’s faithful servants are under the constant care of angels. God gives them charge over us. Throughout history, He has directed these swift and powerful messengers—“his angels like the winds . . . like the flames of fire” (Hebrews 1:7, NLT)—to deliver His loyal followers from harm (see 1 Kings 19:5–7; Psalm 78:23–25; Acts 12:6–11).

Shadow of the Almighty

Written by LWOM Amsterdam on . Posted in Psalms, What’s new?.

What does it mean to dwell in the “shadow of the Almighty” (Psalm 91:1)?

In one of the most uplifting passages of Scripture, we have this reassurance: “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty” (Psalm 91:1, ESV). To dwell in the shadow of the Almighty is to live under the promise of God’s protection.

The word dwell means “to live in or be an inhabitant of.” Shelter refers to “a hiding place, covering, or protection.” Shadow suggests “shade, comfort, protection, and defense.” And abide means “lodge, live, spend the night.” The language of Psalm 91:1 speaks of someone who is wholly comfortable and accepted into the household and community life of the Most High God.

Most High is a title for God that effectively levels every threat. This name stresses God’s supreme power as the sovereign ruler of the world. Almighty or Shaddai is the name that upheld the wandering patriarchs (Exodus 6:3). As the Almighty, God is fully capable of accomplishing all of His promises.

Dwelling in the shadow of the Almighty is the everyday experience of someone who, although persecuted or threatened by danger, is thoroughly at home in the protection, comfort, and safety of Yahweh, the God of absolute power. This person declares of the Lord: “He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him” (Psalm 91:2, NLT).

Psalm 91 does not provide immunity from life’s threats. It does not promise God’s protection from danger and trouble; it offers the promise of God’s protection amid hardship and peril.

The theme of Psalm 91 focuses a spotlight on absolute trust in God and loyalty to Him. This kind of trust suggests intimate friendship with God. It is this sort of loving relationship that inspires the psalmist to say, “How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings” (Psalm 36:7, ESV). It is the attitude of one who clings to the Lord at all times, saying, “For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock” (Psalm 27:5, ESV).

The person who is always thinking about God and trusting in Him has the Almighty as a constant companion. The Lord stretches His “shadow” or “protective shade” over the man or woman who sets up camp in His presence.

Isaiah 25:4 describes the “shadow of the Almighty” as “a refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy in their distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat.” Psalm 18:2 declares, “The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety” (NLT). “The LORD watches over you—the LORD is your shade at your right hand,” says Psalm 121:5.

Psalm 91 continues, “If you make the LORD your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter, no evil will conquer you; no plague will come near your home. For he will order his angels to protect you wherever you go. They will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone. You will trample upon lions and cobras; you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet! The LORD says, ‘I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name’” (Psalm 91:9–14, NLT). Abiding in God’s presence, we find security, protection, and care. The ultimate victory is ours in Christ.

The “shadow of the Almighty” is like a shade cast by the Lord that marks off a clearly perceived boundary. Those who are covered by the Lord’s boundary line of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ will reside forever in God’s presence. Believers in Jesus are covered by the blood of Christ, which grants full access into the throne room of God’s grace (Hebrews 10:19–22; 13:12; Ephesians 2:13). The Lord’s sacrifice provides salvation and protection that stretches beyond the boundaries of this life (Hebrews 9:12). Only the redeemed of the Lord can securely say, “Let me live forever in your sanctuary, safe beneath the shelter of your wings!” (Psalm 61:4, NLT).

To dwell in the “shadow of the Almighty” is to find complete and eternal rest and safety, no matter what we face in this life, in death, or in the life to come.