Lesson 83 - Senior
Memory Verse
"He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler" (Psalm 91:4).
Cross References
I The Secret of Obtaining God's Care
1. Prayer is necessary " "He shall call upon me," [PS:91:15]; [ACT:2:21].
2. Reading the Word is important " "His truth shall be thy shield," [PS:91:4]; [JOB:23:12]; [PS:119:11].
3. Faith is the victory " "In him will I trust," [PS:92:2]; [1JN:5:4].
4. Continuing in the way is essential " "He that dwelleth . . . ," [PS:91:1]; [MAT:10:22].
II The Positiveness of God's Protection
1. "He shall deliver thee," [PS:91:3].
2. "A thousand shall fall . . . but it shall not come nigh thee," [PS:91:7-8].
3. "He shall give his angels charge over thee," [PS:91:11-12]; [HEB:1:13-14].
III Some Reasons for Joy
1. "Thou shalt not be afraid," [PS:91:5-6]; [2TM:1:7].
2. "There shall no evil befall thee," [PS:91:10].
3. "With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation," [PS:91:16].
4. The godly are victorious -" "Thou shalt tread upon the lion," [PS:91:13].
5. "I will . . . honour him," [PS:91:15].
Notes
The Picture
This Psalm shows God's care for His own. It presents a picture of God gathering His people under His wing as a hen does her chickens. "He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust." Jesus used the same illustration when He spoke of His desire concerning Jerusalem, "How often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!" (Luke 13:34).
In times of trouble many desires the deliverance and protection offered by God, but they are unwilling to meet the terms that are necessary for them to come under His wings. The promises of this Psalm are to those who dwell in the secret place of the Most High. That place is reached through the Blood of Christ. Before a man can dwell in that secret place he must have repented of his sins and have found forgiveness. "He hath known my name," indicates the relationship with God brought only by a born-again experience. "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent" (John 17:3).
Abiding
When one is in the secret place (that is, truly saved) it is necessary to dwell there in order to be heir to the protection offered. As in the picture, a chicken must remain under the hen to be safe, so we must abide under the shadow of His wings. Since the Bible says, "Because thou hast made the LORD . . .thy habitation," we therefore must live continually in the Lord. It is possible to have once been saved and under the divine protection of the Almighty, and then to wander away and be eternally lost. Therefore it is important to continue in the way. Jesus said, "If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed" (John 8:31). God's message through Ezekiel was, "The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression" (Ezekiel 33:12). If you are one of those who have left the shelter of His wings, you are in a dangerous place, for if you die in your sins you will be eternally lost. Return at once to the safety of His care ([EZE:33:11]; [DEU:33:27]).
Prayer
One of the things a Christian does to remain in the Lord is to pray much. "He shall call upon me." Jesus has given us the promise, "And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do" (John 14:13). He also taught us, "Men ought always to pray" (Luke 18:1).
The Word
The dweller in the secret place must rely upon the Word of God for strength and guidance. "His truth shall be thy shield and buckler." When Jesus was tempted of the devil, He turned to the Word. It is standing on the Word of God that has brought many a servant of God through all sorts of seemingly impossible places. A member of a bombing crew in World War II tells of relying upon the promise of this Psalm during 35 missions over Japan. Those promises carried him through heavy flak and protected his from many fighter planes. He arrived home safe even though on one trip a shell exploded only two feet behind him in his compartment.
Faith
"In him will I trust." It takes faith in God to stand firmly upon His promises. Without faith it is impossible to please God. But what great things are wrought by trusting Him! Jesus said to the blind man, "Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole" (Mark 10:52). It is written in the Bible that through faith men of old "subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens" (Hebrews 11:33, 34).
Protection
"Thou shalt not be afraid." What a wonderful promise! Man goes to great lengths to secure himself from the things he fears. He has made many laws and plans to secure himself from poverty in case of accident, illness, and old age. But only in God can freedom from fear be found. Great confidence is given the Christian through the knowledge that "all things work together for good to them that love God" (Romans 8:28). God's protection of His people has been manifest on many occasions. Consider His care for the Children of Israel from Egypt to the Promised Land. "He shall give his angels charge over thee" is an assurance that nothing will happen to the Christian that is not permitted of God. A Christian's hope and treasures are in Heaven, and it matters not whether God sees fit to call him out of this world while young or old. The hope of the wicked is in this world alone, and to meet the "reward of the wicked" is to be eternally lost. Although on occasions the Christian and sinner may die physically on the same battlefield, their reward is vastly different. The soul of the Christian goes immediately to Heaven, while the soul of the sinner is eternally lost in hell.
Victory
"Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder." The Christian is not only protected from attacks of the enemy of his soul but is strengthened to go out and take the offensive as well. Paul could say, "But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (I Corinthians 15:57). The promise of God to Israel was, "One man of you shall chase a thousand" (Joshua 23:10). The promises of material victories to Israel are no greater than the spiritual victories promised God's people today. This triumphant Psalm ends with promises of deliverance, honour, long life, satisfaction, and salvation.
Questions
1. What is meant by dwelling "in the secret place of the most High"?
2. What is meant by "the snare of the fowler," and what spiritual application can you make?
3. What passage of Scripture is similar to verse 7?
4. What is the difference between the "reward of the wicked" and that of the righteous?
5. Who are the guardians of the righteous? What other Scriptures bear this out?
6. Pick out at least three verses that indicate that the promises of this Psalm are for those who are saved?
7. What verse shows faith in God?
8. List all the promises you can find in this Psalm.