Psalm 91
Okay I’m thowing this out for feedback from my regular viewers. This doesn’t have to do with my time of trials right now, I’m just discussing this topic with a friend.
Is Psalm 91 an absolute promise of protection and blessing from God to the faithful? Is it a semi-promise (be faithful and you’ll be blessed unless I have other plans you then My will trumps all)? Are we only to read it as allegory for spiritual protection? Or is it just ancient poetry?
In reading other’s opinions online some say it is an absolute promise that if we really trust in God then He will protect you from all harm and illness but scripture and experience show that that wasn’t the case with Job, John the Baptist, Paul, all the Martyrs, etc., even Jesus Himself. Some say that it is a promise but very few are able to obtain the spirituality required (like Moses). I don’t know why but that doesn’t sound right either. Others say that we should only interpret it as spiritual protection and blessing but I have to ask, “where do they get that from?” It is clearly talking about the physical realm. Others say it’s just Moses spouting off a prayer and not offering theological truth but they are happy to stake their claims of truth in others Psalms. Are we going to pick and choose, or are we going to throw the whole book out since it’s just religious fluff?
Seeing that Jesus told us Himself that we are to suffer for His name, how does that reconcile with the idea that the most faithful of the faithful are “promised” a long life of protection, blessing, and honor?
July 12th, 2006 at 10:53 pm
I don’t have time for a full treatment, but I’ll offer a few points to get things rolling…
This is a psalm–a form of Hebrew poetry.
In the realm of poetry, it is highly figurative.
Poetry, like parables, uses imagery to express something that is ultimately true, even if not literally true.
To take this psalm at face value (i.e., wooden literally) to lay claim to the promise, we would have to place God physically between our house and the sun so that we could dwell in His shadow. We would then be protected from arrows, pestilence, trappers’ snares, lions, and foot injuries from bumping into stones, which is really a great comfort to me! The absurdity of this type of interpretation is obvious.
The one piece that I conveniently skipped in my list of benefits was “No evil will befall you.” This presents the greatest challenge to the literalistic interpretation because it would stand in contrast with virtually the entire rest of the Bible. If we are going to take god’s Word seriously, we’ve got to deal with such a sweeping statement.
This looks to me like hyperbole used in poetry to express a true point. We will never live completely in the shelter of the Most High, and He will not prevent all evil from falling on us. But the truth is that God is our only refuge from the evil that surrounds us. Ultimately, if we seek His refuge (now revealed in Jesus Christ), He will deliver us from evil.
July 13th, 2006 at 8:58 am
As I was thinking about this I started looking in How To Read The Bible For All Its Worth by Fee & Stuart. It’s mostly about reading Scripture with an eye toward genre — like Eric said, Psalms (and more generally, poetry) has a unique set of rules for interpretation. I highly recommend that book; I unhesitatingly label it a “must-read.”
So my first response is “yeah — what Eric said.”
My second response comes from these verses:
I’ve read about that passage being abused before.
July 13th, 2006 at 9:23 am
One other thought…
We need to keep in mind that this psalm was written in the broader Old Testament context of God’s relationship to the nation of Israel. In that economy, God’s requirements and rewards tended to be more tangible‚Äîdo this particular thing and God will bless you materially or with military victory, don’t do it and you will get whacked by your military rivals. This relationship tends to be shadows of the richness to come with the full revelation of Christ. The book of Hebrews best expresses this general idea. So, even if Moses had a real expectation of earthly reward for following God more closely, ours (in the Church, and not the nation of Israel) is better derived from what the New Testament clearly states about the life of the disciple of Christ.
July 13th, 2006 at 10:44 am
“I‚Äôve read about that passage being abused before.”
I’ve thought about that too but it can be argued that creating situations for God to deal with is much different than things that occur that you have absolutely no control over.
Anyone else? Keep em comin’.
July 13th, 2006 at 1:45 pm
I wouldn’t say that you necessarily have to create the situation for God to deal with it. I think the sin of “putting God to the test” is in play whenever you assume that “X is bad; therefore, if God is real and God is good, then God must act to prevent (or stop) X.”
July 13th, 2006 at 2:38 pm
I was just reading the other night how Shad, Mesh, and Abed were plenty ready to be toasted in Daniel 3.
July 13th, 2006 at 3:36 pm
How about verses 14 and 15:
Hmm…Mr. Literal Psalm Interpreter, please tell me how the righteous can be delivered if he’s not in peril? How can God be “with him in trouble” if this Psalm promises him immunity from trouble? How can he be rescued without first being under siege?
Boom.
July 13th, 2006 at 3:43 pm
Granted but how do you explain when the righteous are in peril but but they are NOT rescued as the Psalm describes?
Bam!
July 13th, 2006 at 3:53 pm
Simply stress this line from verse 15:
No rescue, no deliverance. Just God’s presence in trials. All it takes is this one instance to dispel all possibility of the universal positive promise of protection.
Pow!
*Batman theme plays*
July 13th, 2006 at 3:58 pm
I’ve been watching from the weeds. I say Jeffrey is shooting ducks in a pond.
Back to the weeds.
July 13th, 2006 at 4:07 pm
Yeah, let’s just focus on certain parts of the scripture and pretend other parts¬†don’t exist, that’s the ticket.
Ka-blam!
July 13th, 2006 at 5:05 pm
Like fish in a barrel.
July 15th, 2006 at 6:06 am
David-
I would explain it as a situation where the righteous (Paul in 2Cor 12:7-10) are given something to deal with in order to keep them humble, reliant upon God, and reveling in His all sufficient grace. A life skating through with no trials, which according to Peter we should considering a blessing (1 Pet 3:14), is a life of virtual self-reliance. No trials=Limited dependence on God and a diminished view of His grace and faithfulness.
Kaplooey!!
October 27th, 2006 at 12:24 pm
On Psalm 91 promise.
There is a good book on Psalm 91 called TERROR REST PRAYER it goes verse by verse and explains the orignals words and application.
The key to Psalm 91 isn’t that it is an insurance policy as is. It’s meaning is opening up the possiblity of protection in relationship with the Most High in the secret place.
In the the Terrorist context the aim is to cause Psychological fear in individuals by atrocities. Psalm 91 can break this curse.