You’re Safe in the Secret Place

Psalms 91:1-11

¹ He who dwells in the shelter (secret place) of the Most High
    will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.

If we make God our habitation meaning we live a life of constant communion with him and we run to Him as our refuge, totally relying on His protection then we won’t be disappointed, but we shall find a quiet and safe resting place under His divine care.

Bible scholars believe this scripture references the ark of the covenant.  The ark of the covenant was a man-made box covered with pure gold which contained the glory of God perhaps just a glimpse of God’s gloryas all of God cannot be contained in a box. 

The ark was located in the inner most part of the tabernacle called the Holy of Holies which is also known as the Most Holy Place.  After the temple was built it resided in the innermost part of the temple.

The Holy of Holies was a sacred placein which only the High priest could enter, and could only do so once a year, during Yom Kippur (day of atonement) to offer the blood of sacrifices and incense.

Overshadowing the arkof the covenant were two cherubim facing each other on opposite ends. Their wings were outstretched towards each other “overshadowing”the ark of the covenant. These Cherubim were affixed to a pure gold-plated lid which was also known as the mercy seat.

It was upon this mercy seat that Yahweh, one of the sacred names given to God, would appear.

The psalmist rightfully concludes those who dwell in the shelter of the most High will abide in the shadow of the almighty.

The ark of the covenant, which is an earthen vessel, abided in the tabernacle.  The tabernacle was a tentwhich could also be considered a shelter. The ark of the covenant was in the shadows of the Shekhinah glory of God when He manifested Himself above the mercy seat.

The ark always remained in the Holy of Holies.

The Ark itself is an inanimate object but nonetheless it is an earthen vessel which was in the shadow of Glory of God.  What would it say if it could talk?

Like the ark, we are earthen vessels.  The Lord formed us out of dirt and breathed His breath of life into our lungs.  Because of what Christ has done for us on the cross, His presence is living and abiding in us.  We are carriers of His presence.  We are like the ark. 

The psalmist instructs us that it would be to our benefit if we made the Lord our habitation.  Oh, that we would run to His tent or shelter of protection, oh that we would make our habitation in the presence of our God.  So that in due time we too would experience His gloryin our lives.

I would also like to point out that if we do not make the Lord our habitation, those same promises of protection and provision are not ours to hope in.  If you find that your life is just spinning out of control you must question whether or not you have been making the Lord your habitation, have you been in constant communion with Him?

² I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,
    my God, in whom I trust.”

It is only after you have made the Lord your habitation that you could have confidence in Him as yourrefuge and your fortress.  The ungodly do not have this same hope. 

The ungodly will make materialist things their refuge. Perhaps they put their trust in their money, or in their ability to earn money, fame, status, their education, possessions, substances such a drugs or alcohol, maybe their trust is in a system or some other thing that is not God.

People will make all sorts of things (truck) their refuge. These will all turn out to be a refuge of lies. It will not save them, nor protect them, it will not bring peace, joy or satisfaction.  (Personal story about mother’s prayers)

Any refuge apart from God is no refuge at all.  Rather we are to live in close fellowship to God and put our trust in Him as our refuge and source of strength.  As we do we will find him to be a refuge and a fortress who will never fail us.

• Refuge: from rain, storm, or danger, falsehood
• Fortress: castle, defense, strong hold

Whether we experience minor things like rainstorm sin our lives, which are basically just inconvenient, or we need Him to be a fortress and a defense against our enemies, He is all sufficient to provide protection for those who have dwelt in the secret place.

³ For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler
    and from the deadly pestilence.

You’re Safe from Satan’s Attacks

Fowlers were those who hunted and trapped wild birds. They would use many different tactics in order to catch their prey. Once the bird was trapped then it lost its freedom and ability to move about and was now the sole property of it’s capturer. 

Spiritually speaking, we are like the wild birds and satan our adversary is like thehunter or trapper.  He uses various methods and tactics to trap us in sin with the intent of robbing us from our freedom bringing ultimate destructionto our lives.

For those who have made the Lord their secret place and have abided in close fellowship with Him have the assurance that the Lord will protect youfrom such schemes of the enemy.  The Lord will protect you even from those things that are unknown to you.

You’re Safe from the Elements(times of trouble)

⁴ He will cover you with his pinions,
    and under his wings you will find refuge;

Another reference to wings is made here.  He talks about the Lord covering you with His pinions.This is figuratively speaking of course. 

Pinions are large stiff feathers of a bird's wing or tail that are necessary for flight.  Besides pinions, birds have many different feathers which serve many different purposes such as insulation, waterproofing, camouflage, protection.

I watched a video of a mother eagle protecting its young during a snowstorm. You can tell that she was discomforted by the wind and cold, but she did not move from her post. Her concern was that her babies were warmed by the insulation she provided through her feathers.  Her feathers had protected her babies from the elements. 

When one of her little ones tried to go exploring, the mother eagle tucks the baby eagleback underneath its wings, because that is where it was safe. 

Just as that mother eagle protected her eagletsand covered them with her wings when they are endangered, The Lord will be your covering or your protectorin times of trouble.  He will also keep you from wandering off from His protection.

Besides being protector, He is also instructor.  Imagine someone who is older and wiser who takes someone else who is less experienced and puts them “under their wings”and begins to show them the ropes.

If the inexperienced person yields to the advice given, he/she can become just as great their instructor.

The Lord will be the one who “takes us under His wings” and will lead us and guides us into godly living.

He is a faithful guide and protector to those who find themselves in the secret place.

It is because of His undeserving lovingkindness and His proven faithfulness that we can place our total trust in Him to be our refuge.

You’re Safe While Fighting

^4bhis faithfulness is a shield and buckler.

The Israelites used two kinds of shields—a large one which covered the whole body and was carried by the heavy-armed infantry, and a small, easily managed one, carried by the light-armed troops also known as a buckler. (picture of shield & buckler)

The Lord’s faithfulness will surround you like one of those large shields which enclose the entire body during a fight.  which will keep you protected from the arrows of the enemy.  He will also be a buckler to you, which was a smaller shield used to protect the sword carrying hand.  The buckler was a much smaller and lighter shield than a normal shield which allowed more maneuverability for the combatant during a fight.

Which implies there will be seasons when you’re fully protectedby the Lord’s armor and there will be seasons when you will have to fight with Him as your Buckler.  But even if you must fight you can rest assured that He is with you. He is your buckler.

⁵ You will not fear the terror of the night,
    nor the arrow that flies by day,

You’re Safe from Fear

When we lay our head to rest, some of the terrors we face are mostly things that we imagine in our minds. Things like thieves and robbers, winds and storms, devils and demons, monsters and other objects from our imaginations.

For those of us who dwell in the secret place have no need to fear or worry about dangers that are around us.  We do not have to fear satan nor his demons though they are real and are actively bringing havoc in the world. But we do not need to fear them or any of their schemes.  Our God is greater and more powerful than the enemy, and He is our protector from fear and worry.

You don’t have to live a life that is tormented by fear.  It is one thing to have a healthy fear of touching a live power line.  You should have a healthy fear of it. That fear will keep you safe and keep you alive. 

However, it is a demonic attack on your life if you are being tormented by fear. This kind of fear keeps you from doing anything, either for the Lord or doing anything in general.  That is an unhealthy fear.  It is a fear that needs to be dispelled by finding yourself in the secret place or in the shelter of the most High.  

⁶ nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
    nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.

You don’t have to fear the pestilence or diseases that lurks about.  I’m not saying that diseases won’t come to you as a child of God. 

Sadly, some preachers will preach that as a child of God nothing bad will happen to you, but this sort of teaching does not equip a person when something bad does happen. Many will then put the blame on the individual who is suffering saying that it is because of some sin problem or lack of faith that this person is sick or afflicted. 

But Job was a righteous man who was full of faith and yet God allowed satan to affict his family, possessions even his own body. Ultimately is was to test Job’s faithfulness, and to establish his character.  God later gave Job everything he lost and some.

To some He is a shield which completely encompasses and protects their health and to others He is a buckler who will accompany them during their fight. Regardless, the psalmist would encourage us all that we do not need to fear.

⁷ A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand,
    but it will not come near you.

This verse would imply, though death is all aroundus, though people near you die from pestilence or diseaseand you risk being infectedby that disease and though people die at you right hand meaning those who are close to you, even still as a person who dwells in the shelter of the Most High does not have to fear death the way an unbeliever does.

The promise that we have as believers is that when we are absent from our physical bodies, that we will be present with the Lord Almighty.

⁸ You will only look with your eyes
    and see the recompense of the wicked.

One day we will see the Lord execute His righteous judgements over all those who have committed evil, even evil committed toward us. You will see it with your eyes, but the flames of hell will not harm you.  For He is your shield and your buckler.

⁹ Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place—
    the Most High, who is my refuge—

This is key to His protection over you in this life and in the life to come.  If we make Him our dwelling place, just as the ark dwelt in the Holy of Holies, then we will experience Him as our protector, rescuer, deliverer, righteous judge.

He is not just a refuge when things go bad, but He is to be our dwelling place. The place in which we rely for strength and refuge on a daily basis.

This is the promise to those who make the Lord their dwelling place:

¹⁰ no evil shall be allowed to befall you,
    no plague come near your tent.

¹¹ For he will command his angels concerning you
    to guard you in all your ways.