Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary
Psalms 91:8

Clarke's Commentary

Verse Psalms 91:8. The reward of the wicked. — Thou shalt not only be safe thyself, but thou shalt see all thy enemies discomfited and cast down.

Bridgeway Bible Commentary

Psalms 9:01God our protector

This psalm appears to have been used in temple worship in a time of danger. A lone singer opens with a statement of the security and protection enjoyed by those who trust in God and live their lives constantly in God’s presence (1-2).
The singer then addresses his remarks directly to such believers. God will protect them from dangers, both seen and unseen, both by day and by night. Neither cruel enemies nor deadly diseases will overcome them. God will guard their lives as a mother bird guards her young and as a soldier guards his fortress (3-6). Others may fall, but those who trust in the Most High will be safe (7-8). Because they have committed themselves to God’s safe-keeping in complete faith, God will direct his angels to watch over them with special care (9-12). They will triumph over the strong and fierce, the cunning and deceitful (13).
Another singer, representing God, adds his blessing. He notes that such believers have a close personal knowledge of God, love him and talk with him; consequently, God will protect, deliver, guide, comfort and honour them. He will give them the blessing of long life by which they can enjoy God’s salvation to the full (14-16).

Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible

EXHORTATION NOT TO FEAR THE PESTILENCE

"Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night, Nor for the arrow that flieth by day; For the pestilence that walketh in darkness; Nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, And ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold, And see the reward of the wicked."

We do not believe all of this paragraph is a reference to the pestilence, `the arrow that flieth by day' being no doubt a reference to warfare.

If Moses was the author of this, as the Rabbinic tradition assures us, then Moses had actually seen instances of such marvelous help of God's people in the midst of abounding misfortunes for the wicked.

For example, the plague of boils was a horrible pestilence upon the Egyptians, as was the plague of the murrain of cattle (Genesis 9); but, "Nothing that belonged to the children of Israel died" (Genesis 9:4). Furthermore, God's victory over Amalek (Exodus 17) and over the Amorites and the Moabites (Numbers 21), provided instances in which God's followers suffered very few casualties and the enemies Were destroyed. Also in Joshua's conquest of Canaan, there were numerous examples of that same providence.

"The pestilence that walketh in darkness… the destruction that wasteth at noonday" Yates pointed out that the Jewish Talmud identified these lines with the night-time demon (Lilith), and the day-time demon (Namtar), "Suggesting that the psalm be used in the case of demonic attacks."Wycliffe Old Testament Commentary, Old Testament, p. 529. Regardless of such opinions, we find no reference whatever here to superstitions like that. Christ indeed cast out demons; and there are many New Testament references to demonic possession, but in all instances where Christ is known and loved, demon-possession seems now to be an utter impossibility. There is much that men do not know about this; and there are instances of human depravity which indeed seem to be demonically induced. Nevertheless, the pestilence and destruction mentioned here are not connected in any way with demons.

Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

Only - That is, This is “all” that will occur to you. The only thing which you have to anticipate is, that you will see how God punishes sinners.

With thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked - Your own eyes shall see it. See the notes at Psalms 37:34. You will see the just punishment of the ungodly, the vicious, the profane, the sensual. You will see what is the proper fruit of their conduct; what is the just expression of the views which God takes of their character. This undoubtedly refers to the general principle that there is a moral government on earth; that vice is often punished as such; that the general course of the divine dealings is such as to show that God is favorable to virtue, and is opposed to vice. The system is not complete here, and there are many things which could not be reconciled with this, if the present world were all, and if there were no future state: but the course of events indicates the general character of the divine administration, and what is the tendency of things. The completion - the actual and perfect adjustment - is reserved for a future state. The facts as they occur on earth prove that there is an attribute of justice in God; the fact that his dealings here are not wholly and fully in accordance with what justice demands, proves that there will be a state where full justice will be done, and where the whole system will be adjusted.

Smith's Bible Commentary

So let's turn to Psalms 91:1-16 that we might begin our Bible study this evening.

Psalms 91:1-16 brings up the question of just where are you living? There is a place that you might live that is surely the most glorious place to live in all the world.

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty ( Psalms 91:1 ).

There's a place that you and I can live, in Christ Jesus. A place of glorious safety, a place of glorious peace, of joy, where I experience God's power and God's protection, God's goodness.

I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge, my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. For surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence ( Psalms 91:2-3 ).

Now in days gone by, bird trapping was quite an art. Without guns to shoot your quail or your dove or your ducks, you'd have to trap them. And so the traps that were set for the birds were called the snares of the fowler. The trap for various game fowl in different types of traps. When you're bringing this over to a spiritual connotation, Satan has set a lot of traps for us. And in a spiritual connotation here, the fowler is actually Satan and you're the one that he's seeking to trap. But surely He will deliver you from every snare that Satan may set for you. "Surely He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the noisome pestilence."

For he shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler ( Psalms 91:4 ).

In the New Testament, in the book of Ephesians we are told concerning putting on the full armor of God. Here in the Old Testament, we find the armor of the Lord, His truth, is a shield to us, a buckler.

Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. Now because ( Psalms 91:5-9 )

Going back, "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High,"

Because you have made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the Most High, your habitation ( Psalms 91:9 );

Or your place of dwelling. If you will but just dwell in Him,

There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone ( Psalms 91:10-12 ).

Now when Jesus was being tempted by Satan, Satan quoted this particular passage of scripture to Him, as he took Him up to the pinnacle of the temple and he suggested that He jump off. For Satan said, "It is written, 'He shall give His angels charge over thee: to keep thee in thy ways, to bear thee up, lest at any time you dash your foot against a stone.' So why don't You jump? See if the angels will hold you up." Jesus said, "It is written again, 'Thou shalt not tempt, or test, the Lord thy God'" ( Matthew 4:6-7 ). You are not to put yourself deliberately in a place of jeopardy just to test the scriptures. It is tragic that every once in a while we read how down in the mountains of Kentucky the cult that is down there that handles rattlesnakes because it says if they take up serpents, they shall not harm them.

Or they test their faith every once in a while by drinking strychnine. But that is not what God means in Mark's gospel when He said, "If they drink any deadly thing it shall not harm them" ( Mark 16:18 ). God never intended for us to just go around and test our faith by deliberately putting ourselves in jeopardy. If the cultist people down there would only read the full body of scripture, rather than taking isolated verses, they would never follow... they would never fall into those kind of unscriptural practices. God has promised that His angels will have charge over thee to keep thee in all thy ways.

In the book of Hebrews, talking of angels, it said, "Are they not all ministering spirits, who have been sent forth to minister unto you who are heirs of salvation?" ( Hebrews 1:14 ) Now there is a vast number of heavenly hosts that are known as angels. These angels have different rankings, categories. There are cherubim, a special class of angels. There is a mention in the scripture of archangels, which seem to be the highest form of angelic being. Michael being an archangel. It is also thought that Gabriel is an archangel, though I do not know that the scripture gives to him that title. But angels of great authority and power. Then there are angels, it would seem, that rank under them in authority.

The New Testament does rank the heavenly beings as principalities, powers, mights, dominions, thrones and authorities. Various rankings of the angelic beings. It's more or less like saying, lieutenants and sergeants and corporals and privates, as far as their having rankings in the angelic realm. Just when the angels were created is not specified in the scriptures. But the angels were created as servants of God, and their duty is that of serving the Lord and of serving those who are following after the Lord. "He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy way. To bear thee up lest at any time you would dash your foot against a stone."

Angels seem to be spirits that are capable of taking on a bodily form. In the Old Testament, many times we find angels taking on a human form. In the New Testament we also found angels taking on human form. When Peter was in prison, the angel came to him and said, "Put your shoes on and follow me." And Peter tied on his sandals and followed the angels as the prison doors opened of their own accord, until the angel let him out into the street. And then the angel left him. And suddenly Peter woke up to the fact that he was free. He thought he was having a vision. But all of a sudden, he feels the chill night air and he says, "Wow, it's not a vision. I'm actually out of that place, you know." And so he headed for the place where the church was meeting and praying for him. Paul the apostle spoke about, "Last night, an angel of the Lord stood by me and he assured me that though the ship is going to be destroyed, there will be no loss of life" ( Acts 27:22-24 ). And he spoke about how the angel had visited him and ministered to him. Of course, we read of the angels ministering to Jesus Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane. And we are told in Hebrews that we ought to be careful to entertain strangers, for it's very possible that you might be entertaining angels without knowing it.

Now there has been a book written recently concerning angels on assignment. And though I do not doubt that angels do visit, can visit; yet there are certain aspects to that book that I find very troubling. I don't want to be guilty of limiting God or judging another man's experiences, except as they measure up to the scriptures. And let the scripture judge. And there are certain things that the angel Gabriel supposedly told Pastor Buck that I do not feel are scriptural. And thus, I have to question in my own mind the validity of the story. I think that Pastor Buck was a very dear man of God, a true servant of the Lord. I do not know but what maybe in his latter years, because of his heart problems that he wasn't getting enough oxygen to the brain. I do not know, but as I say, I have to question a part of the story of the visitation of the angels.

Now, the angels were created by God; they are a created being of God, and it would seem, well not seem, it is true that they were created with a free will, just as you have been created with a free will. And one of the angels exercised his will against God. And in the fourteenth chapter of Isaiah, we read how that Satan, in exercising his will against God, exalting himself over against God, declaring that he would be like God, was cast forth. A fallen angel. There is a hint in the twelfth chapter of the book of Revelation that one-third of the angels went with Satan when he rebelled against the Lord. "The dragon cast forth out of heaven and with his tail, he drew a third part of the stars" ( Revelation 12:3-4 ). And the word stars is a word that is often used for angels.

We do know that there are evil spirits in the world under Satan's guidance and control, as well as the good spirits, the angels of God that are obedient to their first estate. Yet, there are "angels which kept not their first estate, which are reserved in chains awaiting the day of judgment" ( Jude 1:6 ).

Just what are the full characteristics and all of angels, we do not know. It would appear that before the flood, the angels were coming down and involving themselves in physical relationships with women so that giants were born. And these could be the angels to which the scripture refers, those which kept not their first estate and are now being reserved in the chains awaiting the day of judgment.

I am convinced that there are angels that God has assigned to watch over us. I've never seen, to my knowledge, an angel, outside of my wife. I would be less than honest if I would say I wouldn't like to see an angel. I think it'd be a very exciting experience. I think it'd be quite exciting to meet an angel and to know that they were an angel, and to... well, I'd like to meet the angel that's supposed to be guarding me. I'd like to know where he was a few times.

Now let me tell you something. There have been some times when I knew he was there. There were times when there was no way I could have gotten out of it unless the angel of the Lord just had his hand upon my life or upon my car and all. And there are times when I know that the only thing that kept me was the angel of the Lord. I've had some very interesting experiences where I am sure the angel of the Lord was involved in keeping me from things where I was innocently being drawn into some very dangerous areas. Where the angel of the Lord intervened in a marvelous way to keep me from getting into some real trouble.

When I was in high school here in Santa Ana, I saw my dream car on South Main Street. Smitty mufflers, fog lights, dual spots, Buick skirts, little three-window '36 Ford Coupe. Oh man, black, was that thing beautiful. I lusted after that car. And I had a buddy that I was running around with at the time and I had half the money and we were going to go into a partnership on a car. It never would have worked, but we were going to... you know, you want something bad enough you dream all ways to get it. And he had a '36 Ford, but it was, you know, one of those longer kind of things. It just wasn't a pretty one. So he said, "Well, my dad lives up in Glendale, and I have at my dad's house some adding machines and typewriters and I can sell them for enough to get my half for the car. Let's go up to my dad's house." So we went by and saw my mom and I said, "We're going to go up and spend the night in Glendale and at his dad's house. We'll be home tomorrow." And so we took off in his car for Glendale. At that time, Firestone Boulevard was the way into Los Angeles, the three-lane highway. And during the war, gas rationing, and just very few cars on the road at night. You can't... living here now you can't believe how it was then.

We were way out in the country near Buena Park when the motor died on his car. And so we pushed, popped the clutch and everything else. Tried to get the thing going. Pushed it for, oh I guess four or five blocks, and there was a little gas station that was there. And so he said, "I think it's the coil." I mean, "I think it's the condenser or something," and he didn't know anything about mechanics. But anyhow, we went into this service station. Old man in there, and he had a big mean police dog and he wasn't very friendly and didn't have any parts or anything. So we were tired of pushing and so we decided we'd turn the car around, head it back towards Santa Ana. And then we'd wait for a car to come along and we'd flag it and ask him, we'd tell him we're having a hard time getting it started, would they give us a shove? We figured we'd just leave it in neutral; let them shove till they got tired. And then we wait for the next car to come. And there we were, way out in the country, and there was no way to get home.

So we were sitting there, talking and all, talking about how we'd get this car and all this kind of stuff and all excited about the prospects of buying this hot little Ford, and so after a while, five minutes or so, a car was coming down the road. And so he jumped out so he could flag the car and just out of... I just slipped over to the driver's side and I hit the starter once more, and the thing fired up. So he ran around and got in on the passenger side, he says, "Well, you got it going, so let's go." So we took off for Santa Ana. Got back to Lee's Drive-In out there on Manchester and stopped and got a Coke and hamburger, saw a bunch of kids from high school.

So we started on then down to my house, and as we turned off on Flower Street, we were getting near Santa Clara, and he said, "Hey, your parents aren't expecting you home." I said, "Nope." He said, "My dad doesn't know we're coming." He said, "So why don't we just turn around and go back up to Glendale, because it doesn't matter what time we get to my dad's house, you know. Your mom's not expecting you home anyhow." So I said, "Why not." So he started to pull a U-turn there on Santa Clara and the car died again, and simultaneously three tires blew out. Just pop, pop, pop. I mean, we were dead.

I lived up on North Broadway at the time, so we just walked down to my house and got on my bike and I rode him on my bike over to his house and got home. And before we could go up to Glendale again, we had sort of parted company and given up on the little Ford idea and just let it pass.

About a year later, there was a knock on our door. I answered it. The guy introduced himself and showed me an ID and he said, "I'm with the FBI. I'd like to talk to you." I said, "Sure." He said, "What do you know about some typewriters up in Glendale? Adding machines." I said, "Well, all I know is that I was headed up there one night to get some with this fellow," and I said, "but we had car trouble and we never made it." He said, "You can thank your lucky stars you had car trouble." He stole them from some government place and felony and so forth. And when he told me the story, I said, "Well, I'm not going to thank my lucky stars, I'm going to thank my angel." And suddenly I got the picture of that angel holding the coils and getting a shock stopping that stupid car, you know. Then popping the tires as he left just to make sure we wouldn't go anywhere.

I'm convinced. You can't you can't convince me otherwise; I'm convinced the angel of the Lord was watching over me. Interesting thing, when I got back in the house at home, my mom was out in the living room praying. She said, "Oh, son, I'm so glad to see you came home tonight." She said, "I was really worried about the trip. I just didn't feel right about it and I've just been praying for you." Of course, I didn't know at that time. I said, "Well, thanks, Mom," but I didn't know at that time the full story. But oh, I'm certain that there... when we get to heaven, we're going to learn a lot of things that we were spared from. And maybe at the time we looked at it as bad luck or misfortune or, "Oh, man," you know. And yet, God was watching over. God was keeping us. "He shall give His angels charge over thee. To bear thee up in their hands, lest you dash your foot against a stone."

For thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet ( Psalms 91:13 ).

Now we have a change of voice in verse Psalms 91:14 . In the change of voice, we have God's response now. The psalmist has been declaring the advantages and the blessings of living in a certain place. In the secret place of the Most High. Making God your dwelling place. Now God responds to that whole idea. And God says,

Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him, and show him my salvation ( Psalms 91:14-16 ).

God's glorious response to that person who is dwelling in the secret place of the Most High. Because you've set your love upon God, God said, "This is what I'm going to do for you: deliver you, set you on high. I will answer you. I will be with you in trouble. I will deliver and honor you." Praise the Lord. So let's turn to Psalms 91:1-16 that we might begin our Bible study this evening.

Psalms 91:1-16 brings up the question of just where are you living? There is a place that you might live that is surely the most glorious place to live in all the world.

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty ( Psalms 91:1 ).

There's a place that you and I can live, in Christ Jesus. A place of glorious safety, a place of glorious peace, of joy, where I experience God's power and God's protection, God's goodness.

I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge, my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. For surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence ( Psalms 91:2-3 ).

Now in days gone by, bird trapping was quite an art. Without guns to shoot your quail or your dove or your ducks, you'd have to trap them. And so the traps that were set for the birds were called the snares of the fowler. The trap for various game fowl in different types of traps. When you're bringing this over to a spiritual connotation, Satan has set a lot of traps for us. And in a spiritual connotation here, the fowler is actually Satan and you're the one that he's seeking to trap. But surely He will deliver you from every snare that Satan may set for you. "Surely He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the noisome pestilence."

For he shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler ( Psalms 91:4 ).

In the New Testament, in the book of Ephesians we are told concerning putting on the full armor of God. Here in the Old Testament, we find the armor of the Lord, His truth, is a shield to us, a buckler.

Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. Now because ( Psalms 91:5-9 )

Going back, "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High,"

Because you have made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the Most High, your habitation ( Psalms 91:9 );

Or your place of dwelling. If you will but just dwell in Him,

There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone ( Psalms 91:10-12 ).

Now when Jesus was being tempted by Satan, Satan quoted this particular passage of scripture to Him, as he took Him up to the pinnacle of the temple and he suggested that He jump off. For Satan said, "It is written, 'He shall give His angels charge over thee: to keep thee in thy ways, to bear thee up, lest at any time you dash your foot against a stone.' So why don't You jump? See if the angels will hold you up." Jesus said, "It is written again, 'Thou shalt not tempt, or test, the Lord thy God'" ( Matthew 4:6-7 ). You are not to put yourself deliberately in a place of jeopardy just to test the scriptures. It is tragic that every once in a while we read how down in the mountains of Kentucky the cult that is down there that handles rattlesnakes because it says if they take up serpents, they shall not harm them.

Or they test their faith every once in a while by drinking strychnine. But that is not what God means in Mark's gospel when He said, "If they drink any deadly thing it shall not harm them" ( Mark 16:18 ). God never intended for us to just go around and test our faith by deliberately putting ourselves in jeopardy. If the cultist people down there would only read the full body of scripture, rather than taking isolated verses, they would never follow... they would never fall into those kind of unscriptural practices. God has promised that His angels will have charge over thee to keep thee in all thy ways.

In the book of Hebrews, talking of angels, it said, "Are they not all ministering spirits, who have been sent forth to minister unto you who are heirs of salvation?" ( Hebrews 1:14 ) Now there is a vast number of heavenly hosts that are known as angels. These angels have different rankings, categories. There are cherubim, a special class of angels. There is a mention in the scripture of archangels, which seem to be the highest form of angelic being. Michael being an archangel. It is also thought that Gabriel is an archangel, though I do not know that the scripture gives to him that title. But angels of great authority and power. Then there are angels, it would seem, that rank under them in authority.

The New Testament does rank the heavenly beings as principalities, powers, mights, dominions, thrones and authorities. Various rankings of the angelic beings. It's more or less like saying, lieutenants and sergeants and corporals and privates, as far as their having rankings in the angelic realm. Just when the angels were created is not specified in the scriptures. But the angels were created as servants of God, and their duty is that of serving the Lord and of serving those who are following after the Lord. "He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy way. To bear thee up lest at any time you would dash your foot against a stone."

Angels seem to be spirits that are capable of taking on a bodily form. In the Old Testament, many times we find angels taking on a human form. In the New Testament we also found angels taking on human form. When Peter was in prison, the angel came to him and said, "Put your shoes on and follow me." And Peter tied on his sandals and followed the angels as the prison doors opened of their own accord, until the angel let him out into the street. And then the angel left him. And suddenly Peter woke up to the fact that he was free. He thought he was having a vision. But all of a sudden, he feels the chill night air and he says, "Wow, it's not a vision. I'm actually out of that place, you know." And so he headed for the place where the church was meeting and praying for him. Paul the apostle spoke about, "Last night, an angel of the Lord stood by me and he assured me that though the ship is going to be destroyed, there will be no loss of life" ( Acts 27:22-24 ). And he spoke about how the angel had visited him and ministered to him. Of course, we read of the angels ministering to Jesus Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane. And we are told in Hebrews that we ought to be careful to entertain strangers, for it's very possible that you might be entertaining angels without knowing it.

Now there has been a book written recently concerning angels on assignment. And though I do not doubt that angels do visit, can visit; yet there are certain aspects to that book that I find very troubling. I don't want to be guilty of limiting God or judging another man's experiences, except as they measure up to the scriptures. And let the scripture judge. And there are certain things that the angel Gabriel supposedly told Pastor Buck that I do not feel are scriptural. And thus, I have to question in my own mind the validity of the story. I think that Pastor Buck was a very dear man of God, a true servant of the Lord. I do not know but what maybe in his latter years, because of his heart problems that he wasn't getting enough oxygen to the brain. I do not know, but as I say, I have to question a part of the story of the visitation of the angels.

Now, the angels were created by God; they are a created being of God, and it would seem, well not seem, it is true that they were created with a free will, just as you have been created with a free will. And one of the angels exercised his will against God. And in the fourteenth chapter of Isaiah, we read how that Satan, in exercising his will against God, exalting himself over against God, declaring that he would be like God, was cast forth. A fallen angel. There is a hint in the twelfth chapter of the book of Revelation that one-third of the angels went with Satan when he rebelled against the Lord. "The dragon cast forth out of heaven and with his tail, he drew a third part of the stars" ( Revelation 12:3-4 ). And the word stars is a word that is often used for angels.

We do know that there are evil spirits in the world under Satan's guidance and control, as well as the good spirits, the angels of God that are obedient to their first estate. Yet, there are "angels which kept not their first estate, which are reserved in chains awaiting the day of judgment" ( Jude 1:6 ).

Just what are the full characteristics and all of angels, we do not know. It would appear that before the flood, the angels were coming down and involving themselves in physical relationships with women so that giants were born. And these could be the angels to which the scripture refers, those which kept not their first estate and are now being reserved in the chains awaiting the day of judgment.

I am convinced that there are angels that God has assigned to watch over us. I've never seen, to my knowledge, an angel, outside of my wife. I would be less than honest if I would say I wouldn't like to see an angel. I think it'd be a very exciting experience. I think it'd be quite exciting to meet an angel and to know that they were an angel, and to... well, I'd like to meet the angel that's supposed to be guarding me. I'd like to know where he was a few times.

Now let me tell you something. There have been some times when I knew he was there. There were times when there was no way I could have gotten out of it unless the angel of the Lord just had his hand upon my life or upon my car and all. And there are times when I know that the only thing that kept me was the angel of the Lord. I've had some very interesting experiences where I am sure the angel of the Lord was involved in keeping me from things where I was innocently being drawn into some very dangerous areas. Where the angel of the Lord intervened in a marvelous way to keep me from getting into some real trouble.

When I was in high school here in Santa Ana, I saw my dream car on South Main Street. Smitty mufflers, fog lights, dual spots, Buick skirts, little three-window '36 Ford Coupe. Oh man, black, was that thing beautiful. I lusted after that car. And I had a buddy that I was running around with at the time and I had half the money and we were going to go into a partnership on a car. It never would have worked, but we were going to... you know, you want something bad enough you dream all ways to get it. And he had a '36 Ford, but it was, you know, one of those longer kind of things. It just wasn't a pretty one. So he said, "Well, my dad lives up in Glendale, and I have at my dad's house some adding machines and typewriters and I can sell them for enough to get my half for the car. Let's go up to my dad's house." So we went by and saw my mom and I said, "We're going to go up and spend the night in Glendale and at his dad's house. We'll be home tomorrow." And so we took off in his car for Glendale. At that time, Firestone Boulevard was the way into Los Angeles, the three-lane highway. And during the war, gas rationing, and just very few cars on the road at night. You can't... living here now you can't believe how it was then.

We were way out in the country near Buena Park when the motor died on his car. And so we pushed, popped the clutch and everything else. Tried to get the thing going. Pushed it for, oh I guess four or five blocks, and there was a little gas station that was there. And so he said, "I think it's the coil." I mean, "I think it's the condenser or something," and he didn't know anything about mechanics. But anyhow, we went into this service station. Old man in there, and he had a big mean police dog and he wasn't very friendly and didn't have any parts or anything. So we were tired of pushing and so we decided we'd turn the car around, head it back towards Santa Ana. And then we'd wait for a car to come along and we'd flag it and ask him, we'd tell him we're having a hard time getting it started, would they give us a shove? We figured we'd just leave it in neutral; let them shove till they got tired. And then we wait for the next car to come. And there we were, way out in the country, and there was no way to get home.

So we were sitting there, talking and all, talking about how we'd get this car and all this kind of stuff and all excited about the prospects of buying this hot little Ford, and so after a while, five minutes or so, a car was coming down the road. And so he jumped out so he could flag the car and just out of... I just slipped over to the driver's side and I hit the starter once more, and the thing fired up. So he ran around and got in on the passenger side, he says, "Well, you got it going, so let's go." So we took off for Santa Ana. Got back to Lee's Drive-In out there on Manchester and stopped and got a Coke and hamburger, saw a bunch of kids from high school.

So we started on then down to my house, and as we turned off on Flower Street, we were getting near Santa Clara, and he said, "Hey, your parents aren't expecting you home." I said, "Nope." He said, "My dad doesn't know we're coming." He said, "So why don't we just turn around and go back up to Glendale, because it doesn't matter what time we get to my dad's house, you know. Your mom's not expecting you home anyhow." So I said, "Why not." So he started to pull a U-turn there on Santa Clara and the car died again, and simultaneously three tires blew out. Just pop, pop, pop. I mean, we were dead.

I lived up on North Broadway at the time, so we just walked down to my house and got on my bike and I rode him on my bike over to his house and got home. And before we could go up to Glendale again, we had sort of parted company and given up on the little Ford idea and just let it pass.

About a year later, there was a knock on our door. I answered it. The guy introduced himself and showed me an ID and he said, "I'm with the FBI. I'd like to talk to you." I said, "Sure." He said, "What do you know about some typewriters up in Glendale? Adding machines." I said, "Well, all I know is that I was headed up there one night to get some with this fellow," and I said, "but we had car trouble and we never made it." He said, "You can thank your lucky stars you had car trouble." He stole them from some government place and felony and so forth. And when he told me the story, I said, "Well, I'm not going to thank my lucky stars, I'm going to thank my angel." And suddenly I got the picture of that angel holding the coils and getting a shock stopping that stupid car, you know. Then popping the tires as he left just to make sure we wouldn't go anywhere.

I'm convinced. You can't you can't convince me otherwise; I'm convinced the angel of the Lord was watching over me. Interesting thing, when I got back in the house at home, my mom was out in the living room praying. She said, "Oh, son, I'm so glad to see you came home tonight." She said, "I was really worried about the trip. I just didn't feel right about it and I've just been praying for you." Of course, I didn't know at that time. I said, "Well, thanks, Mom," but I didn't know at that time the full story. But oh, I'm certain that there... when we get to heaven, we're going to learn a lot of things that we were spared from. And maybe at the time we looked at it as bad luck or misfortune or, "Oh, man," you know. And yet, God was watching over. God was keeping us. "He shall give His angels charge over thee. To bear thee up in their hands, lest you dash your foot against a stone."

For thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet ( Psalms 91:13 ).

Now we have a change of voice in verse Psalms 91:14 . In the change of voice, we have God's response now. The psalmist has been declaring the advantages and the blessings of living in a certain place. In the secret place of the Most High. Making God your dwelling place. Now God responds to that whole idea. And God says,

Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him, and show him my salvation ( Psalms 91:14-16 ).

God's glorious response to that person who is dwelling in the secret place of the Most High. Because you've set your love upon God, God said, "This is what I'm going to do for you: deliver you, set you on high. I will answer you. I will be with you in trouble. I will deliver and honor you." Praise the Lord.

"

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

Psalms 91

This wisdom psalm focuses on security in life, an idea present in Psalms 90. The writer knew that God provides security. It is a psalm for situations involving danger, exposure, or vulnerability.

"This remarkable psalm speaks with great specificity, and yet with a kind of porousness, so that the language is enormously open to each one’s particular experience. Its tone is somewhat instructional, as though reassuring someone else who is unsure. Yet the assurance is not didactic, but confessional. It is a personal testimony of someone whose own experience makes the assurance of faith convincing and authentic." [Note: Brueggemann, p. 156.]

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

God saves us from those who insidiously try to trap us and from deadly diseases. He does this as a mother bird does when she covers her young with her wings, namely, tenderly and carefully. He provides as sure a defense as a shield or large rampart can.

Consequently, the believer can be at peace and not fear attacks at any time (Psalms 91:5-6). Those who fall by our side (Psalms 91:7) are those who do not trust in the Lord. The believer is invincible until his or her time is up. We will see the wicked fall around us, but God will sustain us. Nothing can touch us except what He permits, nor can any rebel escape His retribution (Psalms 91:8).

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

2. The deliverance God provides 91:3-13

Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

Only with thine eyes shall thou behold,.... The flying arrow, the walking pestilence, and wasting destruction, and the great devastations made by it:

and see the reward of the wicked; the vengeance of God upon them, and this as a just punishment for their sins; not looking upon it with delight and pleasure, rejoicing in the misery of their fellow creatures, any otherwise than as the glory of divine justice is displayed in it; see Psalms 52:6, the pestilence is always threatened, and it always comes, as a Judgment upon a wicked generation of men; and so it is ever to be considered, and is considered by good men, Leviticus 26:5.

Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible

      1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.   2 I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.   3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.   4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.   5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;   6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.   7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.   8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.

      In these verses we have,

      I. A great truth laid down in general, That all those who live a life of communion with God are constantly safe under his protection, and may therefore preserve a holy serenity and security of mind at all times (Psalms 91:1; Psalms 91:1): He that dwells, that sits down, in the secret place of the Most High, shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty; he that by faith chooses God for his guardian shall find all that in him which he needs or can desire. Note, 1. It is the character of a true believer that he dwells in the secret place of the Most High; he is at home in God, returns to God, and reposes in him as his rest; he acquaints himself with inward religion, and makes heart-work of the service of God, worships within the veil, and loves to be alone with God, to converse with him in solitude. 2. It is the privilege and comfort of those that do so that they abide under the shadow of the Almighty; he shelters them, and comes between them and every thing that would annoy them, whether storm or sunshine. They shall not only have an admittance, but a residence, under God's protection; he will be their rest and refuge for ever.

      II. The psalmist's comfortable application of this to himself (Psalms 91:2; Psalms 91:2): I will say of the Lord, whatever others say of him, "He is my refuge; I choose him as such, and confide in him. Others make idols their refuge, but I will say of Jehovah, the true and living God, He is my refuge: any other is a refuge of lies. He is a refuge that will not fail me; for he is my fortress and strong-hold." Idolaters called their idols Mahuzzim, their most strong-hold (Daniel 11:39), but therein they deceived themselves; those only secure themselves that make the Lord their God, their fortress. There being no reason to question his sufficiency, fitly does it follow, In him will I trust. If Jehovah be our God, our refuge, and our fortress, what can we desire which we may not be sure to find in him? He is neither fickle nor false, neither weak nor mortal; he is God and not man, and therefore there is no danger of being disappointed in him. We know whom we have trusted.

      III. The great encouragement he gives to others to do likewise, not only from his own experience of the comfort of it (for in that there might possibly be a fallacy), but from the truth of God's promise, in which there neither is nor can be any deceit (Psalms 91:3; Psalms 91:4, c.): Surely he shall deliver thee. Those who have themselves found the comfort of making God their refuge cannot but desire that others may do so. Now here it is promised,

      1. That believers shall be kept from those mischiefs which they are in imminent danger of, and which would be fatal to them (Psalms 91:3; Psalms 91:3), from the snare of the fowler, which is laid unseen and catches the unwary prey on a sudden, and from the noisome pestilence, which seizes men unawares and against which there is no guard. This promise protects, (1.) The natural life, and is often fulfilled in our preservation from those dangers which are very threatening and very near, while yet we ourselves are not apprehensive of them, any more than the bird is of the snare of the fowler. We owe it, more than we are sensible, to the care of the divine Providence that we have been kept from infectious diseases and out of the hands of the wicked and unreasonable. (2.) The spiritual life, which is protected by divine grace from the temptations of Satan, which are as the snares of the fowler, and from the contagion of sin, which is the noisome pestilence. He that has given grace to be the glory of the soul will create a defence upon all that glory.

      2. That God himself will be their protector; those must needs be safe who have him for their keeper, and successful for whom he undertakes (Psalms 91:4; Psalms 91:4): He shall cover thee, shall keep thee secret (Psalms 31:20), and so keep thee safe, Psalms 27:5. God protects believers, (1.) With the greatest tenderness and affection, which is intimated in that, He shall cover thee with his feathers, under his wings, which alludes to the hen gathering her chickens under wings,Matthew 23:37. By natural instinct she not only protects them, but calls them under that protection when she sees them in danger, not only keeps them safe, but cherishes them and keeps them warm. To this the great God is pleased to compare his care of his people, who are helpless as the chickens, and easily made a prey of, but are invited to trust under the shadow of the wings of the divine promise and providence, which is the periphrasis of a proselyte to the true religion, that he has come to trust under the wings of the God of Israel,Ruth 2:12. (2.) With the greatest power and efficacy. Wings and feathers, though spread with the greatest tenderness, are yet weak, and easily broken through, and therefore it is added, His truth shall be thy shield and buckler, a strong defence. God is willing to guard his people as the hen is to guard the chickens, and as able as a man of war in armour.

      3. That he will not only keep them from evil, but from the fear of evil, Psalms 91:5; Psalms 91:6. Here is, (1.) Great danger supposed; the mention of it is enough to frighten us; night and day we lie exposed, and those that are apt to be timorous will in neither period think themselves safe. When we are retired into our chambers, our beds, and have made all as safe as we can about us, yet there is terror by night, from thieves and robbers, winds and storms, besides those things that are the creatures of fancy and imagination, which are often most frightful of all. We read of fear in the night,Song of Solomon 3:8. There is also a pestilence that walketh in darkness, as that was which slew the first-born of the Egyptians, and the army of the Assyrians. No locks nor bars can shut out diseases, while we carry about with us in our bodies the seeds of them. But surely in the day-time, when we can look about us, we are not so much in danger; yes, there is an arrow that flieth by day too, and yet flies unseen; there is a destruction that wasteth at high-noon, when we are awake and have all our friends about us; even then we cannot secure ourselves, nor can they secure us. It was in the day-time that that pestilence wasted which was sent to chastise David for numbering the people, on occasion of which some think this psalm was penned. But, (2.) Here is great security promised to believers in the midst of this danger: "Thou shalt not be afraid. God by his grace will keep thee from disquieting distrustful fear (that fear which hath torment) in the midst of the greatest dangers. Wisdom shall keep thee from being causelessly afraid, and faith shall keep thee from being inordinately afraid. Thou shalt not be afraid of the arrow, as knowing that though it may hit thee it cannot hurt thee; if it take away the natural life, yet it shall be so far from doing any prejudice to the spiritual life that it shall be its perfection." A believer needs not fear, and therefore should not fear, any arrow, because the point is off, the poison is out. O death! where is thy sting? It is also under divine direction, and will hit where God appoints and not otherwise. Every bullet has its commission. Whatever is done our heavenly Father's will is done; and we have no reason to be afraid of that.

      4. That they shall be preserved in common calamities, in a distinguishing way (Psalms 91:7; Psalms 91:7): "When death rides in triumph, and diseases rage, so that thousands and ten thousands fall, fall by sickness, or fall by the sword in battle, fall at thy side, at thy right hand, and the sight of their fall is enough to frighten thee, and if they fall by the pestilence their falling so near thee may be likely to infect thee, yet it shall not come nigh thee, the death shall not, the fear of death shall not." Those that preserve their purity in times of general corruption may trust God with their safety in times of general desolation. When multitudes die round about us, though thereby we must be awakened to prepare for our own death, yet we must not be afraid with any amazement, nor make ourselves subject to bondage, as many do all their life-time, through fear of death,Hebrews 2:15. The sprinkling of blood secured the first-born of Israel when thousands fell. Nay, it is promised to God's people that they shall have the satisfaction of seeing, not only God's promises fulfilled to them, but his threatenings fulfilled upon those that hate them (Psalms 91:8; Psalms 91:8): Only with thy eyes shalt thou behold and see the just reward of the wicked, which perhaps refers to the destruction of the first-born of Egypt by the pestilence, which was both the punishment of the oppressors and the enlargement of the oppressed; this Israel saw when they saw themselves unhurt, untouched. As it will aggravate the damnation of sinners that with their eyes they shall behold and see the reward of the righteous (Luke 13:28), so it will magnify the salvation of the saints that with their eyes they shall behold and see the destruction of the wicked, Isaiah 66:24; Psalms 58:10.