Psa 91:10 | KingComments | STEP | This section is particularly about the Messiah. First we hear the Messiah speak to the LORD ( ). Then the psalmist speaks to the Messiah ( ). This is evident from the fact, as mentioned in the introduction, that the devil quoted and applied these verses to Christ during the temptation in the wilderness. This section deals specifically with the Messiah, but it also applies to the faithful remnant of Israel and we can apply it to ourselves as well. With the word “for” with which begins, this verse connects to the previous section and transitions to the next section. Because the LORD is His refuge ( ), He is protected from all the dangers mentioned in the previous section. This new section also begins with the LORD being His refuge. It is a repetition of , and like that verse, it is an introduction to the section that follows. Because the LORD is His refuge, He is also protected from the dangers mentioned in this section. The LORD is always with Him for protection and safety. This is the secret to a life without fear and anxiety for every believer. As mentioned above, in the speaker changes. The Messiah is no longer speaking, but the psalmist who, through the Spirit of Christ, passes on to the Messiah promises of God. It is a repetition and summary of previous promises of . With “the Most High” is not only a refuge for the Messiah ( ), but He has made “the Most High” Himself His “dwelling place”. There He finds not only protection, but a home. It speaks of complete and undisturbed rest. That is what the Most High is for Him. Therefore, the assurance can be expressed that “no evil” will befall Him and not “any plague” will come near His tent ( ). His “tent” speaks of His temporary stay on earth. He “dwelt” on earth in a body ( ), which literally means “tabernacled”, that is, dwelt in a tent. He is untouchable during His life as a Man on earth from any evil and any plague because He has full rest in God. We see an example in the storm on the lake. He can sleep peacefully during the storm ( ). He is not in the storm but in the Most High as His dwelling place, where no storm can come, where is perfect rest. are quoted by the devil in one of his temptations of the Lord Jesus. This is when he takes the Lord to the pinnacle of the temple ( ; ). As the Lord stands on the pinnacle of the temple, the devil tells Him to prove now that He is the Son of God by throwing Himself down from the pinnacle. begins with the word “for”, then is told how the Messiah will be kept from evil and plague. For God will give His angels charge to guard Him in all His ways. Those ways are the ways that God wants Him to go. On those ways God assures Him of His protection through His angels. God gives them charge to bear Him up in their hands, so that He will not strike His foot against a stone ( ). The word “strike” means “to be crushed” (cf. ). It is not just stubbing your toe against something and getting a bruise, but stumbling on a dangerous mountainside with the result that you are crushed by the fall. Therefore, we see the devil’s application of that verse to throw Himself down from the pinnacle of the temple. The pinnacle of the temple is the highest eave of the colonnade that lies over a deep abyss. From there the Lord should throw Himself down and thus demonstrate to the Jews that He is the promised Messiah. After all, “Jews ask for signs” ( ). If He is truly God’s Son, the devil challenges Him, according to these verses from Psalm 91, God will give His angels charge to guard Him. Is He not the object of the angels’ worship? The Lord does not deny that these verses are about Him. He also knows that He can ask His Father for angels, as He says on another occasion ( ). But the Lord sees through the true meaning of this temptation. It is in reality a temptation to self-exaltation in the things that God has given. However, there is no seeking of Himself with the Lord Jesus. He knows the Word too, and perfectly, for He has given it. He dwells, as this same psalm says, in the shelter of the Most High ( ). That is the place He occupies and therefore there is no thought in Him to tempt God. He trusts God completely. There is no need for Him to test God as to whether His words are true. Added to this, as always, the devil is selective in his quoting of the Bible. The devil knows the Bible. He quotes from Psalm 91. However, we can be sure that when quoting from the Bible he always distorts verses or quotes only partially. Here he deliberately leaves out the words “in all your ways”. The devil does not speak of the ways of the Lord, for He goes His way in obedience to God. The nature of this temptation is to make the Lord doubt the faithfulness of God. It is a test of whether God will do what He has said in His Word. In the answer the Lord gives – which, as with the other temptations, comes from Scripture ( ) – His complete trust in God is evident. The Lord resists the temptation with the Scripture that warns against tempting the LORD, His God. It is an insult to God if we do not trust Him in His Word, no matter how perhaps the circumstances may seem to indicate that God could not be trusted. The devil does not quote of this psalm. This is because that verse is about him and his utter and humiliating elimination by the Messiah. The devil or satan is “the lion and cobra” and “the young lion and the serpent”. He is the roaring lion who wants to impress and devour by force and he is the cunning serpent who wants to cunningly deceive and kill ( ; ; ; ). The lion and the cobra are life-threatening animals that attack from their hiding place. Unexpectedly, they attack you. One will tear you apart and the other will poison you. One does it with violence and the other with depravity. These are the two characteristics of this world of old: “Now the earth was corrupt in the sight of God, and the earth was filled with violence” ( ). The Messiah not only survives, He overcomes. This also applies to all who follow Him in His example to resist the devil. He who follows His example not only escapes the raw violence and deadly poison of the adversary, but subdues him. We see the end result when the Lord Jesus casts the devil without trial first into the abyss and then into hell ( ). The followers of the Lord Jesus are involved in the execution of this judgment. God will “soon crush satan under” their “feet” ( ).

‏ Psalms 91:10

Protection of the Messiah

This section is particularly about the Messiah. First we hear the Messiah speak to the LORD (Psa 91:9a). Then the psalmist speaks to the Messiah (Psa 91:9b-13). This is evident from the fact, as mentioned in the introduction, that the devil quoted and applied these verses to Christ during the temptation in the wilderness. This section deals specifically with the Messiah, but it also applies to the faithful remnant of Israel and we can apply it to ourselves as well.

With the word “for” with which Psa 91:9 begins, this verse connects to the previous section and transitions to the next section. Because the LORD is His refuge (Psa 91:2), He is protected from all the dangers mentioned in the previous section. This new section also begins with the LORD being His refuge. It is a repetition of Psa 91:2, and like that verse, it is an introduction to the section that follows. Because the LORD is His refuge, He is also protected from the dangers mentioned in this section. The LORD is always with Him for protection and safety. This is the secret to a life without fear and anxiety for every believer.

As mentioned above, in Psa 91:9b the speaker changes. The Messiah is no longer speaking, but the psalmist who, through the Spirit of Christ, passes on to the Messiah promises of God. It is a repetition and summary of previous promises of Psa 91:3-8. With “the Most High” is not only a refuge for the Messiah (Psa 91:1), but He has made “the Most High” Himself His “dwelling place”. There He finds not only protection, but a home. It speaks of complete and undisturbed rest. That is what the Most High is for Him.

Therefore, the assurance can be expressed that “no evil” will befall Him and not “any plague” will come near His tent (Psa 91:10). His “tent” speaks of His temporary stay on earth. He “dwelt” on earth in a body (Jn 1:14), which literally means “tabernacled”, that is, dwelt in a tent.

He is untouchable during His life as a Man on earth from any evil and any plague because He has full rest in God. We see an example in the storm on the lake. He can sleep peacefully during the storm (Mk 4:36-38). He is not in the storm but in the Most High as His dwelling place, where no storm can come, where is perfect rest.

Psa 91:11-12 are quoted by the devil in one of his temptations of the Lord Jesus. This is when he takes the Lord to the pinnacle of the temple (Mt 4:5-6; Lk 4:9-12). As the Lord stands on the pinnacle of the temple, the devil tells Him to prove now that He is the Son of God by throwing Himself down from the pinnacle.

Psa 91:11 begins with the word “for”, then is told how the Messiah will be kept from evil and plague. For God will give His angels charge to guard Him in all His ways. Those ways are the ways that God wants Him to go. On those ways God assures Him of His protection through His angels. God gives them charge to bear Him up in their hands, so that He will not strike His foot against a stone (Psa 91:12).

The word “strike” means “to be crushed” (cf. Psa 89:23). It is not just stubbing your toe against something and getting a bruise, but stumbling on a dangerous mountainside with the result that you are crushed by the fall. Therefore, we see the devil’s application of that verse to throw Himself down from the pinnacle of the temple. The pinnacle of the temple is the highest eave of the colonnade that lies over a deep abyss. From there the Lord should throw Himself down and thus demonstrate to the Jews that He is the promised Messiah. After all, “Jews ask for signs” (1Cor 1:22).

If He is truly God’s Son, the devil challenges Him, according to these verses from Psalm 91, God will give His angels charge to guard Him. Is He not the object of the angels’ worship? The Lord does not deny that these verses are about Him. He also knows that He can ask His Father for angels, as He says on another occasion (Mt 26:53).

But the Lord sees through the true meaning of this temptation. It is in reality a temptation to self-exaltation in the things that God has given. However, there is no seeking of Himself with the Lord Jesus. He knows the Word too, and perfectly, for He has given it. He dwells, as this same psalm says, in the shelter of the Most High (Psa 91:1). That is the place He occupies and therefore there is no thought in Him to tempt God. He trusts God completely. There is no need for Him to test God as to whether His words are true.

Added to this, as always, the devil is selective in his quoting of the Bible. The devil knows the Bible. He quotes from Psalm 91. However, we can be sure that when quoting from the Bible he always distorts verses or quotes only partially. Here he deliberately leaves out the words “in all your ways”. The devil does not speak of the ways of the Lord, for He goes His way in obedience to God.

The nature of this temptation is to make the Lord doubt the faithfulness of God. It is a test of whether God will do what He has said in His Word. In the answer the Lord gives – which, as with the other temptations, comes from Scripture (Deu 6:16) – His complete trust in God is evident. The Lord resists the temptation with the Scripture that warns against tempting the LORD, His God. It is an insult to God if we do not trust Him in His Word, no matter how perhaps the circumstances may seem to indicate that God could not be trusted.

The devil does not quote Psa 91:13 of this psalm. This is because that verse is about him and his utter and humiliating elimination by the Messiah. The devil or satan is “the lion and cobra” and “the young lion and the serpent”. He is the roaring lion who wants to impress and devour by force and he is the cunning serpent who wants to cunningly deceive and kill (Jn 8:44; 1Pet 5:8; 2Cor 11:3 ; 14; Rev 12:9).

The lion and the cobra are life-threatening animals that attack from their hiding place. Unexpectedly, they attack you. One will tear you apart and the other will poison you. One does it with violence and the other with depravity. These are the two characteristics of this world of old: “Now the earth was corrupt in the sight of God, and the earth was filled with violence” (Gen 6:11).

The Messiah not only survives, He overcomes. This also applies to all who follow Him in His example to resist the devil. He who follows His example not only escapes the raw violence and deadly poison of the adversary, but subdues him. We see the end result when the Lord Jesus casts the devil without trial first into the abyss and then into hell (Rev 20:1-3 ; 10). The followers of the Lord Jesus are involved in the execution of this judgment. God will “soon crush satan under” their “feet” (Rom 16:20).