Thursday, January 20, 2005

Psalm 911

I dwell in the secret place of the Most High
And abide under the shadow of the Almighty
I say of Yahweh, “My Refuge and my Fortress,
My God in Whom I Trust.”

Surely, He shall deliver me from the snare of the fowler.
From the perilous pestilence.
He shall cover me with His feathers,
And under His wings I shall take refuge.
His truth shall be my shield and armor.

I shall not be afraid of the terror by night,
Of the arrow that flies by day,
Of the pestilence that walks in darkness,
Of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.

A thousand may fall at my side,
Ten thousand at my right hand.
But it shall not come near me.
Only with my eyes shall I look,
And see the reward of the wicked.

Because I have made Yahweh my refuge,
The Most High my dwelling place,
No evil shall befall me,
Nor shall any plague come near my house
For He shall give His angels charge over me,
To keep me in all my ways.
In their hands they shall bear me up,
Lest I dash my foot against a stone.
I shall tread upon the lion and the cobra
The young lion and the serpent I shall trample underfoot.

I have set my love upon Yahweh,
Therefore, He will deliver me.
He will set me on high,
Because I have known His name.
I shall call upon Him, and He will answer me.
He will be with me in trouble
He will deliver me and honor me.
With long life He will satisfy me,
And show me His salvation — His Yeshua, JESUS!
(adapted from Psalm 91 by Jeff Doles)
Notice the abundance of God’s names in this Psalm: Most High, Almighty, Yahweh (LORD), My Refuge, My Fortress, My God in Whom I Trust, My Dwelling Place. We might even add, My Shield and Armor.

And then there is the name of Jesus, hidden in the English text, but clear in the Hebrew. It is the name Yeshua, the name which literally means “salvation.” In the New Testament, this name is rendered as Jesus.

In this Psalm, the LORD says, “I will set him on high, because he has known My name.” There is a relationship indicated here where the psalm writer knows the LORD and the LORD knows the psalm writer. This knowledge is personal and intimate.

The psalm writer knows the LORD because the LORD has revealed Himself to the psalm writer in experiential ways. The names used by the writer indicate the breadth of these experiences.

Along with the psalm writer, say of the LORD, “My Refuge and My Fortress, My God in Whom I Trust.” Then you will begin to dwell in the secret place of the Most High and abide in the shadow of the Almighty. Set your love on the LORD and call on His name, and He will show you His salvation — Jesus!

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