Psalms of the Season--Psalm 91 ~ Bread for Beggars

The psalm traditional spoken/sung on the First Sunday in Lent is majestic Psalm 91. Although little is certain about its context or the composer (David, Moses,???), one thing is certain, Psalm 91 is a psalm we need, in our time of need. In fact, some of the intimate images found in Psalm 91 are among the nearest and dearest to Christians both past and present.

“You will rest in the shadow of the almighty.”

“He will hide you in the shelter of his wings.”

“The snares of the fowler will never capture you.”

“Do not fear the terrors of the night or the arrows that fly by day.”

Each one of those phrases (and more) is worthy of analysis and an artist’s articulation in paint, pen, poetry, or prose. Each of those phases is also worth storing away in one’s mind and heart for reference and refuge in days of darkness, despair, or devilish deceit.

On those days, when we are suffering severely, and Satan wants us to think that God’s promises have failed us, we need Psalm 91. We need the refuge it offers so boldly and yes, a gentle and graphic reminder of God’s process of protection and deliverance in the lives of believers.

A Fortress & Fowl?

Although most of the images offered in Psalm 91 are fairly easy to understand: two dissimilar pictures of a mighty “fortress” and nurturing “fowl” seem to prove two very different things about God. What’s the connection? Why does the psalm writer mix these metaphors?

Pastor John Brug, in The People’s Bible commentary on the Book of Psalms, elaborates on this issue:

The psalmist describes the security of believers with two pictures. Believers are pictured as birds who escape from the trap of the hunter and find shelter under the wings of the mother bird. The hunter and his trap may well represent Satan and his schemes. Believers are also pictured as people trapped in a besieged city who, nevertheless, are delivered from plague and the assaults of the enemy. Together these two pictures represent all the dangers a believer faces in this life. The believer will be preserved from such dangers until he witnesses God’s judgment against his enemies.
Brug, J. F. (1989). Psalms 73–150 (2nd ed., p. 87). Milwaukee, WI: Northwestern Pub. House.

Tim Keller in The Songs of Jesus further explains the two ways that God protects and the connection between these two drastically different illustrations for fortress and fowl.

Two contrasting metaphors are used for God’s protection: a fortress filled with shields and ramparts; and a mother bird gathering her brood underneath her wings. The fortress has walls of impregnable strength. Spears and arrows make not a dent. The mother bird, however, shelters with wings that are essentially fragile. She shelters her young from burning heat or rain or cold only by bearing them herself. The Old Testament does not explain how this impervious strength and sacrificial, loving weakness could be combined in God. It is on the cross where we see the absolute righteous power and the tender sacrificial love of God combine and shine forth brilliantly, both equally fulfilled.
Timothy Keller, The Songs of Jesus, p. 225

Artist Chris Powers of Full of Eyes captures the two “contrasting metaphors” admirably in his illustration below. He describes his work briefly stating, “The heart of God calls his people to the refuge of his wrath-absorbing wings, spread out on the cross.”

The heart of God calls his people to the refuge of his wrath-absorbing wings, spread out on the cross. — The Shadow of His Wings by Chris Powers

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“The Soldier’s Psalm”

For obvious reasons, Psalm 91 is sometimes referred to as “The Soldier’s Psalm” or “The Warrior’s Prayer.” Throughout history, soldiers “seeing thousands fall down all around them” have recited Psalm 91 daily as they faced “the terrors of the night” and “the arrows that fly by day” or their more modern day equivalents.

Each of those combatants confidently claimed for himself the “rest, refuge, safety, covering, faithfulness, freedom from fear, angelic watchers, deliverance, and protection” described and declared by the psalmist. But it’s not just soldiers fighting in physical warfare that have this psalm in their hearts and on their lips. It’s sixteen verses of comfort are clung to by battle-weary Christian soldiers caught up in the war against sin and Satan. The enemy is all around us and yet we are held fast by the righteous power and the tender sacrificial love of God.

The Savior, Psalm 91, and Lent 1

This coming weekend, in churches that make use of standard lectionary readings, worshipers will hear a portion of this psalm, “He will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways,” read twice. First, as the psalm is sung and then again in the Gospel Lesson from Luke 4:1-13 where Psalm 91:11 is quoted by a rather strange source.

In his wilderness assaults, culminating with his three tantalizing temptations, Satan attempts to deceive Jesus by misquoting from (or at the very least misrepresenting) scripture, including Psalm 91. With a twisted tongue, Satan urges Jesus to prove his father’s power and love by throwing himself down from a great height.

Satan lures, “If God truly loves you, he will send his angels to catch you.”

Satan might be able to “quote” God’s Word, but Jesus knows and trusts in what the Psalm is really about, and it’s not about testing out God’s angel-sending-speed for his own experimentation. Jesus responds, “It is said: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'” (Luke 3:12)

The Psalm Proves True for Jesus and Us

Although 40 days of apparent neglect in the wilderness may have seemed to prove otherwise, the Father had nothing to prove. Jesus trust in the plan was perfect. His path to the cross dangerous though it was, didn’t deter him. Jesus didn’t take a divine deliverance dive to prove his Father’s faithfulness artificially. Instead, Mark tells us in his brief Gospel account that angels came to care for Jesus in his real time of need (Mark 1:13). God does the same for the rest of his children, providing rest beneath the shadow of his wings and refuge behind the walls of his mighty fortress. Psalm 91 testifies to the timeless truth, “God will save us IN trouble, not from it!”

Before this weekend take some time to meditate more fully on Psalm 91 and marvel at the grace of God to a feeble fledgling like you as you listen to the psalmist words sung with modern meter and melody. More than 20 hymns are based on the words of Psalm 91 including two provided for your blessing here: On Eagle’s Wings by Michael Joncas and Paul Gerhardt’s Now Rest Beneath Night’s Shadow. Take a listen to them below.

First, listen to Shane & Shane’s soulful version of Psalm 91 On Eagle’s Wing, which captures the tone and the thrust of this imagery packed psalm.

Second, listen to a brilliant new melody of Now Rest Beneath Night’s Shadow written and sung by Melanie Bourman and Caleb Schmiege.