Psalm 91.14-16 - God Speaks: A Salvation Oracle
I suppose almost everyone can identify with Job when he says: “Man born of woman is of few days and full of trouble. He springs up like a flower and withers away; like a fleeting shadow, he does not endure (Job 14.1-2). There are expressed in these words a universal bond of suffering common to all mankind. As we have already seen, the psalmist had a similar complaint: You turn men back to dust, saying, “Return to dust, O sons of men.” … You sweep men away in the sleep of death; they are like the new grass of the morning – though in the morning it springs up new, by evening it is dry and withered (Psalm 90.3-5). Few would dispute that man’s life is tenuous and that his health is precarious. Knowing this, the wise man asks for wisdom in order that he might wisely use the few moments allotted to him (Psalm 90.12; cf. Ephesians 5.16). Psalm 91 picks up this wisdom theme and expands it.
The psalmist invites the worshipper to take refuge in the Lord and thereby escape the ruin that comes to those who seek sanctuary elsewhere. The one who responds to this invitation enjoys the security of God’s protection. Although, as we have already noted, there is a biblical distinction between temporal troubles and eternal security, nonetheless, he has no reason to fear because God shelters his own (v. 9). This protection may be providential or even supernatural at times, but regardless of how it is achieved, it is evident that God’s provision is super abundant. VanGemeren writes:
In life the Lord may permit many terrible things to happen to his children (cf. Job), as he did to his own Son, our Lord. But his children know that no power is out of God’s control. They trust their heavenly Father, while they act responsibly. Hence they do not test the Lord to see to what extent he will deliver them from troubles. Satan tempted our Lord to act presumptuously, but Jesus rebuked Satan, rightly responding that man may not test the Lord (cf. Luke 4:10-12). EBC. 5:601
Psalm 91 concludes with a salvation oracle (vv. 14-16) in which God declares what He will do for the one who loves Him and calls on His name. There is no new revelation in this Psalm; the psalmist merely reassures the reader of what he ought to already know. Namely, that he is a part of a covenant people set apart by the love of God to be a royal priesthood. Reflect on Moses’ admonition to the Israelites:
The Lord did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. But it was because the Lord loved you and kept the oath he swore to your forefathers that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands. (Deuteronomy 77-9)
WHAT THE BELIEVER DOES
First, as a child loves his father and mother (Exodus 20.12), so, too, the elect of God love their heavenly Father. And just as a child will not love a parent who does not first love him or her, so one cannot love God if God does not love him first. John makes this abundantly clear in his first epistle: This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. … If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. … We love because he first loved us (1 John 4.10, 15, 19). As our filial relationship with God has its genesis with him, so, too, does our love for him. It cannot be otherwise, because we know that there is no good thing that is endemic to the human condition. Jeremiah writes: The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure (Jeremiah 17.9). Solomon expresses a similar thought: There is not a righteous man on earth who does what is right and never sins (Ecclesiastes 7.20; cp. Romans 3.23). The desperate condition of mankind is this: he must have someone who will love him as he is, namely, a sinner, and this is precisely what God does! You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5.6-8).
Second, having been adopted into God’s family the believer readily acknowledges God’s name. That the name of God has particular importance is evident from the third commandment: you shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name (Deuternomy 20.8). The question has been set forth in poetry, “What is in a name? A rose by any other name smells just the same.” While it is true that a name does not alter the reality of the thing named, nevertheless, the name is associated with the truth of the reality it represents. Thus, the two are indivisibly linked, and the name may then properly excite the imagination and emotions of the hearer, and as in the case of God’s name, even inspire hope for one’s salvation. A name imbues to its hearer all that may be associated with it. So, then, the name of God imparts to the faithful servant the full breadth of his person. It is for this reason that the name of Jesus is integral to salvation and there is no salvation without the name of Christ (Acts 4.12).
The Bible places great stress on the inestimable worth of God’s name. It may be illustrated in God’s dealing with Moses and Aaron at Meribah. You recall that when the Israelites complained that they had no water to drink, Moses was instructed to speak to the rock and then water would pour out of it. However, Moses was very angry and frustrated with the Israelites, and in anger he struck the rock twice with his staff. In so doing he dishonored the name of God. The Lord responded to him saying: “Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them” (Numbers 20.12). What was true at Meribah, is equally true in everything God does, that is, he does things for his own name’s sake. Thus, the believer must honor and acknowledge God’s name above all. Consider the following passages:
I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more (Isaiah 43.25). For your name’s sake, O Lord, preserve my life; in your righteousness, bring me out of trouble (Psalm 143.11). The shepherd’s Psalm reads: He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quite waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake (Psalm 23.2-3). Daniel’s great prayer of deliverance is based entirely on an acknowledgement of the name of God: “Now, O Lord our God, who brought your people out of Egypt with a mighty hand and who made for yourself a name that endures to this day, we have sinned, we have done wrong. O Lord, in keeping with all your righteous acts, turn away your anger and your wrath from Jerusalem, your city, your holy hill. Our sins and the iniquities of our fathers have made Jerusalem and your people an object of scorn to all those around us. Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of your servant. For your sake, O Lord, look with favor on your desolate sanctuary. Give ear, O God, and hear; open your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears your Name. We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy. O Lord, listen! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, hear and act! For your sake, O my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name” (Daniel 9.15-19).
What was true for Daniel is true for every believer. Jesus instructed his disciples to pray in his name: Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete (John 16.24). Paul writes to the Colossians: And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him (Colossians 3.17). No matter what one’s social position, his primary concern ought to be to honor the name of God. Paul instructs Timothy in this matter when he writes: All who are under the yoke of slavery should consider their masters worthy of full respect, so that God’s name and our teaching may not be slandered (1 Timothy 6.1). The Scriptures are saturated with the teaching that one ought to acknowledge and honor the name of God. It is quite inconceivable that one can espouse faith and at the same time treat lightly the name of God. Not to us, O Lord, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness. Why do the nation say “where is their God?” Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him (Psalm 115.1-2).
Finally, such an attitude toward the name of God results in the believer calling upon the Lord. Jeremiah says it perfectly: Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart (Jeremiah 29.12; cp. 33.3). God is rightly jealous of His sovereign person and any presumptuous display of self-sufficiency will invariably meet with His displeasure. Indeed, it seems foolish not to seek the Lord. God’s invitation to trust Him is open and generous. Isaiah writes: “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.” … Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon (Isaiah 55.1-2, 6-7).
Because the believer loves God and acknowledges His name by calling on Him, God will bless him with His salvation. The salvation enjoyed by the believer is both a present blessing and a future reality. The psalmist drives home this point by listing the blessings conferred on those who trust God, namely, deliverance, protection, answers to prayer, companionship, honor, a long life, and salvation.
The psalmist invites the worshipper to take refuge in the Lord and thereby escape the ruin that comes to those who seek sanctuary elsewhere. The one who responds to this invitation enjoys the security of God’s protection. Although, as we have already noted, there is a biblical distinction between temporal troubles and eternal security, nonetheless, he has no reason to fear because God shelters his own (v. 9). This protection may be providential or even supernatural at times, but regardless of how it is achieved, it is evident that God’s provision is super abundant. VanGemeren writes:
In life the Lord may permit many terrible things to happen to his children (cf. Job), as he did to his own Son, our Lord. But his children know that no power is out of God’s control. They trust their heavenly Father, while they act responsibly. Hence they do not test the Lord to see to what extent he will deliver them from troubles. Satan tempted our Lord to act presumptuously, but Jesus rebuked Satan, rightly responding that man may not test the Lord (cf. Luke 4:10-12). EBC. 5:601
Psalm 91 concludes with a salvation oracle (vv. 14-16) in which God declares what He will do for the one who loves Him and calls on His name. There is no new revelation in this Psalm; the psalmist merely reassures the reader of what he ought to already know. Namely, that he is a part of a covenant people set apart by the love of God to be a royal priesthood. Reflect on Moses’ admonition to the Israelites:
The Lord did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. But it was because the Lord loved you and kept the oath he swore to your forefathers that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands. (Deuteronomy 77-9)
WHAT THE BELIEVER DOES
First, as a child loves his father and mother (Exodus 20.12), so, too, the elect of God love their heavenly Father. And just as a child will not love a parent who does not first love him or her, so one cannot love God if God does not love him first. John makes this abundantly clear in his first epistle: This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. … If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. … We love because he first loved us (1 John 4.10, 15, 19). As our filial relationship with God has its genesis with him, so, too, does our love for him. It cannot be otherwise, because we know that there is no good thing that is endemic to the human condition. Jeremiah writes: The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure (Jeremiah 17.9). Solomon expresses a similar thought: There is not a righteous man on earth who does what is right and never sins (Ecclesiastes 7.20; cp. Romans 3.23). The desperate condition of mankind is this: he must have someone who will love him as he is, namely, a sinner, and this is precisely what God does! You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5.6-8).
Second, having been adopted into God’s family the believer readily acknowledges God’s name. That the name of God has particular importance is evident from the third commandment: you shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name (Deuternomy 20.8). The question has been set forth in poetry, “What is in a name? A rose by any other name smells just the same.” While it is true that a name does not alter the reality of the thing named, nevertheless, the name is associated with the truth of the reality it represents. Thus, the two are indivisibly linked, and the name may then properly excite the imagination and emotions of the hearer, and as in the case of God’s name, even inspire hope for one’s salvation. A name imbues to its hearer all that may be associated with it. So, then, the name of God imparts to the faithful servant the full breadth of his person. It is for this reason that the name of Jesus is integral to salvation and there is no salvation without the name of Christ (Acts 4.12).
The Bible places great stress on the inestimable worth of God’s name. It may be illustrated in God’s dealing with Moses and Aaron at Meribah. You recall that when the Israelites complained that they had no water to drink, Moses was instructed to speak to the rock and then water would pour out of it. However, Moses was very angry and frustrated with the Israelites, and in anger he struck the rock twice with his staff. In so doing he dishonored the name of God. The Lord responded to him saying: “Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them” (Numbers 20.12). What was true at Meribah, is equally true in everything God does, that is, he does things for his own name’s sake. Thus, the believer must honor and acknowledge God’s name above all. Consider the following passages:
I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more (Isaiah 43.25). For your name’s sake, O Lord, preserve my life; in your righteousness, bring me out of trouble (Psalm 143.11). The shepherd’s Psalm reads: He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quite waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake (Psalm 23.2-3). Daniel’s great prayer of deliverance is based entirely on an acknowledgement of the name of God: “Now, O Lord our God, who brought your people out of Egypt with a mighty hand and who made for yourself a name that endures to this day, we have sinned, we have done wrong. O Lord, in keeping with all your righteous acts, turn away your anger and your wrath from Jerusalem, your city, your holy hill. Our sins and the iniquities of our fathers have made Jerusalem and your people an object of scorn to all those around us. Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of your servant. For your sake, O Lord, look with favor on your desolate sanctuary. Give ear, O God, and hear; open your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears your Name. We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy. O Lord, listen! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, hear and act! For your sake, O my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name” (Daniel 9.15-19).
What was true for Daniel is true for every believer. Jesus instructed his disciples to pray in his name: Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete (John 16.24). Paul writes to the Colossians: And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him (Colossians 3.17). No matter what one’s social position, his primary concern ought to be to honor the name of God. Paul instructs Timothy in this matter when he writes: All who are under the yoke of slavery should consider their masters worthy of full respect, so that God’s name and our teaching may not be slandered (1 Timothy 6.1). The Scriptures are saturated with the teaching that one ought to acknowledge and honor the name of God. It is quite inconceivable that one can espouse faith and at the same time treat lightly the name of God. Not to us, O Lord, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness. Why do the nation say “where is their God?” Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him (Psalm 115.1-2).
Finally, such an attitude toward the name of God results in the believer calling upon the Lord. Jeremiah says it perfectly: Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart (Jeremiah 29.12; cp. 33.3). God is rightly jealous of His sovereign person and any presumptuous display of self-sufficiency will invariably meet with His displeasure. Indeed, it seems foolish not to seek the Lord. God’s invitation to trust Him is open and generous. Isaiah writes: “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.” … Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon (Isaiah 55.1-2, 6-7).
Because the believer loves God and acknowledges His name by calling on Him, God will bless him with His salvation. The salvation enjoyed by the believer is both a present blessing and a future reality. The psalmist drives home this point by listing the blessings conferred on those who trust God, namely, deliverance, protection, answers to prayer, companionship, honor, a long life, and salvation.