NO PLAGUE WILL COME INTO YOUR HOUSE

Psalm 91: The Psalm On Plagues
” ... if You have made the Most High Your dwelling-place,
no evil shall befall You, nor shall any plague come near Your dwelling.
For He shall give His angels charge over You, to keep You in all Your ways.
They shall bear You up in their hands, lest You dash your foot against a stone” (Psalm 91:9-12).

THE ANGEL OF DESTRUCTION. The world currently is suffering "a pandemic." America of course is included. People have been asked to stay at home. Schools have closed. Businesses are either closed or limited in their services. Fear of an invisible power has charged the atmosphere for many. The Bible speaks of an angel of death sent in plagues and pestilences and war; e.g., 2 Samuel 24:15; II Kings 19:35; and I Chronicles 21:12, 15.ⁱ

SOCIAL DISTANCING. Do you miss your brethren's hand shakes, hugs, and kind words at church "assembly"? Even when the government advises full assembling, will just assembling be sufficient to obey God’s injunctions on fellowshipping? Back in March, my dermatologist came into the room with her elbow stretched out to me. I said, "I guess we should do that at church instead of the hand shakes." She commented, "Unfortunately." What does Psalm 91 have to do with social distancing?

Does Psalm 91 guarantee that what ever we do, God promises to protect us from the plague?

PSALM 91. First of all, notice that the inspired psalm is a conversation between at least two persons: one who dedicates himself to the most High God and another one who assures the protection from pestilence under the shadow of God's wings. There is no fear of the night terror nor of any noon destruction. Why? For God is your refuge and habitation. He even sends His angels to protect you.

MESSIANIC PSALM? Psalm 91 is not talking about the protection of a coming Messiah. This has been suggested probably because the devil quoted it to Jesus during His wilderness temptations. Again, Jesus did not correct its relevance to Him. But these would not limit it as being Messianic.

THE PSALM IS FOR EVERYONE. Actually, Psalm 91 would include Jesus, but it does not limit itself to Him but is inclusive of all who have placed their trust and love in God as their refuge (91:2, 14)! (1) The Psalm does not limit its application to the Christ. No where is the Messiah mentioned therein. (2) Also, Jesus’ answer to the devil is not a Messianic quote but one that applies to all mankind. No one is to “tempt God” (Deuteronomy 6:16). The thought taught is, God looks after all who puts their trust in Him while Jesus' commentary is that this fact does not give any person license to test God by putting oneself in the paths of trouble and/or hence, even a plague. What the devil quotes is as applicable to us as to Jesus.

SATAN’S TEST OF JESUS. Jesus has been baptized by John the Baptist and anointed by the Father. He is to begin His public ministry. But before He does, He fasts alone in the wilderness. The devil challenges Jesus to make it easy on Himself by quoting Psalm 91. “Then the devil took Him up into the holy city and set Him upon a pinnacle of the Temple. And he said to Him, If you are the Son of God, cast yourself down. For it is written, ‘He shall give His angels charge concerning You. They shall bear You up in their hands, lest You dash your foot against a stone.’” (Matthew 4:5,6).

THE DEVIL OFFERS HIS PLAN FOR JESUS. Just like he did Eve, the devil appeals to the flesh's pride of life (1 John 2:16). It is as if the devil is saying, “You want attention and people to respond to your ministry, Jesus? You can skip all the sweat and work. I’ll show you how people will treat you like a rock star (GW's comparison): just jump off the top edge of the temple. [It was a winglet^G4419 (pinnacle) that is said to have over a 450+ foot drop straight down into the valley.] If you are truly God’s Son then if He saves anyone, He’ll surely save you from harm just like the Psalm promises to all of God’s people that trust in Him.” As some commentator has said, “There were plenty of witnesses in Jerusalem that would have been impressed by such a show.”

But WHAT DIFFERENCE DID IT MAKE? Jesus' purpose as the Messiah would have been jeopardized if He had followed this route.

1. Jesus did not come to earth to be treated as a special "darling."
2. Jesus came to suffer and even die for us, His creation.
3. Jesus’ entire ministry of Teaching was in quietness. He performed miracles apparently only when it involved compassion and not as a show off of any power. He often repeats, “Don’t tell anyone” (Mark 1:41-42; Luke 8:56; John 6:26; etc.). Jesus’ anointment was “to preach the gospel” (Luke 4:18). However, the apostle John does record some of His miracles that were done in the presence of His disciples that "we who read might believe" (John 20:30).

JESUS’ ANSWER TO THE DEVIL. But Jesus corrects the devil with another Scripture, “Thou shalt not tempt the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 4:7). By example Jesus teaches us that we (1) should harmonize all Scripture to acquire the knowledge of the Truth (John 17:17; which is a good practice) but also (2) God expects us also to be responsible for our own choices. We don’t rush into a building that is on fire and expect God to place a bubble of protection around us to keep us from the burning. We do the best we can and have confidence in God’s providential angelic protection as promised in the Psalm. Meanwhile, Jesus completed His assignment according to God's will (Ephesians 1:5).

APPLYING PSALM 91 TODAY. How are we to apply Psalm 91 in light of today’s pandemic of the coronavirus? I’ve heard good people over the years say that they would do such and such regardless of its possible consequences because God would protect them in whatever they do. What would Jesus say to that?

i He's called in Jewish traditions, Azrael, i.e., an "angel of destruction." In Islam there is a “Malak Almawt,” and Hinduism has its "Lord Yam" as the "god of death." https://www.christianity.com/wiki/angels-and-demons/who-is-the-angel-of-death-in-the- bible.html