Faith For A Dark Day

The events of that day have been repeated many times.

Violence & brutality have been on this earth for millennia.

“ When they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him” (Gn 4:8, ESV).

“ When they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him” (Gn 4:8, ESV).
The Assyrians, Attila the Hun, Hitler, Osama bin Laden.

Where is God in all of this?

Answering that question would be an exercise in futility.

None of us suffered personally because of 9/11.

None of us suffered personally because of 9/11, but we have all experienced personal 9/11s.

We aren’t the first people to suffer.

When Job lost everything, he questioned God for days on end.

Jesus “cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?’ that is, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’” (Mt 27:46, ESV).

The psalmist firmly puts trust in God.

The psalmist firmly puts trust in God. Tonight, we want to see how to have “ Faith for a Dark Day .”

“ He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the LORD, ‘My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’ For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler. You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday .

“ A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only look with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked. Because you have made the LORD your dwelling place—the Most High, who is my refuge—no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent.”

“ For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone. You will tread on the lion and the adder; the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot. Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name. When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation” (Ps 91, ESV).

Names of God

God is “the Most High” (v 1).

The idea is that God made this world & God reigns over this world.

“ The Most High rules the kingdom of men” (Dan 4:32, ESV).

“ I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, ‘Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns” (Rv 19:6, ESV).

“ I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, ‘Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns” (Rv 19:6, ESV).
What a blessed thought!

God is also “the Almighty” (v 1).

The Heb is lit “El Shaddai.”

The Heb is lit “El Shaddai.” “El Shaddai” likely means “God of the mountain.”

The idea is that God has great power & might.

“ Once God has spoken; twice have I heard this: that power belongs to God” (Ps 62:11, ESV).

“ Once God has spoken; twice have I heard this: that power belongs to God” (Ps 62:11, ESV).
“ By awesome deeds you answer us with righteousness, O God of our salvation, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas; the one who by his strength established the mountains, being girded with might” (Ps 65:5-6, ESV).

How great it is to know that our God is El Shaddai!

El Shaddai likely also points to God as the God of the patriarchs.

“ I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by my name the LORD I did not make myself known to them” (Ex 6:3, ESV).

“ I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by my name the LORD I did not make myself known to them” (Ex 6:3, ESV).
God established his power among the patriarchs.

He is also referred to as the LORD [Yahweh] (v 2).

As Moses prepared to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, he asked God what he should tell the Israelites God’s name was.

As Moses prepared to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, he asked God what he should tell the Israelites God’s name was.
God says to Moses, “‘I AM WHO I AM.’ And he said, ‘Say this to the people of Israel, “I AM has sent me to you”’” (Ex 3:14, ESV).

The idea in this name is that God is eternal.

“ Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!” (Rv 4:8, ESV).

“ Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!” (Rv 4:8, ESV).
What a blessed thought to know that God is eternal!

The psalmist also references God as “my God.”

The term “God” here is a general term.

But, the psalmist refers to God as “ my God.”

This demonstrates an intimacy with God.

This demonstrates an intimacy with God.
Because God is my God, he will strengthen me in a dark day.

God’s Protection

God provides broad protection.

He provides bodily protection.

He provides bodily protection. “He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from deadly pestilence” (v 3, ESV).

He provides protection from terror.

He provides protection from terror. “You will not fear the terror of the night” (v 5, ESV).

He provides protection from unseen dangers.

He provides protection from unseen dangers. “You will not fear the terror of the night” (v 5, ESV).

God provides individual protection.

“ A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you” (v 7, ESV).

“ A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you” (v 7, ESV).
God will not just protect so-and-so, but he will protect me !

God provides miraculous protection for his people.

“ He will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways” (v 11, ESV).

We typically think of this text in relation to Jesus.

But, it was SATAN who applied this text to Jesus!

But, it was SATAN who applied this text to Jesus!
“ Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?” (Heb 1:14, ESV).

This text says some things contrary to common sense.

The text says that no pestilence can kill us, but many faithful died in the Black Death.

The text also says that if 10,000 fall on my right hand destruction will not come near me.

Does that mean that had I been at the WTC, I would not have died?

Does that mean that had I been at the WTC, I would not have died?
My brethren who died that day might beg to differ.

One sister at a NYC congregation lost her husband.

One sister at a NYC congregation lost her husband.
A police sergeant at the Springfields Garden church who worked at the WTC was home sick on 9/11, but he lost his entire office.

If this text is true, how come some of our brethren suffered so intensely on 9/11?

We need to think about how we should apply this psalm.

We must know how any biblical text applied to its first readers.

Women wearing veils in 1 Corinthians 11.

Women wearing veils in 1 Corinthians 11.
So it is with this psalm.

What can we learn from the original setting of Ps 91 to apply it today?

We need to understand that this is poetry.

Poetic license is employed.

“ He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge” (v 4, ESV).

Is God a bird that he would have pinions & wings?

Is God a bird that he would have pinions & wings?
No, but we understand the poetic license.

This psalm also written with a specific situation in mind.

The situation from which this psalm comes has been lost to history.

Many try to say Moses or David wrote this psalm.

Maybe if Moses wrote it, this psalm applied specifically & literally to Joshua.

Maybe if Moses wrote it, this psalm applied specifically & literally to Joshua.
Maybe if David wrote it, this psalm applied specifically & literally to Solomon.

It would then have a very narrow application.

Paul told Timothy to bring his cloak he left at Troas (2 Tm 4:13).

Paul told Timothy to bring his cloak he left at Troas (2 Tm 4:13).
Just as we cannot fulfill that specific command, we shouldn’t expect these specific promises to apply to us.

What should we do with this passage then?

We need to learn the promise of divine protection.

“ The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed” (2 Tm 4:18, ESV).

“ The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed” (2 Tm 4:18, ESV).
I’m confident that Lord will protect us today just as he did Paul.

But, divine protection will not keep us from dying in some calamity.

We know that from experience.

Scripture also reveals this truth.

“ You will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But not a hair of your head will perish” (Lk 20:17-18, ESV).

“ You will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But not a hair of your head will perish” (Lk 20:17-18, ESV). “You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and some of you they will put to death” (Lk 20:16, ESV).

Lk 20:16-18.
“ We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Rm 8:28, ESV).

Lk 20:16-18.
Rm 8:28.
Does that mean everything in our lives is good?

Lk 20:16-18.
Rm 8:28.
“ Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?” (Rm 8:35, ESV).

Lk 20:16-18.
Rm 8:28.
“ Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?” (Rm 8:35, ESV).
Just because all things work together for good does not mean we won’t face tribulation or famine or sword!

What should we learn from this text?

God protects us from disaster, for God allows disaster.

When Satan attacked Job, the devil had to ask God’s permission.

“ Behold, he is in your hand; only spare his life” (Job 2:6, ESV).

I do not know why God allows certain people to die & others to live.

I do not know why God allows certain people to die & others to live.
My confidence is that God remains on his throne!

My BODY could not have survived, but God would have miraculously saved ME .

Regardless of what happens in this life, I shall not die!

My BODY can die, but JUSTIN IMEL cannot die.

My BODY can die, but JUSTIN IMEL cannot die.
This is not just semantics.

Our true existence is HOUSED in this flesh, but our true existence is NOT this flesh!

Regardless of what happens to our bodies, we shall never die.

Do not fear those who can kill the body but cannot kill the soul ” (Mt 10:28, ESV).

Do not fear those who can kill the body but cannot kill the soul ” (Mt 10:28, ESV).
“ I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die ” (Jn 11:25-26, ESV).

We previously mentioned 2 Tm 4:18.

Quite purposefully, I did not read the entire text.

Quite purposefully, I did not read the entire text. “The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom” (ESV).

Paul writes perhaps just a few days before his head is severed.

God’s protection did not save Paul’s head.

God’s protection did not save Paul’s head.
But, God’s protection did save Paul.

There is our hope!

The Department of Homeland Security can protect our bodies , but God can protect our souls .

Are you a child of God?

DO YOU HAVE PROTECTION FOR YOUR SOUL?
Are you a child of God?

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Faith For A Dark Day

by JJustim on Sep 09, 2008

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Faith For A Dark Day — Presentation Transcript