Psalm 91: Biblical Scholar Review

Biblical Scholar Reviews Psalm 91

Meditation in the word, I did not totally understand before attending a class on the Psalms. My teacher defined it as having to do with ponding on God’s word daily in small increments. I found another definition of meditation in the word that I think goes along with my teacher’s definition. According to bible.study.tool.com meditation in the word means, to “ponder the Word in our hearts, preach it to our own souls, and personally applying it to our own lives and circumstances” (n.d., para 4). This is what my class did in understanding the 150 psalms located in the middle of the bible. Why is it important to meditate in the word and put our trust in God? This question was answered by the psalmist who wrote

Bullock (2001) categorized this psalm as an individual psalm of lament. One can clearly conclude this is an individual psalm from the uses of he, you and I in verses 1-3 and 14 (NIV). Bullock (2001) supports that it is a lament by providing the following: Psalm 91 laments in regards to pestilence within verses 3-7. The complaint against the psalmist’s enemies is found in verse 8, where it is written of the punishment of the wicked. The Psalmist trust in God is revealed within verses 1-13. The solution according to Bullock (2001) is found within verses 9-13, in which one makes the Most High their dwelling. The oracle to the Psalmist/Israel can be found in verses 14-16. However, Broyles’ (1999) describes Psalms 91 as being a psalm of trust and protection. That the Psalmist trust in God is evident within the context of verses 1-2, 4 and 9. Also, Broyle points out that verses 1-8 and verses 9-13 have the same three parts: “a description of the believer who confesses Yahweh as a refuge, Yahweh’s promise of protective action, and promises of the believer’s security” (1999, p.361). All this points to the genre of Psalm 91 being a psalm of trust, a psalm of protection as well as a psalm of lament. Also, Broyle’s (1999) assessment of the structure of verses 1-13 helps us to understand a literary feature of this

However, Broyles (1999) states that some believe these promises to be unrealistic. That is, that God will deliver a believer who trusts in him from evil, danger and disease. It seems as if everybody encounters dangers and troubles in their lives at some point. Currently, ISIS is killing many Christians as I write this paper. I know that some of them must love God, acknowledge him and have a relationship with him through meditation but still face dangers in their lives. Unfortunately, the devil is around as well and he is very persuasive. He knows how to twist the truth as he tried to in temping Jesus and misusing this psalm. God granted us free will and sometime our actions are not so godly and we would like. God does not promise that we won’t face danger or have problems. Job 5:7 states, “Yet man is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward” (NIV). As you read verse 15 God admits that believers will be in harm’s way and/or in trouble. When they are in trouble, God will be with them and rescue them. This psalm can be used when we are in the thick of a situation in which we feel no control or no way out. This psalm offers comfort and is effective when prayed from the heart.

Psalm 91:8 is also a very important psalm in understating the application of psalm 91. This psalm has to do with the punishment of the wicked. Broyles (1999) states that this psalm lets the believer know that they will not face