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Let's talk about fear for a moment.

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Do you know fear is a very real thing?

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People are like, amen, I know that.

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This week I was reading a story of fear.

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Story of a missionary in India,

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who for several weeks had been preaching the gospel

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and ministering to people traveling from town to town.

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And he told the story of how one night

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he and his team of four other men

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were returning from a meeting, it was about 10 p.m.

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and they had about a five mile walk ahead of them

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through a pretty thick part of the jungle

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to get to their next destination

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where they planned to stay for the night.

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So it was very dark and they're traveling

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with one flashlight and what he called a Petromax,

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which is a bright lantern.

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And as they were climbing a steep section of the path,

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the guide they were with suddenly froze in his tracks

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and he turned around and he went, shh, tiger.

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And everybody froze and somebody put the flashlight up

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and about 100 yards out, they could see the outline

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of a huge male tiger in the distance.

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And that tiger had now seen the light

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and was staring right into it

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and was beginning to creep forward towards them.

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Now, if you don't know this, in India,

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tigers maul and kill a lot of people every year.

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It is a very serious threat.

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Well, the missionary said that he had met a tiger

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and he was about to kill a tiger.

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Well, the missionary said that he had never in his life

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felt more helpless and more afraid, and you can imagine.

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So he began to pray very silently and with great fervor,

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asking the Lord for his, to intervene

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and to protect this group.

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And then to his relief, about 60 yards out,

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the tiger suddenly dashed off into the bush,

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into the jungle.

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And that was to his great relief,

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but then he thought to himself,

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maybe that's not so good.

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What if the tiger was now planning an ambush,

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it was gonna come in off of their flank?

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And so the group said, we should get going.

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And just as they started to move, that lantern went out.

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Yikes.

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Now they're in almost total darkness

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and that tiger is out there somewhere.

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So this missionary sat down in the tallest grass

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he could find and he waited for the lantern to be fixed.

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And he said he prayed like he had never prayed before.

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And he said, it seemed like ages

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before they got that lantern started again.

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And in the meantime, every little sound that he heard,

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guess what he thought?

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This is the horrific end of me, you can imagine.

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But then the tiger never appeared again.

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So the question this morning is,

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did the Lord hear his prayer

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and did the Lord protect him from the tiger?

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Let's see what the Bible says.

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Grab your Bibles, let's open them up.

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We're going to Psalm 91.

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Psalm 91, I mentioned in my video from yesterday,

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this Psalm over the years has come to be known

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as the Soldier's Psalm because of its content,

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because of the promise of God's sovereign protection

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over his children.

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History tells us that it was widely read

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and cited by soldiers in both World War I and World War II.

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And even today, I just found this out this week

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from Zach Swift at his commissioning,

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that even today, Psalm 91 is still being printed

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in Bibles that are given to cadets, which is amazing.

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The Soldier's Psalm.

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Now you look at the top of it,

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you see the absence of a superscription, right?

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There's no superscription as there's been

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in so many of the Psalms that we've studied.

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What that means is the author is anonymous

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and that means also that the historical background

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and context is unknown,

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which is a real bummer for history nerds, right?

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But we're gonna have to accept that.

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Now some Old Testament scholars have looked at the language

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and some of the phraseology and they have speculated

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that maybe Moses wrote Psalm 91 after 90,

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others point to David and as I look at it,

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I think David's probably more likely than Moses,

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but we can't know for sure,

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so we won't speculate about it.

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Now the structure of the Psalms really important to look at.

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In fact, I'm gonna put this on the screen.

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Again, you don't have to have eyes to see that.

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This is not an eye test,

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but if you're one of those blessed people

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that likes to draw lines, likes to mark up your Bibles,

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I suggest doing it here by drawing lines

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where you see there between verses two and three,

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between verses four and five and between verses 13 and 14.

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That's the way I've broken it down up there

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and we're gonna walk through it in that way

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because I think this is probably the best way

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for us to study it.

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So let's read the word.

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Psalm 91, we're gonna read the whole Psalm

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and then we will come back and we'll work our way through it.

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Verse one, he who dwells in the shelter of the most high

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will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.

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I will say to the Lord, my refuge and my fortress,

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my God in whom I trust.

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For it is he who delivers you from the snare of the trapper

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and from the deadly pestilence.

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He will cover you with his pinions

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and under his wings, you may seek refuge.

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His faithfulness is a shield in a bulwark.

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You will not be afraid of the terror by night

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or the arrow that flies by day,

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of the pestilence that stalks in darkness

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or the destruction that lays waste at noon.

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A thousand may fall at your side

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and 10,000 at your right hand,

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but it shall not approach you.

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You will only look on with your eyes

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and see the recompense of the wicked.

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For you've made the Lord my refuge,

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even the most high, your dwelling place.

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No evil will befall you,

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nor will any plague come near your tent,

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for he will give his angels charge concerning you

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to guard you in all your ways.

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They will bear you up in their hands

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that you do not strike your foot against a stone.

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You will tread upon the lion and the cobra,

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the young lion and the serpent, you will trample down.

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Because he has loved me, therefore I will deliver him.

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I will set him securely on high

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because he has known my name.

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He will call upon me and I will answer him.

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I will be with him in trouble.

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I will rescue him and honor him.

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With a long life I will satisfy him

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and let him see my salvation.

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Okay, lot to unpack here

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and we're gonna go through it pretty quickly,

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so hang with me.

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Let's go back up to verses one and two.

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The way the psalmist begins is very interesting.

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He starts by writing in the third person

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and he's speaking in general terms about anyone

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who seeks the path of wisdom and blessing

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by dwelling in the presence of Yahweh, the God of Israel.

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He who dwells in the shelter of the most high

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will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.

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That is a beautiful and powerful wisdom saying.

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We'll come back to that in just a moment,

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but first, see how in the next verse, in verse two,

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the author switches to first person.

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The pronouns are gonna be important throughout this psalm.

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Changes to first person going from the pronoun he

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to the pronoun I.

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So we'll put up some logic here.

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Just a couple steps so that you can see

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how this sort of plays out.

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So verse one is a general statement of wisdom

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and then verse two is the psalmist's personal testimony.

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It's his personal account of having done

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what he described in verse one.

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He says, I will say to the Lord,

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my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust.

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So to summarize, here's what he's saying.

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Anyone who seeks shelter in the Lord

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will live under his protective wings

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and I testify that this is true in my life.

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That's what he's saying.

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I will continually declare that Yahweh is my refuge

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and my fortress is in him and him alone that I trust.

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You see it, general statement and then personal testimony.

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Now let's go back and look deeper at the language.

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Dwell is a good translation of the Hebrew verb, yashav.

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The pictures of someone who, get this now,

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enters a home, sits down and stays.

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When you see that word dwell,

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enters a home, pulls up a chair and remains.

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That's the picture here.

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Picture in your mind, some of you can do this,

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log cabin, roaring fire in the fireplace,

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cup of warm hot chocolate,

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sit down in a comfy rocking chair

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and you just bask in that peaceful setting.

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You feel completely safe and secure.

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That's what he's describing here.

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This almost refers to this dwelling place, a seithir.

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And again, shelter is a good translation of that word.

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But when you hear shelter,

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your mind might go to the wrong thing.

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You might think, when I hear shelter,

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I think of a rickety little shack that's thrown up

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like a survivalist would do out in the wild.

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But that is not the picture here.

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The Hebrew word and the context carries the meaning

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of a covering that is a hidden place or a secret place.

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This is a home that is secret.

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It's impervious to the evils of the world

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where we can dwell with the Lord.

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It's a place that we can run to

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when this fallen world starts to wear us down.

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And I know we're all feeling that right now.

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When the storms of life hit,

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when worry and fear begin to creep into our hearts,

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this is a secret place,

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a hidden place that we can retreat to.

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And we can pull up that chair and we can stay with the Lord.

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Because it's the Lord himself who is this shelter.

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You have to understand, he's personalizing this.

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It's the Lord who's this shelter.

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The Lord is our hiding place.

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And it's his presence that is our peace and our protection.

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And I think what's happening here,

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there's a subtle reference that any Israelite

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would have known back in this day, but less so today.

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Historically now, think Old Testament.

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Where was the hidden dwelling place of God in Israel?

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It was the inner sanctuary in the tabernacle.

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And later in the temple, right?

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That's where the Ark of the Covenant was.

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That was the hidden place

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where Yahweh manifested his presence.

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So you have an image of that on the screen right there,

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the Ark of the Covenant.

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And the lid on the top was known as the mercy seat.

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And on both ends of the mercy seat

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were these great cherubim with their wings extended

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over the entire length of the lid.

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And there between the wings of the angels,

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that's where Yahweh would manifest his Shekinah glory,

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his presence among his people.

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That is likely the shadow of the Almighty

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that the psalmist is describing here in verse two.

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Think about that.

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And keep in mind, if you're in the shadow of somebody,

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you've gotta be very close to them, right?

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The word itself demands nearness.

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Come into the shadow of the Almighty.

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So the psalmist is hinting at something

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that later under the new covenant

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would become a spiritual reality for us through Christ.

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The privilege that we have as New Testament believers

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to enter with confidence into the very throne room of God.

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Hebrews 10 describes this,

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saying that we have confidence

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to enter the most holy place by what?

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By the blood of Jesus.

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By a new and living way which he opened for us

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through the veil, meaning his flesh.

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And therefore, since we have such a great high priest,

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we can boldly draw near to God in that hiding place,

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which is an amazing privilege

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that sometimes we take for granted.

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We don't even pray, right?

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We have access to the throne room,

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but we don't always come into it.

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And though the psalmist didn't have that level of privilege

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in his day prior to the arrival of Messiah,

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he still confesses here in verse two

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that the ultimate truth is that Yahweh is his shelter.

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Yahweh is his refuge.

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It's that place where he can retreat in a time of danger

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and that God is his fortress, a matzud in Hebrew.

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That word means a stronghold.

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God is a stronghold.

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Back in ancient times, if you lived in a city,

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you had to have fortified walls or you wouldn't survive

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because you were constantly being attacked.

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That's the picture being drawn here.

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A city with fortified walls, that is what God is

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to the psalmist.

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And so there's nothing in this world,

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not even a massive tiger in the jungle

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that comes close to the power of God

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is our refuge and our fortress.

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And when you abide in him, nothing can get to you

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except that which God allows into the gate.

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And I want you to think about that picture.

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Nothing gets into the stronghold

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except that which God allows in when you dwell

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in the shelter of the most high.

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And who enjoys this kind of protection?

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Well, the psalmist tells us it's individual, it's personal.

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Notice how he takes hold of the power

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of God's love for himself.

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He says, my God, not just Yahweh in whom we should trust.

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He says, my God in whom I trust.

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In fact, there's three my's there, right?

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He is my refuge, he is my fortress, he is my God.

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Friends, that truth is the antidote to fear.

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And that's such an important thing for us.

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The world we live in right now,

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it feels like there are threats everywhere.

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Here is the antidote to fear.

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We find freedom from worry, from anxiety, from fear

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when we seek to dwell in the shelter, in the hidden place,

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which is almighty God, amen?

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Verses one and two, man, memorize them,

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put them on your mirror at home in the bathroom, whatever.

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It is a powerful verse of comfort and peace.

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Okay, second section, let's move on to verses three and four.

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Having declared, having declared his own personal trust

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in God, now the psalmist turns to his audience.

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He begins to teach his fellow Israelites.

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Notice the pronouns switch again, from I in verse two

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to you in verses three and four.

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And just like in English, when we use the word you,

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it can be either plural or singular.

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Same thing in Hebrew, but what you see

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throughout this section is the psalmist is writing

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in such a way that every reference to you

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00:14:07,500 --> 00:14:11,800
in Hebrew is singular, very unusual.

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What does that mean?

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It means that he's focusing on every individual person

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in his audience, their personal fears,

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their personal trials, and their personal trust in God.

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He's speaking to them as individuals.

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So as we read this, let his words speak to you

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as an individual worshiper of Yahweh.

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Verse three, for it is he who delivers you

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from the snare of the trapper or a fowler,

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that's somebody who, Ross knows this, right?

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Who traps birds.

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00:14:44,880 --> 00:14:45,880
Who would do that?

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Traps and catches birds.

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And from the deadly pestilence or plague.

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So these two figures of speech now are designed

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to emphasize two sides of a coin

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00:14:59,520 --> 00:15:01,420
that are both dangerous to us.

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One, get this now, one is a surprise.

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It has the element of surprise to it.

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00:15:07,300 --> 00:15:10,360
A trap that suddenly jumps up and grabs hold of your leg.

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The other is a deadly disease that slowly spreads

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across the land, you see it coming.

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So either way, whether it's sudden or slow moving,

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the Lord can deliver you from these types of threats

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because his power is sufficient for protecting you.

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00:15:29,020 --> 00:15:30,880
And in practical terms, there's many ways we can understand

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00:15:30,880 --> 00:15:32,580
this, how it plays out.

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00:15:32,580 --> 00:15:36,600
The reality is sometimes, sometimes danger comes to us

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00:15:36,600 --> 00:15:39,420
in the form of a very sudden spiritual attack

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00:15:39,420 --> 00:15:40,900
from the enemy, right?

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00:15:40,900 --> 00:15:42,100
We've all felt this.

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00:15:42,100 --> 00:15:44,740
You walked into your day, you felt like you had

352
00:15:44,740 --> 00:15:47,900
the armor of God on and boom, suddenly,

353
00:15:47,900 --> 00:15:49,240
it just comes out of nowhere

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00:15:49,240 --> 00:15:52,040
and you're suddenly feeling very much attacked.

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00:15:52,040 --> 00:15:53,880
And then there's other times when something,

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00:15:53,880 --> 00:15:57,280
a temptation comes at us very slowly

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and it strikes that place in our character

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00:15:59,720 --> 00:16:03,320
that isn't as sanctified as it should be.

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00:16:03,320 --> 00:16:07,080
And we fall victim to that temptation, we give into it.

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00:16:08,360 --> 00:16:10,460
So the enemy may snare us in a surprise attack

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00:16:10,460 --> 00:16:13,660
or we may find ourselves falling to that temptation

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00:16:13,660 --> 00:16:18,660
that we see coming because we don't run to our hidden place.

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00:16:18,660 --> 00:16:23,660
We don't run to our shelter where we can be protected.

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00:16:25,100 --> 00:16:27,360
But if we do run to him, look at the promise in verse four.

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00:16:27,360 --> 00:16:30,260
It says, he will cover you with his pinions,

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00:16:30,260 --> 00:16:32,640
that means feathers, okay?

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00:16:32,640 --> 00:16:35,840
And under his wings, again, think of that cherubim

368
00:16:35,840 --> 00:16:40,840
in the mercy seat, under his wings, you may seek refuge.

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00:16:42,180 --> 00:16:43,340
You will find refuge.

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00:16:43,340 --> 00:16:45,140
His faithfulness is a shield and a bulwark.

371
00:16:45,140 --> 00:16:48,820
So again, remember, we're studying Hebrew poetry.

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00:16:48,820 --> 00:16:53,820
So you expect the language to be flowery, illustrative, right?

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00:16:54,420 --> 00:16:57,160
Here again, we have two figures of speech

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00:16:57,160 --> 00:17:00,220
designed to emphasize two sides of a coin.

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00:17:00,220 --> 00:17:03,440
When you're under threat, God can cover you

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00:17:03,440 --> 00:17:08,440
with both tender care and battle-hardened armor.

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00:17:09,640 --> 00:17:10,780
This is so interesting.

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00:17:10,780 --> 00:17:13,280
First, God functions like a mother bird

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00:17:13,280 --> 00:17:16,340
who puts her wings over her chicks

380
00:17:16,340 --> 00:17:17,740
and protects them from the elements,

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00:17:17,740 --> 00:17:19,980
from wind and rain and the storms.

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00:17:19,980 --> 00:17:22,320
It's a picture of warmth, tender mercy

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00:17:22,320 --> 00:17:25,120
that God has for his children.

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00:17:25,120 --> 00:17:27,880
But then there's the toughness of his armor.

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00:17:27,880 --> 00:17:30,060
Not just the standard shield.

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00:17:30,060 --> 00:17:31,920
An ancient warrior would have a round shield

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00:17:31,920 --> 00:17:34,400
that was only big enough to cover his vital organs,

388
00:17:34,400 --> 00:17:37,200
his torso, but then this thing called a bulwark

389
00:17:37,200 --> 00:17:39,860
or a buckler, that was the much larger,

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00:17:39,860 --> 00:17:43,340
taller shield that would cover his entire body.

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00:17:43,340 --> 00:17:46,540
It was a fortress that would go around him,

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00:17:46,540 --> 00:17:48,140
just like a fortified wall.

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00:17:49,180 --> 00:17:51,480
So from our perspective, when we're facing danger

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00:17:51,480 --> 00:17:53,640
and we run to God for protection,

395
00:17:53,640 --> 00:17:58,660
we find him to be both warm and tender and strong as steel.

396
00:18:00,180 --> 00:18:01,020
Praise him, right?

397
00:18:01,020 --> 00:18:01,920
Isn't that amazing?

398
00:18:05,920 --> 00:18:09,400
Man, I'm reaching here.

399
00:18:09,400 --> 00:18:10,900
This is amazing truth.

400
00:18:11,760 --> 00:18:13,600
Okay, now in verses five to 10,

401
00:18:13,600 --> 00:18:16,340
we read about the implications of that type of protection

402
00:18:16,340 --> 00:18:18,940
that he offers and as we read through these,

403
00:18:18,940 --> 00:18:22,200
consider the confidence that we should have in our God.

404
00:18:22,200 --> 00:18:26,820
No matter what evil threatens us, we are safe in his shadow.

405
00:18:26,820 --> 00:18:29,580
Look at verse five, you will not be afraid

406
00:18:29,580 --> 00:18:33,060
of the terror by night or the arrow that flies by day,

407
00:18:33,060 --> 00:18:35,860
of the pestilence that stalks in the darkness

408
00:18:35,860 --> 00:18:38,720
or of destruction that lays waste at noon.

409
00:18:38,720 --> 00:18:40,300
A thousand may fall at your side,

410
00:18:40,300 --> 00:18:42,360
10,000 at your right hand,

411
00:18:42,360 --> 00:18:45,000
but it shall not approach or come near to you.

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00:18:46,340 --> 00:18:48,000
That's quite a promise.

413
00:18:48,000 --> 00:18:51,300
Again, more beautiful descriptive language.

414
00:18:51,300 --> 00:18:55,200
In this case, he uses a rhetorical device called a merism,

415
00:18:55,200 --> 00:18:58,740
which combines two parts of a whole that describe the whole.

416
00:18:58,740 --> 00:19:02,120
So you have night and day and darkness and noon.

417
00:19:02,120 --> 00:19:05,620
Together, they refer to a 24 hour period.

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00:19:05,620 --> 00:19:08,860
So the message is simple, whatever danger comes at you

419
00:19:08,860 --> 00:19:12,320
on any day of your life, whether it's terror in the night

420
00:19:12,320 --> 00:19:15,220
or it's an arrow shot by an enemy or a plague

421
00:19:15,220 --> 00:19:17,260
or some form of destruction,

422
00:19:17,260 --> 00:19:19,260
you have no reason to be afraid

423
00:19:19,260 --> 00:19:21,940
if you're found in that fortress of God.

424
00:19:23,180 --> 00:19:27,140
On any given day, when we talk about retreating

425
00:19:27,140 --> 00:19:31,080
to the shelter, this is a daily thing, right?

426
00:19:31,080 --> 00:19:33,820
We're in the shelter of God, fortified by him.

427
00:19:33,820 --> 00:19:36,080
And then as we step out of that,

428
00:19:36,080 --> 00:19:37,760
we're wearing the armor of God

429
00:19:37,760 --> 00:19:39,860
and we can always retreat back to the shelter.

430
00:19:39,860 --> 00:19:43,620
But the picture is of intense warfare going on.

431
00:19:44,860 --> 00:19:48,500
And even if others are being picked off all around you

432
00:19:48,500 --> 00:19:49,560
and you look around and you're like,

433
00:19:49,560 --> 00:19:52,600
everybody's falling, I must be next.

434
00:19:52,600 --> 00:19:55,400
God is able to separate you from the crowd and spare you.

435
00:19:55,400 --> 00:19:56,400
Do you believe that?

436
00:19:57,340 --> 00:20:00,440
Even 10,000 people, God's care for you

437
00:20:00,440 --> 00:20:02,740
could be so specifically focused

438
00:20:02,740 --> 00:20:06,380
that it can preserve just you out of 10,000 people.

439
00:20:09,980 --> 00:20:10,820
You believe it?

440
00:20:12,560 --> 00:20:13,960
That's how sovereign he is.

441
00:20:15,100 --> 00:20:17,260
Now the rest of this section from verses eight to 10

442
00:20:17,260 --> 00:20:19,660
gets very eschatological.

443
00:20:19,660 --> 00:20:21,560
Verse eight, you will only look on with your eyes

444
00:20:21,560 --> 00:20:23,840
and see the recompense of the wicked.

445
00:20:23,840 --> 00:20:26,100
This is obvious language focusing

446
00:20:26,100 --> 00:20:28,700
on the future day of the Lord, to judgment,

447
00:20:28,700 --> 00:20:30,680
to the pouring out of God's wrath.

448
00:20:30,680 --> 00:20:32,780
And the psalmist says, in that day,

449
00:20:32,780 --> 00:20:35,040
those who have sheltered under my wings

450
00:20:35,040 --> 00:20:37,820
will merely stand back and serve as witnesses

451
00:20:37,820 --> 00:20:40,820
as I repay the wicked for their wicked deeds.

452
00:20:41,820 --> 00:20:44,520
Friends, that is the most dangerous and terrifying thing

453
00:20:44,520 --> 00:20:45,660
that a man can face.

454
00:20:46,620 --> 00:20:50,160
God's judgment, God's wrath,

455
00:20:50,160 --> 00:20:52,820
more than a thousand tigers in the jungle.

456
00:20:52,820 --> 00:20:55,500
This is the most terrifying and awful thing

457
00:20:55,500 --> 00:20:57,500
that a man can face.

458
00:20:57,500 --> 00:20:59,060
But here's the truth, in that day,

459
00:20:59,060 --> 00:21:00,800
the redeemed will only look on, why?

460
00:21:00,800 --> 00:21:03,680
Because in verse nine, because they have made the Lord,

461
00:21:04,880 --> 00:21:07,480
the psalmist's refuge, even the most high,

462
00:21:07,480 --> 00:21:10,240
they have made him their dwelling place.

463
00:21:12,020 --> 00:21:14,980
No evil will befall you, it says.

464
00:21:14,980 --> 00:21:19,160
The ESV puts it this way, no evil will be allowed,

465
00:21:19,160 --> 00:21:21,460
will be allowed to befall you,

466
00:21:21,460 --> 00:21:23,520
nor will any plague come near your tent.

467
00:21:24,560 --> 00:21:25,700
These are great promises.

468
00:21:25,700 --> 00:21:27,500
Now, trust me, at the end of the sermon here,

469
00:21:27,500 --> 00:21:29,260
we're gonna talk about,

470
00:21:29,260 --> 00:21:31,960
do we have an absolute guarantee on these things?

471
00:21:31,960 --> 00:21:33,100
We'll get to that.

472
00:21:33,100 --> 00:21:35,440
But in the next section, verses 11 to 13,

473
00:21:36,700 --> 00:21:38,040
now you're really gonna get challenged,

474
00:21:38,040 --> 00:21:39,540
if you walked in here today

475
00:21:39,540 --> 00:21:41,540
with a certain theological system,

476
00:21:41,540 --> 00:21:43,180
with some presuppositions,

477
00:21:43,180 --> 00:21:45,080
verse 13 may challenge you just a bit.

478
00:21:45,080 --> 00:21:49,680
The supernatural means that God uses to protect his people.

479
00:21:49,680 --> 00:21:53,220
Angels, angels, verse 11,

480
00:21:53,220 --> 00:21:55,220
for he will give his angels charge,

481
00:21:55,220 --> 00:21:59,160
or he will command his angels concerning you

482
00:21:59,160 --> 00:22:01,600
to guard you in all your ways.

483
00:22:01,600 --> 00:22:03,660
They, these angels, will bear you up

484
00:22:03,660 --> 00:22:05,800
or support you in their hands

485
00:22:05,800 --> 00:22:08,700
that you do not strike your foot against a stone.

486
00:22:09,600 --> 00:22:12,740
Now, does that surprise you?

487
00:22:15,040 --> 00:22:17,140
Why don't we like talking about

488
00:22:17,140 --> 00:22:19,240
the spiritual realm in angels?

489
00:22:20,180 --> 00:22:22,220
It's really mysterious, right?

490
00:22:22,220 --> 00:22:24,420
And the Bible doesn't give us a super system.

491
00:22:24,420 --> 00:22:27,180
When I taught at masters, I taught systematic theology.

492
00:22:27,180 --> 00:22:29,120
And every time I got to angelology,

493
00:22:29,120 --> 00:22:30,460
I had to say to the folks,

494
00:22:30,460 --> 00:22:32,360
hey, look, we only have a certain amount of data

495
00:22:32,360 --> 00:22:34,260
to work with in scripture, and that's by design.

496
00:22:34,260 --> 00:22:35,660
It's by God's design.

497
00:22:35,660 --> 00:22:38,300
Because we could easily get completely wrapped up

498
00:22:38,300 --> 00:22:42,000
in the spiritual realm and worship angels

499
00:22:42,000 --> 00:22:43,340
and get all involved in that,

500
00:22:43,340 --> 00:22:45,780
and God doesn't want us to do that.

501
00:22:45,780 --> 00:22:47,300
But we shouldn't be surprised about this.

502
00:22:47,300 --> 00:22:49,200
We see this in the New Testament too.

503
00:22:49,200 --> 00:22:53,340
In Hebrews one, angels are called ministering spirits.

504
00:22:53,340 --> 00:22:55,280
That's their job.

505
00:22:55,280 --> 00:22:57,020
They minister.

506
00:22:57,020 --> 00:23:00,960
They're sent out by the Lord to render service

507
00:23:00,960 --> 00:23:04,380
for the sake of those who will inherit salvation,

508
00:23:04,380 --> 00:23:06,060
says Hebrews one.

509
00:23:06,060 --> 00:23:08,160
They're ministering spirits.

510
00:23:08,160 --> 00:23:09,860
They minister to the redeemed.

511
00:23:11,560 --> 00:23:15,900
Even now, that's happening in the spirit realm.

512
00:23:17,160 --> 00:23:18,700
In this place this morning.

513
00:23:19,700 --> 00:23:20,800
It's wild, isn't it?

514
00:23:20,800 --> 00:23:22,640
What an amazing and mysterious truth.

515
00:23:22,640 --> 00:23:25,400
The Lord sends these spirit beings to watch over us.

516
00:23:25,400 --> 00:23:27,980
Now, how all that works, I don't know.

517
00:23:29,380 --> 00:23:31,420
I wish if I knew, I would tell you

518
00:23:31,420 --> 00:23:33,020
if I had a whole bunch of data to say

519
00:23:33,020 --> 00:23:35,480
this is exactly how that plays out,

520
00:23:35,480 --> 00:23:38,860
I would tell you, but it gives us just general truths.

521
00:23:38,860 --> 00:23:41,660
We don't know how all that warfare takes place

522
00:23:41,660 --> 00:23:43,420
in the spirit realm.

523
00:23:43,420 --> 00:23:45,260
And the psalmist here isn't trying to lay out

524
00:23:45,260 --> 00:23:48,560
a systematic doctrine of angelology,

525
00:23:48,560 --> 00:23:50,160
so we have to be careful about that.

526
00:23:50,160 --> 00:23:51,560
We have to be careful about this,

527
00:23:51,560 --> 00:23:54,440
but can I tell you what my hope is?

528
00:23:54,440 --> 00:23:57,340
When the day comes that I pass from this life,

529
00:23:57,340 --> 00:23:59,480
I'm gonna get all that information.

530
00:23:59,480 --> 00:24:00,400
I say it all the time.

531
00:24:00,400 --> 00:24:02,140
I have so many questions, right?

532
00:24:02,140 --> 00:24:04,420
So when we get, maybe someday when we get

533
00:24:04,420 --> 00:24:07,040
into the heavenly realms, we are gonna see this

534
00:24:07,040 --> 00:24:09,180
in all of its beauty and fullness,

535
00:24:09,180 --> 00:24:11,980
and we'll get to look back and understand

536
00:24:11,980 --> 00:24:14,660
how many times, think about this,

537
00:24:14,660 --> 00:24:18,820
how many times God sent angels to guard us.

538
00:24:18,820 --> 00:24:20,780
What a great God we have, right?

539
00:24:20,780 --> 00:24:22,480
What I think the psalmist is saying here

540
00:24:22,480 --> 00:24:24,460
is that God's means of protecting us

541
00:24:24,460 --> 00:24:28,720
is actually greater than Satan's means of opposing us,

542
00:24:28,720 --> 00:24:31,420
because it's he who gives the power to the angels,

543
00:24:31,420 --> 00:24:35,060
and his power is far greater than Satan, right?

544
00:24:35,060 --> 00:24:37,140
And finally, and this promise is wild,

545
00:24:37,140 --> 00:24:39,140
not only do we get protected from danger,

546
00:24:39,140 --> 00:24:41,500
but we're given this victory in verse 13,

547
00:24:41,500 --> 00:24:42,540
which is pretty wild.

548
00:24:42,540 --> 00:24:45,300
You will tread upon the lion and the cobra.

549
00:24:45,300 --> 00:24:46,580
You'll trample him down.

550
00:24:46,580 --> 00:24:49,180
Again, this is poetic language, so we have to be careful.

551
00:24:49,180 --> 00:24:52,260
Two sides of one coin, the lion and the cobra,

552
00:24:52,260 --> 00:24:54,520
represent some of the most dangerous threats

553
00:24:54,520 --> 00:24:56,300
in the animal world, but think about this.

554
00:24:56,300 --> 00:25:00,260
One is very small, and kills very quickly

555
00:25:00,260 --> 00:25:02,440
and suddenly with a strike.

556
00:25:02,440 --> 00:25:04,900
The other is very large, larger than us,

557
00:25:04,900 --> 00:25:08,540
and kills with overwhelming raw power, right?

558
00:25:08,540 --> 00:25:12,980
So two different threats, but the result is the same.

559
00:25:12,980 --> 00:25:14,240
They're dangerous to us,

560
00:25:14,240 --> 00:25:16,580
but the result is the same, they're dangerous to us.

561
00:25:16,580 --> 00:25:20,980
Now, we could take verse 13 and rip it out of context

562
00:25:20,980 --> 00:25:25,980
and say, let's go snake hunting, or let's go find a lion.

563
00:25:26,960 --> 00:25:29,400
I feel confident in counseling you this way.

564
00:25:29,400 --> 00:25:31,660
I do not advise this.

565
00:25:31,660 --> 00:25:33,860
I do not advise finding snakes

566
00:25:33,860 --> 00:25:35,960
and just trying to trample them.

567
00:25:35,960 --> 00:25:37,440
Don't do it.

568
00:25:37,440 --> 00:25:39,500
The point is, we don't need to fear anything

569
00:25:39,500 --> 00:25:41,180
when we're in the safety of God's care,

570
00:25:41,180 --> 00:25:43,340
because ultimately the victory is ours.

571
00:25:43,340 --> 00:25:48,040
Now, when you read snakes and trample, what comes to mind?

572
00:25:48,040 --> 00:25:50,780
What might be being hinted at here?

573
00:25:52,040 --> 00:25:54,420
Echoes of Genesis 3.15, right?

574
00:25:54,420 --> 00:25:56,680
The head crusher who will one day come

575
00:25:56,680 --> 00:25:59,120
and crush the head of the serpent.

576
00:25:59,120 --> 00:26:02,260
And if we're found in Christ, that victory is ours as well.

577
00:26:02,260 --> 00:26:04,720
We too, in a sense, get to trample

578
00:26:04,720 --> 00:26:06,900
on the head of the serpent.

579
00:26:06,900 --> 00:26:08,200
The victory is ours.

580
00:26:09,160 --> 00:26:11,660
Now, last section in these last three verses,

581
00:26:11,660 --> 00:26:15,180
notice how the pronouns change once again.

582
00:26:16,340 --> 00:26:17,380
This is so important to see.

583
00:26:17,380 --> 00:26:19,700
Pronouns changing three times.

584
00:26:19,700 --> 00:26:21,240
These are written in the first person.

585
00:26:21,240 --> 00:26:23,720
What we have in these last few verses

586
00:26:23,720 --> 00:26:26,720
is now God steps up to the podium

587
00:26:26,720 --> 00:26:29,220
and begins to speak promises and blessings

588
00:26:29,220 --> 00:26:30,320
through the psalmist.

589
00:26:30,320 --> 00:26:33,560
And this is what Old Testament scholars

590
00:26:33,560 --> 00:26:35,960
call a salvation oracle.

591
00:26:35,960 --> 00:26:37,800
Again, this is God speaking now.

592
00:26:37,800 --> 00:26:39,060
Verse 14.

593
00:26:39,060 --> 00:26:43,900
Because he, that is the one who abides with God,

594
00:26:43,900 --> 00:26:47,040
because he has loved me, the Lord,

595
00:26:47,040 --> 00:26:49,040
therefore I will deliver him.

596
00:26:50,180 --> 00:26:52,680
And I will set him securely on high

597
00:26:52,680 --> 00:26:55,340
because he has known my name.

598
00:26:55,340 --> 00:26:57,180
He has known me.

599
00:26:57,180 --> 00:27:00,620
He will call upon me and I will answer him.

600
00:27:00,620 --> 00:27:02,020
Isn't that comforting?

601
00:27:02,020 --> 00:27:03,620
I will be with him in trouble.

602
00:27:03,620 --> 00:27:05,780
I will rescue him and honor him.

603
00:27:05,780 --> 00:27:08,320
With a long life I will satisfy him

604
00:27:08,320 --> 00:27:12,360
and let him see or I will show him my salvation.

605
00:27:14,560 --> 00:27:15,660
Look at verse 14 here.

606
00:27:15,660 --> 00:27:18,140
The word love here is not achava,

607
00:27:18,140 --> 00:27:21,400
which is the standard Hebrew word for love.

608
00:27:21,400 --> 00:27:25,600
The psalmist uses a very unique Hebrew word, chashak,

609
00:27:25,600 --> 00:27:28,080
which means really not love in the sense

610
00:27:28,080 --> 00:27:29,420
that we understand love.

611
00:27:29,420 --> 00:27:31,640
It's to have a longing for something.

612
00:27:32,720 --> 00:27:35,580
To have a longing or to delight in.

613
00:27:35,580 --> 00:27:40,460
So he's describing a person who has a passion to know God.

614
00:27:40,460 --> 00:27:43,320
It's what drives his or her life.

615
00:27:43,320 --> 00:27:47,140
A deep longing for relationship with the Almighty.

616
00:27:47,140 --> 00:27:49,860
One who renders to him the worship he is due.

617
00:27:49,860 --> 00:27:52,260
One who consistently abides

618
00:27:52,260 --> 00:27:53,900
in the shelter of the most high.

619
00:27:53,900 --> 00:27:54,940
And friends, listen to this.

620
00:27:54,940 --> 00:27:58,180
This is the greatest news possible.

621
00:27:59,180 --> 00:28:00,140
We talk about the gospel.

622
00:28:00,140 --> 00:28:02,140
This is the greatest news possible.

623
00:28:02,140 --> 00:28:04,020
These the Almighty,

624
00:28:04,020 --> 00:28:06,120
the ones who have a longing for God,

625
00:28:06,120 --> 00:28:07,820
he will deliver them from danger.

626
00:28:07,820 --> 00:28:09,720
That's the promise.

627
00:28:09,720 --> 00:28:12,980
Moreover, he will save them for all eternity.

628
00:28:12,980 --> 00:28:14,860
They will not suffer his wrath.

629
00:28:14,860 --> 00:28:17,160
These, those who will have a passion

630
00:28:17,160 --> 00:28:19,020
and a longing to abide with the Lord,

631
00:28:19,020 --> 00:28:21,020
he will hear from them

632
00:28:21,020 --> 00:28:23,000
and answer them in times of distress.

633
00:28:23,000 --> 00:28:25,260
He will send his angels to rescue them

634
00:28:25,260 --> 00:28:29,740
and he will ultimately set them on high with great honor.

635
00:28:29,740 --> 00:28:32,080
Man, these verses are powerful.

636
00:28:32,080 --> 00:28:34,580
Okay, so that's our exegesis.

637
00:28:34,580 --> 00:28:37,480
Now, we need to talk about a whole bunch of things

638
00:28:37,480 --> 00:28:39,520
because a whole bunch of stuff gets sort of,

639
00:28:39,520 --> 00:28:42,160
it's like, you know, the bottom of a river.

640
00:28:42,160 --> 00:28:44,760
It just kicks up a whole bunch of questions

641
00:28:44,760 --> 00:28:46,760
and things that we need to address.

642
00:28:46,760 --> 00:28:49,560
So what are we to take home from this type of wisdom?

643
00:28:49,560 --> 00:28:51,300
Well, let's talk about,

644
00:28:51,300 --> 00:28:53,460
do you truly trust in God's protection?

645
00:28:54,760 --> 00:28:58,900
Should we assume that you are a Christian?

646
00:28:58,900 --> 00:29:02,080
That you and I as Christians, those who know God,

647
00:29:02,080 --> 00:29:03,480
those who long to abide with him,

648
00:29:03,480 --> 00:29:06,420
that we will never be touched by any danger?

649
00:29:07,620 --> 00:29:08,540
Is that the promise here?

650
00:29:08,540 --> 00:29:09,920
Because it sounds like it.

651
00:29:11,120 --> 00:29:14,360
No terror in the night, no arrow on the battlefield,

652
00:29:14,360 --> 00:29:17,220
no sudden attack, no plague will ever touch us.

653
00:29:18,320 --> 00:29:20,860
Will his angels protect us from trouble

654
00:29:20,860 --> 00:29:22,560
in every possible situation

655
00:29:22,560 --> 00:29:24,940
and even give us the power in every situation

656
00:29:24,940 --> 00:29:27,600
to get a victory, trampling on the head of a serpent?

657
00:29:27,600 --> 00:29:30,500
This is one of the many places in scripture

658
00:29:30,500 --> 00:29:32,300
where we have to be careful

659
00:29:32,300 --> 00:29:35,840
and make sure that our interpretive framework is in place,

660
00:29:35,840 --> 00:29:38,440
that we let scripture inform scripture,

661
00:29:38,440 --> 00:29:41,880
and that we also understand the genre of Hebrew poetry

662
00:29:41,880 --> 00:29:44,360
and what it intends to communicate to us.

663
00:29:44,360 --> 00:29:48,560
Obviously, obviously what we have here in Psalm 91

664
00:29:48,560 --> 00:29:52,400
is not an absolute 100% guarantee

665
00:29:52,400 --> 00:29:54,600
of you and I getting a trouble-free life.

666
00:29:54,600 --> 00:29:57,600
Wouldn't that be nice if it was sort of a quid pro quo?

667
00:29:57,600 --> 00:30:00,180
If my passion level for God is high enough,

668
00:30:00,180 --> 00:30:02,840
then I just get a free, I get immunity from God.

669
00:30:03,940 --> 00:30:05,620
That's not the way the world works.

670
00:30:06,480 --> 00:30:09,380
Not only does a trouble-free life not line up

671
00:30:09,380 --> 00:30:11,580
with what we see going on around us

672
00:30:11,580 --> 00:30:13,620
and what we experience ourselves,

673
00:30:13,620 --> 00:30:15,900
it doesn't line up with other scripture either.

674
00:30:15,900 --> 00:30:18,560
Because you can go down the list of biblical persons,

675
00:30:18,560 --> 00:30:19,600
and what do you see?

676
00:30:19,600 --> 00:30:24,040
Distress and trials and trouble, Job, Job, right?

677
00:30:25,440 --> 00:30:28,800
Job will rock your world as a Christian, right?

678
00:30:28,800 --> 00:30:32,080
But Abraham and Joseph and Moses, David, all of them,

679
00:30:33,480 --> 00:30:34,880
trial and tribulation.

680
00:30:34,880 --> 00:30:37,440
When you look at church history, see the same thing.

681
00:30:37,440 --> 00:30:40,080
Really wonderful men and women of God

682
00:30:40,080 --> 00:30:43,280
who had a passion and a longing to know the Lord,

683
00:30:43,280 --> 00:30:45,160
tortured and martyred,

684
00:30:45,160 --> 00:30:47,320
and they were tortured and martyred.

685
00:30:47,320 --> 00:30:49,820
They wanted to know the Lord tortured

686
00:30:49,820 --> 00:30:51,200
and martyred for their faith.

687
00:30:52,300 --> 00:30:55,300
People who love God struck down in battle.

688
00:30:55,300 --> 00:30:58,740
Some attacked by evil men, others killed in accidents.

689
00:30:58,740 --> 00:31:00,940
And yes, some struck down by pestilence,

690
00:31:00,940 --> 00:31:03,680
which by the way, prior to COVID,

691
00:31:03,680 --> 00:31:05,100
we could read this and go,

692
00:31:05,100 --> 00:31:07,740
we haven't really experienced a plague.

693
00:31:07,740 --> 00:31:10,240
But I know people who died from,

694
00:31:10,240 --> 00:31:13,520
I know a pastor in Arizona, a friend of mine who died

695
00:31:13,520 --> 00:31:16,620
in the COVID outbreak.

696
00:31:17,720 --> 00:31:22,160
Spurgeon in his day went through this himself in 1854.

697
00:31:22,160 --> 00:31:23,400
If you don't know this,

698
00:31:23,400 --> 00:31:24,700
London was struck with something called

699
00:31:24,700 --> 00:31:27,660
the Broad Street Cholera outbreak.

700
00:31:27,660 --> 00:31:30,260
And he wrote in his memoirs about how his congregation

701
00:31:30,260 --> 00:31:31,400
was hit so hard.

702
00:31:31,400 --> 00:31:32,700
Here's what he wrote.

703
00:31:32,700 --> 00:31:34,780
He said, family after family summoned me

704
00:31:34,780 --> 00:31:36,640
to the bedside of the smitten,

705
00:31:36,640 --> 00:31:39,780
and almost every day I was called to visit a grave.

706
00:31:39,780 --> 00:31:40,680
Imagine that.

707
00:31:40,680 --> 00:31:43,060
Almost every day he was doing a funeral.

708
00:31:44,020 --> 00:31:46,700
I became weary in body and sick at heart.

709
00:31:46,700 --> 00:31:49,260
My friends seemed to be falling one by one.

710
00:31:49,260 --> 00:31:51,960
A little more work and a little more weeping

711
00:31:51,960 --> 00:31:56,400
would have laid me low with the rest, he wrote.

712
00:31:56,400 --> 00:31:58,500
I felt that my burden was heavier than I could bear

713
00:31:58,500 --> 00:32:01,580
and I was ready to sink under it.

714
00:32:01,580 --> 00:32:05,540
And interestingly, it was Psalm 91 that refocused Spurgeon

715
00:32:05,540 --> 00:32:06,840
and got him back on track.

716
00:32:06,840 --> 00:32:08,820
And again, you talk about God's sovereignty

717
00:32:08,820 --> 00:32:11,780
and the way he works in very mysterious ways.

718
00:32:11,780 --> 00:32:16,780
Here's how he got sort of re-energized to do his ministry.

719
00:32:17,220 --> 00:32:18,920
He was walking down Broad Street

720
00:32:18,920 --> 00:32:22,060
in the midst of this pandemic

721
00:32:22,060 --> 00:32:24,600
and he walks by a shoemaker's store

722
00:32:24,600 --> 00:32:26,060
and the shoemaker who was a believer

723
00:32:26,060 --> 00:32:28,740
had posted Psalm 91 in the window.

724
00:32:30,140 --> 00:32:32,300
And he walked up to it and he read it

725
00:32:32,300 --> 00:32:33,400
and here's what he wrote later.

726
00:32:33,400 --> 00:32:36,080
The effect upon my heart was immediate.

727
00:32:36,080 --> 00:32:39,160
Faith appropriated the passage as its own.

728
00:32:39,160 --> 00:32:43,160
I felt secure, refreshed, girded with immortality.

729
00:32:43,160 --> 00:32:45,320
I went on with my visitation of the dying

730
00:32:45,320 --> 00:32:47,600
in a calm and peaceful spirit.

731
00:32:47,600 --> 00:32:51,600
I felt no fear of evil and I suffered no harm.

732
00:32:51,600 --> 00:32:52,840
God protected him.

733
00:32:53,960 --> 00:32:55,240
As he trusted in the Lord,

734
00:32:55,240 --> 00:32:57,700
as he went to the shelter of the Almighty,

735
00:32:57,700 --> 00:32:59,080
the Lord protected him.

736
00:32:59,980 --> 00:33:01,480
See, in the Psalm, it doesn't say

737
00:33:01,480 --> 00:33:03,280
that there won't be terrors by night.

738
00:33:03,280 --> 00:33:04,740
That's not the promise.

739
00:33:04,740 --> 00:33:06,040
It doesn't say that there'll be no arrows

740
00:33:06,040 --> 00:33:08,140
flying at you during the day.

741
00:33:08,140 --> 00:33:09,640
It doesn't rule out the possibility

742
00:33:09,640 --> 00:33:12,820
of pestilence actually stalking us.

743
00:33:12,820 --> 00:33:15,480
What the Psalm says is in the midst of that,

744
00:33:15,480 --> 00:33:17,420
if you're in the shelter of the Almighty,

745
00:33:17,420 --> 00:33:19,020
you will not be afraid.

746
00:33:20,460 --> 00:33:21,620
That's the promise.

747
00:33:22,800 --> 00:33:24,800
We all know Romans 8.35.

748
00:33:24,800 --> 00:33:25,900
This verse that says,

749
00:33:25,900 --> 00:33:27,860
who will separate us from the love of Christ?

750
00:33:27,860 --> 00:33:29,060
And there's this list.

751
00:33:29,060 --> 00:33:31,140
Will tribulation, death, and death

752
00:33:31,140 --> 00:33:34,180
and there's this list, will tribulation, distress,

753
00:33:34,180 --> 00:33:37,540
persecution, famine, nakedness, peril or sword?

754
00:33:38,780 --> 00:33:39,980
Guess what that means?

755
00:33:40,920 --> 00:33:43,020
Those things may come after us.

756
00:33:43,020 --> 00:33:45,680
That's sort of the implied thing is

757
00:33:45,680 --> 00:33:47,320
those things will come after us,

758
00:33:47,320 --> 00:33:48,920
but even if they do,

759
00:33:48,920 --> 00:33:51,320
they can't separate us from the love of Christ.

760
00:33:52,560 --> 00:33:54,600
So the threat is always there,

761
00:33:54,600 --> 00:33:56,560
but we have our shelter.

762
00:33:56,560 --> 00:33:59,040
That's because the Almighty really does, in fact,

763
00:33:59,040 --> 00:34:03,600
sovereignly rule over every detail of the universe.

764
00:34:04,780 --> 00:34:09,440
What that means is the arrow flies towards you,

765
00:34:09,440 --> 00:34:12,640
God sovereignly is in charge of the flight pattern

766
00:34:12,640 --> 00:34:13,480
of that arrow.

767
00:34:15,240 --> 00:34:16,320
True?

768
00:34:16,320 --> 00:34:17,380
Do we believe that?

769
00:34:18,280 --> 00:34:20,620
The spread of disease, the length of our lives,

770
00:34:20,620 --> 00:34:22,420
the persecution that comes at us,

771
00:34:22,420 --> 00:34:24,620
He's sovereign over it.

772
00:34:24,620 --> 00:34:26,060
In the midst of this fallen world,

773
00:34:26,060 --> 00:34:29,500
He really does provide His children with protection

774
00:34:29,500 --> 00:34:31,800
and health and life as an act of grace.

775
00:34:31,800 --> 00:34:33,400
More than we even know now,

776
00:34:33,400 --> 00:34:35,300
maybe we'll again, we'll find out later

777
00:34:35,300 --> 00:34:37,240
how many times God rescued us

778
00:34:37,240 --> 00:34:39,180
that we're not even aware of right now.

779
00:34:40,480 --> 00:34:42,680
But He does that for His children.

780
00:34:42,680 --> 00:34:44,280
And yes, through His angels.

781
00:34:45,280 --> 00:34:47,520
The Bible gives testimony to that fact.

782
00:34:48,680 --> 00:34:51,520
And by the way, I can testify to it personally.

783
00:34:51,520 --> 00:34:54,260
Some of you guys know I'm not gonna tell the stories here

784
00:34:54,260 --> 00:34:55,960
because I don't, this is not about me,

785
00:34:55,960 --> 00:34:58,120
I don't wanna make my story the big idea

786
00:34:58,120 --> 00:35:02,040
of this Sunday morning, but multiple times in my life,

787
00:35:02,040 --> 00:35:03,760
supernatural things have happened to me

788
00:35:03,760 --> 00:35:07,380
where I am absolutely convinced that angels have guarded me.

789
00:35:09,340 --> 00:35:12,480
Once was when I was, call them my stupid years,

790
00:35:13,440 --> 00:35:15,480
in my 20s before I met Tanya,

791
00:35:17,320 --> 00:35:22,280
when a gang member pointed a gun at my face

792
00:35:22,280 --> 00:35:24,560
and I thought I was a dead man.

793
00:35:24,560 --> 00:35:27,360
And for some reason, he didn't pull the trigger.

794
00:35:27,360 --> 00:35:29,540
And I still don't know why to this day.

795
00:35:30,540 --> 00:35:33,800
He smiled, our eyes connected,

796
00:35:34,680 --> 00:35:36,380
he smiled and he walked away.

797
00:35:37,240 --> 00:35:38,640
And I don't know why.

798
00:35:38,640 --> 00:35:42,120
Other than God commanded His angels to watch over me.

799
00:35:43,120 --> 00:35:44,380
Tanya and I have another story

800
00:35:44,380 --> 00:35:45,520
and her mom is here this morning,

801
00:35:45,520 --> 00:35:47,520
I don't know if mom's even heard this.

802
00:35:47,520 --> 00:35:49,760
But we were delivered from certain death

803
00:35:49,760 --> 00:35:51,160
in a near car accident.

804
00:35:51,160 --> 00:35:54,080
And I still don't know to this day how my car moved.

805
00:35:55,360 --> 00:35:58,520
I blacked out and something turned the wheel

806
00:35:58,520 --> 00:36:02,200
and I survived a near certain fatal car accident.

807
00:36:03,560 --> 00:36:06,660
The obvious implication is that God was not done with us.

808
00:36:08,240 --> 00:36:11,200
That's all I can assume from that.

809
00:36:12,380 --> 00:36:14,280
That He had more kingdom work for Tanya and I

810
00:36:14,280 --> 00:36:15,680
to accomplish for His glory,

811
00:36:15,680 --> 00:36:18,240
otherwise I would not be standing here this morning.

812
00:36:18,240 --> 00:36:21,000
And the fact is God has numbered our days.

813
00:36:21,000 --> 00:36:22,480
My days and your days too,

814
00:36:22,480 --> 00:36:23,880
according to what He has decreed

815
00:36:23,880 --> 00:36:25,080
before the beginning of time

816
00:36:25,080 --> 00:36:27,680
and nothing is gonna change that because He's sovereign.

817
00:36:29,080 --> 00:36:30,920
And so for those who find refuge in the Lord,

818
00:36:30,920 --> 00:36:32,320
we can rest in confidence.

819
00:36:32,320 --> 00:36:35,320
And listen, we can reject fear.

820
00:36:35,320 --> 00:36:37,260
Knowing that whatever happens in this life,

821
00:36:37,260 --> 00:36:40,420
it always happens with His full knowledge

822
00:36:40,420 --> 00:36:42,320
and for His reasons.

823
00:36:43,600 --> 00:36:45,260
That's the antidote to fear.

824
00:36:45,260 --> 00:36:48,260
So, all right, how do we apply?

825
00:36:48,260 --> 00:36:49,960
I know it got real quiet and got weird.

826
00:36:49,960 --> 00:36:53,980
I wanted to tell you that, okay,

827
00:36:53,980 --> 00:36:56,900
if you wanna know the story, call me tomorrow.

828
00:36:56,900 --> 00:37:01,920
Okay, two extremes we need to avoid in applying this.

829
00:37:01,920 --> 00:37:03,340
Two extremes.

830
00:37:03,340 --> 00:37:06,980
On the one hand, we can discount this teaching

831
00:37:06,980 --> 00:37:10,060
and not trust what God has declared

832
00:37:10,060 --> 00:37:11,980
about His loving protection.

833
00:37:11,980 --> 00:37:15,360
And we can become so paralyzed by all the threats

834
00:37:15,360 --> 00:37:16,800
that are out there that we just say,

835
00:37:16,800 --> 00:37:18,600
you know what, I'm gonna hole up in my safe zone

836
00:37:18,600 --> 00:37:20,000
and not do anything.

837
00:37:20,000 --> 00:37:21,560
I'm not gonna take any risks.

838
00:37:21,560 --> 00:37:23,160
I'm not gonna venture out there.

839
00:37:23,160 --> 00:37:25,140
I'm just gonna stay in my safe place.

840
00:37:26,700 --> 00:37:28,500
Because we say that we trust the word,

841
00:37:28,500 --> 00:37:30,840
but we really don't trust this promise.

842
00:37:30,840 --> 00:37:34,240
And so we go, look, I don't do missions trips

843
00:37:34,240 --> 00:37:36,920
because you know what, the world's a dangerous place.

844
00:37:36,920 --> 00:37:38,620
I'm not gonna take that risk.

845
00:37:38,620 --> 00:37:40,480
I'm not gonna take that risk.

846
00:37:40,480 --> 00:37:42,080
I'm not gonna take that risk.

847
00:37:43,520 --> 00:37:45,060
Or I'm not gonna share my faith at work

848
00:37:45,060 --> 00:37:46,860
because I could get in trouble.

849
00:37:46,860 --> 00:37:49,900
HR may call me, so I'm not gonna do it.

850
00:37:51,400 --> 00:37:54,340
Or you know what, when I'm outnumbered in a crowd,

851
00:37:54,340 --> 00:37:56,100
I am not gonna speak up for truth

852
00:37:56,100 --> 00:37:57,540
because I might get attacked.

853
00:37:58,740 --> 00:38:00,000
So we stay in our safe zone.

854
00:38:00,000 --> 00:38:03,700
And that fear, that fear will keep you from serving God

855
00:38:03,700 --> 00:38:04,900
and obeying His word.

856
00:38:04,900 --> 00:38:06,140
And we have examples in the Bible

857
00:38:06,140 --> 00:38:07,940
that were written for our instruction.

858
00:38:07,940 --> 00:38:11,820
Abram, how Abram lied about the status of his wife, Sarah,

859
00:38:11,820 --> 00:38:13,220
because he was afraid.

860
00:38:13,220 --> 00:38:15,220
So he made something up.

861
00:38:15,220 --> 00:38:16,720
He didn't trust the Lord in that moment.

862
00:38:16,720 --> 00:38:18,920
Didn't trust the Lord's protection, he lied.

863
00:38:19,860 --> 00:38:23,120
Moses is afraid to go to Pharaoh and talk.

864
00:38:23,120 --> 00:38:24,900
Can't do it, he says.

865
00:38:24,900 --> 00:38:27,300
Send somebody else, I'm afraid.

866
00:38:29,200 --> 00:38:31,840
Almost all the Israelites, they looked at the Canaanites,

867
00:38:31,840 --> 00:38:33,400
they said, man, they're big.

868
00:38:34,300 --> 00:38:35,240
Those are big dudes.

869
00:38:35,240 --> 00:38:37,840
So you know what, I know God promised us the land,

870
00:38:37,840 --> 00:38:39,840
but I don't think we should do it.

871
00:38:40,740 --> 00:38:42,020
And so fear paralyzes.

872
00:38:42,020 --> 00:38:45,620
And this is a fundamental failure to trust God's sovereignty,

873
00:38:45,620 --> 00:38:49,080
to trust His protection, to trust His promises.

874
00:38:49,080 --> 00:38:51,380
And the fact is, living in obedience to God,

875
00:38:51,380 --> 00:38:54,100
at times, is gonna require you and I

876
00:38:54,100 --> 00:38:56,600
to live somewhat dangerously.

877
00:38:58,720 --> 00:39:00,640
Yeah, I said it out loud.

878
00:39:00,640 --> 00:39:03,700
Sometimes we're gonna have to live dangerously.

879
00:39:03,700 --> 00:39:06,640
And look, I feel like we were all sort of tested

880
00:39:06,640 --> 00:39:08,040
just recently by COVID.

881
00:39:09,140 --> 00:39:10,500
And only you can answer the question,

882
00:39:10,500 --> 00:39:12,080
like how did you do during COVID?

883
00:39:12,080 --> 00:39:13,780
Were you paralyzed with fear?

884
00:39:16,820 --> 00:39:19,880
I mean, you guys might remember the last sermon

885
00:39:19,880 --> 00:39:23,980
that I preached here before Pico shut down the school

886
00:39:23,980 --> 00:39:27,120
for COVID, you remember what I shared with you guys.

887
00:39:28,160 --> 00:39:30,020
And look, I'm not patting myself on the back.

888
00:39:30,020 --> 00:39:32,160
This was just a reality for me and my family.

889
00:39:32,160 --> 00:39:37,160
I said, look, I'm a pastor, I can't avoid people.

890
00:39:37,160 --> 00:39:40,340
It's not in my constitution to do that,

891
00:39:40,340 --> 00:39:42,680
and it's not in my job description to avoid people.

892
00:39:42,680 --> 00:39:44,580
I'm gonna have to take risks.

893
00:39:44,580 --> 00:39:45,980
I'm gonna have to live dangerously

894
00:39:45,980 --> 00:39:47,980
and keep shepherding people.

895
00:39:47,980 --> 00:39:49,720
And I said to you guys, remember, I said,

896
00:39:49,720 --> 00:39:51,120
one of three things is gonna happen.

897
00:39:51,120 --> 00:39:55,180
Number one, God will protect me and I won't get COVID.

898
00:39:55,180 --> 00:39:56,920
That'd be nice.

899
00:39:56,920 --> 00:39:58,620
Number two, I'm gonna get COVID

900
00:39:58,620 --> 00:40:01,220
and the Lord will get me through it

901
00:40:01,220 --> 00:40:02,420
and protect my life.

902
00:40:02,420 --> 00:40:04,960
Or number three, I'll get COVID and he'll take my life.

903
00:40:06,300 --> 00:40:08,500
And I said, I'm okay with all three of them.

904
00:40:09,900 --> 00:40:11,400
I'm okay with all three.

905
00:40:11,400 --> 00:40:13,200
He's gonna be the one to decide.

906
00:40:14,340 --> 00:40:17,000
So I said, let's go, let's get after it, right?

907
00:40:17,000 --> 00:40:20,140
And I got COVID three times.

908
00:40:20,140 --> 00:40:21,820
I got every single strain.

909
00:40:23,020 --> 00:40:26,120
And the first one was really tough and I suffered

910
00:40:26,120 --> 00:40:28,760
and I prayed my way through it and it got better,

911
00:40:28,760 --> 00:40:31,360
but the Lord got me through it.

912
00:40:31,360 --> 00:40:33,900
So there's a risk and a cost to following Jesus

913
00:40:33,900 --> 00:40:34,920
in obedience.

914
00:40:34,920 --> 00:40:37,100
It's not always gonna be safe.

915
00:40:37,100 --> 00:40:40,840
So for some of you, I'd exhort you to start taking more

916
00:40:40,840 --> 00:40:44,840
calculated spiritual risk and trusting that God will,

917
00:40:44,840 --> 00:40:47,600
will guard you and send his angels concerning you.

918
00:40:48,940 --> 00:40:50,880
Now, you know what I'm gonna talk about,

919
00:40:50,880 --> 00:40:52,620
the other extreme, right?

920
00:40:52,620 --> 00:40:55,240
The other extreme that we should avoid,

921
00:40:55,240 --> 00:40:57,220
all of our decisions to step out of faith

922
00:40:57,220 --> 00:41:01,180
and to take a risk have to be taken in a spirit of wisdom.

923
00:41:02,220 --> 00:41:04,060
Wisdom, this is a tough balance, right?

924
00:41:04,060 --> 00:41:07,200
We're not to presume that we can just go do anything

925
00:41:07,200 --> 00:41:10,520
we want, take any possible risk and just say,

926
00:41:10,520 --> 00:41:13,560
well, I'm acting in faith and God will take care of me.

927
00:41:13,560 --> 00:41:16,000
That may not be a wise course of action.

928
00:41:17,200 --> 00:41:18,640
So for example, you might say, well, look,

929
00:41:18,640 --> 00:41:21,380
I have a heart to go share the gospel with people

930
00:41:21,380 --> 00:41:25,640
in the city, downtown, and that's fantastic.

931
00:41:25,640 --> 00:41:28,240
But should you do a little bit of research to find out

932
00:41:28,240 --> 00:41:31,080
if there's an area that's more dangerous than others?

933
00:41:31,080 --> 00:41:33,160
Yeah, do a risk assessment.

934
00:41:33,160 --> 00:41:38,160
God's given you a brain, right?

935
00:41:38,660 --> 00:41:42,400
If you have choices, there's people all over the city.

936
00:41:42,400 --> 00:41:45,000
If there's choices and you say, that's an area

937
00:41:45,000 --> 00:41:47,100
that'll probably get you in too much trouble,

938
00:41:47,100 --> 00:41:48,200
there's other places.

939
00:41:48,200 --> 00:41:50,200
That's just simple wisdom, right?

940
00:41:51,100 --> 00:41:53,780
Where you say, look, I wanna make a difference

941
00:41:53,780 --> 00:41:54,600
in the world.

942
00:41:54,600 --> 00:41:56,300
I wanna meet needs and feed the hungry

943
00:41:56,300 --> 00:41:58,040
and share the gospel.

944
00:41:58,040 --> 00:42:00,580
But going to Haiti right now would be foolish.

945
00:42:01,780 --> 00:42:03,220
That would lack wisdom.

946
00:42:04,580 --> 00:42:06,820
You can ask Adam about this, right?

947
00:42:06,820 --> 00:42:09,620
When Adam gets sent to Africa by CHF,

948
00:42:09,620 --> 00:42:10,860
they do a lot of planning.

949
00:42:10,860 --> 00:42:12,720
They do a lot of research and they say,

950
00:42:12,720 --> 00:42:15,500
here's some spots that we can go and we can guarantee

951
00:42:15,500 --> 00:42:16,960
to some extent that you're gonna be safe.

952
00:42:16,960 --> 00:42:19,740
And those areas are too unstable right now.

953
00:42:19,740 --> 00:42:21,360
That's just wisdom.

954
00:42:21,360 --> 00:42:25,200
So it's a calculated risk that requires discernment.

955
00:42:25,200 --> 00:42:28,200
So we don't presume upon God's protection

956
00:42:28,200 --> 00:42:30,840
by making foolish choices.

957
00:42:30,840 --> 00:42:32,980
And here's the cool thing about Psalm 91.

958
00:42:33,920 --> 00:42:36,220
And some of you already know this.

959
00:42:36,220 --> 00:42:39,880
Built within Psalm 91 is a divinely inspired commentary

960
00:42:39,880 --> 00:42:41,920
on this very subject.

961
00:42:41,920 --> 00:42:44,980
Go back in your mind to Matthew chapter four.

962
00:42:44,980 --> 00:42:47,400
Jesus is baptized and what happens

963
00:42:47,400 --> 00:42:48,660
as soon as he's baptized?

964
00:42:48,660 --> 00:42:51,060
He goes off into the Judean wilderness, right?

965
00:42:51,060 --> 00:42:53,220
And he begins to fast.

966
00:42:53,220 --> 00:42:54,320
And who comes to him?

967
00:42:55,220 --> 00:42:57,260
Satan comes to tempt him and here's what it says.

968
00:42:57,260 --> 00:43:00,300
The devil took Jesus, this is the second temptation.

969
00:43:00,300 --> 00:43:02,800
The devil took Jesus into the holy city,

970
00:43:02,800 --> 00:43:04,140
a vision of the holy city,

971
00:43:04,140 --> 00:43:06,300
had him stand on the pinnacle of the temple

972
00:43:06,300 --> 00:43:08,700
and said to him, if you are the son of God,

973
00:43:08,700 --> 00:43:09,980
throw yourself down.

974
00:43:11,640 --> 00:43:15,680
For it is written, and guess what Satan's about to quote?

975
00:43:15,680 --> 00:43:18,860
Psalm 91, verses 11 and 12.

976
00:43:18,860 --> 00:43:21,460
For it is written, he will command his angels

977
00:43:21,460 --> 00:43:24,920
concerning you and on their hands, they will bear you up.

978
00:43:26,020 --> 00:43:27,700
What was he doing?

979
00:43:27,700 --> 00:43:29,700
Well, he's twisting the scriptures first of all.

980
00:43:29,700 --> 00:43:31,860
He's using a scripture designed to encourage

981
00:43:31,860 --> 00:43:34,040
in order to deceive, that's the first thing.

982
00:43:34,040 --> 00:43:36,300
But he's saying, if you're really the son of God,

983
00:43:36,300 --> 00:43:38,900
then of all people, you could do as you please.

984
00:43:38,900 --> 00:43:40,980
You can live as dangerously as you want

985
00:43:40,980 --> 00:43:43,840
because your father has promised you 100% of the time

986
00:43:43,840 --> 00:43:46,180
that he will protect you, so jump.

987
00:43:47,920 --> 00:43:49,620
But how did Jesus respond?

988
00:43:50,820 --> 00:43:52,960
He quoted Deuteronomy 6, 16,

989
00:43:52,960 --> 00:43:56,660
you shall not put the Lord your God to what?

990
00:43:56,660 --> 00:43:57,500
To the test.

991
00:43:58,800 --> 00:44:03,800
Ooh, what that means is to jump as the devil suggested

992
00:44:03,800 --> 00:44:05,660
would be putting the father to the test

993
00:44:05,660 --> 00:44:08,840
by demanding that he rescue his son

994
00:44:08,840 --> 00:44:11,180
from a danger of his own making,

995
00:44:11,180 --> 00:44:13,780
from doing something outside of the father's will.

996
00:44:13,780 --> 00:44:16,940
And then presuming that the father will come and protect him.

997
00:44:16,940 --> 00:44:18,340
Jesus says, I'm not gonna put the Lord

998
00:44:18,340 --> 00:44:19,580
to the test like that.

999
00:44:21,120 --> 00:44:24,460
So while the servant of God may choose to take some risks,

1000
00:44:24,460 --> 00:44:27,360
it's not an excuse to live presumptuously.

1001
00:44:27,360 --> 00:44:31,120
The angels were there with Jesus to minister to him as fast,

1002
00:44:31,120 --> 00:44:34,200
but not as the devil suggested,

1003
00:44:34,200 --> 00:44:37,060
to save him from throwing himself off the temple.

1004
00:44:37,060 --> 00:44:39,260
And Jesus recognized it.

1005
00:44:39,260 --> 00:44:40,540
So we can learn from that, right?

1006
00:44:40,540 --> 00:44:43,340
We have to be careful not to take one or two photos

1007
00:44:43,340 --> 00:44:45,840
or one or two verses out of context

1008
00:44:45,840 --> 00:44:49,140
and leap from it, pun intended,

1009
00:44:49,140 --> 00:44:51,840
leap from it without considering

1010
00:44:51,840 --> 00:44:54,140
what scripture says in other places,

1011
00:44:54,140 --> 00:44:55,920
what leads us to wisdom.

1012
00:44:57,120 --> 00:44:58,980
That'll get you in trouble to carve out verses like that

1013
00:44:58,980 --> 00:45:01,020
and say, I can do anything I want.

1014
00:45:01,020 --> 00:45:04,020
And I presume upon God that he's always gonna save me

1015
00:45:04,020 --> 00:45:05,820
and always gonna rescue me.

1016
00:45:05,820 --> 00:45:09,460
Don't confuse faith with foolishness,

1017
00:45:09,460 --> 00:45:11,760
but also don't be paralyzed with fear.

1018
00:45:11,760 --> 00:45:13,600
This is a hard one, isn't it?

1019
00:45:13,600 --> 00:45:14,800
We gotta find the balance.

1020
00:45:14,800 --> 00:45:17,760
Okay, I'm gonna wrap up with just two more quick perspectives

1021
00:45:17,760 --> 00:45:19,400
that we need to make sure we understand.

1022
00:45:19,400 --> 00:45:22,540
First, as we have established already,

1023
00:45:22,540 --> 00:45:25,680
danger and trouble and suffering do at times

1024
00:45:25,680 --> 00:45:27,480
come upon the believer.

1025
00:45:27,480 --> 00:45:30,040
But here's the addendum to that truth.

1026
00:45:31,440 --> 00:45:34,920
We know that if and when those things come our way, danger,

1027
00:45:34,920 --> 00:45:38,160
it's only because of God's expressed permission

1028
00:45:38,160 --> 00:45:40,560
and by his sovereign design,

1029
00:45:40,560 --> 00:45:42,260
by the way, that in and of itself

1030
00:45:42,260 --> 00:45:44,560
is designed to be a comfort for us.

1031
00:45:44,560 --> 00:45:46,600
When hard things come, we go, okay, Lord,

1032
00:45:46,600 --> 00:45:48,100
there's a purpose in this.

1033
00:45:48,100 --> 00:45:50,700
But the promise that we have, and this is the point,

1034
00:45:50,700 --> 00:45:54,140
is if the Lord chooses not to pluck us out of that danger,

1035
00:45:54,140 --> 00:45:56,800
he will be present with us in it.

1036
00:45:58,180 --> 00:46:00,280
We're not alone.

1037
00:46:00,280 --> 00:46:04,020
And think Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, right?

1038
00:46:04,020 --> 00:46:05,640
Not alone in the fire.

1039
00:46:05,640 --> 00:46:08,920
Think Daniel, not alone in the pit with the lions.

1040
00:46:08,920 --> 00:46:10,680
Think Paul in the book of Acts.

1041
00:46:10,680 --> 00:46:13,760
He comes to Corinth, and Paul has been under constant threat

1042
00:46:13,760 --> 00:46:16,420
from mobs, and he's starting to lose heart.

1043
00:46:16,420 --> 00:46:19,400
And the Lord knows that, and he comes to Paul into a vision.

1044
00:46:19,400 --> 00:46:24,400
He says, do not fear, keep on speaking, for I am with you.

1045
00:46:25,440 --> 00:46:26,900
That's what God does.

1046
00:46:26,900 --> 00:46:28,100
God's not always gonna rescue.

1047
00:46:28,100 --> 00:46:30,880
God didn't rescue Paul from all the mobs.

1048
00:46:30,880 --> 00:46:32,980
Sometimes he barely escaped with his life, right?

1049
00:46:32,980 --> 00:46:35,520
But God says, keep doing what you're doing,

1050
00:46:35,520 --> 00:46:37,040
for I am with you.

1051
00:46:37,040 --> 00:46:39,780
So in the final analysis, he's either gonna deliver us

1052
00:46:39,780 --> 00:46:43,980
all together from danger, or he will be present with us

1053
00:46:43,980 --> 00:46:45,460
and bring us through it.

1054
00:46:46,420 --> 00:46:47,920
Is that a comfort?

1055
00:46:47,920 --> 00:46:49,720
It should be.

1056
00:46:49,720 --> 00:46:51,960
Now the last perspective is a hard one,

1057
00:46:51,960 --> 00:46:54,340
but we have to acknowledge it as well.

1058
00:46:54,340 --> 00:46:57,000
Listen, I mentioned this two weeks ago in Psalm 90.

1059
00:46:57,000 --> 00:46:59,700
Even as Christians, we are not promised

1060
00:46:59,700 --> 00:47:01,580
or guaranteed a tomorrow.

1061
00:47:03,480 --> 00:47:05,440
It's possible that not all Christians

1062
00:47:05,440 --> 00:47:07,840
will be able to come to the Lord's house.

1063
00:47:07,840 --> 00:47:10,580
It's possible that not only will God sometimes

1064
00:47:10,580 --> 00:47:12,420
permit danger to come our way,

1065
00:47:12,420 --> 00:47:15,780
he might also sovereignly permit our physical death.

1066
00:47:17,860 --> 00:47:19,460
And this is where we have to make sure

1067
00:47:19,460 --> 00:47:21,620
we renew our minds carefully.

1068
00:47:21,620 --> 00:47:26,620
This is why we can go to a Christian funeral and rejoice.

1069
00:47:26,700 --> 00:47:30,100
And even if that person dies younger than we think

1070
00:47:30,100 --> 00:47:33,900
he or she should, we can still rejoice.

1071
00:47:33,900 --> 00:47:36,700
We can spare the physical life of the believer.

1072
00:47:36,700 --> 00:47:38,380
He or she still wins.

1073
00:47:40,220 --> 00:47:42,180
They still get the victory.

1074
00:47:44,680 --> 00:47:48,660
We are too focused on this vapor,

1075
00:47:48,660 --> 00:47:51,320
this mist that we live here on the earth.

1076
00:47:51,320 --> 00:47:52,660
All of us are.

1077
00:47:52,660 --> 00:47:55,420
The world teaches us this and we get sucked into it.

1078
00:47:55,420 --> 00:47:56,700
This is all that matters.

1079
00:47:56,700 --> 00:47:58,360
I'm not saying it's not important,

1080
00:47:59,340 --> 00:48:00,840
but there's so much more out there.

1081
00:48:00,840 --> 00:48:01,700
It's so much bigger.

1082
00:48:01,700 --> 00:48:04,360
There's such a bigger picture.

1083
00:48:04,360 --> 00:48:07,440
To live is Christ and to die is what?

1084
00:48:07,440 --> 00:48:08,780
It's gain.

1085
00:48:08,780 --> 00:48:10,680
You gotta believe that that's true.

1086
00:48:12,280 --> 00:48:14,140
If you don't wanna be paralyzed with fear,

1087
00:48:14,140 --> 00:48:16,780
you've got to believe that what Paul says is true.

1088
00:48:18,020 --> 00:48:19,420
How can it be gain, you ask?

1089
00:48:19,420 --> 00:48:20,660
There's so many ways.

1090
00:48:21,860 --> 00:48:24,460
To be in the presence of the Lord is the greatest blessing

1091
00:48:24,460 --> 00:48:26,760
that we can imagine this side of heaven.

1092
00:48:26,760 --> 00:48:28,460
To see Jesus face to face,

1093
00:48:28,460 --> 00:48:32,200
is to abide with him finally in all the fullness

1094
00:48:32,200 --> 00:48:34,640
of being in the presence of the Lord.

1095
00:48:34,640 --> 00:48:37,000
Even more so, passing into eternity means

1096
00:48:37,000 --> 00:48:39,580
the end of all the conflict that we face right now.

1097
00:48:40,640 --> 00:48:43,440
It means the end of all the suffering and all the sorrow

1098
00:48:43,440 --> 00:48:45,720
and all the wickedness that we're forced to see

1099
00:48:45,720 --> 00:48:47,220
and endure in this life.

1100
00:48:47,220 --> 00:48:49,780
It's the end of the groaning of these bodies we live in.

1101
00:48:49,780 --> 00:48:54,280
It's the end of sin and temptation constantly coming at us.

1102
00:48:55,620 --> 00:48:56,880
In death, it's all wiped away.

1103
00:48:56,880 --> 00:48:58,860
That's why it's gain.

1104
00:48:58,860 --> 00:49:00,760
And friends, because Jesus took upon himself

1105
00:49:00,760 --> 00:49:02,760
the wrath of God by faith in him,

1106
00:49:02,760 --> 00:49:04,440
we are now sheltered from it.

1107
00:49:05,900 --> 00:49:07,760
We're sheltered from it by faith.

1108
00:49:07,760 --> 00:49:10,240
Ephesians 2, 6 tells us that even now,

1109
00:49:10,240 --> 00:49:12,740
positionally, we've been raised with Christ

1110
00:49:12,740 --> 00:49:15,280
and seated with him in the heavenly places.

1111
00:49:15,280 --> 00:49:16,440
We're there already.

1112
00:49:16,440 --> 00:49:20,720
It's so secure that we're already positionally seated

1113
00:49:20,720 --> 00:49:21,780
with him in the heavenly realms.

1114
00:49:21,780 --> 00:49:24,620
That is incredible security.

1115
00:49:24,620 --> 00:49:29,620
Colossians 3, 3 says that we're hidden with Christ in God.

1116
00:49:30,760 --> 00:49:31,600
Back to that hidden place.

1117
00:49:31,600 --> 00:49:33,000
We're hidden in him.

1118
00:49:33,000 --> 00:49:34,020
That's security.

1119
00:49:35,200 --> 00:49:36,020
Think about it.

1120
00:49:36,020 --> 00:49:37,940
If we're united to Christ by faith,

1121
00:49:37,940 --> 00:49:39,700
that we're hidden with him in God,

1122
00:49:39,700 --> 00:49:43,000
then we are as safe and secure as Christ is.

1123
00:49:44,600 --> 00:49:45,740
Total security.

1124
00:49:46,740 --> 00:49:48,440
That's the antidote to fear.

1125
00:49:49,680 --> 00:49:50,680
So this week, you're gonna go out there

1126
00:49:50,680 --> 00:49:52,020
and all these threats are gonna come at you

1127
00:49:52,020 --> 00:49:54,120
and you're gonna read the news and politics

1128
00:49:54,120 --> 00:49:55,320
and everything's falling apart

1129
00:49:55,320 --> 00:49:57,880
and there's solar flares from the sky, right?

1130
00:49:57,880 --> 00:49:59,720
All this stuff going on.

1131
00:50:01,020 --> 00:50:02,660
Do you have an antidote to the fear

1132
00:50:02,660 --> 00:50:04,860
that can set into your heart if you're not careful?

1133
00:50:04,860 --> 00:50:06,920
Do you believe these promises?

1134
00:50:06,920 --> 00:50:09,940
Because once you realize and truly trust

1135
00:50:09,940 --> 00:50:12,440
that this world is governed by a sovereign God

1136
00:50:12,440 --> 00:50:16,500
who is good and who loves you with an infinite love,

1137
00:50:16,500 --> 00:50:19,100
a God who always does what is best for you

1138
00:50:19,100 --> 00:50:22,240
in every situation, that will drive out fear

1139
00:50:22,240 --> 00:50:23,780
and that will change your perspective

1140
00:50:23,780 --> 00:50:26,920
on every single thing in your life.

1141
00:50:27,780 --> 00:50:29,260
That's the point of Psalm 91.

1142
00:50:29,260 --> 00:50:51,080
Let's pray together.