In contrast with the frailty of man contemplated in the preceding Psalm, here are celebrated the rights and prerogatives of that perfect Man in whom there was no frailty (Psa. 91:1-21He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 2I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. (Psalm 91:1‑2)). For all beside carried the sentence of death by reason of sin, but Jesus knew no sin. His nature was clean, and He ever fulfilled the divine pleasure to perfection, and was entitled to full security and blessing. And such chartered rights are here read out to Him (Psa. 91:3-133Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. 4He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. 5Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; 6Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. 7A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. 8Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. 9Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; 10There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. 11For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. 12They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. 13Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet. (Psalm 91:3‑13)).
Thus this Psalm was a city of refuge to Christ, had He pleased at any time to run into it. But He was willing that refuge should fail Him, and though without sin, to be made sin for us. He emptied Himself of these His human rights, as He had before of His divine glory. Philippians 2 shows both of these.
How was the whole life of Jesus the great contradiction of the way of Adam! Adam was nothing, but sought to be as God. Jesus was everything, consciously equal with God, yet made Himself nothing, and emptied Himself. The person He assumed—the form of a servant; the station He filled on earth—a carpenter’s son; His life, His ways, His testimony—all was the full contradiction of him whose departure from God in pride has fashioned the course of “this present evil world.” He was ever hiding, ever emptying Himself. He could have commanded legions of angels (as this very Psalm entitled Him, Psa. 91:1111For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. (Psalm 91:11); Matt. 26:5353Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? (Matthew 26:53)), but He was the silent captive of His wicked persecutors. If He taught, and the people wondered, He would say, “My doctrine is not mine, but His that sent Me.” If He worked miracles He would say, “The Son can do nothing of Himself.”
What worship, what fragrant incense before God, was this life of Jesus! That divine delight in Him is here expressed (Psa. 91:14-1614Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. 15He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honor him. 16With long life will I satisfy him, and show him my salvation. (Psalm 91:14‑16)). And what rest and solace to the heart, yea, what satisfaction to the conscience, to know that God has been so honored, so refreshed, in this world of ours. What savor to the death or blood of Jesus does the life of Jesus render! His blood is the sinner’s plea, his only title; but all God’s delight in Him aids in enforcing the claim of that blood on the poor sinner’s confidence. What a Christ-honoring contrast shows itself to us, when we read Psalm 91 in company with Psalm 90, “the man of God” is confessing human frailty, tracing the cause of it in human iniquity, and owning the only relief it can count upon to be a new creation of which God will be Himself the foundation as well as the former, the chief corner-stone as well as the head of the corner.
In Psalm 91 a divine oracle addresses Messiah, and tells Him that because of His perfection in faith, His moral glories, God would be His security against all frailty, accident, hesitation, danger, or damage of every kind; and God Himself is heard affirming this and recognizing Messiah’s perfection in affection, as the oracle had recognized His perfection in faith and morals.
But there is this further, though not expressed, that in His day, Messiah surrendered these His chartered and divinely attested rights and securities, as Son of Man, in that wondrous mystery in which He was willing to be made sin for sinners, and the vindicator and exhibitor of the full glories of God. (See Matt. 26:53-5453Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? 54But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be? (Matthew 26:53‑54).)
Thus man’s frailty has to look for its relief only from God. Messiah has perfections, not frailities, but surrenders all the rights they secure Him to God.
Psalms 92-101 Constitute so many parts or chapters of one little book. They celebrate the introduction of the kingdom, or “the world to come,” and show Messiah Himself, His Israel, and the nations, anticipating it. Many of the Jewish writers themselves refer them to “the world to come.”
Other Scriptures might prepare us for such Psalms. Isaiah tells us, that in the midst of the judgment, the true Israel will lift up their voice and sing for the majesty of the Lord; and these Psalms might suitably be the subject of that singing. (Isa. 24:13-1513When thus it shall be in the midst of the land among the people, there shall be as the shaking of an olive tree, and as the gleaning grapes when the vintage is done. 14They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing for the majesty of the Lord, they shall cry aloud from the sea. 15Wherefore glorify ye the Lord in the fires, even the name of the Lord God of Israel in the isles of the sea. (Isaiah 24:13‑15).) Hosea shows that, in the second wilderness, or place of discipline, in the latter day, they shall be spoken comfortably to; and these Psalms may be the utterance of their comforted hearts. The valley of Achor is to be a door of hope, and they shall sing there. (Hos. 2)
Indeed Messiah tells His people to sing in anticipation of His kingdom. (Isa. 42:5-165Thus saith God the Lord, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein: 6I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; 7To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house. 8I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images. 9Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them. 10Sing unto the Lord a new song, and his praise from the end of the earth, ye that go down to the sea, and all that is therein; the isles, and the inhabitants thereof. 11Let the wilderness and the cities thereof lift up their voice, the villages that Kedar doth inhabit: let the inhabitants of the rock sing, let them shout from the top of the mountains. 12Let them give glory unto the Lord, and declare his praise in the islands. 13The Lord shall go forth as a mighty man, he shall stir up jealousy like a man of war: he shall cry, yea, roar; he shall prevail against his enemies. 14I have long time holden my peace; I have been still, and refrained myself: now will I cry like a travailing woman; I will destroy and devour at once. 15I will make waste mountains and hills, and dry up all their herbs; and I will make the rivers islands, and I will dry up the pools. 16And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them. (Isaiah 42:5‑16).) Jehoshaphat sang as he entered the field; and in these Psalms the Remnant rejoice and sing in hope. So the Watchmen in the latter day sing at the tidings that salvation is coming (Isa. 52:7-87How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth! 8Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the Lord shall bring again Zion. (Isaiah 52:7‑8)). Having put them thus together as forming one little book, and said this much generally upon them, I would open them shortly as follows.
But how small is the measure here given to them! and how happily and largely may they, to a greater measure, engage the meditations of the saints! May we all kindle our hearts at such blessed Scriptures more and more in company with Jesus (Luke 24:3232And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures? (Luke 24:32)).