August 2 -- "The Shadow of the Almighty"

Today’s Reading: Deuteronomy 34 & Psalm 91

"The Shadow of the Almighty"

The “Midrash,” an ancient Jewish commentary on Hebrew Scriptures states that Psalm 91 was composed by Moses on the day he completed the building of the Tabernacle in the desert.

In this Psalm, Moses paints a fabulous picture of what it means to find God’s protection in the midst of danger.  The Psalm list various threats that faced the Israelites as they traveled for 40 years through the hot middle-eastern desert. 

Among these threats were the snare of the fowler (V3), deadly pestilence (V3), plague (V10), terror of the night (V5), arrows at night (V5) the lion, (V12) and the adder – a venomous snake (V12).  Moses’ key point in this Psalm is that it doesn’t matter what dangers or threats come upon you, God’s protecting power is greater than them all!

We can apply this Psalm as a symbol of the Christian journey. Similar to the Israelites in the wilderness, a Christian is certainly a “stranger and pilgrim” (1 Peter 2:11) traveling through a dangerous place towards our heavenly home.  On this journey, our enemy (Satan) will repeatedly assault us with various spiritual threats.  In 1 Peter 5, Satan is described as a “roaring lion” and in Genesis 1 as a “serpent.”  All along our journey, this enemy is seeking to destroy us by attempting to strike us with threats on all sides.  His goal: to prevent us from entering God’s eternal kingdom.

But Satan is no match for the Almighty LORD of Lords!  And here in this Psalm, God promises that those who turn to Him for protection and shelter will be kept from all these dangers. Psalm 91 goes on to say of the LORD, that He will deliver you (V3), He will cover you (V4), and He will command His angels to guard you (V11).  These are powerful promises of God’s mighty protection.

The imagery of dwelling in the shadow of the Almighty suggests being in close proximity to God's divine presence, finding safety, security, and protection under His care. It implies that those who seek refuge in God and remain close to Him will experience His divine protection and provision.

There is a “catch” though.  To receive God’s mighty protection, you must dwell in His shelter, abide in His shadow, trust in Him, know His name, and “hold fast” to Him in love (V14). You must intentionally make the LORD your “dwelling place” (V9).  If you do, there is not a single danger or threat from your enemy that will have any power over you!  In the same way that stepping out of the sun into a nearby shadow can save a weary, sunburned desert traveler from destruction, we must step out of Satan’s dark shadows and get ourselves under the “shadow of the Almighty”!