Psalm 91 - A look to our blessed assurance
"A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only look with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked." -Psalm 91:7-8
This is a Psalm recounting the faithfulness of God and His promise to protect and keep His people, Israel, from utter destruction. The promise to Abraham and on down the line was to preserve a people to which Messiah would be born and a future Kingdom would be instilled forever.
Israel had been through a lot at the point of writing this Psalm and, as we would have, needed reassurance of God's promises to them. However, around verses 7-8 of this Psalm, the writer shifts from current (Israel-specific) to the future and to believers. The assurance given to all who believe in Messiah, all who are born again through faith in Christ, would be the sparing of the future judgment. The lost would be among the "thousand" who would "fall at your side" and the "ten thousand at your right hand." God assured His people, and us as believers today, that this judgment and end "will not come near you." Furthermore, God lets His people know that they "will only look with your eyes and see the recompense (Hebrew "shillumah" - retribution/punishment) of the wicked." The punishment for sins is reserved only for those who are not accounted among God's people, while His people will be spared of punishment for sins as they have been Spiritually washed and forgiven by the blood of Christ on the cross.
Believer: let Psalm 91 be a passage of assurance for you today. You will not have to relive and answer for your sins on the day of judgment because Christ took those upon Himself and has removed them from you "as far as the East is from the West." (Ps. 103:12)
Unbeliever: let Psalm 91 be a fair warning to you. Christ died for you and He did it out of pure love, taking your (and my) sins upon Himself so that we wouldn't have to answer for them on Judgment Day. However, if you refuse to repent and put your faith and trust in Him to forgive and save you, you will die as an unforgiven sinner and be reserved for the future judgment. Respond to Jesus today and be forgiven while you still have time.
This is a Psalm recounting the faithfulness of God and His promise to protect and keep His people, Israel, from utter destruction. The promise to Abraham and on down the line was to preserve a people to which Messiah would be born and a future Kingdom would be instilled forever.
Israel had been through a lot at the point of writing this Psalm and, as we would have, needed reassurance of God's promises to them. However, around verses 7-8 of this Psalm, the writer shifts from current (Israel-specific) to the future and to believers. The assurance given to all who believe in Messiah, all who are born again through faith in Christ, would be the sparing of the future judgment. The lost would be among the "thousand" who would "fall at your side" and the "ten thousand at your right hand." God assured His people, and us as believers today, that this judgment and end "will not come near you." Furthermore, God lets His people know that they "will only look with your eyes and see the recompense (Hebrew "shillumah" - retribution/punishment) of the wicked." The punishment for sins is reserved only for those who are not accounted among God's people, while His people will be spared of punishment for sins as they have been Spiritually washed and forgiven by the blood of Christ on the cross.
Believer: let Psalm 91 be a passage of assurance for you today. You will not have to relive and answer for your sins on the day of judgment because Christ took those upon Himself and has removed them from you "as far as the East is from the West." (Ps. 103:12)
Unbeliever: let Psalm 91 be a fair warning to you. Christ died for you and He did it out of pure love, taking your (and my) sins upon Himself so that we wouldn't have to answer for them on Judgment Day. However, if you refuse to repent and put your faith and trust in Him to forgive and save you, you will die as an unforgiven sinner and be reserved for the future judgment. Respond to Jesus today and be forgiven while you still have time.
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