Psalm 91--My Refuge and My Fortress

Psalm 91
English Standard Version

My Refuge and My Fortress
91 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
    will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress,
    my God, in whom I trust.”

3 For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler
    and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his pinions,
    and under his wings you will find refuge;
    his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
5 You will not fear the terror of the night,
    nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
    nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.

7 A thousand may fall at your side,
    ten thousand at your right hand,
    but it will not come near you.
8 You will only look with your eyes
    and see the recompense of the wicked.

9 Because you have made the LORD your dwelling place--
    the Most High, who is my refuge--
10 no evil shall be allowed to befall you,
    no plague come near your tent.

11 For he will command his angels concerning you
    to guard you in all your ways.
12 On their hands they will bear you up,
    lest you strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread on the lion and the adder;
    the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.

​14 “Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him;
    I will protect him, because he knows my name.
15 When he calls to me, I will answer him;
    I will be with him in trouble;
    I will rescue him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him
    and show him my salvation.”

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Before we get too far into this Psalm, let's stop and say that this psalm is Messianic.  Its promises are pointing us to Christ and are not meant for us to "name it and claim it."  The Father would keep the Son safe so that He would be the spotless Lamb without blemish to be sacrificed on our behalf.  Satan used these promises to tempt Jesus in the wilderness, and Jesus would not abuse these promises to bring glory to Himself or to avoid the cross.  For this reason, the LORD would ultimately deliver Jesus from death and would allow Him to defeat all His enemies and make them His footstool and give Him the Kingdom and a Name that is above every name.  He will be worshiped, because Jesus was obedient, even to the point of death on a cross.  Could Jesus have claimed these promises and called on the angels to stop those that were going to execute Him?  He says He could have.  He also was in complete control as one spoken word from His mouth knocked all of the mob that came to arrest Him on their backsides.  However, He chose to obey the Father and die so that you and I might be saved.  He gave up His rights so that our salvation might be secured.