Sermons
March 6th, 2022 by Pastor Solley“Our Secret Place” #6 Psalm 91:14-16
Introduction
This Psalm begins by telling the child of God what he or she needs to do to enter into that secret place with God, to enter into the presence of God in a special way. – Ps 91:1-2 – This Psalm ends with God telling us what He will do because we have entered into His presence. – Ps 91:14-16
I. Many of the promises made in the Bible depend upon some action or determination on our part: There are certainly just as many if not more unconditional promises made. An unconditional promise is one that depends wholly upon God. For example (1) The promise of His ever abiding presence in Heb 13:5 is unconditional. (2) The promise of His return in John 14, 1 Thess 4 is unconditional. (3) The promise of His close, personal knowledge of us is Matthew 10 is unconditional. Those promises and many others depend wholly upon God and we have nothing to do as far as bringing them to pass.
A. But there are many conditional promises as well: Psalm 91 contains many conditional promises. They depend upon some, decision, some action, some determination on our part. They depend upon us entering our secret place. – Ps 91:1-2
1. When we enter in these promises become true in our lives: Ps 91:3-13
2. We need these promises today as much as any have ever needed them:
B. So it is very important that we enter into our secret place:
II. Then the Psalm ends with some promises from God: Ps 91:14-16 God here telling us what He will do because we have decided to enter into our secret place.
A. There are seven promises made by God in these three verses: (1) A promise to deliver given two times but the same promise. (2) A promise to lift us up. (3) A promise to answer prayer. (4) A promise to stand by us. (5) A promise to honor us. (6) A promise of long life. (7) A promise that we will see His salvation.
B. I want to look at these seven promises this morning:
PROP: These again are promises we need in our day as much as any ever had. TS. And they can be ours.
Body
I. These specific promises are conditional because of action already taken: Most likely we can find these promises in other places in the Bible and classify them as unconditional in the context they are given.
A. But these specific promises in this context are conditional because of action already taken: Ps 91:14 He hath set his love upon me and he hath known my name are past tense. – Ps 91:14
1. The action of the Psalmist in verses one and two and in verse nine are proof of his love and knowledge of God: Ps 91:1-2 , 9
a. This is a love that is fixed. Where has he decided to dwell, where would he abide? In His secret place.
b. This is knowledge gained by taking refuge in his fortress.
2. These are past actions by the Psalmist: This Psalm is recording what He has already done and long before they were recorded.
a. If David is the Psalmist we can certainly see a lifetime of loving the Lord.
b. If David is the Psalmist we can certainly see a lifetime of dwelling with the Lord.
c. If David is the Psalmist we can certainly see a man after God’s own heart.
3. David spent a lifetime living Psalm 91:
B. And God is going to reward the Psalmist: Be it David, be it another, be it us today, God is going to reward those who decide to step into this secret place and abide with Him.
II. The first promise is to deliver: Ps 91:14-15 The promise to deliver is made two times here in these last three verses of Psalm 91 and was made one other time in this Psalm. – Ps 91:3 – It seems that God is trying to get something across to us. Why the same promise three times? I am certainly not a Hebrew scholar and one does not need Hebrew or Greek to understand the Bible. But I do have a good Strong’s concordance and a few Hebrew dictionaries and God is not just repeating Himself here. It is the same promise but given in three different ways.
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A. There are three different Hebrew words translated deliver in these verses: They all mean to deliver but in different ways.
1. In verse three the Hebrew word translated deliver means to snatch away, to grab and pull out: Ps 91:3 It fits in this verse because of one is about to step into a snare and they need to be grabbed and pulled out abruptly. I think of the angels in Sodom grabbing hold of Lot’s had and abruptly delivering him from the city. (The Bible says they laid hold upon his hand, his wife and daughters.)
a. There are times when God may seem to grab hold of us, jerk us, even it seems hurt us in delivering us.
b. But God is snatching us away from an immediate and present danger that we may not even see. (Like a snare.)
2. In verse fourteen the Hebrew word translated deliver means to carry away safely: Ps 91:14 The idea here is that it is much softer, not a jerk, but being helped and carried away from danger in a gentle manner. This word is used in Psalm37 and in Psalm 82 among other places. – Ps 37:39-40 ; Ps 82:3-4 These ones need to be carried softly away from danger.
a. I think here of a shepherd carrying an injured sheep, taking it away from danger.
b. There are times when we need a gentle hand upon us.
3. In verse fifteen the Hebrew word translated deliver means to be prepared and armed for the fight: Ps 91:15 This same word is used in Joshua 6. – Josh 6:7-9 – Those ones were not being snatched away from immediate danger, they are not being carried gently and softly away, they are being armed for the fight.
a. They are going to have to go through the battle, fight the fight. But they have been well armed.
b. I think here of the spiritual armor we have been given in Eph 6.
c. There are times we may need go through the valley of the shadow of death, stand before Goliath, but we will be armed.
B. That God makes this promise three times in this chapter is important: I think also of a triune God working on our behalf.
1. The Holy Spirit indwelling us and giving us strength for the fight:
2. The Lord Jesus Christ standing at the right hand of the Father making intercession for us:
3. And the Father who is Lord of all, Almighty God delivering us from present danger:
C. The first promise is to deliver:
III. The second promise is to set us on high: Ps 91:14 It does mean to be exulted and lifted up. Some claim that we will be lifted up out of all danger. But life itself shows us that is not true.
A. It speaks of being in a place of safety with the Lord: Prov 18:10 “And is safe” is the same Hebrew word “Set on high.” – Ps 91:14
1. A clear picture of this is found in the New Testament: Eph 1:1-3 ; Eph 2:6 Eph 2:6 is in the past tense, this is something that has already taken place. The believer in Christ right now is sitting in heavenly places.
a. Now we all know where we are this morning and this is not heaven.
b. So it speaks of sitting in heaven spiritually.
2. We have even now a spiritual placement that cannot be changed:
B. To sit in heavenly places, spiritually or physically as we do is a blessed position: In fact it was the desire of Lucifer to be exulted that brought his fall. – Isa 14:12-14
1. All of those things that Satan wanted we have right now in Jesus Christ if one is born again: Isa 14:12-14
2. No wonder Satan hates the believer in Christ so much: We are set on high right now.
C. The second promise is to set us on high: Ps 91:14
IV. The third promise is to answer our prayers: Ps 91:15 There is a declaration and a response in this promise and both are equally important. Don’t just focus on the promise and miss the declaration.
A. God declares that His children will call upon Him: Ps 91:15 For that one dwelling with Him, abiding with Him, it is a foregone conclusion that they would be given to prayer. – Ps 91:15 – There is no question in the mind of God that one would be given to prayer.
1. How it must please the Lord when one has bowed their head and lifted their heart in prayer: The Bible tells us in the book of Revelation that our prayers are offered up as incense in heaven. Incense in the Bible is sweet.
2. So how it must break the heart of God when His child goes without prayer:
3. Prayer, right prayer, can be a battle: But it is a foregone conclusion here that those dwelling with Him will call upon Him.
B. And so the promise that God will answer our prayers: Ps 91:15 Does this mean we always get what we want, when we want? A study of the Bible will show you that God always answers prayer in this way.
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1. Always kindly: God answers in a still small voice: 1 Kings 19:11-12 Remember the soft and kind voice calling our to Samuel?
2. Always wisely: Job 9:1-4
3. Often above what we have asked for: Eph 3:20-21
4. Always according to His will: Matt 26:42
5. Always on time: God is never late.
6. But we need to pray:
C. The third promise is to answer our prayers: Ps 91:15
V. The fourth promise is to be with us in trouble: Ps 91:15 I placed this in a devotional on Wednesday but here we have seven very simple words but words that mean as much to this preacher as any in the Bible. Ps 91:15 “I will be with thee in trouble.” It doesn’t say we will be kept from all trouble. Jesus did not pray we be taken out of this world and this is a world of trouble. But He does say “I will be with thee in trouble.”
A. We may stand in the trouble but we do not stand there alone: Josh 5:13-15 How many times has this played out?
1. David stood in the shadow of Goliath but he did not stand there alone: “I will be with thee in trouble.”
2. Daniel stood in the den of lions but he did not stand there alone: “I will be with thee in trouble.”
3. Peter and John stood before the council and were beaten but they did not stand alone: “I will be with thee in trouble.”
B. These are seven words the child of God can depend upon: “I will be with thee in trouble.”
1. Our troubles may differ from theirs: But to us they are just as great. I don’t have to face a giant, walk into a den of lions, or stand before a council ready to condemn me, at least not yet. But my troubles are just as great to me.
2. Just as great because the enemy is the same: Remember his attack from earlier in Psalm 91. – Ps 91:5-6 – My troubles are just as great if not greater to me than theirs were.
3. These words grow more and more precious is seems with each passing day: “I will be with thee in trouble.”
C. The fourth promise is to be with us in trouble: Ps 91:15
VI. The fifth promise is that we will be honored: Ps 91:15 The word means to be looked at in a good light, to be lifted up, to promote. It is also used in a negative in the Old Testament but here in a positive way.
A. In Numbers 22 Balak wanted to honor Balaam, promote Balaam for cursing Israel: He wanted to honor the prophet for doing what he wanted him to do. That not a good thing but it is an illustration of this act, to honor.
1. Here God is seeking to honor, promote, lift up His children: God always wants to do good for us.
2. That does not mean all things will be good around us, all things will seem good that happen to us, but that God will honor us: Consider these examples.
a. Joseph was honored in Egypt.
b. Daniel was honored in Babylon.
3. For those men the circumstances of life were not good, they were difficult, but God honored them: Why? Read Psalm 91:1-2
B. And so God wants to honor us today:
VII. The sixth promise is with long life will I satisfy him: Ps 91:16 This verse could pose a dilemma. Not every Christian lives a long life. Not every Christian living after the pattern of this Psalm lives a long life. Abraham died a good old age, Peter died at a young age. Joseph died at a good old age, Paul died at a young age. Not every child of God living after the pattern of this Psalm lives a long life. – Ps 91:16 – But isn’t that the promise? – Ps 91:16
A. Or is the promise that we can be satisfied with the Lord all the days of our lives? Ps 91:16 It is not my desire to twist Scripture, but this is the way that it fits. We can be satisfied with the Lord all the days of our life.
1. Because we can come to know God: Ps 91:16 Never know all about God, but know God.
a. We can grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord. Peter 3:18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.
b. I should know Him better today than when I was saved.
c. If I don’t the fault lies with me.
2. That I can love Him: Ps 91:16 That He loves me is stated in His Word.
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a. But that He would allow me to love Him is a great privilege.
b. To love Him as He desires. – Mark 12:30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
B. So which would be better, a long life in terms of years or a long life in terms of satisfaction in the Lord? God may give both and God may not give both.
1. Abraham lives a long number of years and was satisfied with the Lord:
2. Joseph lived a long life and was satisfied with the Lord:
3. Peter and Paul lived much shorter lives and were satisfied with the Lord:
4. So we need to determine which would be better, a long life in terms of years or a long life in terms of satisfaction in the Lord? And if we live by the pattern of this Psalm we will find this promise to be true.
C. The sixth promise is with long life will I satisfy him: Ps 91:16
VIII. The seventh promise is that we will see His salvation: Ps 91:16 A promise that gets nearer and nearer each and every day.
A. We experience God’s salvation in Christ spiritually everyday at the present time if you are saved: Ps 91:16 The true born again believer in Christ knows that he or she is saved. That is the promise of Scripture as well. – Rom 8:14-16
1. You should know that you are saved:
2. If you have any questions about salvation make sure today:
3. Then make sure no more doubts will come into your mind:
a. Get in the Word of God.
b. Be given to prayer.
c. Get in a Bible believing local church.
4. Be sure of your salvation today: 2 Cor 13:5
B. Then we wait for the fulfillment of this promise: Ps 91:16 With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.
1. It may be that we see this promise by the uppertaker: Knowing the signs of the times. – Jn 14:1-6 As soon as Jesus ascended back into heaven as recorded in Acts 1 the child of God began to look for the fulfillment of this promise.
a. At that time it could not have taken place. The church age is laid out before us in Revelation 1 & 2.
b, But now we stand at the end of this age.
c. The next thing in Scripture to be fulfilled is the rapture.
d. We stand right here. – 2 Thess 2:3-10
e. We may meet the uppertaker at any moment.
2. Or it may be that we meet the undertaker: It is appointed unto man once to die.
C. Either way this promise will be fulfilled and we will see our salvation: Are you ready today to see salvation?
Conclusion
I. These specific promises are conditional because of action already taken: Most likely we can find these promises in other places in the Bible and classify them as unconditional in the context they are given.
II. The first promise is to deliver: Ps 91:14-15
III. The second promise is to set us on high: Ps 91:14
IV. The third promise is to answer our prayers: Ps 91:15
V. The fourth promise is to be with us in trouble: Ps 91:15
VI. The fifth promise is that we will be honored: Ps 91:15
VII. The sixth promise is with long life will I satisfy him: Ps 91:16
VIII. The seventh promise is that we will see His salvation: Ps 91:16