Psalm 91:1

Psalm 91:1

My Refuge and My Fortress

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. Psm. 91:1

He that dwelleth... He—the individual, every person, not just the Messiah or ministers. It is thought that Psm. 90:1-17 and Psm. 91:1-16 were written by Moses at the beginning of the 40 years in the wilderness, the wanderings of which are the subject of the fourth book of psalms. Psm. 91:1-16 was written to comfort the believers in the wilderness while going through the 40-year curse, and to assure children of God in all ages of His providence in their earthly pilgrimage. If Moses wrote Psm. 91:1-16, then all the Scriptures quoted in our Lord’s temptation (even those quoted by Satan) were from the writings of Moses.

dwelleth- Hebrew: yashab, to sit down; to dwell; to remain; to settle in the sense of taking up a homestead or staking out a claim and resisting all claim-jumpers; to possess a place and live therein (Psm. 91:1; 80:1; 123:1; Deut. 26:1).

the secret place... Hebrew: cether, a covering; hiding place (note, Psm. 31:20).

the shadow of... This explains "the secret place of the Most High." Under the shadow (defense, protection) of the Almighty one will be safe.

In the secret... An intimate place of divine protection. The use of “Most High” for God emphasizes that no threat can ever overpower Him.

the shadow of... In a land where the sun can be oppressive and dangerous, a “shadow” was understood as a metaphor for care and protection.
This more than most Scriptures, brings great hope and promise to those who believe. We have discussed before that dwelleth means to continually dwell. This then is not speaking of a nominal believer, but of a believer in long standing who is sheltered in the secret place of the Most High. If this was written by Moses, as many believe, he could speak first hand at how wonderful it is to be in such close fellowship with God. Moses was the only one who went near unto God on the mount where he received the Ten Commandments. At one point, God put his hand over Moses and passed by, and Moses saw the back side of God. On two different occasions, Moses was in the very presence of God for 40 days and nights. Moses had a fellowship with God that all true believers would like to have. He had been so close that his head shined brightly when he came down the mountain. No wonder he was known as man of God. David was another that God took supernatural care of. The psalmist could have been either man. This would be my prayer today, O Lord that I might abide in Christ and Christ might abide in me. To fellowship with God on this level would be as heaven itself. Jesus opened the way for us into the Most Holy Place. Where the shadow of God is means that you are very near unto God. To be seated in heavenly places with Christ Jesus is heaven. What a wonderful comfort to be close enough to God for His shadow to cover you.

Because the psalmist was convinced that there is security in trusting in the Most High God, he encouraged himself that he would be delivered from the various frightening attacks of the wicked. He knew that the Lord had appointed His angels over him to protect him.

This psalm is a beautiful testimony about security in life. Several terms link Psalms 90-92, thus suggesting they are a unit. “Dwelling” occurs in Psm. 90:1 and Psm. 91:9; “grass” in Psm. 90:5 and Psm. 92:7; “spring(s) up” in Psm. 90:6 and Psm. 92:7; “make… glad” in Psm. 90:15 and Psm. 92:4; “Your deeds” in Psm. 90:16 and Psm. 92:4; “Most High” in Psm. 91:1, Psm. 91:9 and Psm. 92:1. Also the judgment of the wicked is mentioned in Psm. 91:8 and Psm. 92:11.

Security in God (Psm. 91:1-2)

The psalmist expressed his great confidence in the fact that whoever trusts in the Most High finds security and protection. The titles of God in Psm. 91:1 (Most High and the Almighty) are significant, for they stress His power as the sovereign Ruler of the world. (On the meaning of “Almighty,” šadday, see Gen. 17:1.)

The images of the shelter and the shadow vividly portray divine protection. “Shelter” (sēṯer) is a hiding place (also used in Psm. 27:5; 32:7; 119:114, “refuge”). The shadow, perhaps the shadow of a bird’s wing (cf. Psm. 91:4), also pictures shelter and protection as well as comfort.