A Mighty Fortress
Saturday, October 31st, 2009Whoever lives under the shelter of the Most High
will remain in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say to the LORD, "You are my refuge and my fortress,
my God in whom I trust." (Psalms 91:1-2)
Some call Psalm 91 the “Soldier’s Psalm,” and appropriately so. The psalm’s military origins are clear.
Psalm 91 declares that God is a place of safety and a fortress (metzuda). Modern English speakers know the word as Masada, the name of the famous Jewish redoubt in the war with Rome. Here in Germany, I've had the opportunity to visit many outdated military fortifications, from 20th century bunkers to medieval castles to the remains of the Roman defensive line known as the Limes. Pictured on the left are the ruins of Burg Hornberg on the Neckar, upstream from Heidelberg. It's a very pleasant place to spend a few hours, have a meal and drink a glass of wine from the vineyards below the fortress. The fortress, however, can no longer protect anyone from anything. All human fortresses eventually fall into ruins. Long before that, they lose their ability to protect those who run to them for safety. No human fortress stands forever. God alone is the feste Burg - the strong fortress - that will never fail.
The Psalmist says that God’s faithfulness is a shield and an encircling protection (personal armor or defensive wall) (Psalm 91:4). The two biggest threats to ancient soldiers on campaign were disease in the camp – which historically took more lives than combat - and the weapons of the enemy. The Psalmist declares that the person of God does not need to fear either one.
You will not be afraid of the terror by night,
Or of the arrow that flies by day;
Of the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
Or of the destruction that lays waste at noon. (Psalms 91:5-6)
Hebrew parallelism reveals just what the author envisioned as the terror that comes at night: sickness. Both plague and combat can be extremely deadly.
No matter what your eyes may see or your ears may hear or your panicked brain may tell you, God’s word can be trusted.
A thousand may fall at your side
And ten thousand at your right hand,
But it shall not approach you. (Psalms 91:7)
When the battle is fierce, or when disease is raging, the one who trusts in God need not fear. Multitudes may fall, but God’s person is safe.
It’s no wonder, then, that the Psalm is a favorite of soldiers and others who live in close proximity to danger. I carried the words of Psalm 91 with me throughout out my time in combat in Iraq to remind me of God’s promise.
Over the past several years, there has been an explosion of Psalm 91 books, pamphlets, jewelry and knick-knacks aimed at soldiers and their families. I’m afraid that much of it is severely misleading, not in what it says, but it what it doesn’t say. Here is the theoretical foundation of what follows:
The words of Scripture, when they are removed from the Biblical story of creation, fall, redemption and consummation that centers on Jesus Christ, no longer necessarily function as the word of God. They can, in fact, function as the words of Satan.