Rest in the Shadow: A Study of Psalm 91

By John C. Sorrell

The phrase rest in the shadow from Psalm 91 provides a beautiful visual of calm and security as given by a loving Father. It is a descriptor of peace and protection through all circumstances of life. The provision of safety is for the dweller or the one who resides in this impregnable fortress. The entirety of the psalm portrays the greatness, glory, and mercy of the Almighty in caring for His children. As an addendum to each chapter, a selah is written for a time of pause and reflection. Included is a guideline for individual or small group Bible study with questions identified for each chapter study.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Aug 12, 2015
• ISBN: 9781490888477

John C. Sorrell

John C. Sorrell has been a pastor for over four decades serving churches in several states. He’s been involved in speaking, teaching, and crusades in Europe, Russia, South America, and Australia. John is married to Debbie and is the father of three grown children: Heather, John, and Tamara. He is the grandfather of Wyatt, Seth, Reece, Eli, Colton, and Declan.

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INTRODUCTION

I love the mountains! The Rockies, the Blue Ridge, the Ozarks where I was born, the Alps, the Adirondacks, the Andes, and the Scottish Highlands have all enchanted me.

My favorite time of day is the half-light of the early morning when long shadows slide down the granite and tree strewn face of these edifices. It is a time of awakening to soft pastels that are fleeting in this post-dawn moment.

After a summer’s day has warmed the air, these same shadows reappear to begin calming and cooling the evening to come. These are the peaceful moments, both restful and reflective. This is a place and time where the hands on the clock do not seem to progress, a rest in the shadow moment in time.

It is God’s plan that we should experience such times in our hurried lives. It is His desire that we gather in the shelter of His dwelling to find rest in His shadow.

As I conclude this introduction, allow me to retrace my steps to the mountains I love with a quote from the Psalm of Moses. Before the mountains were born, before you gave birth to the earth and the world, from beginning to end, you are God. [Psalm 90:2 NLT]

From beginning to end, you are God…

Psalm 91

1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

2 I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.

3 Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence.

4 He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

5 You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day,

6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.

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 observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.

9 If you make the Most High your dwelling— even the LORD, who is my refuge—

10 then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent.

11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;

12 they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

13 You will tread upon the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

14 Because he loves me, says the LORD, "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.

15 He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.

16 With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation."

NIV 1984

CHAPTER 1

* If you’re using Rest in the Shadow as a small group Bible study, see note at beginning of ‘Chapter One Bible Study Questions.’

Psalm 91, whose author is unknown, was written for encouragement and personal application. Through the centuries many have literally carried this psalm in their pockets and in their hearts as they have left for battle or left their mother countries to go to foreign shores.

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High, will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress my God in whom I trust.’ vs. 1 and 2

The descriptive nature of this psalm presents God as a competent protector whose sovereign covering over His children keeps them safe from possible intruders who may attempt to lay siege to this fortress. These verses are personalized by the use of the first person pronouns I and my. It is written so that we may also personalize this text in application to our lives which will identify ownership - not that we have ownership but that we are owned. We have been bought with a price as one ransomed to be set free.

I have always pictured this place of safety as a mountain fortress, perhaps because of Psalm 121:1, I will lift my eyes to the mountains; from whence shall my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. [NAS] This mountain shelter makes us think of Moses who met with God on Mount Sinai. God spoke to Moses, So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with my hand while I pass by. [Exodus 33:22 NKJV] King David also found safety in the mountain cave. David therefore departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. [I Samuel 22:1] The secret place of the caves or the clefts of the mountain walls are only temporary places of safety. God’s gift is long-term rest and refuge in His place of dwelling.

*

The two names for God in verse one would help to validate this visual. The Hebrew translation, El-Elyon, means the Most High God, which stresses His sovereignty and strength. El-Shaddai, also found in verse one, is usually translated into English as God Almighty, but is sometimes identified as the God of the mountains. The visual of this mountain fortress may lead to a presumption that God is far away and unreachable. That is not the picture painted by the writer of this psalm, as we will see in the verses to come.

Rest in the Shadow is a beautiful visual of God’s provision of comfort for His child who abides in His presence. A young lady once told me of growing up in New Mexico where the summer sun would scorch the sands that made up her playground. To escape the burning sand she found refuge for her bare feet in the shade of an occasional tree. So, she would run from tree to tree in order to rest in the shadow seemingly cast for her personal comfort and pleasure. The shadow cooled the sand, and resting in the shade of the tree brought relief to her small feet.

The promises found in this psalm are available to every believer but are not enjoyed by all who call themselves His children, for what is described through the entirety of this psalm is only for those who choose an