PODCAST
God’s Shadow Protects
September 12th, 2015
Psalm 91:1-16
Psalm 91 expresses faith in El Shaddai, God Almighty. More particularly, the psalmist focuses on God’s protection: God is a refuge and a fortress, and to abide under the shadow of the Almighty is to be safe.
The shadow metaphor is used often throughout the Bible. For example, Isaiah 30 speaks of taking refuge in the safety of Pharaoh and seeking shelter in the “shade” of Egypt, which is portrayed as a disgraceful thing. The psalmist, however, seeks shelter under God’s wings. A similar picture emerges in Exodus 25, in which God gave Moses instructions for building the ark of the covenant. God told Moses to put two cherubim on the atonement cover. The cherubim were to have “their wings spread upward, overshadowing the cover with them” (Exodus 25:20). God then told Moses, “There, above the cover between the two cherubim . . . I will meet with you and give you all my commands for the Israelites” (Exodus 25:22). God is truly our refuge and fortress.
Author: Erik Groeneveld
