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Introduction

Throughout the New Testament, we are given cautions and warnings. We are told repeatedly that we are to take lessons from what happened to our older brothers, the Jews. The things written down in Scripture were written for our edification, which means that we need to learn to read the narrative right. We are not told that the Jews could fall away, but that Christians cannot. Know that these warnings apply to us—not as though the decree of God’s election could be altered—but the warnings about our place in the visible covenant apply because our position is exactly that of the Jews. This will become plainer as we go on. The psalm is from David—although the psalm itself does not attribute it to David, that connection is made in the book of Hebrews (4:7).

The Text

“O come, let us sing unto the Lord: Let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, And make a joyful noise unto him with psalms. For the Lord is a great God, And a great King above all gods. In his hand are the deep places of the earth: The strength of the hills is his also. The sea is his, and he made it: And his hands formed the dry land. O come, let us worship and bow down: Let us kneel before the Lord our maker. For he is our God; And we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, And as in the day of temptation in the wilderness: When your fathers tempted me, Proved me, and saw my work. Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, And said, It is a people that do err in their heart, And they have not known my ways: Unto whom I sware in my wrath That they should not enter into my rest” (Psalm 95).

Summary of the Text

Biblical faith is a corporate affair. The godly looks around himself, and says to others, “Come” (v. 1). We need many to gather in order to make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. We come before His presence with thanksgiving, and the fact of a joyful noise is mentioned again (v. 2). We make that joyful noise with psalms. Why do we do this? Because the Lord is a great God, a king above all the other gods (v. 3). The deeps are in His hand. The wealth of the deepest mines are His (v. 4). He fashioned the oceans, and His were the hands that formed the dry land (v. 5). So the great invitation is issued again. Worship is corporate. Let us worship. Let us bow down. Let us kneel before our Maker (v. 6). He is our God. We are the people of His pasture. We are the sheep in His flock (v. 7).

Up through the first half of v. 7, the voice is that of one of the Lord’s people, inviting others to gather together in worship. It is a psalm of sheep exhorting sheep. In the turn from v. 7 to v. 8, we see that the voice is now the voice of the Shepherd. Do not harden your heart as you did before (v. 8), as your fathers did before (v. 9). There is ambiguity in v. 10. Did they grieve the Lord for forty years, or did they wander for forty years because they had grieved Him? I take it as the latter. These people err in their hearts (v. 10), and as a consequence God swore in His wrath that they would not enter His rest (v. 11).

These Ten Times

As Israel was fresh out of Egypt, they tempted the Lord because of a lack of water, and the place where they did this had two different names given to it—Massah and Meribah. “And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the Lord, saying, Is the Lord among us, or not?” (Ex. 17:7). “Ye shall not tempt the Lord your God, as ye tempted him in Massah” (Deut. 6:16; cf. 33:8). Despite their provocation in this, the Lord did not relegate to a generation in the wilderness yet. That came about a year later, after the episode of the return of the unbelieving spies.

“Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice; Surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it” (Num. 14:22–23).

Because of “these ten times” when they tested the Lord, all within the first year of their time in the wilderness, the Lord sealed them up in that wilderness for forty years.

Entering His Rest

As this psalm is interpreted and applied by Paul in Hebrews, there are multiple layers to the meaning of rest. In the psalm itself, the Lord was angry with that generation, and swore that they would not enter Canaan-rest (Ps. 95:11). There is the antitype of this, in the wilderness generation of Christians preparing to invade the world with the gospel, in what might be called the Great Commission rest (Heb. 3:14). Then there is personal salvation rest (Heb. 4:1-3). Then we have what can be called our corporate weekly-foretaste rest (Heb. 4:9-10). And last, we have what I take as a final heavenly rest (Heb. 4:11).

Covenant Continuity

As we consider these things, remember that God’ elect cannot be taken from His hand. Your regeneration is not reversible. No one can successfully thwart the work of salvation that God has once begun in a sinner’s heart.

At the same time, something can be thwarted. Apostasy is a real sin, committed by real people. It is not a sin that can be committed by any of God’s decretally elect, but it can be committed by individuals who are covenantally connected to Christ.

The New Testament Scriptures never say anything like this: In the Old Testament it was possible to fall away from the covenant, but now in the new covenant this is impossible. Not at all. “Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?” (Heb. 10:29).

Jesus is the vine, and branches can be cut out of Him (John 15:1-8). Christ is the root of the Abrahamic tree, and Paul tells Christians that they can be cut out of it just as the unbelieving Jews had been (Rom. 11: 18-24), and for the same reasons. And what kind of things were written down for our example (1 Cor. 10:6)?

So the Christ in whom we must believe has always been a present Christ. The Christ in whom we do believe is a Christ who is near to His people, and has always been near to His people. And when this is proclaimed, and the vicarious blood sacrifice that He offered to His Father is preached, there is only one reasonable response to it all. Come, let kneel before the Lord our Maker.

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Introduction

As a thoughtful Christian meditates on this psalm, it is hard to escape the conclusion that a good name for it would be “A Psalm for the Secular West.” But this would be a mistake—while it is absolutely pertinent for our times, there have been many generations when the same things could be said, including the time it was written. God has always been holy, and man has always been sinful, and the math always seems to work out the same way.

The Text

“O Lord God, to whom vengeance belongeth; O God, to whom vengeance belongeth, shew thyself. Lift up thyself, thou judge of the earth: Render a reward to the proud. Lord, How long shall the wicked, How long shall the wicked triumph? How long shall they utter and speak hard things? And all the workers of iniquity boast themselves? They break in pieces thy people, O Lord, And afflict thine heritage . . .”  (Psalm 94: 1-23).

Summary of the Text

The plea is for Jehovah to show Himself, as He is the one to whom vengeance belongs (v. 1). God, please rouse Yourself, and hammer the proud (v. 2). How long are You going to let the wicked run on like this (v. 3)? How long will they be allowed to boast in their pufferies (v. 4)? God, do You not see that they are breaking Your people (v. 5)? They murder widows, aliens, and orphans (v. 6), and give themselves a free pass by saying that God does not see it (v. 7).

Understand then, you swinish men, learn wisdom, you fools (v. 8). Do you really think that the one who made the ear cannot hear? That the one who fashioned the exquisite mechanism of the eye is Himself blind (v. 9)? The one who chastises pagan nations, shall He not correct you (v. 10)? He that teaches knowledge to man . . . words then fail the psalmist (v. 10). God knows the thoughts of man—and they are three parts mist, and two parts fog (v. 11).

If God teaches and chastens a man, then that man is blessed (v. 12). God will give him rest from affliction, until the point when the wicked get theirs (v. 13). God will never forsake His own heritage (v. 14). The upright will follow a right judgment (v. 15). Who will stand on our behalf against the wicked (v. 16)? The Lord is the only one who could do that (v. 17). When our foot is about to slip, the mercy of God intervenes (v. 18). When our thoughts are buzzing like a hive full of irritated bees, the comforts of God delight us (v. 19). Shall the throne of iniquity, that which uses laws as instruments of mischief, have fellowship with God (v. 20)? And what is the consequence of God refusing fellowship to a throne? That throne must fall. But they gather, they assemble, they conspire, and they do so against innocent blood (v. 21). Nevertheless God remains our defense, and our rock of refuge (v. 22). There is a final holy warning given, no less ominous for its holiness. God will bend their iniquity back on them (v. 23). He will cut them off in their wickedness; He will absolutely cut them off (v. 23).

Understanding Imprecatory Psalms

As Christians we are instructed to sing the psalms, all of them (Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16). This means that God wants them to help shape our devotional lives, and this includes the imprecatory psalms. God wants us to have a piety that knows how to cry out for vengeance, a piety that calls for blood.

But if you find yourself singing psalms of imprecation because someone cut you off in traffic, then I would suggest that perhaps you are doing it wrong. If you utter curses from the Psalter because you open the fridge and find that someone finished off the ice cream, then perhaps a basic refresher is in order. Remember that Jesus rebuked some of His disciples who wanted to call down fire from Heaven (Luke 9:55). Elijah had done this in a showdown with the wicked king Ahaziah (2 Kings 1:10). James and John wanted to do it because some Samaritans had told them the Motel 6 was full when it wasn’t.

So when you have learned to treat your personal enemies the way David did (1 Sam. 24:1-15), then you are in a good place to begin learning how to sing the way he did about God’s enemies (Ps. 139:21). The heart of the lesson is that psalms of imprecation are instances of us turning the whole thing over to God because He is the one to whom vengeance belongs (Ps. 94:1). When you do it right, you are taking your fleshly desires out of the dispute, not inserting your flesh into the conflict, and all in the name of Jesus.

The Great Wickedness of Evolution

The impudence of evolution is seen in the fact that it denies the first premise that is set out by the psalmist. He that made the ear, does He not hear? He that formed the eye, does He not see? He that gives man knowledge . . . oh, he is out of patience. Just stop.

The point of evolutionary science is in no way the pursuit of knowledge. It is rather a pell mell flight from the knowledge of God. The problem is not “not enough” knowledge. The problem is that we have too much knowledge, and we are trying to offload some of it.

Mischief through the Law

When we pretend that God doesn’t see us, the first thing this does is open up a vacancy. We need a god who sees us. And because the Most High apparently cannot see us, we will appoint some rebels to rule in His place. They abuse that position, naturally, but it is better than having the living God try to run our lives. What do these jitney gods do? The vaunt themselves in their pride (vv. 2, 4). They break God’s people (v. 5). They attack the defenseless (v. 6). They think their great vain thinks (v. 11). They frame mischief through their legislation (v. 20). And their own iniquity rises up like scalding water out of a geyser, and crashes back down on them (v. 23).

God’s Gonna . . .

And it seems only fitting to conclude with the words of Johnny Cash, who expressed one of the central sentiments in this psalm very nicely.

Go tell that long tongue liar
Go and tell that midnight rider
Tell the rambler
The gambler
The back biter
Tell ’em that God’s gonna cut ’em down
Tell ’em that God’s gonna cut ’em down

And never forget that the only safe way to flee from the wrath of God, from the anger of His hot displeasure, is to turn on your heel and run as fast as you can toward the wrath of God as it was poured out on the crucified Jesus.

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Introduction

All the attributes of God are unchanging and constant, by definition. But they are not always equally conspicuous to us. The Lord’s right arm is always infinitely what it is, but there are times when He bares His right arm. He is always strong, but there are times when He is revealed as clothed with strength. His majesty is a given, but there are times when He is clothed, not in the trappings of majesty, but in the reality of majesty itself. We are talking about the glory of God.

The Text

“The Lord reigneth, he is clothed with majesty; The Lord is clothed with strength, wherewith he hath girded himself: The world also is stablished, that it cannot be moved. Thy throne is established of old: Thou art from everlasting. The floods have lifted up, O Lord, The floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their waves. The Lord on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea. Thy testimonies are very sure: Holiness becometh thine house, O Lord, for ever” (Ps.93:1-5).

Summary of the Text

God is the king; He is the one who reigns (v. 1). But His reign is also gloriously legitimate—He is clothed with majesty. He rules over all—over inanimate nature, over those who rebel against Him, and over those who obey Him. Jehovah reigns. Because He is clothed with strength, the world is established. God’s throne is ancient and everlasting because God is from eternity (v. 2). The floods have lifted up their rebellion by means of their great voice (v. 3). God Himself, the Lord most high, is mightier than the sound of many waters (v. 4), and He is untroubled by the waves; He walks on them. When Jesus walked on the stormy water, He was a glorious antitype. Note the contrast between the world that is established by God’s throne, and the world of rebellious breakers that is turned to so much ocean spray. What this God reveals is certain; His testimonies are sure. Holiness befits His house, and it is that way forever and ever, amen (v. 5). His rule is eternal. His grace is absolute. His character is holy.

Jehovah and Majesty

The power of God is not simply raw power. We do not worship an omnipotent fiend, as though power could ever be detached from goodness. We are Christians who confess the omnipotent power of God, but we must not do this as though the doctrine of were somehow a regrettable intellectual necessity. No, the strength of Almighty God is splendid. It is not something for us to confess in embarrassed whispers. It is magnificent.

When God spoke to Job, it was out of a whirlwind (Job 40:6). When He spoke to Elijah, His voice was not in the wind (1 Kings 19:11-12). So whether God shouts, or whether God whispers, His wisdom is glorious. If every thunderclap that had ever sounded in every storm were all gathered up together, and broke about fifty feet over the top of our heads, the effect of that would be trivial compared to what the voice of God would be like. But not only that . . . it would also be beautiful. We are talking about majesty, splendor, glory, honor, might, and everlasting dominion.

It is not just that His Word is sure. It is that it is fitting that His Word is sure.

All Foam and Fury

The rebellions of the godless are vanity itself. But to us, who often do not have the vantage point of Heaven, their grimaces can be scary. Their bluster does not seem like bluster to us. Their posturing does not seem like posturing. Their great swelling boasts seem like swelling breakers that threaten to sink us all. But the promises of God are like rocks on the Oregon coast. When the waves meet the rocks, the waves lose.

So the Most High God is mightier than their noise (v. 4). Does the Supreme Court say that men can marry men? This decision was made by 9 mortals, every one of them dying. All the fruit flies of earth have declared war on the citadels of Heaven, and none of the watchmen on those celestial towers have even noticed. The throne of God’s dominion is utterly and infinitely out of range. So if you want something here on earth to be secured, the place where it must be anchored or secured is there, in the realm of God.

Truth, Holiness, Glory

But the God who reigns, the God who has reigned from all eternity, is a God who speaks. He is an author; He has written a book. This God who laughs at the sea foam of secularism is a God who has testimonies. These testimonies are His Word, and the doctrines of that Word are truth itself, and the precepts of that Word are holiness itself. His doctrines don’t require edits. His commandments don’t require upgrades or adjustments or moral improvements. They do not change with the times. They are in fact utterly behind the times—how could they not be behind the times. They were written by the Ancient of Days, the ultimate ruler who is behind the times. Another way of saying behind the times is before eternal ages.

Would you behold that splendor? Would you see that majesty? We know from this psalm that God is in fact clothed with majesty. We know that it is true. But would you see Him clothed in majesty? Are you hungry the way Moses was, when Moses asked if He could see the glory of God? We are invited to do so, and have been given a special “glass” or mirror that we are appointed to use. That glass is the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, crucified for sinners, and raised for His saints.

“But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Cor. 3:18).

 

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Introduction

The enemies of God are primarily the enemies of God, and only derivatively ours. The principal contrast is between the futility of their rebellion, as over against the constant life of the everlasting one. They perish, and He remains forever. And then, as a result of that, a secondary contrast is set up—between the flourishing of “future hay” and the flourishing of cedar beams destined for the house of God. There is first the Creator/rebellious creature distinction followed by the obedient creature/rebellious creature distinction.

The Text

“It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, And to sing praises unto thy name, O most High: To shew forth thy lovingkindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night, Upon an instrument of ten strings, and upon the psaltery; Upon the harp with a solemn sound. For thou, Lord, hast made me glad through thy work: I will triumph in the works of thy hands. O Lord, how great are thy works! And thy thoughts are very deep . . .” (Psalm 92:1-15)

Summary of the Text

Praising God, giving thanks to God, is a good thing (v. 1). This happens when we declare His lovingkindness in the morning, and His faithfulness in the evening (v. 2). It is done with three kinds of stringed instruments (v. 3). God’s work makes us glad; we will triumph through the work of His hands (v. 4).

When we triumph in the works of God, we are not triumphing in trifles. His works are great; His thoughts are deep (v. 5)—and we are talking about infinite depths. A brutish man doesn’t get it; a fool doesn’t comprehend it (v. 6). He doesn’t comprehend the previous statement, the one about the greatness of God’s works, and he doesn’t understand the following contrast. The wicked spring up like thick green grass, they appear to flourish—but they will be destroyed forever (v. 7). They are but hay. But God does not wax and wane, grow and die. God is most high forever (v. 8). The enemies of God will perish, and the workers of iniquity will be scattered (v. 9).

This has an effect on the one who trusts in God. His horn will be exalted like the horn of a unicorn; he will be anointed with oil (v. 10). We could talk about what the unicorn is, but keep in mind we don’t have all day. The righteous will also will see his enemies (liers-in-wait) get their comeuppance (v. 11). The righteous will flourish like trees, in contrast to the grass earlier (v. 12). In order for these trees to flourish, they have to be planted in the right kind of soil; they must be planted in the right place. And where is that? In the house of the Lord, in the courts of our God (v. 13). They will still be fruit-bearing in old age; they will be fat and flourishing (v. 14, same word as v. 7). What will this show? What will it demonstrate? That the Lord is upright, that the Lord is our rock, that the Lord has no unrighteousness in Him. How could He? His righteousness is as immoveable as a great rock.

Good to Give Thanks

Gratitude is the path to wisdom, but we can’t be thankful to God for everything (Eph. 5:20) unless we believe that all things whatsoever come to us from His hand. We are not just to thank Him in all circumstances, but also for all circumstances. We would not be rebuked by Job for speaking like the foolish women speak. Shall we receive God from the hand of God and not evil?

And when this kind of gratitude has taken up residence in our hearts, what is the result? The result is musical gratitude. The result is lots of strings. But beware. The normal pattern is for this to be a musical overflow; this is pursuit of the headwaters, not pursuit of the delta. As the old Mahalia Jackson spiritual put it, “I sing because I’m happy, I sing because I’m free.” You don’t sing to get happy—you sing to keep from bursting. Of course there will be times when you are in a blue funk, and you sing a hymn of thanksgiving to God by faith. That’s different. But those who pursue fine music as an end are, to use Spurgeon’s comparison, “Fine music without devotion is but a splendid garment upon a corpse.”

But shall the mountains sing (Is. 44:23), the valleys sing (Ps. 65:13), the forests sing (1 Chron. 16:33), the stars sing (Job 38:7), while we men, women and children not sing? Shall the only ones with lungs be silent?

His Thoughts are Very Deep

The brutish man is blinkered and cannot see that he is standing under a cataract of glories. That’s just “the world,” he thinks. Just the way things are—atoms crashing around, and science has shown us how that imbecile natural selection can just pop out one exquisite engineering design after another. Nothing to be thankful about. No one to be thankful to. Nothing to mark as remarkable.

I recently saw an astoundingly beautiful, intricately-designed pattern—it was a microscopic photograph of a beetle’s foot. Consider, think, reflect, if you would not be a brutish man, how butterflies can just know the way to Mexico, how an owl’s feathers just sweep together seamlessly, how insects use their antennae for taste, smell, and touch, and dragonflies use them as speedometers, and how an octopus has three hearts. Keep in mind that, according to the secular evolutionist, the genes that code for sight are blind, the genes that code for hearing are deaf, and the genes that code for speech are dumb. Not only can they not do what they are coding for, they don’t even know what they are. They don’t know anything.

Finishing Strong

We see from this psalm that there is such a thing as finishing strong. We have already considered that God’s promises are not vending machine promises—not at all. But they are not crap shoot promises either. The world we live in is an intelligible world, and it is governed by a personal God. Talk to Him. And talk to Him about how the remainder of your life is going to go. When you are old, may your trunk be full of sap, enough for the outer branches. May you be like a palm tree, which Solomon used as a model for decorating the Temple. May you produce hundreds of pounds of dates annually. May you be like a cedar on the mountain of God.

May Christ be your rock.

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Introduction

According to a tradition among the Jews, if a psalm is not attributed to anyone, then the credit should go to the author of the previous psalm. There is no basis for being dogmatic about it, but this would mean that Psalm 91 was composed by Moses. The reason this is suggestive is that the theme of this psalm fits the experience of Israel in the wilderness in remarkable ways. In addition, it is quite striking that the devil quotes from this psalm when Jesus was on His way to being the victorious Israel, during His temptation of 40 “years” in the wilderness.

The Text

“He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: My God; in him will I trust. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: His truth shall be thy shield and buckler . . .” (Psalm 91:1–16).

Summary of the Text

The shadow of the Almighty is a safe place to dwell (v. 1), and ultimately it is the only safe place to dwell. But do not assume that this is obvious to a carnal mind; it is a secret place. But also remember—“The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant” (Ps. 25:14). Fear God, and He will show you that secret. The Lord Himself is the final fortress; to be in that fortress is to trust Him (v. 2). Like a rabbit to his hole, like a bird to his thicket, we take to the Lord. What will He deliver us from? From the snare of the fowler—that is, from any devious enemies, and from the deadly pestilence (v. 3). Then comes a striking metaphor, an astonishing one. We will be safe under His feathers, under His wing. Think of yourself living on the mercy seat; the wings of the cherubim are emblematic of His wings. And His truth will be our armor (v. 4). There is no need to fear night terrors, or arrows in the day (v. 5)—whether epidemics by night, or wasting destruction by day (v. 6). The reference to arrows here is probably still referring to pestilence. When thousands are falling all around you, as they did back in Egypt, and then again a few times in the wilderness, there is yet no need to fear (v. 7). You will see with your own eyes what happens to the wicked (v. 8). Because you have made the Lord your refuge and place of habitation, the plague cannot touch you (vv. 9-10). As God had His saints marked in the book of Ezekiel, and in Revelation, so you also are marked. You dwell under the protection of the cloud and fire. Why is this? Because God will order His angels to protect you there (vv. 11-12). You will trample lions underfoot, along with adders, young lions and dragons (v. 13). So God promises to deliver the one who truly loves Him, the one who knows His name (v. 14). When He calls, His God will answer (v. 15). God will honor Him with long life, and will show Him His salvation (v. 16).

The Devil’s Exegesis

Now this is the psalm that Satan quoted to Jesus in the course of tempting Him. He cited vv. 11-12 while tempting Jesus to throw Himself off the pinnacle of the Temple. He was saying, in effect, that if “You manifest Yourself in a dramatic act of power, then these verses will apply. God will keep You from falling down and dashing Your foot on a stone.” But the reply from Jesus was telling:

“And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God” (Matt. 4:6-7).

Jesus was not saying that the devil shouldn’t be tempting Him, the Lord Jesus. (Although that is also true.) Rather, He was saying that if He, Jesus, did what the devil was suggesting, then He, Jesus, would be tempting the Lord His God. Jesus was submitting Himself to the authority of Scripture. But why would it be tempting God to throw Himself off the height of the Temple?

The Lord was a more honest exegete than the devil, which should not be surprising to us. But let us not just assume it. Can we see that honesty in the text? Three things jump out. The first is what Jesus said in reply. He said He would in fact be testing or tempting God if He were to do this thing, which should make us look for the makings of that sin in the text. And that leads to the second point, which is that the promise was that God’s angel would protect Him in all His ways, and the context shows that these are the ways that God assigned or appointed. If the Most High is your habitation, “thereshall no evil befall thee” (vv. 9-10). The promise was not that one couldn’t dash his foot against a stone—whatever he might be doing. No. This is a promise that holds under the feathers. This is a Word that holds under the shadow of the Almighty.

But most striking thing about this exchange is this, and this is the third point. The devil was trying to get Jesus to “cast Himself down” and “not dash” His foot against a stone. This was a complete diversion—what was the faithful one going to do in this psalm? What is in the next verse? He was going to “cast Himself down” and tread on lions, serpents, and dragons. The point of this passage was not primarily what He was not going to walk on, it was what He was going to walk on. Jesus was not going to be distracted by talk about dashing His foot against a stone when His assigned mission was to dash His foot against a serpent. And we might also reflect on Luke 11:11. There it says that if a son asks for bread He will not be given a stone; if He asks for a fish He will not be given a serpent. How much more will God not give a stone instead of a serpent?

Remember that Christ came to earth in fulfilment of the promise God had made to the serpent in Gen. 3:15. This exchange between Jesus and the devil was a continuation of an earlier conversation. This was not the first time they had met.

“And the Lord God said unto the serpent . . . I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel” (Gen. 3:14–15).

The Faithful One in Christ

So Christ is the only one who ever fulfilled the terms of this psalm perfectly. He is the only one who could without any reservation say, “My God” (v. 2), even from the cross. He was the faithful Son who made the most High His true habitation (v. 9). He had set His love upon His Father (v. 14). He knew the name of God (v. 14). And so God promised to deliver Him (v. 15), and the long life promised was in fact given through the power of an indestructible life (v. 16). And He displayed His understanding of all of this in the wilderness, while being tempted, and on our behalf.

But this is not just about Jesus, over there, detached from us. Those of us who believe in Christ have found that He who found the secret place is the secret place. He who dwelt in the habitation of God is the habitation of God. He who knows the name of God is the name of God. So we are privileged to take refuge in Him, and in Him every last one of these promises is yours as well. Consider how Paul puts it.

“For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, even by me and Silvanus and Timotheus, was not yea and nay, but in him was yea. For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us” (2 Cor. 1:19–20).

So then, for you, standing off by yourself in your own name, we have to say that not one of these glorious promises found in Scripture is in any way your possession. You cannot lay claim anything simply because it is in your Bible. Non-Christians can own Bibles. Infidels can walk into a Christian bookstore. The issue is not whether the promise is in your Bible, but rather whether it is in your Christ, to whom the Bible bears faithful witness. If you are Christ’s, if you have surrendered to Him, then Christ is also yours. And if Christ is yours, what follows? All the promises follow, including these.

“Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you” (Luke 10:19).

“And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen” (Rom. 16:20).

And so we preach Jesus to you, and we preach Jesus to you so that you might be found in Him, and so that you might rejoice in Him, and exult in Him, and find eternal happiness in Him, and—for the glory of His great name—become a race of snake-walkers in Him. Is the devil a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour? You are invited, you are summoned, to walk right over him. This is what living faith in a living Christ will do. It is what it must do.

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