I’ve long loved the word translated “wings,” or “covering” to describe the Lord’s protective love for us.
It’s used famously in this psalm as
“under the shadow of his wings” or “under his wings you will find refuge.”
This week a mother Robin disappeared from the nest of baby birds, and one by one they fell out of the nest. My grandchildren tried to rescue them. The first two died, but the third survived through Lily’s patient “mothering,” getting up in the night to keep feeding her with worms she had dug up during the day.
IMG_1902
If you download the above you can see 10 seconds of Lily feeding her baby bird with a worm.
The Robin grew strong over the week, and yesterday, on her way back to Nebraska, Lily tearfully left her at a bird sanctuary in Green Bay, sacrificing her desire to keep her with her desire to give her the best chance. Watching this helpless bird all week made me think of how helpless we are without the covering and care of Jesus.
Another translation of this Hebrew word is “garment,” as in the metaphor is of a bridegroom “covering” his wife, as when Ruth asked Boaz to cover her with his “garment,” implying protection, provision, and love.
Our own Miriam remembered a story I told so long ago about my friend Jill, who lost her husband in a farming accident, witnessed by two of her four small children. They could not sleep at night, so she began to play this song for them, based on Ruth’s request that Boaz (a Christ figure) “cover her.”
See below for audio and transcript of Tim Keller’s sermon on Psalm 91.
https://podcast.gospelinlife.com/e/prayer-of-rest/
Psalm of Rest Transcript for 91
Sunday: Getting Started
1. What thoughts do you have on the above?
2. Do you have a God hunt from this week? Or can you share a time when God was with you in trouble and explain how He was?
Monday: The Text
3. Read Psalm 91:1-2. What is the psalmist’s relationship with the Lord? Do you think that is true of all believers?
4. Read Psalm 91:3-7
A. List the promises you find in this passage.
B. A friend pointed out that if we are to be delivered from the Fowler’s snare, it implies we have been snared. Thoughts?
5. Compare Psalm 91:8 with Malachi 1:5. This psalm has often been given to soldiers to pray. What thoughts or questions do you have?
6. Read Psalm 91:9-13 and list the promises. What comments or questions do you have?
7. Read Psalm 91:14-16
A. What conditions do you find?
B. What promises?
C. What does “I will be with him in trouble” imply about the whole psalm?
D. What comments or questions do you have?
Tuesday: The Claim and A Tangent from Dee 🙂
Listen and or read up to Misunderstanding of the Claim
2. As a young pastor what did he think about old people? What did he think once he became old?
3. What do you do when you become anxious over something?
4. What stands out to you from the section on “The Claim” from Keller and why?
5. Meditate on verses 1-4 and the metaphors of protection.
A. Choose one that particularly speaks to you and meditate on it longer, sharing at least 5 insights.
B. How does this speak to you in your life right now and why?
6. How is the metaphor of covering also used in the book of Ruth? Thoughts?
Dee’s tangent:
I found Craig Kenner’s book: “And Marries Another” helpful in contrasting “covering” with “dealing treacherously with your wife” (from Malachi). According to Levitical law, the husband is instructed to provide shelter, food, and marital rights (which Keener sees as love) for his wife. Abandonment, he believes, encompasses more than just walking out, but abuse, the lack of covering, and the opposite of protection. It is dealing treacherously. I realize this could be misused but would love your thoughts.
7. Do you think Keener is going too far and abandonment only means walking out? How would you advise a woman whose husband has not walked out or been unfaithful, but is abusing her physically or emotionally? Does she have scriptural grounds for divorce or just separation?
Wednesday: The Misunderstanding of the Claim (I)
8. Read this section and share what stands out and why.
9. What are some of the sweeping promises in verses 6-12?
10. What three reasons does Keller give that show us that reading this as if nothing bad will ever happen to believers must be a misunderstanding?
11. What part of Psalm 91 does Satan quote in Luke 4, and how is this a twist?
Thursday: The Misunderstanding of the Claim (II)
12. What stands out in this section and why?
13. What points are Keller making through telling the story of Joseph?
14. Tangent. In our discussion in our church, one man felt strongly that Keller was off base in saying Joseph was spoiled and shouldn’t have bragged to his brothers about his dream. Agree or disagree and why?
15. How does Genesis 50:20 help us get a better interpretation of Psalm 91?
16. How does Keller say Romans 8:28 is often misunderstood? How does the context help us read it correctly? (Romans 8:29)
17. What is his point about Luke 29:16-18?
Friday: The Take Hold of the Claim
18. What stands out and why from this part?
19. What insight does Psalm 19:15 give you?
20. How is our God different from the gods of other religions when it comes to suffering? How is this helpful to you?
21. The mother bird also represents substitution. How does Keller show this through Jesus cry in Matthew 26 (Oh Jerusalem…)?
22. What does the story of the calcified mother bird teach you? Has contemplating Jesus suffering on your behalf help you in any way? If so, be specific.
173 comments
2. What stands out in this section and why? That God saves us through suffering. That He brings about an ultimate good through trials and suffering that would not be possible without the hardships. It’s a powerful concept.
13. What points are Keller making through telling the story of Joseph? He makes the points that its through the betrayal and mistreatment of his brothers, that Joseph is saved from a prideful and arrogant version of himself, that through the myriad of negative events of Joseph’s life God not only saved Joseph from himself but also saved the brothers and God’s people from starving.
14. Tangent. In our discussion in our church, one man felt strongly that Keller was off base in saying Joseph was spoiled and shouldn’t have bragged to his brothers about his dream. Agree or disagree and why? Its not explicitly described that way in scripture. I see how its possible that it was true of Joseph, as I can read that into his behavior, so honestly I could either way on this.
15. How does Genesis 50:20 help us get a better interpretation of Psalm 91? That what evil things may befall you is a part of God’s plan for God to do good to us, and to those around us.
16. How does Keller say Romans 8:28 is often misunderstood? How does the context help us read it correctly? (Romans 8:29) It has been misunderstood to mean that bad things won’t happen, or even that bad things really aren’t so bad. The truth is that God will be turned by God’s power into something better and more glorious than what would have happened if the bad thing had never happened.
17. What is his point about Luke 29:16-18? That Jesus said these hard things and suffering will happen, but that the hair on your heads will not perish and you will possess your souls in patience. Meaning that through suffering and hard things idols or other cruel taskmasters will not possess me. Only through these hard things will be able to become who I was really made to be.
Friday: The Take Hold of the Claim
18. What stands out and why from this part? Oh my, that picture of the mother bird, taking the wrath of the fire, and those little chickadees being safe because of it.
19. What insight does Psalm 19:15 give you? I will be with him IN trouble, not deliver him from trouble.
20. How is our God different from the gods of other religions when it comes to suffering? How is this helpful to you? That He took the punishment of my sin, not that I have to suffer or earn my way to Him, but instead He Himself became vulnerable on my behalf.
21. The mother bird also represents substitution. How does Keller show this through Jesus cry in Matthew 26 (Oh Jerusalem…)? That He Himself would take on the wrath of God and if only the people would take refuge under His wings they would be spared God’s wrath.
22. What does the story of the calcified mother bird teach you? Has contemplating Jesus suffering on your behalf help you in any way? If so, be specific. That sacrificial love of mom, Jesus feels that for us. Jesus wanting to cover me and suffer for me in this metaphor is impactful. It does help, as someone who did not have parents who loved me in that way, its so profound to think of Jesus in that way. That story of the mother bird burnt to a crisp but her baby birds being alive brings what Jesus said alive in a new way.
Â
Saturday:
23. What’s Your Take-A-Way and Why? Wow, there is a lot here in this sermon. I am going to chew on that picture of the mother bird, and being protected underneath Jesus’s wing, as He takes the brunt of the wrath that sin brings into this world, both my own and others like my parents.
My take-away from Keller’s message is that we have to be careful to put scripture in its context, ie read an entire psalm not just a few verses. He also used other scripture to interpret the full meaning of Psalm 91 (Job. Genesis, Matthew, Romans).
These are foundational principles for Bible study, and I will apply them when leading a ladies Bible study. We start again in September using Dee’s book, Becoming a Woman of Joy.