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Holy Trinity Anglican Orthodox Church
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Thou Art My Hope |
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Psalm
91 Sixteenth
Sunday after Trinity September
7, 2008 Hope. It is such a wonderful word. It speaks of an ability to look beyond the present, even beyond circumstances that appear bleak and unpromising, and see something better, something more powerful than the present, something more real than our current troubles; and, in that vision to endure and even overcome our difficulties. Hope is akin to faith. They are in the same family. Faith looks to God and believes in His good will and in His ability to accomplish the good He promised to us. Hope is the confidence to live, to obey, to trust, to die, because we believe the promises of God. Hope is the confidence that God will use His power for our benefit. Psalm 91 is about hope. “I will say unto the Lord, Thou art my hope,” says verse two. This is repeated in verse 9, “For thou, Lord, art my hope.” This Psalm inspires hope in all who read it in faith. It gives us hope because it tells us we are under God’s mighty protection. Verse 1 speaks of this using the image of a village in the shadow of the castle. “Whoso dwelleth under the defense of the Most High, shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” To abide under the shadow of the Almighty is to be under His protection. It is to be within the range of God’s ability to defend. The village in the shadow of the castle is safe because the King who lives in the castle will not allow an enemy to attack it. Another illustration is found in verse 3, “he shall deliver thee from the snare of the hunter.” This verse does not forbid hunting or eating meat. It is a literary picture of the mercy of God. It is a word picture of a wild animal caught in a snare, but someone opens the door and sets him free. God sets us free of the traps and snares of sin and the devil. Yet another illustration is given, this time it is of an eagle spreading her wings over the babies in her nest. She will endure the wind and the rain and the heat and the cold, but they will be sheltered from them all, safe under her wing. This is found in verse 4 The Psalm says our God is our shield and buckler. A shield protects a soldier from the weapons of the enemy. Swords, spears, even arrows cannot harm the person covered by the shield. But think for a moment, how does the shield protect the person? By taking the swords and the spears and the arrows of the enemy in itself. So to call God our shield is to say He takes our wounds in Himself. A buckler ensures that the solder is equipped for war. He ensures that his shield is sound, his sword is sharp, and his armour is properly fitted and in place. Now please don’t make the mistake of thinking this Psalm means we can jump off tall buildings and not be hurt because God has given His angels charge over us (vs.11). Even Jesus would not test the Father in that way. Do, however let the knowledge that our times are in God’s hand inspire us to faith and courage in His service. Let us not live in fear as some people do, afraid of nameless terrors, afraid of the dark, afraid of life, afraid of death. Let us live wisely, but let us also live confidently, in hope, because God is with us. I think that is a major emphasis of this Psalm. How can we have this hope? How can we know that we have a legitimate claim to hope in the good will and protection of God? That hope belongs to “whoso dwelleth under the defense of the Most High.” I think it is important for us to see here that the protection God wants to give is primarily spiritual. We should not think of Him as our great Body Guard in the Sky. We should think of Him as the guardian of our souls. His purpose is not to give us peace and prosperity here on earth. His purpose is to prepare us to dwell with Him in Heaven forever. We have a tendency to get that mixed up. We tend to want a worldly messiah just like the Jews who rejected Jesus in His own time. But He becomes the guardian of our souls as we dwell under His defense, or, in the shadow of the most high. This hope is offered to us only in Christ Jesus. It is due only to His sacrificial death on the cross. He is the King who protects the village in the shadow of the castle. He is the One who releases us from the snare of our sin. He is the Eagle who shelters us under His wings. He is the Shield who takes the arrows meant for us in His own flesh. He is our Buckler who dresses us in the armour of God. Only in Christ can we say with the Psalmist, “Thou art my hope and my stronghold; my God, in him will I trust.” Let us pray. God of us, God of hope and grace, grant that we may trust in Thee, and find our sure defense. In Christ’s name. Amen. The Rev. Dr. R. Dennis Campbell, Vicar, Holy Trinity Anglican Church,
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