He shall cover you with His feathers and under His wings you shall take refuge, His truth shall be your shield and buckler. (Psalm 91:4 NKJV)
We dwell in the secret place of El Elyon. We abide in the shadow of El Shaddai. Yahweh is our refuge and fortress. We place our trust in Elohim. We are covered from all directions by God in various different aspects and roles. We rest in Him, we follow Him, we hide in Him and we trust in Him. A secure position in a secure relationship.
But there is more…
He shall cover you with His feathers…
The audience of Psalm 91, like the rest of the Old Testament was predominantly Jewish people. They understood the significance of the reference to “His wings” and “feathers” that points to the Ark of the Covenant. In the illustration below you can see why.
The ark was placed in the Holy of Holies and typifies Jesus. It was made of incorruptible wood and overlaid with gold. Wood symbolises Jesus’ incorruptible and sinless humanity and the gold speaks of His perfect divinity and deity. Jesus was 100% man and 100% God.
The lid of the ark was made of solid gold and is called the mercy seat. Inside the ark was the stones with the Ten Commandments, a golden pot of manna and Aaron’s rod – all symbols of man’s rebellion against God’s holy standards, provision and appointed leadership. In the ark these are covered by the mercy seat that depicts God’s unmerited favor over us as His mercy triumphs over judgment.
We have a place of divine protection under His wings of favor, grace and mercy. As we abide in the promise that “He shall cover us with His feathers and the covering of His wings” we read about the rewards:
The Lord repay your work, and a full reward be given you by the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge. (Ruth 2:12 NKJV)
The same truth that applied to Ruth, applies to us today in Christ. God rewards us for turning to Him for our covering and divine protection.
Psalm 91:4 ends with another promise that “His truth shall be your shield and buckler”. A buckler is a small shield used for close-contact battle, whereas a shield is much larger and behind which one can hide during a battle. The significance here being that it does not matter whether the enemy’s attack against you are small or big, Jesus’ Word (Truth) as your shield and buckler covers you completely.
No matter where you find yourself, even if you are at the wrong place at the wrong time, you can still enjoy God’s divine protection as you place His shield of faith around you under the shadow of His wings.
Maretha Retief
Illustrations credit: Jeanne de Villiers