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Promises of Psalm 91
In March of 2020, a New Zealand megachurch pastor Brian Tamaki of Destiny Church claimed Christians are protected from Coronavirus 2019-nCoV while quoting Psalm 91. Tamaki told his congregation that God allows things such as “epidemics, pestilence and famine” when people have turned their backs on the faith. He went on to say since Satan and his demonic spirits control the “atmospheres,” where diseases like the Coronavirus live and spread, only those who are truly walking with the Lord can be protected. He told his followers to ignore Coronavirus panic as evidenced by the stockpiling of basic supplies like food and toilet paper.
Is the concern about the virus spreading a faithless rampant fear and confusion? Facing valid stats related to the Coronavirus and fear-mongering are two different paths, the two need not cross. Psalm 91 often called the "soldier's psalm" is the most search scripture on Google, because it sounds fantastic. "He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. ...Though 1,000 fall at your side and 10,000 at your right hand, the pestilence will not reach you. no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent."
There are even books that go so far as to turn Psalm 91 into “God's Covenant of Protection” for believers. It's practically a cottage industry, like Chicken Soup for the Soul. The premise is you just need to "join the covenant" by loving and serving God and all the threats listed in Psalm 91 will be neutralized. Many people believe in Psalm 91 like this. Really, it's not surprising if you remember how many people believed in "the blessing power of praying 1 Chronicles 4:10" when the Prayer of Jabez book came out full of anecdotal evidence in support of it. It's okay with me if some Charismatic veins read Psalm 91 allegorically and find comfort in that but please understand that this method is nowhere near as accurate as the historical-grammatical method of interpretation.
The allegorical, symbolic, or spiritualizing method of interpretation was prominent in the church for about 1,000 years until it was displaced during the Reformation. The Reformers sought the “plain meaning” of Scripture, not the mystical. We need to recognize that allegory is a beautiful and legitimate literary device. John Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress was written as an allegory of the Christian life. In this story, almost every action and character is intended to have a deeper, spiritual meaning. To interpret Bunyan’s story literally would be to miss the point completely.
The problem with the allegorical method of interpretation is that it seeks to find an allegorical interpretation for every passage of Scripture, regardless of whether or not it is intended to be understood in that way. Interpreters who allegorize can be very creative, with no control based in the text itself. It becomes easy to read one’s own beliefs into the allegory and then think that they have scriptural support. This is the main reason I cannot embrace the theology of the charismatic mainstream, where it leans largely on allegorical interpretation which is rife with errors.
No matter how many positive testimonies of Psalm 91 protection there may be, you can find plenty more examples of Christians who have had tragedy touch their lives. You don't even have to look further than own family history for sad examples. Christians don't universally enjoy "long life" or freedom from attacks or accidents. Quite the contrary. In fact, many Christians end up losing their faith because they blindly trusted in Psalm 91 and other abused "promises of God in the Bible" as a golden chalice of protection. The consensus of the Bible is that God does not “promise” us an “umbrella of protection” from trouble. Daniel's three friends certainly knew this.
Psalm 91 is in part a Messianic prophecy, particularly upon reading its second half. It is offering the believer a metaphor for spiritual protection, not merely physical protection. Psalm 91 should never be construed as a pledge of unqualified physical protection to all believers for all time in all circumstances. The best-qualified understanding of the passage is except that God in His love and wisdom allows it for the ultimate good… no evil will befall me, nor will any plague come near my tent. Soli Deo Gloria!
Is the concern about the virus spreading a faithless rampant fear and confusion? Facing valid stats related to the Coronavirus and fear-mongering are two different paths, the two need not cross. Psalm 91 often called the "soldier's psalm" is the most search scripture on Google, because it sounds fantastic. "He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. ...Though 1,000 fall at your side and 10,000 at your right hand, the pestilence will not reach you. no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent."
There are even books that go so far as to turn Psalm 91 into “God's Covenant of Protection” for believers. It's practically a cottage industry, like Chicken Soup for the Soul. The premise is you just need to "join the covenant" by loving and serving God and all the threats listed in Psalm 91 will be neutralized. Many people believe in Psalm 91 like this. Really, it's not surprising if you remember how many people believed in "the blessing power of praying 1 Chronicles 4:10" when the Prayer of Jabez book came out full of anecdotal evidence in support of it. It's okay with me if some Charismatic veins read Psalm 91 allegorically and find comfort in that but please understand that this method is nowhere near as accurate as the historical-grammatical method of interpretation.
The allegorical, symbolic, or spiritualizing method of interpretation was prominent in the church for about 1,000 years until it was displaced during the Reformation. The Reformers sought the “plain meaning” of Scripture, not the mystical. We need to recognize that allegory is a beautiful and legitimate literary device. John Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress was written as an allegory of the Christian life. In this story, almost every action and character is intended to have a deeper, spiritual meaning. To interpret Bunyan’s story literally would be to miss the point completely.
The problem with the allegorical method of interpretation is that it seeks to find an allegorical interpretation for every passage of Scripture, regardless of whether or not it is intended to be understood in that way. Interpreters who allegorize can be very creative, with no control based in the text itself. It becomes easy to read one’s own beliefs into the allegory and then think that they have scriptural support. This is the main reason I cannot embrace the theology of the charismatic mainstream, where it leans largely on allegorical interpretation which is rife with errors.
No matter how many positive testimonies of Psalm 91 protection there may be, you can find plenty more examples of Christians who have had tragedy touch their lives. You don't even have to look further than own family history for sad examples. Christians don't universally enjoy "long life" or freedom from attacks or accidents. Quite the contrary. In fact, many Christians end up losing their faith because they blindly trusted in Psalm 91 and other abused "promises of God in the Bible" as a golden chalice of protection. The consensus of the Bible is that God does not “promise” us an “umbrella of protection” from trouble. Daniel's three friends certainly knew this.
Psalm 91 is in part a Messianic prophecy, particularly upon reading its second half. It is offering the believer a metaphor for spiritual protection, not merely physical protection. Psalm 91 should never be construed as a pledge of unqualified physical protection to all believers for all time in all circumstances. The best-qualified understanding of the passage is except that God in His love and wisdom allows it for the ultimate good… no evil will befall me, nor will any plague come near my tent. Soli Deo Gloria!
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