What prayer and supplication soever be made by any man, or by all thy people Israel, which shall know every man the plague of his own heart, and spread forth his hands toward this house:
— 1 Kings 8:38
And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.
— Zechariah 14:12
And he stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed.
— Numbers 16:48
And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
— Matthew 24:6-7
An Exposition of Psalm 91, Verses One through Ten, by William Bridge. The following contains an excerpt from his work, “The Righteous Man’s Habitation In the Time of Plague and Pestilence, Being a Brief Exposition of the XCI Psalm.”, Printed in London in the year 1655.
Psalm. 31. 2, 3. Be thou my strong rock, for a house of defence to save me. For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name’s sake lead me, and guide me.
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. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.
— Psalm 91:1-10
This Psalm (it’s thought) was made on the occasion of the plague and pestilence that occurred in David’s time. So Molerus; wherein you have the best antidote against the plague and pestilence. The whole Psalm is nothing else but a great promise of special protection for those who trust in the Lord in the time of the plague: wherein three or four things are most especially considerable, the Evil, Danger, and Misery of the Plague and Pestilence; protection and deliverance promised in the time thereof: the persons upon whom the promise is entailed; the way, mode, means, and manner, how God will deliver and protect in the time of a plague. As for the evil, danger, and misery of the plague or pestilence, you have it in many terms expressed in several verses. In the third verse it’s called the snare of the fowler; He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler; it’s called the snare of the fowler because it takes people before they are aware; the word “and” that follows should not be in the line, so the next words do explain it, He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler: from the noisome pestilence: then it’s called the noisome pestilence. In the Hebrew, it’s called the pestilence of woes or calamity, that is, the most calamitous pestilence, that disease or sickness that is accompanied by the most calamity. In the 5th verse it’s called the terror by night, and the arrow that flies by day: for with this arrow God does kill and hit people at a distance, a great way off, when they think to fly away and be at rest. It is said in the sixth verse that it walks in darkness; and it is called destruction that wastes at noon day, in regard to the spreading and infective nature of it. At the thirteenth verse, it’s compared to the lion and adder, the young lion and the dragon, for the destructive and devouring nature of it, which nothing can stand before.
Secondly, as for the protection promised in the time thereof, you have that in general in the first verse, He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty; more particularly at the third verse, Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler, from the noisome pestilence: He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings, you shall trust. His truth shall be your shield and buckler, at the 4th verse. At the 5th and 6th verses again, You shall not be afraid of the terror by night; nor of the arrow that flies by day; nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness; nor of the destruction that wastes at noon-day. And again, A thousand shall fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand: (in the 7th verse) but it shall not come near you. In the 10th verse, No evil shall befall you, neither shall any plague come near your dwelling. For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways. And at the last verse, With long life will I satisfy him, and show him my salvation.
As for the persons whom this promise of protection is entailed upon, they are such as trust in the Lord. He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High; who says of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God, in Him I will trust, verse 2. And at the 9th verse, Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, even the Most High, your habitation: there shall no evil befall you, neither shall any plague come near your dwelling. You shall not be afraid of the terror by night: nor of the arrow that flies by day, at the fifth verse. And as for the means, way, and mode of how God will deliver in the time of the plague, He will do it by His angels; There shall no evil befall you, neither shall any plague come near your dwelling. For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways. They shall bear you up in their hands, etc.
From all of this, I draw this Doctrine or Observation: Though the danger, evil, and misery of the Pestilence are exceedingly great, yet God will, in a special manner, protect and deliver those who trust in Him in the time of a plague.
For the clearing and prosecution thereof, first of all, I shall briefly labour to show you that the evil, misery, and danger of a Plague are exceedingly great. Secondly, that yet the Lord will protect and deliver those who trust in Him. Thirdly, what that Faith is and what that Trust is to which God has promised this protection in the time of a Plague. Fourthly, I would answer some objections, questions, or cases of conscience. Then fifthly, show how, and by what means God will protect and deliver in the time of a Plague. Then, call upon you and myself to do our duty in this Day. As for the first, I shall not dwell on it at length. The misery and danger of the Plague are well known. It is called the Plague above all other diseases, as if it were the Plague of plagues.
The various and specific judgments and evils that fell upon Pharaoh were called Plagues; they were all plagues. But now, the Pestilence carries the name of the Plague, as if it were the most dreaded of all diseases. First and foremost, it is a most dreadful and terrible disease. It is here called in this Psalm, the terror by night (verse 5),”Thou shalt not be afraid of the terror by night.” Why? The night itself is a time of fear and terror; darkness brings fear. But the Plague is the Night of nights, and the King of Terrors. How do people quake and tremble and flee at the sound of it? When God appeared in His greatness, majesty, and glory, giving a terrible manifestation of Himself, it is said in the third chapter of Habakkuk that the Pestilence went before Him (verse 3),”God came from Teman, and the Holy One from mount Paran, Selah. His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of His praise, and His brightness was as the light. He had horns coming out of His hand, and there was the hiding of His power. In the 5th verse, ‘Before Him went the pestilence, and burning coals went forth at His feet.’ Before Him went the Pestilence as His Officer and Executioner. Without a doubt, it is the disease that is most dreadful and terrible. Secondly, as it is the most dreadful and terrible disease, it is also the most painful disease. The more suddenly any person is taken away in their strength, the more painful their disease is. A person who is already weakened by sickness is easily overcome, but when someone in their full strength suddenly dies, it inflicts a great deal of pain. Thus, when the Plague swiftly takes someone in their prime, it is a very painful disease. Thirdly, it is an isolating disease. Friends abandon the afflicted, leaving them to sit and lie all alone, becoming strangers to the presence of their own family. If someone is sick with a fever, there is some comfort in being able to call for assistance. But if someone is sick with the Plague, they sit and lie all alone; it is the loneliest of diseases. Fourthly, it is the most deadly disease, hence, of all other diseases, it is simply called Death. In the sixth chapter of Revelation, the sword and famine are mentioned in the preceding part of the chapter. But in the 8th verse, it says,”And I looked, and behold a pale horse; and his name that sat on him was Death.” The sword is mentioned explicitly earlier in the 4th verse,”And there went out another horse, that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.” In the 6th verse, there is mention of famine,”I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny.” Now, in the 8th verse, the Pestilence is introduced, and it is called Death, not the sword or famine, but the Plague is the one called Death. This is because, of all other diseases, it is the most deadly. Fifthly, it is the most unavoidable disease. Through the mercy of God, it may be escaped, but comparatively speaking, among all diseases, it is the most inescapable. Lastly, it is the most devastating disease; it empties houses, towns, and cities. God threatens to empty a nation like a man empties a dish, wiping it clean and turning it upside down. Thus, for a family, it is the most devastating disease of all. However, I will not dwell on this further, as it is evident that the evil, misery, and danger of a Plague are exceedingly great.
But yet in the second place, there are a generation whom God will protect and deliver in the day of a Plague. It was always so in the most devastating judgments: when the Flood came, Noah and his household were spared; and, when Sodom was destroyed, Lot and his household were preserved and delivered. In the 6th Chapter of Isaiah, you read of a Desolation that resembles a Plague,”Then said I, Lord, How long? And he answered (at the 11th verse) until his cities be wasted and without inhabitants, and the houses be without man, and the land be utterly desolate, and the Lord have removed men far away: Yet,” says he, at the 13th verse,”There shall be a tenth, and it shall return, and shall be eaten as a teil tree, and as an oak whose substance is in them, etc.” Yet there is a generation whom the Lord will preserve and deliver in such a general desolation as this. But who are these? This Psalm tells us, they are such as trust in the Lord; those that trust in the Lord in the time of a Plague.
But why is there such a promise of protection entailed upon those that trust in the Lord in the time of a Plague? Well, first of all, God will be all that to us which we make Him, and build upon Him for: as in the 31st Psalm, 2nd and 3rd verses,”Be thou my rock, for thou art my rock; be thou my defence, for thou art my fortress,” and in the latter end of the 2nd verse,”Be thou my strong rock, for an house of defence to save me, for thou art my rock and my fortress.” Lord, be that unto me, which I build upon thee for. Thou art my rock, therefore be my rock. This is His argument. Now, by Faith and trusting in the Lord, we make God our protector, and therefore He will be a protector to those that trust in Him in time of a Plague.
Secondly, those that honour providence shall be kept by providence. Jacob, what a wonderfully great estate he attained to? He presented Esau with a present fit for a king to give; how did he acquire this great estate? There was a dispute between Laban and him, and he placed the matter in providence, and providence made him rich. Those that honour providence shall be kept by providence. Faith and trusting in God in the time of a Plague honours providence; therefore, those who trust in God in such a day shall be kept.
Thirdly, thereby God is engaged to help and deliver. In the 37th Psalm, the last verse,”The Lord shall help them and deliver them, he shall save them because they trust in him; because they trust in him.” God is engaged to help and deliver if people trust in Him. So in Isaiah 26, verse 3,”Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trusteth in thee.” Our very trust in the Lord for deliverance and protection engages God to deliver and protect.
Fourthly, when did God ever do anything great but it was based on Faith? You read of great victories in the Old Testament, and these were based on Faith. You read of great healings in the New Testament, and those were based on Faith. When did God do any great thing but it was based on Faith? Now, to be preserved and protected in the time of a Plague, when thousands fall on the right hand and on the left, it’s a great matter, next to a miracle, therefore it must be based on Faith.
Again, God will honour those persons and those graces the most who honour Him the most. Of all graces, Faith honours God the most, so God will honour that the most. It’s no wonder then that this protection is based on Faith and trusting in the Lord.
One thing more. There lies a blessing in store for all those who put themselves under the wing of the Lord in trusting Him. In the second chapter of Ruth, verse 12, Boaz says to Ruth,”The Lord recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust; under whose wings thou hast put thyself. It is Faith, and Faith alone, that puts us under the wings of God. Psalm 57, at the first verse,”Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me, for my soul trusteth in thee, yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be over-past.” It is Faith that puts a person under the wing of God. In the 36th Psalm, verse 7,”How excellent is thy loving kindness, O God, therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wing.” Faith, above all other graces, puts a person under the shadow of God’s wing, and there lies a blessing in store (I say) for all those who put themselves under God’s wing; therefore, it’s no wonder that this great promise of protection and deliverance in the time of a Plague is based on trusting in God.
But then thirdly, what Faith is this, what Trust is it that God has promised protection and deliverance to in the time of a Plague; what act of Faith is it? What Faith is it? I answer, First, there is a faith of persuasion, called Faith, whereby people are persuaded and truly believe that they shall not die or fall by the hand of the Plague. This is good; I do not find in the 91st Psalm that this protection is based on this persuasion, nor do I find this faith mentioned here.
Secondly, there is a Faith of Reliance, whereby a person relies on God for salvation; this is a justifying faith, true justifying faith; this is true Faith indeed; but I do not find in this Psalm that this promise of protection and deliverance in the time of a Plague is based on this, nor is it mentioned here.
But again thirdly, there is a Faith, I may call it a faith of recourse to God, whereby a person turns to God for shelter, for protection, as to their habitation; when other people run, one this way, another that way to their hiding places, in the time of a Plague; for a person then to turn to God as their hiding place and their habitation, I think this is the Faith that is referred to in this 91st Psalm; for consider the words of the Psalm: at the first verse,”He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High, in the hiding place of the most High; as if to say, when others run from the Plague and pestilence and seek their hiding places, he who dwelleth in the secret place of the most High, who turns to God as his hiding place and his habitation, he shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty, shall be protected, and so at the 9th verse,”Because thou hast made the Lord, who is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation, there shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling; as if to say to us, in time of a Plague, people are running and looking for habitations and hiding places; but because thou hast made the Lord thy habitation, and have recourse to Him as your habitation, no evil shall befall thee, neither shall the plague come nigh thy dwelling: and again at the 11th verse, it is said,”He shall give his Angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways, the ways of your calling; as if to say, in the time of a Plague, people will be very inclined to leave their station and calling and run away from the Plague and pestilence: (he says) He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways, the ways of your calling and place; that is, when a person in the time of a Plague shall conscientiously maintain their station and place, and turn to God as their habitation, this is the Faith that is referred to here in this 91st Psalm, and this is the Faith to which God has promised protection.
But you may ask, is it not lawful to flee in the time of Persecution? Yes, without a doubt, it is lawful, as long as you carry God along with you as your habitation, as long as you make God your habitation still, a person may lawfully seek the preservation of their life and the lives of their family. But stay; the Plague is called the hand of God; and can a person flee from the hand of God; consider this for an answer: The hand of God is either mediate or immediate; suppose that the Plague or pestilence were the immediate hand of God, and nothing of nature or infection in it: yet it’s lawful to flee, it’s lawful to leave that place where the immediate hand of God rests. In the 16th chapter of Numbers, there was an immediate hand of God upon Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, for the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up; here was an immediate hand of God: yet the Lord speaks to Moses and Aaron, saying, in the 21st verse,”Separate yourselves from amongst this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment;” and at the 24th verse,”Speak unto this congregation, saying, get ye up from about the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram;” which was the immediate hand of God, and yet notwithstanding, they were to go away from among them upon whom the hand of God fell, though it was an immediate hand. And in the latter part of the Chapter, the same expression is used for the Plague: in the 44th verse,”They murmured, and the Lord struck them with the Plague.” Well, the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, in the 45th verse,”Get you up from amongst this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment:” the same that is said before, is said here concerning the Plague. So I say, although the Plague were the immediate hand of God, and there were nothing of nature or infection in it, yet it would be lawful to flee.
But secondly, the Plague or Pestilence is not solely the hand of God, as if there were no infection in it; for if there were no infection in it, if there were not something of nature in it, it could not be cured by remedies, nothing would be effective; therefore it is not solely the hand of God, as if there were nothing of infection in it; but it’s called the hand of God because God’s providence has a special hand in sending and ordering it. So now, Famine may be called God’s hand: God sends it, as He says,”I will call for a famine upon the land,” says God: Famine is sent by God, and therefore, can one flee from a Famine? Abraham, when there was a Famine in the land, went down to Abimelech: Isaac, when there was a famine in the land, went down: and Jacob, when there was a famine in the land, went down to Egypt. And is it lawful to flee in the time of Famine, and is it not lawful to flee in the time of a Plague? Certainly, one as well as the other is lawful.
But then you may ask, if the Lord has promised protection and deliverance to those who trust in Him in the time of a Plague, can a believer possibly die from a Plague, considering that the whole Psalm is addressed to believers and promises such protection to those who trust in the Lord? Without a doubt, a believer can. Seventy thousand died in David’s time; do you think there wasn’t a good person among them? It’s recorded that several good individuals died of the Plague; but you know what’s said,”All things fall alike to good and bad.” If a good person may not die from the Plague, how can all things fall alike to good and bad?
But how then is the promise fulfilled, if a believer may die from the hand of a Plague? Yes, very well: for possibly a believer may be out of his way as good Josiah was, and died, though God promised him that he should die in peace. It does not diminish the promise, for he was out of his way, and this promise of protection in the time of a Plague is made to those believers who are in God’s way: “He will give his Angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all his ways;” therefore if a believer is out of God’s way and dies, it’s no contradiction to this promise.
But secondly, you must understand that this promise of protection and deliverance is not made to a believer simply as a believer, but as one who acts and exercises Faith; for even if a person is a believer, if they do not act and exercise their faith, this promise will not apply to them; therefore, if a believer dies without exercising faith and trusting in God, it does not contradict the promise.
Thirdly, you must understand that this promise is made to a believer who is actively exercising faith and trust as described earlier; therefore, if a believer dies while exercising some faith, this promise is still fulfilled; for it is made to such an act of faith as described.
But then again, fourthly, you must know that this promise is not made to a believer absolutely, but in opposition to the wicked. Therefore, it is said that the Lord has promised this to a believer, that no evil should befall him, though a thousand should fall at his side, and ten thousand at his right hand. At the 8th verse, it is said (so Montanus, rather than only but),”with thine eyes shalt thou behold, and see the reward of the wicked.” As if he should say, though this or that particular believer may die of the Plague, believers, in general, shall outlive the wicked, and be the last upon the ground, and they shall see the punishment of the wicked; they shall witness this judgment sweep away the ungodly.
But then, furthermore, if I should interpret this as Augustine does in the first chapter of John concerning Christ; where it is said,”he enlightens everyone that comes into the world,” that is (says Augustine) all who are enlightened are enlightened by him. As you say of a School-master in a Town, this School-master teaches all the boys in the Town; not that he teaches every individual boy in the Town, but that all who are taught, are taught by him. So says Augustine, Christ enlightens everyone that comes into the world, that is, all who are enlightened are enlightened by him. So here, the Lord promises protection and deliverance to all those who believe in the time of a Plague, that is, all who have protection and deliverance (in the time of the Plague) receive it from Him.
But to conclude this, I believe that this 91st Psalm holds forth a promise of special protection in the time of a Plague for believers. The purpose of it is not to guarantee that every individual believer will not die; but the main point and purpose of the Psalm is to emphasize a special level of protection for believers in the time of a Plague. As the time of a Plague presents special danger, God has given a special promise, and there will be a special protection for His people during this perilous time, and that is the intended meaning of this passage.
Now, how, and by what means will God protect and deliver those who trust in Him in the time of a Plague? For that, I shall say only this much: He will do it through the ministry of Angels, specifically through the ministry of Angels. When Angels are dispatched to cause destruction, then Angels must also be dispatched to deliver, seal, and secure. As described in the 7th chapter of the Revelation,”After these things, I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, so that the wind would not blow on the earth, or on the sea, or on any tree. And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God; and he cried out with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to harm the earth and the sea, saying,’Do not harm, etc.’” When Angels are sent out to bring harm, then Angels must also be dispatched to seal, save, and protect. Now, in the time of a Plague, Angels are sent out for destruction; therefore, the Lord says here,”I will give my angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways; they shall bear you up in their hands, lest you dash your foot against the stone.” Have I given my Angels a mandate to destroy? I have given my angels charge over you to keep you in all your ways. Thus, people shall be preserved and delivered in the time of a Plague through the ministry of Angels. And so, you have these words explained.
Now, to apply this to ourselves: we can see what our primary task is in this day. The era we have entered is a dark one, a time of the Plague and the Pestilence. It is good for us to inquire about our duty in this situation. Oh, what is my duty in this day? Now, our duty in this day, our main duty, is to trust in the Lord. This is the duty upon which protection and deliverance in the time of a Plague are contingent. Who among us does not desire to be shielded and saved from this Plague? Oh, that I and my family may be preserved! Behold, here is your remedy to shield yourself from the Plague: Trust in the Lord, if you wish for yourself and your family to be protected in this dire time. Trust in the Lord, and urge your loved ones to trust in the Lord as well!
But what shall we do so that we may trust in the Lord in this day of the Plague? First of all, you must repent of your own sins and be sorrowful for the sins of others and for the times in which you live. When the Plague came in David’s time, you know what David did; he repented, saying,”Lord, I have done foolishly; as for these sheep, what have they done? It is I, Lord, it’s I.” So let everyone do; this is what God expects in the time of a Plague. In the 4th chapter of Amos, the Lord says in the 10th verse,”I have sent among you the pestilence after the manner of Egypt: your young men have I slain with the sword, and have taken away your horses, and I have made the stink of your camps come up to your nostrils; yet you have not returned to me, says the Lord.” When God sends the pestilence, He expects that men and women should turn back to Him, repent, and return to Him. In the 9th chapter of Ezekiel, those who sigh and mourn for the abominations are marked when men go into the city with their destroying weapons. Those who sigh and mourn for the evil of the times are the marked ones. They are not marked for deliverance just because they abstain from sin; a man may be given to drunkenness and may stop his drunkenness, but that will not bring him under the mark. Men are not brought under the mark for deliverance just because they repent of their own sins. The mark is set upon those who mourn for the sins of others. So, to trust in the Lord in this evil day, in the time of a Plague, repent of your own sins and mourn for the sins of others. How can I trust in the Lord for protection if I do not repent of my sins? If I live in any sin and do not turn from all my evil ways, how can I trust in the Lord? I cannot do it. Therefore, repent and be sorrowful for your own sins and for the sins of others.
Secondly, obtain assurance of your interest in Christ. Christ is our great High Priest who makes atonement, just as Aaron did in the time of a Plague. It is through the ministry of Angels, especially, that we are preserved in the time of a Plague. Now, our Savior Christ said to Nathaniel,”Because I saw you under the fig-tree, do you believe? You shall see greater things than these.” And He said to him,”Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” The Angels ascend and descend upon Christ; all the ministry of Angels is for the sake of Christ, and you are preserved and protected in the time of a plague by the ministration of Angels. So, what should you do? Get an interest in Christ, and if you doubt your interest, seek assurance; do not let that slip now. Get an interest in Christ, get assurance.
Thirdly, go to God to fulfil this promise. In Psalm 91, if you pay attention, the Lord does not only promise protection and deliverance from the Plague to those who trust in Him, but He also promises the grace to trust in Him. He promises protection on the condition that you trust in Him, and He promises you the grace to trust in Him. He says in verse 5,”Are you afraid and unable to trust in me? You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day.” In verse 4,”He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings, you shall trust. You shall not be afraid, etc. You shall be secure, and I will keep you from fear.” The Lord who has promised protection in the time of a Plague has also promised freedom from fear and grace to trust in Him. Therefore, go to God for this grace, go to Him to fulfil this promise.
Fourthly, consider the motives you have for trusting in God in the time of a Plague. You may ask,”What arguments or motives do we have that might move us to trust in God in the time of a Plague?” There are many; allow me to share a few to help strengthen each other’s faith in this crucial time.
First of all, even though the destroyer is present, there is also a man with his pen and ink-horn by his side, and that man is your friend; it is Christ. As you read in Ezekiel 9, a man went out with a pen and ink-horn by his side to mark those who sigh, mourn, and cry for the abominations that are done. Now, Christ is a friend to this man, so why should you not believe? Why should you not trust in the Lord?
Secondly, if the Lord knows those who trust in Him in the time of a plague, why should you not trust in Him? In the first chapter of Nahum, you find strong expressions of God’s anger and indignation. It is said in verse 2,”God is jealous, and the Lord avenges; the Lord avenges and is furious; the Lord will take vengeance on His adversaries, and He reserves wrath for His enemies,” and so on. But in verse 7, it says,”The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble, and He knows those who trust in Him.” Even when God is angry and furious, He distinguishes between those who trust in Him and those who do not. If a man is angry and furious, he may strike anyone in his way, not distinguishing between friends and enemies. But the Lord knows those who trust in Him, even in His anger and fury. So, why should you not trust in the Lord in the day of a Plague?
Thirdly, if the Plague and Pestilence make way for God’s people, why should you not trust in the Lord in the time of a Plague? Consider what we read in Habakkuk 3:5,”Before Him went the Pestilence, and burning coals went forth at His feet.” When was this? It was when God led His people into Canaan. God sent the Pestilence among the Canaanites, Hittites, and Perizzites to consume them and make way for His people. God can send a Pestilence into a city to make room for His people and to remove persecution. You see, there is Scripture support for this idea that “before Him went the Pestilence.” So, if God can and does make room for His people by sending a Pestilence, why should you, who are the people of God, not trust in the Lord in the day of a Plague?
Fourthly, if there is mercy with the Lord in the time of a Plague, if God is ready to be entreated, to receive atonement, and to show mercy to His people, then why should you not trust in the Lord in the time of a Plague? Look at the story from David’s time and see how ready God was to show mercy in the day of a Plague. First of all, God told David where the Temple should be built on that ground, which He had never revealed before. Secondly, look into the story, and you will notice the abatement of God’s judgment. Initially, seven years of famine were threatened, but there were two abatements. In 1 Chronicles 21:12, God gave David the choice of either three years of famine. In 2 Samuel 24:13, it was seven years of famine. Why? Because God abated it. There is even a more significant abatement when it comes to the Pestilence. God gave David three choices: seven years of famine, three months of fleeing from his enemies, or three days of Pestilence. It is noted in 2 Samuel 24:15,”So the Lord sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning even to the time appointed.” How long was that? Three days? No, there was an abatement. How is this proved? By two reasons, as Peter Martyr pointed out: first, it is said,”The Lord repented Him of the evil.” Second, in verse 16, “When the angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord repented Him.” If the three days had ended, the angel would not have stretched out his hand to destroy Jerusalem. This shows that the three days were not over, indicating an abatement. I mention this to illustrate God’s willingness to relent and show mercy in the time of a Plague.
Thirdly, you may observe in this story that when the Plague reached Jerusalem, the most populous place, it stayed there. In verse 16, it says,”And when the Angel stretched out his hand over Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord repented Him of the evil.” When it reached the most populous place, where it was most likely to spread, it stopped. This shows the readiness of God to show mercy.
But fourthly, if you examine this story closely, you’ll notice that the Lord repented and commanded the Pestilence to stop before David repented. I admit that there was some repentance on David’s part before this. However, David’s full confession and repentance came later. In 1 Chronicles 21:17, David said to God,”Is it not I who have commanded the people to be numbered? Even I, it is I who have sinned and done evil indeed; but these sheep, what have they done? Let Your hand, I pray You, O Lord my God, be on me and on my father’s house, but not on this people, that they should be plagued.” David saw the Angel of the Lord with a drawn sword in his hand, and then he spoke. But if you look earlier in the story, you’ll find that the Lord had already shown mercy and given David a choice. In 2 Samuel 24:16, it says,”And when the Angel stretched out his hand over Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord repented Him of the evil and said to the Angel who destroyed the people,’It is enough, stay now Your hand.’ And the Angel of the Lord was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.” David’s confession and plea followed this act of God’s mercy. It’s as if the Lord, with His loving kindness, preempted David’s repentance; before David’s full repentance emerged, the Lord had already ordered the Plague to be stopped. If you closely examine this story, you can see how ready the Lord is to show mercy and be entreated by His people in the time of a Plague.
But fifthly, if this promise in Psalm 91, which is essentially a promise for the time of a Plague, is full, certain, and reliable, capable of dispelling all our fears and objections, then why should we not trust in the Lord in the time of a Plague? Take a close look at the Psalm, and you’ll see that the words are spoken in a way that can address all your fears and objections.
You might say,”The destroying Angels are now abroad, the arrows of the Almighty are around us.” In response, it says,”He will give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways; they shall bear you up in their hands, lest you dash your foot against a stone.”
You might argue,”But hundreds are falling on every side, and thousands may quickly follow.” In reply, it reassures,”Yet it shall not come near you; no evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling,” in verses 7 and 10.
You may say,”Oh, but this Plague is like a Lion and an Adder, a young Lion and a Dragon.” Nevertheless, it asserts,”You shall tread upon the lion and the adder; the young lion and the dragon you shall trample under your feet,” in verse 13.
Will you say,”Oh, but suppose the Plague should come; all my friends would leave me, I shall be left all alone, and what shall become of me then?” Well, in verse 15, it assures,”He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him, I will be with him in trouble,” specifically referring to the Plague. I share Molerus’ view that the entire Psalm relates to the Plague.
Will you say,”Oh, but I cannot believe this, there is no likelihood that I should escape in a general Plague.” Note what it says in the last verse,”With long life will I satisfy him, and show him My salvation.” It shall be My salvation; you shall not be saved by second causes. Also, in verse 3, it states,”Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler, from the noisome pestilence.” Do not doubt it, surely He shall deliver you. The words of this Psalm are so expressed as to alleviate and address all our objections and fears. Therefore, why should we not trust in the Lord in the time of a Plague?
But you may wonder, how shall this work of faith and trusting in the Lord be carried out? I will say no more about it, but just two or three things from this Psalm. It must be carried out with love for God, knowledge of His name, and prayer. In verse 14, it states, “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore will I deliver him.” As you must believe and trust in God, so you must set your love on God. Additionally, it says,”I will set him on high because he has known My name.” “He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him.” So, there are three things: Love for God, knowledge of His name, and prayer. Your faith and trust in such a day must go hand in hand with these three elements. Some claim to believe and trust in God but do not set their love upon Him. Others say they love Him but do not know His name, the means by which God is distinguished and worshipped. Some claim to know God’s name but do not pray. To carry out your faith and trust in the Lord as you should, it must be accompanied by Love for God, Knowledge of His Name, and Prayer.
Secondly, continue in your Christian journey; do not deviate from your path. “He shall give His angels charge over you to keep you in all your ways.” In all your ways, including the ways of your vocation, make sure you are not found straying from your path. Ensure that the Plague does not find you wandering.
Lastly, go to God and tell the Lord that you trust in Him and make Him your habitation. “He that dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” Say to the Lord, “I make You my habitation, I trust in You. You are my refuge and my fortress; in You, I trust.”
FINIS.
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