Psalm 91

Psalm 91:8

Please explain this verse.

Q: Please (translate) Interpret Psalm 91:8

A: Thanks for the question. I trust that you only want an interpretation and
not a translation. At least, that is what I will attempt to give. Here is
the verse:

Psalm 91:8 - "Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward
of the wicked."

This psalm refers to God as a protector and deliverer to those who love
Him. Verse 3 states, "Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the
fowler, and from the noisome pestilence." As you read the psalm, you can
see that He is promising protection to His own. In fact, the psalm
continues in the vein even after the verse in question. Satan quotes
verses 11-12 to Jesus in Matthew 4:6 when he tries to get Him to jump
from the temple. They state, "For he shall give his angels charge over
thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.They shall bear thee up in their
hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone." Throughout the psalm,
the Lord is watching over His own people.

Verses 9-10 state the reason for this protection: "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." God delivers them because of their love for Him. They made the
Lord their habitation.

Verse 8 (the verse in question) goes with the verse before it. Together
they say, "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." In these verses, God
assures His saint that evil may occur all around him but he will not be
touched with it. He will see the wicked fall all around him, but the evil
will not touch him. He will only see the wicked receive their reward with
his eyes but will not go through the judgment himself.

The real problem comes with knowing how to apply this promise. Certainly,
the saints of all ages have experienced the evils of this world. They
know what it is to go through trials and suffer various afflictions. Yet,
there are some lessons for us in this passage.

1. Nothing can happen to us that God does not allow. We must trust Him.

2. God often protects from the evils that would come on us without that
protection. We must be thankful.

3. Those closest to the Lord will receive the best care. Moving away
from God removes the person from some of His protective care. We must
strive to be close to Him.

4. There will be a day when the saints of God will be protected from all
the evils of this world. We will see sin judged, but we will be spared
from its judgment. We must make sure of our eternal salvation.

Till He comes,

Pastor David Reagan

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