We are misusing Psalm 91 if we use it to test God.
Psalm 91:11–12 (ESV)
“He will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.”
These verses, which we examined last week, are quoted in the New Testament, and it is vital to consider what Jesus says about them so we properly apply not only these verses, but the entire psalm.
Surprisingly, Psalm 91 makes its appearance in the New Testament on the lips of Satan! Jesus is in the wilderness of temptation, enduring 40 days and nights of fasting. At the end of that time, Satan comes and tempts Jesus to turn stones to bread. Jesus refuses.
Matthew 4:5–7 continues, “Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, “He will command his angels concerning you,” and “On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.”'”
Satan is quoting from Psalm 91:11–12. Satan is correct in his interpretation of Scripture: God will protect you. He will command angels to protect you, angels that have the power to bear you up when necessary to protect you from injury.
When necessary
Bear you up when necessary. In fact, when necessary, Jesus could walk on water. Perhaps he was stepping on the hands of angels when he did that. When necessary, at the proper time, Jesus could defy gravity and float—fly—from earth and ascend into heaven to sit at the right hand of God (see Acts 1:9–11). So if it had been necessary and fitting in the will of God for Jesus to jump off the temple and be gently born to the ground on the hands of angels, he could have done so safely.
But it was not necessary. And because the idea of jumping from the temple was Satan’s idea, Jesus knew it was not God’s will. Just as Satan had twisted God’s words and purposes in the Garden of Eden with great subtlety when he tempted Eve to eat from the forbidden fruit, so Satan was now misusing Psalm 91.
Right interpretation, wrong application
Jesus instantly recognized it. He saw the sin to which Satan was leading: the sin of testing God. So “Jesus said to him, ‘Again it is written, “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test”’” (Matthew 4:7).
Satan had correctly interpreted Psalm 91 but had misapplied it, saying to Jesus, “Throw yourself down.” If Satan had pushed Jesus off the pinnacle of the temple, the angels would have born Jesus on their hands to the ground safely. But Satan was not there to kill Jesus; he was there to deceive, confuse, and tempt him into sin. That would have defeated all God’s purposes in sending his Son to earth. If Jesus had sinned, he would have lost the ability to die as a substitute for our sins and save us from condemnation. He would have died on the cross for his own sin.
If God had told Jesus, “Throw yourself down,” Jesus could have done so safely. But it was Satan who gave the order.
Testing God
What does it mean to test God? It can mean deliberately sinning to see if one can get away with it. This is testing God by pushing the limits, like a child who knowingly disobeys a parent’s instructions to see if the parent will punish him. This is what Israel did in the desert time and again when they grumbled against the Lord.
Testing God can also mean trying to force him to act in the way you want. This is testing God by trying to manipulate him. It is playing God. Israel also did this.
There is a world of difference between (a) asking God to do something and believing he will answer your prayer based on the promises of Scripture and (b) presuming God must do something that is your idea. There is a difference between God’s telling you to do something, Satan’s telling you to do something, and your telling yourself to do something.
The place for caution
By no means do I want to make it complicated to trust in Psalm 91. But people are misusing Psalm 91 when they think it gives them grounds to do reckless, unnecessary things God has not commanded.
When God commands you to do something, it becomes necessary. When he commanded Israel to invade the Promised Land, it became necessary. Apart from that command, however, the invasion was utter folly, doomed to failure. (See Exodus 14:1–45)
We are called to deal with worldly dangers much like those who do not believe in God and his protection. We should not fear like those who distrust the Lord, but we should use the same common sense, observing normal precautions and protections.
For example, Christian pilots should check the plane before each flight to make sure it is safe and follow the limits about how many passengers and how much cargo weight the plane can carry. They should not fly into massive thunderstorms. Christian doctors and nurses should wear the same protective equipment as others.
Misusing Psalm 91
What we have learned from Satan’s misuse of Psalm 91 with Jesus is that interpreting the Bible is one thing; it is another to apply the Bible to our lives correctly. We can get the interpretation perfectly correct but completely mishandle the application. In fact, we can misapply a correct interpretation so badly that we sin.
Therefore when we determine to live a fearless life based on Psalm 91, we must not abuse it. That will keep us from bad consequences and increase our faith, because we will understand why some who try to walk confidently in the promises of Psalm 91 do not experience the protection they are expecting. We will understand why Psalm 91 did not “work” for them or perhaps for us.
When we need him, God is faithful to protect us. When we are doing God’s will, we should be fearless.
Jeremiah 9:23–24: “Thus says the LORD: ‘Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD.’” (ESV)