WORD STUDY – PROTECTIVE COVER

Psalms 91:4: “He shall cover thee with feathers and under his wings shalt thou trust.  His truth shall be thy shield and buckler.”
C.S. Lewis once commented that if we were to take Psalms 91 literally, it would be bad for the church.  To take this literally would mean that nothing bad will ever happen to us as long as we are sheltered under His wings.  One would never experience relationship problems, financial problems, health problems etc.  Word gets out churches would be filled with people all attending church for the wrong reasons.
The word cover is yasak.  There are three possible root words from which this word is derived.  Once could be suk which is a covering from an anointing, the other could be nasak  which is a covering from just pouring something over one’s head, like pouring syrup over a waffle.  The third and most commonly accepted root word is sukok.   This is the same word used in Job for “hedge” when the enemy accused God of putting a “hedge” around Job.
This points to that protective covering that he places around the believer like the one that He put around Israel. Here that protective hedge is pictured as feathers.  The word feathers is abavar.   The primitive meaning is strength and might that comes from returning to one’s core values.  Thus, the picture of being covered by His feathers is more of empowerment that comes from returning to God’s basic principles rather than one of protection.
“Under his wings we will trust.”    The word wings is kaneph which has the idea of an extreme, being removed to a distant place. Wings come from that idea as they are able to carry a bird to places that man can not go.  The picture is indeed one of protection, but a protection that comes when you allow God to carry you to places that he so chooses to take you.  You may not know where His is taking you.  You are simply to trust in Him as He carries you to His destination.  The word trust ischasach which is the idea of a refuge.  In a refuge you feel safe and confident.   This is the trust you find in Him, a feeling of confidence that you are in a safe place.  The journey he has you on is a safe one where He is with you every moment.

 

 The key idea to this empowerment and protection lies in being obedient to his will and going where he takes you.  Once the children of Israel stopped moving they were frozen in their tracks through fear and worry. The protective covering of God was lifted and the enemy was able to come in for an attack.

It is this last line that strikes interest.  His truth is a shield. Truth here is aman which is a steadfastness, faithfulness.  His faithfulness and steadfastness is our shield. The word used for shield is sanah which comes from the idea of thorns, sharpness and protection. His faithfulness is our buckler.  The word for buckler is sacher which is the word used for wealth, profit or the seat of commerce.   His faithfulness is our wealth and profit.
What I am seeing in this is not so much a protection in the natural as more an eternal protection.   This is an assurance that we will always prosper spiritually when we are obedient to God.  When we are obedient to Him, He will empower us; He will take us where he wants us to go.  I don’t see Him necessarily promising us an easy journey, just a journey where He is always with us.

 

 As the children of Israel journeyed to the promise land, it was not an easy journey, they had to fight some battles, they had to face the elements, but they always had the protective covering of God.  As long as they were obedient to Him, they were covered in His feathers and trusted, or found a safe place under His wings.  It was God’s faithfulness that protected them and carried them into the Promised Land.  The same faithfulness that will carry us through this journey in life.

 

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