Using The Bible Like The Devil

“You will not be afraid of the terror by night, or of the arrow that flies by day; of the pestilence that stalks in darkness, or of the destruction that lays waste at noon. A thousand may fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand, but it shall not approach you. You will only look on with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked. For you have made the LORD, my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place. No evil will befall you, nor will any plague come near your tent” (Psalm 91:5–10 NAS95)

These verses are being used by some to call into question the faith of believers who have chosen to follow social distancing guidelines to help curb the spread of the coronavirus.  “What, do you not trust God enough to protect you?” they ask.  “Just read the Bible.  It says the pestilence shall not approach you.  The plague will not come near you.”  The implication is that if you just had enough faith, you would be immune to the virus.  You could forge ahead without any precautions because God would not let anything happen to you.  But is that a correct understanding of this text?  Here are some things to think about.

The Psalmist is speaking in aspirational terms, praising God for His protection of those who trust in Him.  Does it mean the writer believed that no faithful person had ever experienced fearful times?  That no believer had ever fallen in battle?  That no one who trusts in the Lord will ever experience anything evil?  That no faithful person had ever died of pestilence or plague in all of history?  I strongly doubt the Psalmist believed any of these things.  The Psalmist lived in a world like ours where bad things routinely happen to faithful people.  What the writer is doing is speaking in lofty terms to encourage trust in God no matter what happens.

The dagger to the heart of the idea that Psalm 91 teaches that the faithful one can throw caution to the wind in the face of danger comes from later in the Bible.  In Luke 4, Jesus is facing the temptations of the devil in the wilderness.  Satan challenges Jesus to throw Himself off the pinnacle of the temple and then he quotes from Psalm 91:11-12 to back up his challenge (Luke 4:9-11)!  Surely if there was ever a faithful one who could claim the promise of God’s protection from harm it would be Jesus!  But how does Jesus respond?  “Yes, I can do it because God has promised to protect me”?  That would certainly show Satan!  No, He doesn’t do that.  Jesus also quotes scripture to tell the devil: “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test” (Luke 4.12).  Apparently, one shouldn’t presume upon the care and protection of the Lord.  Apparently, wisdom and common sense should have a place at the table in the decisions of faithful people.  Putting your complete trust in the Lord doesn’t mean that you have to avoid common sense ways to protect yourself and others.

Take your time as you read and apply the Scriptures, especially if you are going to use them as a weapon against the decisions of other believers.  If you don’t, you may end up using the Bible like the devil.

God loves you!

Mike