Psalm 91 & John 11

The selected verses are from John 11 and Psalm 91. I have chosen this so that we could help my mother with her Bible quiz preparations, as well as continue our Bible study! Thus, I shall be updating the same blog post daily.

Psalm 91:1

1He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

The person who dwells or resides in God’s secret place (the place shielded from all harm- the place/situation in which the individual is as close to God as possible), shall be in the shadow of the Almighty (shadow again denotes the proximity between himself and God; God is right next to his children keeping them under His protection)

2I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.

The Lord is my refuge (from troubles/storms) and my fortress (a stronghold where no evil can enter- a place where one is safe). He is my God. And in Him alone (not in humans or horses) will I trust.

3Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.

The Lord will deliver you (a bird) from the snares left by the fowler (who traps birds with hidden nets- devil or evil humans), and from destruction.

4He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

The bird analogy continues with the God being compared to a bird. God could be visualised as a mother hen protecting the chicks by covering them with its feathers (for those who haven’t observed hen behaviour: the presence of a predator will incite the mother hen to spread its wings and gather the chicks under it). The chicks will trust the safety of the wings (protection). God’s truth/word (‘I am the way, the truth, and the life’- Jesus) will protect you like a shield and armour.

In Matthew 23:37 and Luke 13:34, Jesus uses the mother hen analogy: ‘O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!’; ‘O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!’.

5Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;

Danger lurks and is not exposed in the darkness of the night. But you will not be afraid of such dangers. Nor, will you be afraid of the enemy’s arrows in broad daylight.

6Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.

Nor for the diseases that abound in darkness; nor for the destruction at noonday.

7A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.

Even if thousands of people die all around you, no destruction/harm/disease will come near you.

8Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.

9Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;

All this is because you have made the Lord your habitation (‘the secret place of the most High’)

10There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.

Thus, no evil will happen to you, neither shall any plague (pestilence) come near your house.

11For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.

12They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

The Lord will entrust you into the diligent care of his angels. They will take you up in their hands, to even prevent you from dashing your foot against a stone.

13Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.

You will walk over the lion and the adder: the young lion and the big serpent (according to the original version) will you trample under your feet.

14Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.

15He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.

16With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.

These words are uttered by the Lord: ‘He (you) loves me, therefore I will deliver him: I will exalt him, because he has known my name. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in times of trouble (although the Lord himself with answer and be with you in times of trouble, it doesn’t mean that there won’t be any troubles!); I will deliver him, and honour him. I will give him long life (perhaps, eternal life too?), and will show him my salvation.

John 11

1Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.

2(It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.)

5Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.

18Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off:

Lazarus, and his sisters Mary and Martha, were close to Jesus. Residents of Bethany (near Jerusalem) in Judea, John states that it was this Mary who anointed the Lord’s feet with the ointment, wiping it off with her hair. Mary’s previous actions demonstrates her gratitude as well as her humility, and reminds us of the woman who humbled herself so much as to compare her children to dogs eating the crumbs falling off from a dinner table.

3Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.

4When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.

6When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was.

The sisters sent a message to Jesus when Lazarus fell sick. Obviously, they expected him to heal him. However, Jesus didn’t go to Bethany immediately, stating that the sickness will not result in death, but is for the glorifying of God.

7Then after that saith he to his disciples, Let us go into Judaea again.

8His disciples say unto him, Master, the Jews of late sought to stone thee; and goest thou thither again?

Two days later, he told his disciples that they will go to Judaea. The disciples, realistic like most of us, pointed out that Judea was a dangerous place since Jews were plotting to kill him.

9Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world.

10But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him.

Jesus is the guiding light/lantern who will guide us so that we won’t stumble akin to a man walking during daytime. But if he isn’t our guiding light, it is similar to a man walking in the night without a lantern.

11These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.

12Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well.

13Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep.

14Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.

15And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him.

Jesus said that Lazarus is sleeping (in death) and that he needs to wake him up. Interpreting this literally, the disciples said that the sleep will do him good. Jesus, however, specifies what he meant and adds that he is glad that he was not in Bethany during Lazarus’ death, so that the disciples will witness his power as the son of God.

16Then said Thomas, which is called Didymus, unto his fellow disciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him.

I am not certain as to whether Thomas was sarcastic given the threats against Jesus or whether he fervently meant this.

17Then when Jesus came, he found that he had lain in the grave four days already.

19And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.

When Jesus reached Bethany (from Galilee), Lazarus had been dead for 4 days.

20Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house.

Martha, the one who previously used to work in the kitchen whilst Mary listened to Jesus’ teachings, went to meet Jesus while Mary was in the house, probably grieving.

21Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.

22But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.

Martha complains that Lazarus would not have died had Jesus been there. Yet, she seems to have faith in him since she knows that God will give Jesus whatever he asks for.

23Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.

24Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.

When Jesus says that Lazarus will rise again, Martha (after her profession of faith) displays her skepticism by saying that Lazarus will rise on the last day.

25Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

26And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

Jesus utters the famous words- He is the resurrection, and the life. Those who believe in him will live eternally although their physical selves will decompose.

27She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.
Martha believes Jesus and adds that he is the Christ, the Son of God, the long awaited Messiah.

28And when she had so said, she went her way, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, The Master is come, and calleth for thee.

29As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly, and came unto him.

And she called Mary telling her that Jesus is here. Does it demonstrate her faith in Jesus being able to raise Lazarus from the dead?

30Now Jesus was not yet come into the town, but was in that place where Martha met him.

Jesus had met Martha outside Bethany.

31The Jews then which were with her in the house, and comforted her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up hastily and went out, followed her, saying, She goeth unto the grave to weep there.

The Jews who were at the house to comfort the sisters, followed Mary when she rose up and left. They thought that she was going to the grave.

32Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.

Mary, however, went to Jesus and fell down at his feet in humility, and said- ‘Lord, my brother would not have died had you been here’.

33When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled.

Jesus was troubled when he saw everyone weeping. I found his reaction interesting since he was troubled, and not jubilant, despite knowing the outcome. Was it because their crying moved him, just like he was moved often by the afflictions of others? Though God, he is able to empathise with the sisters and their sorrow

34And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see.

35Jesus wept.

36Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him!

There are, I believe, only two occasions when Jesus wept… and he cries despite the obvious outcome. Was it because he was moved with compassion? Was it because, as a human, he was experiencing the death of a close friend?

37And some of them said, Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died?

38Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it.

39Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days.

40Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?

When Jesus commands the stone to be moved away, Martha protests that Lazarus would be stinking since he has been dead for four days. Jesus reminds her of what he asked before about belief.

41Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.

42And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.

Jesus prays to the Father, beginning with thanks for the wonderful miracle about to be witnessed, and for hearing his request. God hears Jesus all the time, but Jesus wants to show the people around who exactly has sent him.

43And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.

44And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.

Jesus commands Lazarus to come forward. And despite being shrouded and bound, an alive Lazarus came forwards.

45Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him.

46But some of them went their ways to the Pharisees, and told them what things Jesus had done.

47Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do we? for this man doeth many miracles.

48If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation.

The chief priests and Pharisees met up to discuss about Jesus. If they do not address this threat, everyone will believe Jesus’ claims, and the Romans, feeling threatened, would get rid of the Jewish clerical system, and would probably obliterate them.

49And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all,

50Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not.

The high priest decides that it is best for Jesus to die for everyone, instead of the whole nation perishing.

51And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation;

52And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad.

The high priest had already prophesied (John clarifies that it wasn’t Caiaphas who prophesied but God through him) that Jesus should die not only for the Jews, but will gather together all the children of God who were scattered outside Israel.

53Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to death.

54Jesus therefore walked no more openly among the Jews; but went thence unto a country near to the wilderness, into a city called Ephraim, and there continued with his disciples.

Knowing that the Jews wanted to kill him, Jesus went to Ephraim- he wasn’t fleeing from the Jews, but was spending time there so that the prophesy will be fulfilled regarding his death on the day after Passover.

55And the Jews' passover was nigh at hand: and many went out of the country up to Jerusalem before the passover, to purify themselves.

56Then sought they for Jesus, and spake among themselves, as they stood in the temple, What think ye, that he will not come to the feast?

57Now both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a commandment, that, if any man knew where he were, he should shew it, that they might take him.