Psalm 91 concerns the saints’ identification with Christ in His taking God as His dwelling place (see note Psa. 91:91). In their identification with Christ, the saints make Jehovah the Most High their habitation, dwelling in His secret place and abiding in His shadow under His wings (vv. 1-9). This is the genuine oneness with God. Here, we are constituted with Him, and we and God live together as one.
Heb. Shaddai. See note Gen. 17:12a.
You and Your in vv. 9-13 refer to Christ, as proven by the fact that vv. 11-12 of this psalm are quoted by Satan in Matt. 4:6 in reference to Christ. This indicates that in this psalm it is Christ who takes God as His habitation, His dwelling place. Thus, not only Moses took God as his dwelling place (90:1), but even the Lord Jesus, while He was on earth, took God the Father as His habitation. Moses, the lawgiver, and Christ, the grace-giver, were the same in taking God as their dwelling place, as their habitation. Thus, the saints (represented by Moses) and Christ are identified as one.
To be identified with Christ is to be identified with Him not only in His death, in His resurrection, and in His ascension but also in His taking God as His habitation. If we would be identified with Christ in His death, resurrection, and ascension, we need to abide in Christ (John 15:4), and to abide in Christ is not only to remain in Him but also to dwell in Him, taking Him as our everything.
In the identification with Christ, we are under the preserving care of the angels (Matt. 4:11; Acts 12:7-10; Heb. 1:13-14) and are protected from Satan and the evil spirits (v. 13 and note Psa. 91:131).
Here Satan is likened to a lion that devours God’s people (1 Pet. 5:8) and a serpent that poisons God’s people (Rev. 12:9).
He, Him, and His in vv. 14-16 also refer to Christ (cf. note Psa. 91:91b). These verses are a prophecy concerning Christ. Christ loved God the Father (John 14:31); He has been set on high, exalted to the highest place in the heavens (Phil. 2:9-11); and He is now seeing God’s salvation in the extension of His days in resurrection (v. 16; Rev. 1:18a). In all these matters we should be identified with Christ. Then we will live with Him and love God. Thus, we will be exalted, and we will see God’s salvation in the extension of our days.
