With His Feathers Psalm 91:4 (NLT) He will cover you with his feathers. (MSG) His huge outstretched arms protect you (KJV) He shall cover thee with his feathers (GW) He will cover you with his feathers God protects His own as an eagle with its large strong wing, as the parent bird protects its young. Doth the Lord speak of his feathers, as though he likened himself to a bird? Who will not see herein a matchless love, a divine tenderness, which should both woo and win our confidence? Even as a hen covers her chickens so doth the Lord protects the souls which dwell in Him; let us cower down beneath Him for comfort and for safety. Hawks in the sky and snares in the field are equally harmless when we nestle so near the Lord. Another image denotes substantially the same thing. This is taken from the care evinced by fowls in protecting their young, by gathering them under their wings. Both of the comparisons used here are found in Deut. 32:10-12. “He instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye; as an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings; so the Lord alone did lead him.” When the hen sees a beast of prey coming, she makes a noise to assemble her chickens, that she may cover them with her wings from the danger. The hen’s affection to her brood is so very strong as to become proverbial. This contains a happy illustration, not only of our Lord’s simile, but also of His own conduct. How long had these thankless and unholy people been the objects of His tenderest cares! For more than 2000 years, they engrossed the most peculiar regards of the most beneficent Providence; and during the three years of our Lord’s public ministry, His preaching and miracles had but one object and aim, the instruction and salvation of this thoughtless and disobedient people. For their sakes, He who was rich became poor, that they through his poverty might be rich: - for their sakes, He made himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross! He died, that they might not perish, but have everlasting life. Thus, to save their life, He freely abandoned his own. He shall act towards us as the hen does to her brood, - take us under his wings when birds of prey appear, and also shelter us from chilling blasts. He will overshadow us between his shoulders; alluding to the custom of parents carrying their weak or sick children on their backs, and having them covered even there with a mantle. Thus the Lord is represented carrying the Israelites in the wilderness. As birds do their young, who cannot cover themselves: this they do from a tender regard to them, whereby they both keep them warm, and protect them from those that would hurt them: this represents the helpless state of the children of God, who are, like to young birds, weak and unable to defend themselves: the tender regard of God unto them, as the eagle and other birds have to their young; see and the warmth and comforts souls have, as well as protection, under His powerful and gracious presence; He comforts them under their tribulations, as well as defends them from their enemies: With the greatest tenderness and affection, which is intimated in that, He shall cover us with His feathers, under His wings, which alludes to the hen gathering her chickens under wings,. By natural instinct she not only protects them, but calls them under that protection when she sees them in danger, not only keeps them safe, but cherishes them and keeps them warm. To this the great God is pleased to compare his care of His people, who are helpless as the chickens, and easily made a prey of, but are invited to trust under the shadow of the wings of the divine promise and providence, that he has come to trust under the wings of the God of Israel. SCRIPTURE REFERENCES Deut. 32:10-12; Psalm 17:8; 36:7; 57:1; 61:4; 63:7; 91:1, Ruth 2:12; Matthew 23:37;
Posted on: Wed, 03 Sep 2014 07:27:32 +0000
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