Psalm 91 | King James Audio Bible | KJV | Night Prayer | Nunc Dimittis
Interpreted by David – my guest
Let us bless ourselves as we seek refuge in the night’s sleep, our day’s labour done. Let us be be safe in Jesus. Let us pray. May our prayer come to God.
It is perfectly done to accompany a reading of this psalm (91/90) with a recital of the nunc dimittis, and indeed fully to pray compline – the night prayer.
Such prayer lends itself to peace and silence – a restful sleep.
Psalm 91 KJV
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.
A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.
Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.
Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;
There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.
For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.
Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet,
Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.
He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.
With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.
Nunc Dimittis | A Song Of Simeon
Luke 2:25-35 recounts the story of Simeon, a devout and righteous man who was promised by the Holy Spirit that he would not die until he had seen the Messiah. When Mary and Joseph brought the baby Jesus to the temple to present him to the Lord, Simeon recognized him as the Messiah and praised God for fulfilling his promise. Click to play:
Interpretations include:
- Simeon represents the faithful remnant of Israel who were waiting for the coming of the Messiah. His recognition of Jesus as the Messiah signifies that Jesus is the fulfillment of Israel’s hope and the culmination of God’s plan of salvation for his people.
- Simeon’s words to Mary, ‘A sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,’ are seen as a prophecy of Mary’s own suffering as the mother of Jesus, particularly at his crucifixion. This interpretation emphasizes Mary’s role as a co-sufferer with Jesus in the work of salvation.
- The presentation of Jesus in the temple is seen as a moment of revelation, both for Simeon and for all those who recognize Jesus as the Messiah. This revelation is not just about Jesus’ identity, but also about God’s plan of salvation for all people.
- Simeon’s recognition of Jesus as the Messiah demonstrates the continuity between the Old Testament and the New Testament. Jesus is the fulfillment of the prophecies and promises of the Old Testament, and his coming is the climax of God’s plan of salvation.
- Simeon’s statement that he can now ‘depart in peace’ is seen as a model of Christian hope and faith. Christians can also have the assurance of salvation and the hope of eternal life because of Jesus’ coming and his work on the cross.
- Simeon’s recognition of Jesus as the Messiah is also a challenge to all those who encounter Jesus in their own lives. Like Simeon, we are called to recognize Jesus’ true identity and respond with faith and devotion.
Christ the King of Peace – and yet in these verses Jesus tells us, confusingly, that he has come to bring not peace on earth but conflict. These are challenging verses. They demand we ask, what can this mean? The symbolism of fire encompasses a range of meanings. Fire is used in the Bible to signify God’s love for humanity. It is also a response of man to God: ‘My heart was hot within me, while I was musing the fire burned: then spake I with my tongue.’ (Psalm 39: 3) It is also the fire of Pentecost, when the tongues of fire descended to the apostles and they received their commission to preach the Gospel and establish the Church of Jesus Christ. Christ’s death on the cross must precede this commissioning [ … ]
The Epiphany is an extraordinary event in the Bible, whereby we hear of the gift and revelation of Christ to all mankind. The three wise men have long studied the heavens; they have been looking for signs, for truths to guide them. They are of the east, of the orient, not of the Jewish people. They have seen the new star that is there to signify Christ and have come on pilgrimage to seek, to find and to worship Jesus [ … ]
When Jesus heals Simon Peter’s mother-in-law, the effect is instant. Not only does the fever leave her immediately, she is able immediately to get up out of bed and to serve Jesus and the other people present. This tells us something of the nature of our own healing, our freeing from sin, by Jesus. We are called and we are enabled to serve. This is our active participation in Christian community. We may recall that the sick were excluded from participation in religious services in Jewish society. Jesus calls the sick home, to be with God [ … ]
