Psalm 27:1 - The Triple Shield of Defense Against All Threats;
Psalm 27:1 (KJV) The LORD is my light and my
salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength
of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
Psalm 27:1 (NIV) The Lord is my light and my
salvation - whom shall I fear? The Lord is the
stronghold of my life - of whom shall I be afraid?
WORD STUDY
Light is a figure often used in Scripture to
refer to God (27:1; cf. John 8:12; 9:5; 1 John
1:5), since it dispels darkness and brightens
life. [New Bible Companion]
CONTEXT
This psalm was written by David when he was
a hunted fugitive, finding refuge in the rocks
and caves of the wilderness (Ed 164). It
reveals the psalmists spirit of absolute
confidence in God amid the perils of flight. It has
been called The Tonic Psalm. In no other psalm is
Davids yearning after the service of the sanctuary
as intensely expressed as here. Some suggest 1
Sam. 22:22 as a background to the psalm. The
psalm has three divisions: vs. 1"6 express the
poets assured confidence in God, despite the
threatenings of the enemy; vs. 7"12 cry out plaintively
for help; and vs. 13, 14, as a conclusion, find
sure relief in hopeful trust in God. In the
modern Jewish ritual, Ps. 27 is recited daily
throughout the sixth month in preparation for the New
Year and the Day of Atonement. [SDA Bible
Commentary]
COMMENTARY PEARL
When you were a child, did you like to
sleep with a light on? Somehow a dark bedroom
doesn't seem quite so scary with a nightlight
glowing softly in the corner or a door opened just a
crack to let the light in the hall shine through.
Light chases away fears and gives comfort. In
today's Scripture, David writes, "The Lord is my
light and my salvation - whom shall I fear? The
Lord is the stronghold of my life - of whom shall
I be afraid?" What a personal statement this
is! The Lord is my light and my salvation. It's
not that He gives light; He is light. He doesn't
give salvation; He is salvation. Jesus is light
within, light around, light reflected from you, and
light to be revealed to you. Don't be afraid of
what's out there in the dark. The powers of
darkness have been utterly broken, and the grip of
hell shattered beyond recovery. If Light itself
is for you, whom or what in the world could you
possibly fear?
Lord, You have rescued me - not only from
the growing darkness in this world, but also
from the darkness in my own heart and mind. You
have lifted me into a light that never fades.
Shine in me and through me today, Bright Morning
Star! [A Spectacle of Glory by Joni Eareckson Tada
and Larry Libby]
COMMENTARY
Calvin named Davids triple shield of
defense against all threats, Light, Salvation,
Stronghold. [SDA Bible Commentary]
The Lord is my light and my salvation. These
exultant words introduce a scene of serenity. Nowhere
else in the OT is the Lord referred to as my
light. Because the psalmist has found God as light,
salvation, and strength, there is no cause for fear or
terror. His serenity is not conditioned by outward
circumstances but is unconditional. (Wycliffe Commentary)
God is a light to his people, to show them
the way when they are in doubt, to comfort and
rejoice their hearts when they are in sorrow. It is
in his light that they now walk on in their
way, and in his light they hope to see light
forever. (Matthew Henry's Commentary)
Fear causes as much distress as actual pain.
Even the sufferer need not fear if hope is placed
fully in God. Confidence in Gods presence is
the basic weapon against fear. [Disciple SB]
Fear is a dark shadow that envelops us and
ultimately imprisons us within ourselves. Each of us
has been a prisoner of fear at one time or
another - fear of rejection, misunderstanding,
uncertainty, sickness, or even death. But we can conquer
fear by using the bright liberating light of the
Lord who brings salvation. [Life Application SB]
Fear is usually present in the lives of
adult children. We are afraid of rejection,
abandonment, abuse and deprivation; we might even develop
an array of phobias: We may have a fear of
failure based on having been told repeatedly that we
will never amount to anything. This fear stopped
many of us from believing that the future held
any promise.
Others avoid success because they feel a
need to live up to unrealistic expectations. We
may resist accepting responsibilities that we
believe are beyond our ability.
Our concerns can be faced and subdued as
we experience God's perfect love for us. In
Christ, there is no fear of rejection, abandonment,
failure, or the future. As the child within us is
nurtured by the Holy Spirit's loving and gentle
touch, our misgivings can be dispelled. We are
children of God, so we do not need to be afraid. He
is always with us, guiding and protecting us.
Rather than fear God, we can respect and rely on
his presence in our lives.
Our reverence for God can gradually
overshadow our fears from the past and give us hope for
the future. Then we can say with David, "The
Lord is the stronghold of my life - of whom shall
I be afraid?" (Psalm 27:1). Ron Ross [Life
Recovery Devotional SB]
Fear is a powerful thing. It can push its
way into so many areas of our lives. We all know
someone who fears death or illness, pain and
suffering, defeat, accidents, or failure. In fact, you
may have some of those - and perhaps many others
- on your own list of things you fear. Fear
can undermine our faith, paralyze our progress,
and blur the vision we have received from God.
Fear is capable of robbing us of joy and peace.
David claimed that his heart would "know
no fear." And the reason for this confidence
was that the Lord was his light, his salvation,
and his protector. This psalm is a reminder to
all of us. Why should we be afraid? Why should
we tremble? We can have the same confidence and
assurance that David did if the Lord is our light and
our salvation. It is he who protects us from
danger.
FATHER, help me to see the truth in your
Word. You are my light and my salvation. You are
my protector from danger and from evil. Help
me, Father, to draw close to you and to rest in
the confidence I have in you. Help me to defeat
fear in my life as I trust in you. [Praying
Through The Bible By Fuller]
That which terrifies you, controls you. But
it needn't be that way!... David knew what it
was to be afraid of the dark ... afraid of the
future afraid of the enemies encamped all
around him. But he learned the secret of overcoming
those fears. Do you know what it is? Not denying
he had them, but relying on Someone bigger than
they were! Take a look at Psalm 27:1, and there
you'll discover what David found: the Lord is the
cure for what intimidates you! He has light to
dispel your darkness and strength to replace your
weakness. And you, like David, have the privilege of
drawing upon those resources today. David took God
at his word (27:5); will you? [Daily Walk
Bible]
Faith is not an emotion; not something we
create from within ourselves. What makes faith real
and vital is not how much of it we have.
What makes faith real and vital is its object.
Even a little faith, reposed in God, can
transform. Not because we have it, but because of
who our faith is in When our trust and hope
are fixed in Him, no matter how small our faith
seems to be, God can and will come into our lives
with a flood of strength and of joy. [The 365-Day
Devotional Commentary]
The Lord is my light and my salvation.
Here is personal interest, my light, my
salvation; the soul is assured of it, and therefore
declares it boldly. Into the soul at the new birth
divine light is poured as the precursor of
salvation; where there is not enough light to reveal
our own darkness and to make us long for the
Lord Jesus, there is no evidence of salvation.
After conversion our God is our joy, comfort,
guide, teacher, and in every sense our light: he is
light within, light around, light reflected from
us, and light to be revealed to us. Note, it is
not said merely that the Lord gives light, but
that he is light; nor that he gives salvation,
but that he is salvation; he, then, who by faith
has laid hold upon God, has all covenant
blessings in his possession. This being made sure as a
fact, the argument drawn from it is put in the
form of a question, Whom shall I fear? A
question which is its own answer. The powers of
darkness are not to be feared, for the Lord, our
light, destroys them; and the damnation of hell is
not to be dreaded by us, for the Lord is our
salvation. This is a very different challenge from that
of boastful Goliath, for it rests, not upon the
conceited vigour of an arm of flesh, but upon the real
power of the omnipotent I AM. The Lord is the
strength of my life. Here is a third glowing
epithet, to show that the writers hope was
fastened with a threefold cord which could not be
broken. We may well accumulate terms of praise where
the Lord lavishes deeds of grace. Our life
derives all its strength from God; and if he deigns
to make us strong, we cannot be weakened by all
the machinations of the adversary. Of whom
shall I be afraid? The bold question looks into
the future as well as the present. If God be
for us, who can be against us, either now or
in time to come? [Morning And Evening by
Charles H. Spurgeon]
We need strength for the battle and strength
for the journey, and God abundantly provides. Be
sure to take time to wait on the Lord (Isa.
40:31). If you run ahead of Him or lag behind, you
will be a perfect target for the enemy. [Chapter
by Chapter Bible Commentary by Warren Wiersbe]
CLOSING THOUGHT
Life often seems too hard, and maybe
occasionally even downright hopeless. When your light
seems to be growing dim in the shadows of sin and
sorrow, look up. Our Lord is the only real source of
joy and hope there is. Lean on Him; He will keep
your light burning bright. [Daily Bible Promise
Book By Barbour Publishing re Psalm 18:28 a cross
reference to this verse]
LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS PASSAGE
Psalm 27:1 - The Triple Shield Of Defense
Against All Threats.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2010/20100804-1551.html
YOUR COMMENTS
If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in
hearing from you. Thanks in advance and let's keep
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred
Gibbs
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
Most Important Decision in Life:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0
A Man without Equal by Bill Bright:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiVa7UoruIo
Seeking God Made Real:
http://vimeo.com/31489782
Prayer Made Real:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE
Importance of Choice:
http://creationhealth.com/CREATION-Health/Choice [click on video]
Medical Seminar on Healthful Living by David
DeRose, MD, MPH:
https://www.smartlifestyletv.com/lifestart
LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES
Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies:
http://www.liftingupjesus.net/
Amazing Facts Bible Studies:
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx
Hope Awakens Bible Study Guides:
https://www.hopeawakens.study/lesson-header;id=2
Glow Tract Video Bible Studies:
http://www.bibleresearch.info/
LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS
Revelation Now by Pastor Doug Batchelor:
https://www.revelationnow.com/
Unlocking Bible Prophecies by Cami Oetman of
Adventist World Radio:
https://bible.awr.org/en/the-signs/
Hope Awakens by John Bradshaw of IIW:
https://itiswritten.tv/programs/hope-awakens
Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657
