“A thousand may fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand, but it shall not come near you. Only a spectator shall you be, yourself inaccessible in the secret place of the Most High, as you witness the reward of the wicked.”(verses 7&8)
After covering all the categories of evil known to man in the previous verses, that we do not need to fear because of living in the secret place of the Most High and making Him our place of refuge, verses 7&8 also reassure us that we are protected from the “reward of the wicked”.
What is the “reward of the wicked”? Rewards can be given for something good that a person did, but they can also come as a result of something evil or for wrong doing. We reap what we sow, good or bad. Reward referred to here is retribution, penalty, or repayment for evil done. Who are the wicked? They are the unrighteous, the guilty, those hostile to God. Remember what happened with Sodom and Gommorah (Genesis 19)?
I believe verses 7&8 are referring to verse 6 “…the pestilence that walks in the darkness; the destruction that lays waste at noonday.” Death may come from plagues, pestilence, destruction, ruin, or natural disasters that are a result of what the wicked have done on this earth, even to the point where a thousand are falling at your side and myriads of people are dying at your right hand, but it (the devastation, the reward of the wicked) shall not come near you.
God goes even a step further to reassure us that, if we believe this and trust Him for it, we will only observe and watch what’s happening from a vantage point…an inaccessible place…the secret place of the Most High. We’ll be a spectator not a participant. It’s like God is saying, “If you’ll believe My Word, put your trust in My promise, I will protect you in every way, including when the wicked receive their retribution.”
We know from the Word that our battles are not just with flesh and blood (people), but with the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Let’s look at Ephesians 6:11-17 from The Voice translation:
“Put on the full armor of God to protect yourselves from the devil and his evil schemes. We’re not waging war against enemies of flesh and blood alone. No, this fight is against tyrants, against authorities, against supernatural powers and demon princes that slither in the darkness of this world, and against wicked spiritual armies that lurk about in heavenly places. And this is why you need to be head-to-toe in the full armor of God: so you can resist during these evil days and be fully prepared to hold your ground. Yes, stand—truth banded around your waist, righteousness as your chest plate, and feet protected in preparation to proclaim the good news of peace. Don’t forget to raise the shield of faith above all else, so you will be able to extinguish flaming spears hurled at you from the wicked one. Take also the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”
During a battle the soldier held the shield in his left hand and the sword in his right. Therefore, the “right hand” was more vulnerable to injury.
According to the above verses part of our armor is the shield (faith) and the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. Because we believe and trust God (faith), a thousand will fall at our side. Because we have the Word, our sword of the Spirit, ten thousand may fall at our right and. And none of the retribution will not come near us.
Here is a “note” that accompanied the Ephesian verses that I feel is worth sharing.
“Paul knows that the real battles and dangers we face are not against flesh and blood. The enemies we see are real enough, but they are animated by spiritual forces of darkness that stay strategically hidden from view. These powers often reveal themselves in institutional evils—genocide, terror, tyranny, and oppression—but the weapons needed to combat them are not earthly weapons at all. What is needed, Paul advises, is to stand firm in God’s power and to suit up in the full armor of God.”
There are times when the sowing of evil tips the scale and retribution happens. If we are in the midst of that when it occurs, we do not need to fear. We will only be a spectator. But according to Revelation and other places in the Bible, there is a final day of judgement coming, and if we are here when that happens, we do not need to fear…
“A thousand may fall at our side and ten thousand at our right hand, but it shall not not come near you; only a spectator shall you be, yourself inaccessible in the secret place and you witness the reward of the wicked.”
Only believe!
To be continued….peace to you and your family!
