The Hours Of The Day: 6th Hour

The 6th Hour:

9am to 12 Noon

The first order of business, as it relates to the 6th hour, is to identify the enemy and the method of attack it uses against us. In Psalms 91:1-16, David identifies three adversaries and describes their character and modus operandi. He would’ve been familiar with the ancient near eastern pantheon of gods, as he often found himself surrounded by heathen nations.

During the years David was pursued by King Saul, he hid in caves, camped in deserts, and traversed the wildernesses of the border territories encompassing Israel; namely, Canaan, Phoenicia, Ammon, Moab, Aram, and Edom. The culture of these nations was the reverence of demons as gods; including all of the performance that goes along with that accompanies it.

The three main ‘gods’ worshipped by these nations, specifically Canaan, were Resheph, Qeteb, and Deber. These were the Canaanite names for the plague-demons associated with the underworld, and intense heat. Every Israelite knew these cultures and traditions very well. When David wrote Psalm 91, he was not speaking metaphorically; he was referencing a lifestyle he and every other Hebrew knew existed, and was compelled to give warning about.

Resheph, The Burner 

According to Canaanite mythology, he is ‘The Arrow That Flies By  Day,’ referenced in Psalm 91:5. He was known as the archer who delivered a frontal attack from the heavens. When he released his arrows, pestilence and death followed soon after. The Hebrew root of his name means ‘to Burn,’ ‘to Light,’ or ‘Flame;’ a burning fever, a plague. He is associated with attacking mainly in the 3rd Hour of the Day, and also partially in the 6th Hour, when Qeteb takes over.

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