Psalm 20

Psalm 20

Confidence in Christ

I.                    Christ must be our confidence in all life’s battles, so we must pray for His security (Vv. 1-5)

a.       We don’t know precisely what “trouble” prompted David to compose this psalm, but the word “trouble” indicates a time of great pressure and narrowness, or being in a “tight spot”. As the king found himself pressed into a tight spot, the people responded in prayer on behalf of the king. The first half of the psalm records their prayer, and indicates that they know that their king is about to march into the face of danger and darkness on behalf of his people, and that he is offering up sacrifices to the Lord, his battle plan to the Lord, and seeking God’s strength, guidance, and victory. So the peoples’ prayer on behalf of their king is that God would answer his prayers, remember his offerings, and grant him wisdom, strength, security, and victory through His presence in the impending battle. The people are so fervent in prayer for the security and victory of the king because the king was God’s anointed and ordained ruler to act on behalf of the people as their representatives, and as the king went, so the people went. If the king committed wickedness and suffered defeat, the people suffered, but if the king served God and was granted victory, they shared in his victory. So they prayed that God “may” act on behalf of the king, to grant him security and victory, and they would rejoice and share in his victory. His victory was the victory, his salvation was their salvation; and it all depended on God. David and the people knew that they didn’t have the strength required to be victorious in the battles of life, but were totally dependent of God’s strength. Further, the king’s victory depended on “the God of Jacob”. Jacob was a conniver and deceiver who acted in his own self-interest and strength to obtain what he thought he needed. But when he was faced with the threat of absolute destruction at his brother’s hands, he finally fully yielded to the Lord and was delivered. In the same way, the king offered up whole burnt offerings to God to proclaim his full surrender to God, before the battle, so that God would guide, strengthen, and secure him for His glory. The same is true for us. Human nature moves us to act in our own self-interest and strength. But our strength and ability will always fail us in life’s battles. So often in the face of trouble and pressure in life, we attempt to fight our battles in our own strength, or even rely on our own strength and efforts to try to move God to act on our behalf; as though we can somehow be “good enough” for God to help us. But we don’t have the wisdom and strength to fight the battles of life on our own. When we act in our own strength we ultimately only allow the world to press us into its mold, but when we surrender fully to our victorious King, and offer up our lives as living sacrifices to God, we find the only source of strength, security, joy, peace, hope, and assurance in the face of trouble through Christ! (Vv. 1-5; Gen. 32:24-30; Exod. 14:13-14; 17:15; Ps. 37:4-5; 46:1; 50:12-15; 59:16; 77:1-2; 86:7; 102:1-2; John 12:27; 14:27; Rom. 11:33-12:2; Jas. 1:5-8)

II.                 Christ must be our confidence in all life’s battles, so we must trust and praise His sufficiency (Vv. 6-9)

a.   The king now confidently proclaims his confidence and trust in God to save His anointed! God is faithful to provide His faithful people with the strength and guidance sufficient for every battle and trouble they face. Those who trust pridefully in themselves, others, or the devises of the world will not prevail. Even as they cling to one thing after another, the uncertainty of life continues to shake them from their foundation up. But those who trust in the Lord, turn to Him in repentant faith, and boast in the Name above all Names, will have all they need to live fully and purposely in life and eternally through the victory He has won over sin, death, and the troubles of life! In Christ we have a firm foundation which cannot be shaken by anything in this world or beyond, and from which we can never be separated. David and the people praying for him, looked eagerly to the truth that we already know, “it is finished”; death couldn’t hold our Lord and Savior, and now we know that no trouble can defeat us because as the King goes, so His people go, so we must trust confidently in Him! (Vv. 6-9; Ps. 23:4-6;  24:7-10; 33:13-22; 95:1-3; Prov. 21:30-31; Matt. 7:24-27; 28:6, 18-20; John 3:16; 16:33; 19:30; Rom. 5;1-5; 8:28-39; 1 Cor. 15:54-58; Phil. 2:9-11; 2 Tim. 1:12; 1 John 5:4-5; Rev. 17:14)