To the Director: A special Davidic psalm to the tune of “Lily of The Covenant,” for teaching about his battle with Aram-naharaim and Aram-zobah, when Joab returned and attacked 12,000 Edomites in the Salt Valley.
“God, you have cast us off;
you have breached our defenses
and you have become enraged.
Return to us!
You made the earth quake;
you broke it open.
Repair its fractures,
because it has shifted.
You made your people go through hard times;
you had us drink wine that makes us stagger.
“But you have given a banner to those who fear you,
so they may display it in honor of truth.
Interlude
“So your loved ones may be delivered,
save us by your power
and answer us quickly!
“Then God spoke in his holiness,
‘I will rejoice—
I will divide Shechem;
I will portion out the Succoth Valley.
Gilead belongs to me,
and Manasseh is mine.
Ephraim is my helmet,
and Judah my scepter.
Moab is my wash basin;
over Edom I will throw my shoes;
over Philistia I will celebrate my triumph.’
“Who will lead me to the fortified city?
Who will lead me to Edom?
Aren’t you the one, God, who has cast us off?
Didn’t you refuse, God, to accompany our armies?
“Help us in our distress,
for human help is worthless.
Through God we will fight valiantly;
and it is he who will crush our enemies.” [1]
PSALM 60:1-12 ISV
“Lily of the Covenant” is the “melody” associated with this final study of the Songs of Lament that David, the King of Israel, penned. Other Bibles have addressed the Hebrew title as “The Lily of Testimony” [CSB], or simply transliterating the Hebrew, reading, “Sushan Eduth” [ESV; NET BIBLE]. As you no doubt expect, this is yet another of the Miktams included in the Psalter. There exists no controversy as to the instruction David has given for the presentation of this Psalm, the choirmaster is instructed to present the Psalm according to “Lily of the Covenant.” Unfortunately, as is true of the other five Miktams, no one today knows the melody for this Psalm since the tune, the instrumentation, and the rhythm have been lost somewhere in the dim reaches of time. It is as though the LORD is telling us that what He has caused to be written is essential, though what musical accompaniment was used is secondary at best. In other words, the LORD is teaching us that methods must always be secondary to the message. Ensure that the message is correct and the method will care for itself.
In a contemporary Christian setting, the loss of the melody while preserving the words to the hymn might indicate that worship wars in which congregations fought and squabbled during recent years were foolish. Whether a congregation uses stately organ music to accompany songs of praise, or whether an assembly uses guitars and drums to accompany the praises of God’s people is immaterial. What actually matters is whether the words express worship offered to the Lord that comes from the heart and whether those expressions bring us into the presence of the Risen Saviour. In short, is God glorified and are His people instructed through the music that is employed in worship?
Despite not knowing the melody to this Psalm, we do have the Psalm itself. We do know what was in David’s heart at the time of writing this Psalm, we know because he has written it down for us—we have the Psalm. The event that precipitated David writing this particular Psalm is also known to us because that information has been included for us in the introduction to the Psalm. Additionally, we can see the purpose behind what David wrote since he has identified the events which drove him to write this paean of praise to the Living God. That information will prove a blessing to us even in this day.
The details included with this Psalm inform us that David wrote this Psalm following a series of conflicts with powerful nations. Joab, the Field Marshall of the armies of Israel, conquered Edom in a decisive battle, and this was a Psalm of Thanksgiving for God’s deliverance. Yet, what was written is for our benefit to this day.
BEHIND THE WRITING OF THE PSALM — The state of Israel has been under attack as long as I can remember. Modern Israel dates the creation of the nation to May 14, 1948. Therefore, the modern nation we know as Israel is only slightly younger than me. The modern state of Israel was born out of intense conflict as the surrounding nations were determined to drive the Jewish people into the sea. From earliest days, many of the great powers opposed the idea of a Jewish state. Nothing much has changed in this day. The European powers still side with those intent on extirpating the Jewish nation.
Throughout the years that the young nation has existed, Israel has been compelled to fight multiple wars and the nation has suffered through continued attacks. It is well known that the Palestinian people are taught from infancy to hate Jews. Almost as soon as they can speak, Palestinian children are taught to utter the cry, “From the river to the sea.” This cry is an expression of their intent to drive all Jews from the lands between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea. This is a battle cry that Palestinian leaders refuse to mollify. The cry expresses an attitude that will never allow for peace until every Jew is extirpated and driven away. Consequently, news reports speak of bombings, of a new intifada, of riots on the Temple Mound, with a disturbing degree of regularity.
However, the attacks against the Jewish people is not some new phenomenon. From earliest days, the Jewish people have been attacked by all who live about them. Whether one speaks of Arabs determined to destroy Israel, or whether one looks to the response of almost all European nations throughout modern history, or whether one listens to the undercurrent of people identified as liberal in contemporary political terms, bitterness toward all Jews is a feature. From the day that God led His people into the land of Canaan to give to the people of Israel the land which He promised, Jews have been under attack. And from the time there has been a nation identified with the Jewish people, the other nations of the world have engaged in one long, continuous war against the nation. Israel was born in conflict, and throughout the entire history of the people of Israel, their story is a record of constant war against their continued existence as a people.
We are given the details of one particular war in 2 SAMUEL 8:1-14. In that passage of Scripture, we read of a series of battles in which Israel was led to victory by David. “David defeated and subdued the Philistines, taking Metheg-ammah away from the Philistines. David also conquered Moab, then measured them with a cord, making them lie down on the ground. He executed everyone measured out in each two lengths’ measurement of the cord, but spared the ones measured out by every third length. Then the Moabites were placed under servitude to David, and made to pay tribute.
“David also attacked King Hadadezer, Rehob’s son from Zobah, when he was attempting to restore his hegemony over the Euphrates River. David captured 1,000 of his chariots, 1,700 horsemen, and 20,000 foot soldiers. David hamstrung all the chariot horses except for enough to supply 100 chariots. When Arameans came from Damascus to help King Hadadezer of Zobah, David killed 22,000 of them. David erected garrisons in the Aramean kingdom of Damascus, placing the Arameans under servitude to him, and they paid tribute to him. David also confiscated the gold shields that belonged to Hadadezer’s officers and took them to Jerusalem. He also confiscated a vast quantity of bronze from Betah and Berothai, cities under Hadadezer’s control.
“When King Tou of Hamath learned that David had conquered the entire army of King Hadadezer of Zobah, Tou sent his son Joram to King David to greet him and congratulate him on his victory over Hadadezer, because he had been at war with Tou. Joram brought articles of silver, gold, and bronze with him, and King David dedicated them to the LORD, along with the silver and gold that had been dedicated from all the nations that he had conquered, including from Edom, Moab, the Ammonites, the Philistines, Amalek, and spoil from King Hadadezer, Rehob’s son from Zobah.
“David made a name for himself when he returned from killing 18,000 Edomites in the Salt Valley. He erected garrisons throughout Edom, and all the Edomites became subservient to David, while the LORD gave victory to David wherever he went.”
We are provided with the account of another of the many wars that the armies of Israel fought while David was King. This particular war was unintended, being sparked by the inexperienced clumsiness of a young king who was incited by advisers to embarrass David through dishonouring a delegation sent by David to carry condolences following the death of the young man’s father.
This is the account as recorded in the Book of Second Samuel. “The Ammonite king died and his son Hanun succeeded him as king, so David told himself, ‘I will be loyal to Nahash’s son Hanun, since in his loyalty his father showed gracious love to me.’ So David sent a delegation to Hanun to console him about his loss of his father.
“But when David’s delegation arrived in Ammonite territory, the Ammonite officials asked their lord Hanun, ‘Do you think that because David has sent a delegation of consolers to you that he is honoring your father? His delegation has arrived intending to search, scout the land, and then overthrow it, hasn’t it?’ So Hanun arrested David’s delegation, shaved off half of their beards, cut off their clothes at the waist line, and sent them away in disgrace.
“When David had been informed about the incident, he sent word to them, since the men had been deeply humiliated. The king told them, ‘Stay at Jericho until your beards have grown back, and then return.’
“When the Ammonites realized that they had created quite a stink with David, they hired 20,000 Aramean mercenaries from Beth-rehob and Zobah, along with the king of Maacah and 1,000 men, and 12,000 men from Tob. In response, David sent out Joab and his entire army of elite soldiers. The Ammonites went out in battle formation at the entrance to the city gate, while the Arameans from Zobah and Rehob, along with the army from Tob and Maacah, were out by themselves in the open fields.
“When Joab observed that the battle lines were set up to oppose him both in front and behind, he appointed the best troops in Israel and arrayed them to oppose the Arameans, putting the rest of his forces under the command of his brother Abishai, who arrayed them to oppose the Ammonites. He said, ‘If the Arameans prove too strong for me, then you are to help me. If the Ammonites prove too strong for you, then I will come help you. Be strong, be courageous on behalf of our people and for the cities of our God, and may the LORD do what he thinks is best.’
“So Joab and the soldiers who were with him attacked the Arameans in battle formation, and the Arameans retreated in front of him. When the Ammonites saw the Arameans retreating, they also retreated from Abishai back to the city. Then Joab broke off his attack against the Ammonites and went back to Jerusalem. After the Arameans realized that they had been defeated by Israel, they regrouped. Hadadezer sent for the Arameans who lived beyond the Euphrates River, and they set out for Helam, with Shobach leading them as commander of Hadadezer’s army.
“When David learned this, he mustered all of Israel, crossed the Jordan River, and approached Helam. The Arameans assembled in battle array to attack David, and started their assault. But the Arameans retreated from Israel, and David’s forces killed 700 of their charioteers, 40,000 soldiers, and mortally wounded Shobach, the commander of their army. As a result, Shobach died there. When all the kings who were allied with Hadadezer saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they sought terms of peace with the Israelis and became subservient to them. Furthermore, the Arameans were afraid to help the Ammonites anymore” [2 SAMUEL 10:1-19].
This is the background for this Psalm. The situation described sounds suspiciously like the ongoing account of “incident” after “incident” leading to continual attacks against Israel that we witness in any given morning news read. The world hates Israel and wants to see the people we know as Jews silenced, or even removed from the earth. If God did not protect His ancient people, the memory of Israel would have long ago been relegated to the dustbin of history.
Let me go a step farther for the purpose of this message to say that it is beginning to sound distressingly like the constant assaults against the Faith of Christ the Lord launched by the culture in which we exist. It is of scant moment whether we are speaking of Christians in Pakistan, of followers of Christ in Iran, of servants of the Living God living in Nigeria, of ardent defenders of the Faith in the Philippines, or whether we are speaking of committed worshippers of the Risen Saviour living in Canada, the culture in which we exist is hostile to Christ. Thus, His followers are forever under assault. Again, if the Lord Christ Himself did not protect His people, we would have been silenced and removed from the earth long before this time.
Recall that our Master has testified, “I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” [MATTHEW 16:18]. It is for this reason that we are given the instructions delivered as the Apostle wrote the Christians living in Philippi, “Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain” [PHILIPPIANS 2:14-16]. Amen; amen, indeed!
BROKENNESS BEFORE VICTORY —
“O God, you have rejected us, broken our defenses;
you have been angry; oh, restore us.
You have made the land to quake; you have torn it open;
repair its breaches, for it totters.
You have made your people see hard things;
you have given us wine to drink that made us stagger.
“You have set up a banner for those who fear you,
that they may flee to it from the bow. Selah
That your beloved ones may be delivered,
give salvation by your right hand and answer us!”
[PSALM 60:1-5]
The one whom God will use greatly must first know what it is to be broken. The experience of being broken creates dependence on God Who rescues and builds up. Before one can be a Marine, he must be broken of civilian ideas of self-preservation. The Marine must learn to run to the sound of gunfire, which is against every consideration he has known as a civilian. The Marine will first be trained; and the training will consist of performing hard tasks, of deprivation, of sleepless nights and long days. He is being broken of his dependence upon a life of ease. He is becoming inured to hardship.
I’m not actually turning down a rabbit trail when I ask you to think of the labours of the Apostle. Paul spoke of his training for apostleship, training that many professing Christians appear to dismiss as unnecessary. But, then, those who dismiss the training of the Apostle have never accomplished even a modicum of what he accomplished in his life. You will recall how the Apostle testified of that training, “We put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything” [2 CORINTHIANS 6:3-10].
It wasn’t enough, evidently, that Paul would experience hardship in his life, he invited others to share in his hardships, as is evident from his invitation to Timothy. “Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus” [2 TIMOTHY 2:3 NASB95]. Paul understood that if Timothy would ever accomplish anything of lasting importance, he would need to stand firm in the face of hardship. Similarly, we, if we will accomplish anything of lasting importance, will be required to stand firm regardless of the trials we may face. And if we are doing the work of Christ, we will face hardship.
The Apostle was not looking at the hardships he was facing; he was looking for what was best for others, especially those who would come to faith through His labours. You will recall that the Apostle pleaded with Timothy, “Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David; such is my gospel, for which I suffer hardship to the point of imprisonment as a criminal, but God’s message is not imprisoned! So I endure all things for the sake of those chosen by God, that they too may obtain salvation in Christ Jesus and its eternal glory” [2 TIMOTHY 2:8-10 NET BIBLE].
Paul’s final words to Timothy would be to encourage him to stand firm in the face of hardships. He would urge the young servant of Christ, “As for you, exercise self-control in everything, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry” [2 TIMOTHY 4:5 CSB]. And the reason the young man would need to endure hardship was because those around him would be giving way to fear. Those who would be turning back from pursuing righteousness would be professing Christians, supposed followers of the Christ. The people whom the servant of Christ should expect to stand firm with him are the ones who will turn aside in an act of self-preservation. Therefore, it is necessary that the one who wishes to serve Christ, earning His commendation, must be encouraged to endure hardship, must be encourage to stand firm.
Listen as Paul recites what was coming. “I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus, who is going to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: Preach the message, be ready whether it is convenient or not, reprove, rebuke, exhort with complete patience and instruction. For there will be a time when people will not tolerate sound teaching. Instead, following their own desires, they will accumulate teachers for themselves, because they have an insatiable curiosity to hear new things. And they will turn away from hearing the truth, but on the other hand they will turn aside to myths” [2 TIMOTHY 4:1-4 NET BIBLE].
You have heard me cite the words Jesus spoke as He prepared His disciples for His passion. It is appropriate that I cite them yet again. The passage to which I want you to look is JOHN 15:18-25. This is how that passage reads. “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. Whoever hates me hates my Father also. If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without a cause.’”
This is what the Master said that I want you to especially note after He had given that warning. “I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away. They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me. But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you” [JOHN 16:1-4a].
At last, I must return to what David has written, for the Bible is a seamless text, the writings of the Old Testament anticipating what will be more fully explained in the New Testament. In our text, we note that the Psalmist is not focused on himself, rather, he speaks on behalf of the nation. His focus is on what the LORD is accomplishing for the benefit of the nation. God had seemingly withdrawn His blessing and the people had suffered. Yet, despite the discipline meted out, the LORD had erected His banner, calling for those who were willing to follow Him to flee to Him. As the people turned to the Lord GOD, they could be assured that He would make their salvation certain.
I don’t know that I have enough faith to believe that our nation, or that any western nation, will turn again to the Faith that served as foundational for the nation during the formative years. I do believe that our congregation, and perhaps other congregations that hear what is taught, will take seriously the words of the Psalmist. Though dark storm clouds now glower over the nation, though the churches are being pressured to accommodate wickedness by accepting the tenets of this dying world, and though the pressures we face to turn back from pursuing righteousness are great, I would not want anyone who hears me to imagine that I have lost faith in the Living God. I know that whatever may come, Christ will conquer and we who stand with Him shall share in His victory.
The little assembly met in the seaport city of Salonica was suffering greatly. Paul looked beyond what they were then experiencing, seeing the impact their testimony was already having in the lives of others, even others of whom they had never heard. The Apostle would write, “We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing. Therefore we ourselves boast about you in the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions that you are enduring” [2 THESSALONIANS 1:3-4].
Then, he urged them to lift their eyes from this moment called “now” to look to what lies ahead. Contrasting the immediate to the eternal, Paul wrote, “[Your persecutions and your afflictions are] evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering—since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed. To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ” [2 THESSALONIANS 1:5-12].
What you are now experiencing is training that is designed to prepare you for the glory that is to be revealed at the return of our Master! Dear people, I read the end of the book. I know how this all ends.
Whenever I lay a follower of Christ to rest, I read the words John wrote near the end of the Apocalypse. I read, “I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.’
“And he who was seated on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’ Also he said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.’ And he said to me, ‘It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son’” [REVELATION 21:1-7]. Amen; amen, indeed!
THE MIGHT AND THE MAJESTY OF THE LIVING GOD —
“God has spoken in his holiness:
‘With exultation I will divide up Shechem
and portion out the Vale of Succoth.
Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine;
Ephraim is my helmet;
Judah is my scepter.
Moab is my washbasin;
upon Edom I cast my shoe;
over Philistia I shout in triumph.’”
[PSALM 60:6-8]
If all David had possessed was a vague wish that things would work out despite the challenges that the nation was then facing, we might be inclined to say that he didn’t differ greatly from most Canadians today. Canadians have a reputation of being “nice.” This is perhaps a reflection of the way in which we tend to internalise our feelings. Perhaps this niceness is a kind of stoicism that lingers as result of our British heritage.
Nevertheless, it does seem as if we Canadians are often wishful people, though it is not at all evident that we are necessarily hopeful people. When thinking of confronting our problems, we may be said to have resigned ourselves to the inevitable, but we aren’t actually hopeful about what lies ahead. Hope arises from confidence in the person in whom we place our trust. Since we often place our trust in politicians, we have little hope. Candidly, how can we expect that the people that created the mess we face will be able to rectify what they have created?
Canada is currently facing some serious threats to our continued national health. Transportation costs are rising at an astronomical rate as politicians force a transition toward a green energy economy upon the nation. Somehow, no one was able to see that forcing people out of diesel or gasoline powered vehicles would prove disastrous. Therefore, as a consequence of decisions made in Ottawa, fuel costs are rising rapidly and thus the cost of almost everything we need to purchase is going through the roof. You see, ultimately, everything is dependent upon transportation. If the trucks don’t move, goods can’t be delivered. Add to this growing pressure governmental movement toward new carbon taxes and increased payroll taxes that will make it more difficult still to survive.
I don’t particularly wish to become overly political, but it is nevertheless true that we Canadians do face some great challenges as result of government policies in recent days. As part of the continuing drive to make our future green by assuming the place of God to take control of the climate, our politicians are compelling farmers to cease fertilizing crops. Do our politicians actually believe they can control weather and crops? I’m sure that this effort is going to work out as least as well as political manipulation of the cod stocks by past governments. When shoppers in Ottawa and Toronto can no longer find groceries on their store shelves, and especially staples such as bread and milk, the politicians will no doubt have an answer ready to comfort starving city dwellers.
As the stock market nosedives and inflation rises, retirement funds evaporate and people, especially those who are retired or on fixed incomes, feel a sense of rising panic. Increasingly, families are forced to decide between buying groceries or paying the hydro bill, or they must decide whether they should pay for medical care or pay for housing. Whenever these conditions are brought up for discussion, the response most frequently given by the experts seems to be, “Don’t worry; be happy!” It is as though the best advice these economic ninjas can give is, “I hope it all works out.”
Hope that has no foundation is at best a flimsy, diaphanous strand that threatens to break at any moment. However, the hope that David expresses in this Psalm is firmly fixed on God Who cannot fail. David knows God, and he knows what God can do; thus, he is confident of what the LORD can do. A god who doesn’t answer our cries for help will inevitably prove to be an illusion. A god who is distant and always unavailable is a god no one would ever dare trust. However, David’s confidence rests in the LORD; he knows that God does not boast without reason.
I wonder whether we preachers have done parishioners a disservice through our failure to declare more frequently from the pulpit the might and majesty of our God. Moreover, we need to declare His power and His glory with greater persuasiveness. We who follow the Risen Saviour will aver that we believe in God’s majesty, but when were you last driven to silence with a sense of awe such as possessed Jacob when he was in the presence of God? When did you last come into the assembly of the righteous and exclaim, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven” [see GENESIS 28:14]? When did you last witness the Lord’s awesome holiness such as the early disciples witnessed when He judged Ananias and Saphira, striking them dead for their attempt to lie to His Holy Spirit [see ACTS 5:11]? Those who have witnessed God’s awesome judgement aere inevitably fearful. When was the last time you were afraid because you knew you were in the presence of God who is holy? When did you last confess, “Woe is me! For I am lost” [see ISAIAH 6:5]? When was the last time you worshipped, truly worshipped, compelled to confess before the Lord God, “You are awesome” [see PSALM 76:7 NET BIBLE]?
My point in raising such questions is that far too frequently we Christians arrive at 10:30 sharp seeking to worship with the congregation and leave at 12:30 dull! Don’t you have something of an undefined longing to know the might and majesty of the Lord God? Isn’t there a sense of loss because you know intimately the rituals of the congregation, and yet you somehow have failed to meet the God Who gives us our being? When will we again find ourselves driven to meet the Living God.
Surely the Psalmist speaks for those who ardently seek the Lord when he writes,
“My soul thirsts for God,
for the living God.
When shall I come and appear before God?
My tears have been my food
day and night,
while they say to me all the day long,
‘Where is your God?’
These things I remember,
as I pour out my soul:
how I would go with the throng
and lead them in procession to the house of God
with glad shouts and songs of praise,
a multitude keeping festival.”
[PSALM 42:1-4]
We serve a God Who is unlimited in power and majesty, and yet few of us can say that we have been in His presence and compelled to cry out, “I am terrified at His presence” [see JOB 23:15]. We have reduced God to a distant entity Who seldom causes us to tremble. We have thought He was a God at a distance without any immediacy in our lives, and thus a God Who was much as ourselves. We assumed that the Lord was like us [see PSALM 50:21 ISV], but He is God, filled with majesty and glory. Listen to me! We serve a God in Whom are no deficits. He is truly the Almighty God, full of power and majesty. He is worthy of our devotion and service. Amen.
VICTORY IN OUR GOD —
“Who will bring me to the fortified city?
Who will lead me to Edom?
Have you not rejected us, O God?
You do not go forth, O God, with our armies.
Oh, grant us help against the foe,
for vain is the salvation of man!
With God we shall do valiantly;
it is he who will tread down our foes.”
[PSALM 60:9-12]
Who, indeed, will lead the child of God to victory after she has been engaged in spiritual conflict? Who is the One Who will give victory to the follower of our Lord Jesus Christ? The battle has been drawn out and the demands on us as followers of Christ are great; we confess that we need One to give us strength and One to ensure our victory. To Whom shall we turn if not to the Lord our God?
We see the Psalmist testify elsewhere,
“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say to the LORD, ‘My refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.’
“For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler
and from the deadly pestilence.
He will cover you with his pinions,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
You will not fear the terror of the night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.
“A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
You will only look with your eyes
and see the recompense of the wicked.
“Because you have made the LORD your dwelling place—
the Most High, who is my refuge—
no evil shall be allowed to befall you,
no plague come near your tent.”
[PSALM 91:1-10]
In the closing verses of our text, we witness the Psalmist pleading for God’s help, and with God’s help the Psalmist is assured that he shall tread down his foes. Dear people, know that with God’s help, you, also, shall never fall victim to those who stand against you. And with God’s help, the one who resorts to the Risen Saviour is always victorious. Solomon was correct when he wrote,
“The horse is made ready for the day of battle,
but the victory belongs to the LORD.”
[PROVERBS 21:31]
I’m speaking to people who know what it is to struggle, know what it is to feel beat down by those opposed to righteousness, know what it is to feel intimidated by those challenging you. You need to be encouraged to look up! The battle is not over. Victory is promised as you resort to the Lord. I know if it isn’t injustice from the justice system, it is corruption in the hallowed halls of Parliament. If it isn’t twisting the law by those who are responsible to administer the laws of the land, it is the constant indoctrination of our children despite their inability to read or write. It is one thing after another! What can one person do when such odds loom before us?
The answer lies in where our focus is. If we focus on the challenges looming before us, we will despair of ever making a difference. The challenges always appear to tower over us. If we focus on the Master, we will see that He will lead us to victory. The Master is greater than all the challenges you may ever face.
David testifies, as shall we, so long as we look to Christ our Lord,
“Oh, grant us help against the foe,
for vain is the salvation of man!
With God we shall do valiantly;
it is he who will tread down our foes.”
[PSALM 60:11-12]
The prayer is for all who stand with the Living God, as does David as he pens the words of this Song of Lament. Surely, the prayer is offered for you and for me, as we look to the Lord Who gives us life and Who lightens our path. Surely, the prayer is answered ever and always as we permit the Lord our God to bear us up.
For any who are outside this Holy Faith, the message we deliver is meant not only to encourage the people of God, but also to call you to come in faith to Christ the Lord. Amen.
[1] Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2016. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
