Psalm 20 Devotional:

A prayer of the people unto God, that it would please him to hear their king and receive his sacrifice, which he offered before he went to battle against the Ammonites.

To him that excelleth. A Psalm of David.

1 The Lord hear thee in the day of trouble; the name of the God of Jacob defend thee;

2 Send thee help from the sanctuary, and strengthen thee out of Zion;

3 Remember all thy offerings, and accept thy burnt sacrifice; Selah.

4 Grant thee according to thine heart, and fulfil all thy counsel:

5 That we may rejoice in thy salvation, and in the name of our God set up our banners: when the Lord shall fulfil all thy petitions.

6 Now know I that the Lord saveth his anointed; he will hear him from his holy heaven with the saving strength of his right hand.

7 Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God.

8 They are brought down and fallen: but we are risen, and stand upright.

9 Save, Lord: let the king hear us when we call.

Previously we looked at the issue, and realization of the prayer of the people of God, and the wonderful manner in which God saves His people. It is incumbent upon each of us to look into his own experience and behold the wonderful love of God displayed in our conversion, as well as His provision for us. This also rebukes the hypocrites who although they profess to know God, have no delight in His word or in the fellowship of the saints. They love conversing with hypocrites, and filling their bellies with meat, but have no delight in the holy communion of the saints, or feeding on the word of God in the assembly of the righteous. For how can we be united in one heart and one voice, praying for one another, if we know not where the saints gather? And how can we say we love God whom we have not seen if we love not His people who bear his image on earth? And if we have seen them and heard them and been among them, and delight not in their company, what does this say of us? Surely we deceive ourselves into thinking we are true men if we bear malice towards those whom God loves. Therefore the very nature of prayer as taught in this passage is impossible to those who are separate from the church. God will not hear the cries of fools and rebels.
“They are fallen, but we are risen.”
Further, this passage teaches us the end and effect of trust in God versus the instability and frailty of the life of the wicked. See v7-9. For to stand upright is to be well grounded in our belief, and bravely to do battle against all false opinions, as it is written, “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” and again, “Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness…” wherein is briefly contained our warfare against heresy, having put on truth, right doctrine, and put on righteousness, and the imputation thereof for justification. Therefore even before they fall on that great day when the Lord Himself casts them down, as it is written, “The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down” and, “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall” they shall fall “by their own counsels”, and shall be found to be utterly wanting in wisdom and doctrinal substance. Therefore to stand is the result and effect of believing in God, as was before mentioned, believing in the free imputation of righteousness for justification, and what proceeds from this belief is the sincere cry, “Save Lord”. Whereas all other persons trusting to their own free will, or works or merit, or chariots or horses cannot call upon God in sincerity. They will fall, and great shall be their fall.

Calvin,
The prophet therefore teaches by the event, how much more advantageous it is for us to place all our confidence in God than to depend upon our own strength.

Henry,
The children of this world trust in second causes, and think all is well if those do but smile upon them; they trust in chariots and in horses, and the more of them they can bring into the field the more sure they are of success in their wars; probably David has here an eye to the Syrians, whose forces consisted much of chariots and horsemen, as we find in the history of David’s victories over them, 2 Samuel 8:4; 2 Samuel 10:18. “But,” say the Israelites, “we neither have chariots and horses to trust to nor do we want them, nor, if we had them, would we build our hopes of success upon that; but we will remember, and rely upon, the name of the Lord our God, upon the relation we stand in to him as the Lord our God and the knowledge we have of him by his name,” that is, all that whereby he makes himself known; this we will remember and upon every remembrance of it will be encouraged. Note, those who make God and his name their praise may make God and his name their trust. 2. See the difference in the issue of their confidences and by that we are to judge of the wisdom of the choice; things are as they prove; see who will be ashamed of their confidence and who not, Psalms 20:8. “Those that trusted in their chariots and horses are brought down and fallen, and their chariots and horses were so far from saving them that they helped to sink them, and made them the easier and the richer prey to the conqueror, 2 Samuel 8:4. But we that trust in the name of the Lord our God not only stand upright, and keep our ground, but have risen, and have got ground against the enemy, and have triumphed over them.” Note, A believing obedient trust in God and his name is the surest way both to preferment and to establishment, to rise and to stand upright, and this will stand us in stead when creature-confidences fail those that depend upon them.

Trapp,
Some trust in chariots— i.e. In their national accommodations and military provisions; but these were never true to those that trusted them. All is but an arm of flesh.

Opening Prayer.

Lesson 25.

The necessity of understanding the historical and religious atmosphere in which we live. Part 5. Prophecy and the future.

The prophets and Revelation.

Intro.

Prophets are called by God to declare to the people their sins and bring God’s elect into an estate of reconciliation.
Those in the church who are further sanctified are brought into closer communion with God by the word.
Examine your conscience and see if it is not so.
Therefore how fervently ought we to bless God for sending a Prophet to be the minister of our salvation.
Behold the rest of the world, swallowed up in pride, ignorance, error, blasphemy, lust and all inordinate desire and who are we, scattered and afflicted that God should take pity on us?
Bless God every day, and be vigilant in the faith, for Thanksgiving is the proper response for God’s wonderful mercy towards us in the gospel.

iii. The Prophets and Revelation.
Jer. 1, Ezk. 2, Rev. 1-3, 17-22

Conclusion.

Closing Prayer.

YouTube Audio: https://youtu.be/JOikt9Qxoyg