Psalm 20

Overview:

The army’s benedictions on their king for victory in answer to his prayer on the battle field (20:1–5) and their confidence in the LORD’s deliverance and petition the LORD will answer their prayer for king’s victory (20:7–9) surround an extended center line of the king’s confession to the people of his certainty that that LORD will answer his prayer and deliver him (20:6), the psalm’s message and key verse. The key word “answer” frames the psalm and stands at the center of verse 6. David and his army are a type of Christ and the spiritually militant Church who overcome a hostile world by faith and prayer.

brucewaltke

v.1

May the Lord answer you when you are in distress; may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.

v.6

Now I know that the LORD saves his anointed; he answers him from his holy heaven with the saving power of his right hand.

Sometimes people run off to the mountain to pray, as though God will be able to hear them better from there. Do you want to make contact with God in your prayer? Humble yourself. But again, just because I have said, "Do you want to make contact with God? Humble yourself," do not take it literally and materialistically and go off down to underground vaults and there start beseeching God. Do not go seeking either caverns or mountains. Have lowliness in your heart, and God will give you all the high altitude you want. He will come to you and be with you in your bedroom.

augustine Sermon 45.7

v.7

Some trust in chariots and some in horses; but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.

The antithesis is not between military might and the LORD, but between trusting the means rather than the Blesser (cf. Deut 17:16a).

brucewaltke