Psalm 20 was prayed by God’s people for their king before he went into battle and shifts the focus from the size of the battle to the source of our strength. It switches our trust from our own strength to God’s character.
1 “May the Lord answer you when you are in distress; may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.” Jesus said it in John 16:33 “In this world you will have trouble." But it’s God’s name, it’s His character that will protect us.
2 “May he send you help from the sanctuary and grant you support from Zion.” God’s character is to pour out His gifts to us. Romans 5:5 “And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”
3 “May he remember all your sacrifices and accept your burnt offerings.” Hebrews 13:16 “Do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.”
4-5 “May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed. May we shout for joy over your victory and lift up our banners in the name of our God. May the Lord grant all your requests.” Jesus said it in Matthew 7:7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”
6-8 “Now this I know: The Lord gives victory to his anointed. He answers him from his heavenly sanctuary with the victorious power of his right hand. 7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. 8 They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm.” Back then in battle, chariots and horses were the high-tech solution, they provided a measure of safety. Today our chariots might be our bank account, our connections, or even our own talent. Not bad things, but they make terrible gods. Those things fail, they bring people to their knees. But when we pray, we switch our trust from chariots to His Character.
9 Lord, give victory to the king! Answer us when we call! Romans 8:37: "In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us." It’s God’s character we can trust!
Now let’s read Psalm 20 again looking at how this Psalm is all about Jesus!
1 “May the Lord answer you when you are in distress; may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.” Jesus was in distress on the cross, He cried out "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" in Matthew 27.
2-3 “May he send you help from the sanctuary and grant you support from Zion. 3 May he remember all your sacrifices and accept your burnt offerings.” Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice. Hebrews 10:10 “We have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”
4-5 “May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed. 5 May we shout for joy over your victory and lift up our banners in the name of our God. May the Lord grant all your requests.” Jesus said in John 12:32 “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” He will be exalted. He is our banner of victory!
6 “Now this I know: The Lord gives victory to his anointed.” That Hebrew word “anointed” is Messiah. The Lord gives victory to Jesus! “He answers him from his heavenly sanctuary with the victorious power of his right hand.” Who is at God’s right hand? Jesus! Romans 8:34
7-9 “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. 8 They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm. 9 Lord, give victory to the king! Answer us when we call!” Jesus has claimed victory! Back to John 16:33, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."