OUR VICTORIOUS LORD

Some of the psalms are a very powerful testimony to the grace of God, and even though this one is not a messianic psalm, it certainly is an expression of God's grace to His people, Israel. It concludes with a direct reference to the One, Israel's King, the Messiah they have sought since He was identified to Abraham. The people had gathered to pray for victory as the nation was about to go to war. David, the king, was the one who wrote the psalm, so this was first-hand knowledge to him.

When God's people are united in a just cause and recognize that God alone can bring the victory needed, their prayer is earnest and simple. Petitions that are precise when made bring crystal clear answers when answers come - whether it is "yes," "no," or "wait awhile." We are often more conscious of our need "in the day of trouble" than at other times. We urgently want to know that the Lord hears our call, but our assurance is not necessarily by the answer we get but by the assurance that we have been heard. That is why it is important to pray without doubting, without partiality, and with the assurance that God will do what is right.

The people who prayed had five specific requests they made "in the name of the God of Jacob." God had saved Jacob by grace and shown him grace throughout his life. He is still the same today, and He saved us by grace and made provision for us to have grace when needed. The king knew he needed God, so he went to the temple to present his offerings and the sacrifices suitable to his and his people's petitions. "May the Lord answer," which He does when we call on Him out of a pure heart. "May the Lord send help," which He does when His strength is made perfect in weakness. "May He remember" the willingness of His servant to submit to divine order and worship. "May He give" the desire that is according to His will when ours is in submission to His. "May the Lord grant all your requests" is when we rest in Him, knowing the outcome of any event, small or large, is up to Him.

The "name of the Lord," "the name of our God," and "the name of the God of Jacob" all indicate that not only the king but also the people knew where victory would come from. The authority in "The Name" leaves no doubt about where a person's confidence, or that of a nation, is placed. It also indicates real faith in the Lord; those three phrases are like statements of faith. Their prayer was directed to where God dwelt with His people in the temple and made with the confidence that God remembered His own when the sacrifices they brought really counted. The one sacrifice that all others were a type of, and that really delivers His people, is the sacrifice Christ made, not only for His earthly people, "but unto all and upon all them that believe." The sincerity of a worshipper is evident in the attitude in which he brings his offerings and sacrifices.

Our desire and God's will should always be the same. When that is true, we can be satisfied that the result of a matter is the right one. My desire alone may be just wishful thinking or even selfish thinking. But when I am sure my desire does not contradict the scripture, and when I know the Holy Spirit has obviously opened a door before me, I can go forward without hesitation. Enthusiasm is good, but there is also order involved, and the uplifted banners remain up when God is working on behalf of His people to bring victory over the enemies surrounding them.

The king's confidence inspired the people in the Lord, and they were confident in God's answer to their prayer of faith. The king knew the Lord saved with His right hand. The victory would not be something half- hearted or halfway done. There is a very obvious contrast between trusting in horses and chariots and trusting in the "name (authority) of the Lord our God." The Lord wins battles, not tools, gimmicks, ideas, or boasts. The flesh and the spirit have no connection. One is earthly and "sensual," and the other is heavenly and spiritual.

The power of nations does not last. Most nations, empires, and kingdoms that have risen to heights of prominence and power vanish out of sight because of moral and spiritual decay from within. They seem powerful, but then they begin to boast about their power and ignore the God who has "all power in heaven and in earth." Then, they become very vulnerable to enemies from without. It is only God who can preserve a nation or an individual. When our confidence is in God, He gives us strength and victory. There will be failure and defeat when trust is in armies, weapons, leaders, or the self. God is the King. The battle is His. The victory is His.

The Lord Jesus Christ knew the cost of battle against sin, Satan, and death. He experienced the suffering in His body, soul, and spirit when "He made Himself an offering for sin.' He won the battle before He dismissed His spirit and physically died. He defeated death by "giving His life" and by taking it back again into His body when He arose from among the dead. The heavenly Father hears the prayers of the Lord Jesus Christ, our Intercessor, and makes our prayers acceptable by His sacrifice on our behalf. We pray in His name. We trust in the answers that will come because of His intercession. Then we praise with a loud "Hosanna!" that God makes real to us.