Psalm 20 - overcomer - The Lord answer you in the day of adversity
The 12th Psalm to the overcomer. This Psalm is different than any of the preceding ones in that it is not prayer for the one praying, but for the one listening. I like to sing this Psalm as a prayer for other Christians. It hits the spot.
For example:
Lord answer Dan in the
day of adversity.
The name of the God of Jacob
on a high place set him.
....
I think the 1st 4 verses of this Psalm are Christ's interceding for us. Verses 5-9 are our response.
v1 - "Answer" indicates that in the day of adversity, we need to ask God for help.
"Day" indicates that the adversity will last a short time.
All the you's and your's in this Psalm are singular. Christ intercedes for each one of us individually.
The God of Jacob is the God of transformation, transforming Jacob from a heel-holder to prince of God through many troubles. The high place that He sets us upon is our transformation ( Heb 12:11; Rev 2:17).
v2 - "Send help" is literally "Send your help".
The sanctuary and Zion are the church. The Lord sends your help from the church. It is your individual help, but it comes from the church. The Lord also supports you from falling and fainting through the church. The Christian life is both corporate and individual.
v3 - "Your offerings" are plural, but "your burnt offering" is singular. In our Christian life we give multiple offerings to the Lord of our time, money, love, strength, prayer, labor and thought ( Heb 6:10; 13:15-16; Phil 4:18). Also our whole life is a single burnt offering to the Lord ( Rom 12:1; 15:16). This is our consecration. The Lord should consume to ashes our burnt offering. This was the life of the Lord, John the Baptist and Paul ( Phil 2:17; 2 Tim 4:6).
v4 - I enjoy to pray this for Christians. The Father will give to us according to what is in our heart. He wants us to earnestly desire what He desires.
v5 - In verses 1-4 Christ is praying for you individually (v6). Now, in v5, the subject changes to we sing in God's salvation and raise up our banners. Who is the we? The we could be the speaker plus the one being spoken to in the previous verses. Thus the we could be Christ and you. Christ sings together with us in our singing ( Heb 2:12; Ps 18:49-50; 22:22) especially when we sing of the Lord's salvation which He Himself wrought.
Or the "we" could be our response to Christ's intercession for us.
"Our banners" are our proclaiming of the gospel. The Lord and you preach the gospel together.
v6 - "heaven's holiness" is literally "His heaven's holiness".
Now I know for myself that the Father saves by answering His Christ's intercessory prayer for me. The Father saves me because of Christ. The result of Christ's intercessory prayer is that I know Him and God's salvation.
This is a good reason that we should lift up our prayers to the Father God in the name of His Christ.
v7 - The Hebrew verb for "we remember" is causative ( hiphil), so I translated as "we remind ourselves".
The we in verses 7-9 is all the you's that the Lord prayed for in verses 1-4.
The "these" and the "they" are those who trust in physical things rather than in the name of the Lord our God ( Ps 147:10). We may be born-again Christians, but may trust in other things.
-minor update 5/18/2013
-last update 10/4/2010
copyright 2008 Steve Miller
|
Psalm 20
1 1 The LORD God answer thee
in day's adversity.
The name of the God of Jacob
on a high place set thee.
2 Send help from sanct'rary,
from Zion support thee,
3 remember all your offerings,
consume your burnt off'ring.
<selah>
2 4 The Lord to you impart
according to your heart,
and all your counsel He fulfill
that you may bear a part.
5 We'll sing in Thy saving,
and in our God's name dear
our banner high we are raising.
LORD fill all your desire!
3 6 I now know the LORD saves,
answers His Christ always
from heaven's holiness by His
mighty right hand to save..
7 These trust in chariots,
and these in horses' legs,
but we remind ourselves to trust
in the LORD our God's name.
4 8 They are brought down and fall,
but we rise and stand tall.
9 O LORD God save. Answer, O King,
in the day that we call.
Hebrews 6:10 For God is not unrighteous, so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name in having ministered to the saints and in ministering still.
13:15 Through Him then let us offer up a sacrifice of praise continually to God, that is, the fruit of lips confessing His name. 16 But do not forget doing good and sharing with others, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
Philippians 4:18 But I have received in full all things and abound; I have been filled, receiving from Epaphroditus the things from you, a sweet-smelling savor, an acceptable sacrifice , well-pleasing to God.
Romans 12:1 I exhort you therefore, brothers, through the compassions of God to present your bodies a living sacrifice , holy, well pleasing to God, which is your reasonable service.
15:16 That I might be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, a laboring priest of the gospel of God, in order that the offering of the Gentiles might be acceptable, having been sanctified in the Holy Spirit.
Philippians 2:17 But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice, and I rejoice together with you all.
2 Timothy 4:6 For I am already being poured out , and the time of my departure is at hand
Hebrews 2:12 Saying, ``I will declare Your name to My brothers; in the midst of the church I will sing hymns of praise to You.''
Psalm 18: 49 Therefore to Thee, Lord, thanks I give in the midst of all the nations.
Unto Your name psalms I will sing,
50 great salvations unto His king, and to His Messiah mercy, unto David and to his seed.
22:22 I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.
Psalms 147:10 He delighteth not in the strength of the horse: He taketh no pleasure in the legs of a man.
Hebrews 12:11 Now no discipline at the present time seems to be a matter of joy, but of grief; but afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been exercised by it.
Revelation 2:17 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, to him I will give of the hidden manna, and to him I will give a white stone, and upon the stone a new name written, which no one knows except he who receives it.
Psalm 18:32 The God who girds me with strength, and makes my way perfect,
33 Who makes my feet like hinds' feet, and sets me upon my high places;
-updated 10/3/2010
copyright 2008 Steve Miller
|