The Righteous One’s Send-OFF SONG a brief study of Psalm 20, adapted from PCC Prayer Meeting Exhortation on 8 Oct 2006 Psalm 20 is a psalm unlike any other. It is composed in the language of benediction and prayer. We do not know the occasion in which it was originally written. Luther calls it a ‘battle-cry’. Others suppose that this Psalm must have been written to express the feeling and expectation of the people on the day of atonement— as they wait anxiously for the high priest to emerge from the Holy of holies. But taking either scenario, we will find that there are elements which we will find difficult to fit in. If we take it as being for the day of atonement, why is it called the "day of trouble" and why is there a reference to banners and chariots and horses? But if it is a battle cry, why is there a reference to God accepting the burnt sacrifice? Well, whatever the original setting for this psalm might have been, those of us who read it with evangelical eyes cannot help but notice how it fits into our Lord’s passion and eventual ascension. This, then, is how we will look at this Psalm this evening. This psalm contains the words of the Lord given to the church in anticipation of the horrors of the cross. It is not difficult to imagine that in His hour of loneliness, when the Lord was in the garden of Gethsemane, that these words would have encouraged Him. Yes, His closest disciples were exhausted and sleeping, but had not His church been singing the psalm for the last one thousand years to encourage Him in anticipation of this day? And it is not difficult to imagine that the saints already in heaven would have been given a view of what was going on down on earth. If today we can see things happening on the other side of the world without the need for omniscience, what is so difficult for saints who have departed to see what the Saviour was doing in His hour of need. In 1 Peter 1:12, we have a picture painted for us of the angels in heaven leaning over the parapet of heaven to see what the Lord was doing on the earth. Is it difficult to imagine the saints made perfect doing the same? It does not take much imagination, does it, to picture the saints in heaven watching what was going on, and singing the words of this Psalm to encourage the Lord? Neither is it difficult to suppose that when the angels were finally sent to minister to the Lord, in the Garden, they would have told Him of how the saints made perfect were singing this psalm and crying out unto the Father to support Him, their Saviour. This Psalm has 2 parts. In verses 1-5, we see the people sending their Messiah off to the Cross and calling a blessing upon Him. In verses 6-9, we see the people receiving their Messiah back. 1. Sending off the Messiah 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. The saints know that their Saviour was heading to the cross for their sin. He was going to fight the big battle against Satan, against death on behalf of His people. They cannot go, because they would be consumed by the wrath of God. He alone must go. They are sending Him the way Jacob sent his sons to Egypt to find salvation for the family. Only that He was going alone with empty hands. There was nothing they could give Him to bring along. They could only go with him in prayer. 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. The LORD, the heavenly Father, would hear their cry. He would remember mercy in His wrath. He would send help. He would remember the offerings of the Lord. He would accept the Lord’s sacrifice. The Lord was offering Himself, as it were, as a burnt sacrifice for the sin of the people. The Father would receive His offering indeed. And He would give Him the desires of His heart. 4 Grant thee according to thine own heart, and fulfil all thy counsel. At first sight, we may wonder: Did the Father give our Lord the desires of His heart? Did not the Lord say: "If it be possible, take this cup away from me"? Is this not the desire of His heart? But no, for the Lord also added: "Yet not my will, but thy will be done." That was the desire of our Lord that the Father’s will be fully fulfilled. He came to do His Father’s will. "Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God" (Heb 10:5-7) The overwhelming desire of our Lord was to fulfil the will of the Father. Because He did so, His people might rejoice in His salvation: 5 We will rejoice in thy salvation, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners: the LORD fulfil all thy petitions. Because He conquered death and sin, we have the assurance that the LORD is on our side and that we are more than conquerors through Christ who petitions the Father on our behalf. The Lord’s victory was secured because He had no sin and because He went to the cross as the God-Man. So in this Psalm, we not only see the Messiah being sent off to the cross. We see Him being received back by His people. 2. Receiving the Messiah Back 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. The Messiah went to the cross. The ancient serpent bruised His heel. But He crushed the serpent’s head. The sun refused to shine, the Father turned His face away from Him. But the sun did not remain in hiding, and the Father turned His face again towards Him in love. He died, but three days later He rose again. Victory! Victory! Christ has conquered death! Christ has paid for our sin. 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. The anointed one is the Messiah (which is the Hebrew for ‘Anointed One’, just as ‘Christ’ is the Greek for ‘Anointed One’). His sacrifice for sin is accepted. He has made satisfaction. The Father heard His cries. The Father restored Him to life – with the saving strength of His right hand, or His hand of power. He rose to heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. He is now the right hand man of God. By Him the Father rules the entire universe. He is seated at the right hand of the Father as the God-Man, upholding the world by the word of His power. 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. We will trust in the Lord. He had the victory. He is our king. He is our intercessor. He is praying for us, upholding us. We will not trust in man or in the devices of man. Such as trust in the arm of flesh will fail. 9 Save, LORD: let the king [the King of kings] hear us when we call. What a privilege we have to have Christ as our King—for our King is the Son of God. And He was tempted at all points like as we all, yet without sin. What a privilege it is to have our prayers heard through Him. What a privilege it is to have our prayers mediated by our Lord who understands our needs better than we do ourselves, who is compassionate toward our failures, for He tasted of the temptations we experience. Conclusion What a Psalm! What is this Psalm to you, beloved brethren and children? This Psalm helps me, firstly to feel for the Lord as I meditate on His going to the Cross. I know I should be the one to have gone to the cross. But I know that I would have perished had I gone. I know Christ my Saviour deserved not the suffering that He endured. But I know He went for me. He went for me even before I could join the church to sing those words of encouragement to strengthen Him as He went to the cross. I owe Him my all. This Psalm also helps me, secondly, by giving me the assurance that the Father will hear my prayer because Christ my Lord went to the cross for me and He rose victorious and is seated at the right hand of the Father in my nature to intercede for me. Some will trust in chariot and horse; some will trust in man and money; some will trust in medicine and supplements; but I will trust in the Lord. This Psalm helps me, finally, by encouraging me that I am not alone in my trials. As Christ the Anointed One was supported by the Church as He went to the Cross, so as one anointed with His Spirit, I know that when I go through trials, that Christ and His church will be supporting me. You, beloved brethren and children are anointed ones for your union with Christ. Are you going through a time of trial as you bear the cross of Christ? May the words of this Psalm encourage you as you consider how your King suffered much more for you. 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—even Christ who died for you. Amen. — JJ Lim |
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