seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Psalm 20[a]
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
1 May the Lord answer you when you are in distress;
may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.
2 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.(b)
4 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 name of the God of Jacob protect you.
2 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.(b)
4 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.
6 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.
9 Lord, give victory to the king!
Answer us when we call!
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.
9 Lord, give victory to the king!
Answer us when we call!
a. Psalm 20:1 In Hebrew texts 20:1-9 is numbered 20:2-10.
b. Psalm 20:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
Oh my.... I googled Psalm 20 commentary.... and all the usual suspects jumped up.... and just as usual.... there were some commentary that wouldn't fit. But what surprised me the most.... the easy English site.... offered no commentary.... just this word list.
burnt offerings ~ animals that they killed and burned: this is how they offered them to God
banners ~ a long piece of material with words or pictures on it
rely ~ another word for trust
chariot ~ a car that soldiers used to use; horses pulled it
falter ~ walk badly and perhaps fall over
Well.... let me expound [like a gray haired woman with an online Bible and some online commentary has the knowledge to expound].... Burnt Offerings......If you sin you die. If you eat the apple you die. If you tell someone they are beautiful when they look like crap... you have lied and you will die.... UNLESS something or someone takes your place. In the Old Testament they used all kinds of animals from a list [based on criteria not just a name of animals... like "split hooves"] Oxen.... big old beefy oxen were used.... or you might be able to get by with a dove.... it depended on the circumstance... BUT one thing was certain in the Old Testament.... if you sin you die... even if you didn't know you sinned.... you die..... you sin you die.... UNLESS something or someone takes your place. Jesus agreed to go to the cross and cover our sins even though we hadn't committed them yet.
Banners.... March Madness is going on as I write this. Hubby and I have been watching college basketball together for over three decades. Here's the banner part...... what if the teams all wore the same color uniforms.... I mean what if when I was watching the game.... all I could see were guys or gals wearing blue... how could I tell who's team made the shot.... when would I know when to jump up and shout.... the colors of the uniforms are different so we can tell the teams apart. There are two teams in this poem... there are the people who worship the God of Abraham and Jacob [who God renamed Israel] and there's everyone else. David had a big sign that he would show every time any human came around.... it said.... messed up stupid humans under protection of the one true God of Israel.... David's banner said.... "watch out.... God's on my side".
Rely.... God may not give me an answer to my prayer right away.... I may not need an answer to a prayer right this instant. If I think I need an answer right away.... I'm always sure to put that in my prayer... along with a good reason for rushing God. One thing I have learned over the past six decades... it's God always answers.... when He knows we need Him too. Honestly... if God answered me immediately every time I asked for something.... He'd have to assign someone else to listen to everyone else. Relying on God is like always having a constant spotter.... when I fall... He's there to make sure I fall according to my ability to get up.....I never fall further than I can get out anymore.... I trust God has His big ancient hand blocking that hole now.... I can't fall into hell anymore.
Chariot.... I love the commentary.... a Chariot is a car.... yeah I buy that.... But over in the other Bible Studies.... we've learned that God didn't want his Theocracy to depend on chariots. Chariots were a useless article to God. Judges 1:19 [for example] says that God defeated the Cananites because their chariots of iron wouldn't roll up the hill. God didn't need an iron chariot.... in fact, many decades later, God used David and a little stone to take down that big mouthed Golliath.
Falter.... I falter all the time. I have a problem with equilibrium lately. Hubby and I have been going on hikes for the past couple of years... a chance to get out in nature... get some natural vitamin D... feel younger.... but I fall down.... and bust my face all up. The bad part is... my falling hurts hubby too.... it worries him.... so when I falter [fall] it stops hubby too.... now he's afraid to take me on hikes. God worries about me too..... just like Hubby.... God doesn't like it when I fall.... maybe now that I've used my lack of equilibrium as a parody for spiritual faltering... I might get my equilibrium back.... or maybe if I got my eyes back in shape I could see where I'm walking better..... wait.... is that like saying... if I keep my eyes on God... and walk the Path He picks for me... my equilibrium will not be a problem and I will see beautiful site????? I'm in.
I know... I'm preachy this morning... but someone had to unpack this poem.... the commentaries sure didn't.
