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Writer's pictureDan Potter

Psalm 20 - Personal Armies

“Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. They collapse and fall, but we rise and stand upright.” Psalm 20:7-8


Armies have been built and assembled since the very beginning of time. As soon as two people inhabited the earth they sharply disagreed and threatened to attack one another. As a result, armies were soon assembled to either defend the oncoming attack or take the offensive. But building armies has looked very different throughout the ages. The first soldiers merely collected rocks and clubs as ammunition, yet today we collect nuclear missiles, aircraft carriers, and robotic drones. For King David, it was somewhere in the middle of the two. Being only 200 years from the cusp of the iron age, weapons of metal were the newest rage of the day and could inflict the most damage and fear upon the enemy. And within the pinnacle of those iron weapons was the chariot. Along with a fierce war horse to pull it, the iron chariot could wreak havoc upon an enemy without them. So, considering this, you would think that God would assemble a massive army of chariots for Israel to easily and quickly defend themselves, yes? Not quite.


Deuteronomy 17:16 says "But he shall not multiply horses for himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses, for the Lord has said to you, “You shall not return that way again.”” David was a man of God’s Word and would have been keenly aware of this verse and that it was not a mere recommendation or suggestion, but a command of God to the king that ruled His people. And well, without Egyptian war horses to pull the chariots, the chariots were out of the picture. So as Israel suffered attacks on all sides from her many enemies, why do you think God would specifically deny them the most advanced, current, military weapon of the day? Great question. And one that should resonate within us today. Are we assembling our own personal armies for battle today, or are we instead seeing the name of the Lord as the most valuable weapon we possess?


God made us, knows us intimately, and sees into our tomorrows. He knows that we are timid creatures and suffer fright and fear at the mere mention of threat. People today feast on the news of the countless evils of this world, and as a result, live lives that are hunkered down in terror and anxiety of what may happen to them next. As a result, you see billions today that live their lives on the constant defensive, assembling their own armies to defend against an unknown threat that they have been told is coming. But the Lord has different plans for those that boldly call upon the name of His Son Jesus Christ. The Lord will protect and boldly defend those that belong to Him. And He is bigger, stronger, and mightier than any sword, chariot, disease, political party, or country. Resting in the name of the Lord is where true strength, comfort and peace lie. And if you’ve read ahead to 1 Kings 10:26-29, you have seen that the very son of King David, Solomon, out of his fear and pride, did just what God’s Word commanded against. He assembled great armies of Egyptian horses and chariots and stood confidently behind his great army. But in doing so, he was standing behind his own created strength, not the Lord’s. And it is soon after that we see one of the greatest assembled armies in history fall as Israel is splintered in two and overcome by her lesser enemies. The lesson? When we rest in our own strength, we disallow the strength of God to be our core. When we pridefully gaze at our finances, our material goods, and the easy life that we have created for ourselves, we can quickly rest in ourselves and not in the Lord. And it is in this very sentiment that we see a man with a heart after God’s own say, we will solely rest in the powerful name of Almighty God…for those that trust in Him will be delivered indeed.


“They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord. Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear; in the end they will look in triumph on their foes.” Psalm 112:7-8



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