Psalm 20
1The Lord answer you in the day of trouble! The name of the God of Jacob
protect you!
2May he send you help from the sanctuary, and give you support from
Zion.
3May he remember all your offerings, and regard with favor your burnt
sacrifices.
4May he grant you your heart’s desire, and fulfill all your plans.
5May we shout for joy over your victory, and in the name of our God set up
our banners. May the Lord fulfill all your petitions.
6Now I know that the Lord will help his anointed; he will answer him from
his holy heaven with mighty victories by his right hand.
7Some take pride in chariots, and some in horses, but our pride is in the
name of the Lord our God.
8They will collapse and fall, but we shall rise and stand upright.
9Give victory to the king, O Lord; answer us when we call.
In a commentary on the book of Psalms, Dr. J. Clinton McCann
(Evangelical Associate Professor of Biblical Interpretation, Eden
Theological Seminary) writes this:
“On one level, it is possible to hear Psalm 20 as nothing more than a piece
of ancient Judean political propaganda—that is, God is on our side, and
God will give us the victory. It seems to be an ancient example of the kind
of thinking that is so dangerous and frightening in our day, thinking that
leads people to conclude that God sanctions whatever our nation does and
to label our opponents as evil empires.
On the other hand, it is possible to hear Psalm 20 quite differently, building
upon the insight that the primary actor in the psalm is God, not the king or
the people. Keeping this in mind, we can hear in Psalm 20 the lesson that
the people of any nation in some sense depend on their leaders, as well as
the admonition that both the people and their leaders are to depend on
God.
Mays concludes:
‘As Scripture the psalm teaches the church to pray for those who hold the
power of office, because they, like us, are dependent on the Lord. It warns
against ever letting our dependence on their service turn into the trust we
owe to God alone. It warns against allowing their fascination with military
strength to make us support policies based on trust in military might.’
In other words, Psalm 20 is actually anti-militaristic. It exhorts us to submit
our will to God’s will rather than pretend that our will is God’s will. It is
another invitation to live under God’s reign: ‘Thy kingdom come, thy will be
done.’” (New Interpreter’s Bible Commentary)
Psalm 20 is also a benediction, so as you move into the rest of your day,
hear these words of blessing, adapted from the Psalmist in Hymn #548
"May God Support You All Your Days":
May God support you all your days,
in times of gladness and in need.
May God remember you with grace
and bless your every word and deed. Amen.