Psalm 60:3-4,8,11-12 NIV
[3] You have shown your people desperate times; you have given us wine that makes us stagger. [4] But for those who fear you, you have raised a banner to be unfurled against the bow.
[8] Moab is my washbasin, on Edom I toss my sandal; over Philistia I shout in triumph. ”
[11] Give us aid against the enemy, for human help is worthless. [12] With God we will gain the victory, and he will trample down our enemies.
David wrote this psalm after a military defeat. After all, the promises of God’s protection seemed so unreal in the face of this defeat.
Things don’t always go the way we expect, even for the people of God operating in the promises of God. This is not a time for defeatist thinking, or for a loss of faith. Rather it is a time for pressing in to God and remembering that He is the Creator and that we are his creatures. He remains the same. His promises remain unchanged. His love for us remains unquestioned. Still, we are in the midst of what we see as a defeat. We think God has abandoned us. We doubt his promises.
But the call of the strong leader goes out, “ But for those who fear you, you have raised a banner to be unfurled against the bow.”
The banner is the rallying place. It offers no physical protection against the bow. It is a call to action; rally under the banner and fight. That is the function of the banner. As long as it is raised the soldiers know that the battle is still alive and that they can rally under that banner. That is why there is so much effort in a battle to capture the banner, for then the battle is lost. It may be only a piece of cloth on a pole, but it represents the general who is leading the soldiers, and that he is still in the battle and fighting.
The banner is the point of rally. All are called to fight under that banner.
David keeps the real issue in mind. He knows who he is fighting for and with. God is still in charge and he is the great general who brings victory. David reminds his troops of how God sees the enemy.
[8] Moab is my washbasin, on Edom I toss my sandal; over Philistia I shout in triumph. ”
The enemies are as nothing to God.
• They are his “washbasin”, a mere vessel that he uses for his own purposes of “washing”.
• He is contemptuous of them, he “tosses his sandal on them”, a sign of disdain and contempt.
• He shouts in triumph over them.
They are as nothing to God and that is how David sees them. That is how we are to see our (spiritual) enemies. Remember that no physical person is our enemy.
Ephesians 6:12 NIV
[12] For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
We are to fight the devil and all his fallen angels with the whole power of God. That is where the battle is and that is where the victory is to be won.
Even when we find ourselves in tough circumstances where we are tempted to doubt God, he is still in charge. He still calls us to his unfurled banner. He calls us to rally together and go forward in his power and authority to see the enemy defeated. This is the reality of spiritual warfare. This is where every battle is to be won; not by human effort, but by rallying under his banner and trusting him for the victory as we stand in the place of the victory of the Cross.
[11] Give us aid against the enemy, for human help is worthless. [12] With God we will gain the victory, and HE will trample down our enemies.
Jesus has already won the battle facing us. That was won for us on the Cross of Calvary. We have to stand on that victory and not give up hope. Even when the circumstances cry out the opposite, we are to STAND.
No comments:
Post a Comment