Psalms
Chapter 20
Prayer for the King
May the Lord answer you in the day of distress; may the name of Jacob’s God give you protection.
May he send you help from the Sanctuary and give you support from Mount Zion.
May he remember all your oblations and look favorably on your burnt offerings.
May he grant you your heart’s desire and fulfill all your plans.
In your victory, let us shout for joy and raise our banner in the name of our God. May the Lord grant all your requests.
Now I know that the Lord saves his anointed;he has answered him from his holy heaven with victories from his right hand.
Some boast of chariots, some of horses; but we boast in the name of the Lord our God.
Their forces will collapse and be crushed, but ours shall rise, and stand firm.
When we call, answer us, O Lord,make the king victorious!
Commentaries
20
We can’t expect to feel excited about some dead king’s campaign. ‘Send him victorious’ for only one, and his crown was made of thorns. This psalm is not for us unless we accept this fact. God’s word must always be effective, but sometimes, it has already done its work in one area and must turn to face a different situation. This is not always the case, but it can be here because we are still a monarchy, and the king is Christ. When victory is final, we will say: “Thanks be given to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor 15:57). Those willing to believe that our help is in the Name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth, can pray with this psalm.
This psalm invites us not to rely too heavily on our own accomplishments, but rather to place our trust more firmly in God’s power. May the Lord protect those who struggle to bring about the kingdom of truth, just as he protected Christ, our King.