“God has promised in His holiness: ‘With exultation I will divide up Shechem and portion out the Valley of Succoth. Gilead is Mine; Manasseh is Mine; Ephraim is My helmet, Judah My scepter. Moab is My washbasin; upon Edom I cast My shoe; over Philistia I shout in triumph.’ Who will bring me to the fortified city? Who will lead me to Edom? Have you not rejected us, O God? You do not go out, O God, with our armies. Oh grant us help against the foe, for vain is the salvation of man! With God we shall do valiantly; it is He Who will tread down our foes.” Psalm 108:7-13
Devotional Thought For The Day
While recalling and reasserting the wonders of God’s steadfast love at the beginning of this psalm, and also God’s promises, the psalmist is struggling with the disparity between these realities and what is occurring on the battlefield. He is recalling what God promised to Abraham and his offspring, promises which God began implementing in the exodus and Joshua’s conquest of Canaan. Because of problems with unbelief, immorality, and idolatry among the children of Israel, these promises were not immediately fulfilled. One can read the history in the book of Judges. However, under David the borders of the nation of Israel were expanding and the power and influence of the kingdom was being extended over Philistia, Edom, and Moab, and a good ways to the north. Phoenicia [modern Lebanon] was a strong ally and Syria was fairly neutralized as a threat. However, this expansion was challenging and there were also recurrent threats. Even a strong and blessed king has problems in this fallen sinful world.
Two principles are clearly asserted for children of God, when confronted with circumstances in which it appears that God is not fulfilling His promises or smiling His blessings down upon us. First, that man’s “salvation” is vain – useless, unreliable, temporary, of little worth or value. This is a horrible aspect of our sinful nature that when our faith in God is challenged and we are required to maintain hope in the face of what appears hopeless, that we turn away from the Word of God and begin to try to “fix” things ourselves. Abraham and Sarah tried to do this with Hagar. National leaders of Israel tried to do this with alliances, especially with Egypt – in Isaiah’s time when threatened by the Assyrians, and in Jeremiah’s time when threatened by the Babylonians. We do the same in our own lives – trusting in our own abilities, skills, education, power of reasoning, or in our institutions. We do the same in the church when we amend the teachings of Scripture so that they are more palatable and inviting to the sinful nature of people, and when we craft the institution of the church with an eye to numerical and financial success rather than on the principles of building the kingdom of God. All of this is vain and useless; if we want to end prejudice and discrimination it is more important to fix hearts than to fix institutions; if we want greater security and to end horrific behavior we ought not negotiate with terrorists – either their hearts must change or justice must be executed against them; if we want the church to grow [the real church, the communion of believers], then we must remain doggedly faithful to the Word of God regardless of the “quantitative” outcome.
The second principle is that “with God we shall do valiantly; it is He Who will tread down our foes.” This is simply stated, but nuanced. Our participation is important – this is the life of faith. It is important that we put our faith and trust in God, and we are called to act upon our faith, to act in accord with our faith and trust in God. When we do so we are changed – we are strengthened and tempered so that we “do valiantly,” we act with courage and valor. At the same time, this is not the cause of victory or success; rather, “it is He Who will tread down our foes.” Both points are important. We are to be courageous and valiant for “you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!'” [Rom. 8:15] Likewise, our power and strength is finite and limited but it is God Who controls, dictates, and determines all things. Our ultimate victory is not our accomplishment but His, and so our faith and trust is not in ourselves but in Him. This is the only faith that is in keeping with reality, the only faith that is reasonable and appropriate – and this faith is godly and God-pleasing.
Through failures and difficulties in life, by experiencing disparity and exercising patient, humble trust in God, our faith is actually strengthened and we become more valiant. Such valor is not based upon some false trust in ourselves, but rather in the power, mercy, and love of God, and in His promises to us. This too is a huge blessing of God, one which He seeks for us and a blessing only He can give. But it is received painfully in the midst of great challenges, both physical challenges and spiritual challenges. We pray for such faith and that God will make us valiant, but we do not wish for the heat and pounding of such tempering. But if it comes we must pray as the psalmist did – receiving such sanctification from God and remembering that the victory is His, and it is assured to us. This will be enough to sustain us until we receive our portion in the promised land of God’s heavenly kingdom.
Prayer For The Day
Dear Lord Jesus, even You in Your human nature learned obedience from what You suffered. Grant us strength of faith to endure all trials and testings that we too may learn obedience, that we also may be valiant and do valiantly. Thanks and praise be to You for the victory already won at the cross, where You trampled down and destroyed our mortal enemies of sin, guilt, condemnation, and death. Grant us faith and trust that Your promises will be fulfilled in regard to the ultimate victory on the Last Day. Forbid that we trust in man or become satisfied with temporary deliverance and success; keep us firm in our faith and trust in You and faithful to Your Word. Amen.