Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Our country’s motto is inscribed on our money lest we forget.

“In God we trust”.

Every time we take a dollar out to use it and every time we receive even a dollar we are reminded that our trust is not in things, and not even in the money in our hands, but our trust is to be in God alone.

Who do we trust in though?

Do we really trust in God alone?

This evening we come to Psalm 20 which again is another Psalm of David and written to the Choir Director or Chief Musician which by now we know has a double meaning.

It is a Psalm for public worship and also it is written to God as the Choir Director and Chief Musician.

This Psalm is a prayer perhaps written for singing before battle - it was believed to have been written before David went out to fight the Ammonites and the Syrians, although no one quite knows when it was written.

This account seems to fit and was followed by a victory - which is what the next Psalm 21 is about the victory after the war.

This is not the only battle that David fought in his life.

David was a man of war and had many battles throughout his life and reign.

I believe this Psalm was penned before the battle as a reminder to David that his trust is in God.

This Psalm is proof that David’s trust was in the LORD God.

Like David we will face many battles in our lifetimes.

Maybe not wars against other countries but wars nonetheless against a formidable foe - namely our flesh and against the spiritual realm.

In the time leading up to the battle we reveal where our trust is by how we prepare.

David demonstrated his trust in the LORD by praying to the Lord for victory and trusting Him for it.

We can know victory in our own battles but victory comes from putting our trust not in ourselves or anything else but putting our trust in the Lord.

Let’s read together and see what it looks like to trust in the Lord.

By Turning to Prayer

This Psalm is a royal Psalm as the king was about to go out to war, but stopped to pray and worship in the sanctuary.

Before the army went out to battle, the Jewish law of warfare required the officers and soldiers first to dedicate themselves to the Lord.

What we see here is such a dedication service in which the king prays, the people pray and both trusting in the Lord for victory through prayer.

Prayer was never meant to be a last resort, but a method of proper equipping and preparation.

We see regularly in the life of David that prayer was not the last thing on his mind but the first thing and especially when he was in trouble.

Going to God in prayer is trusting that God will act on our behalf, and David rightfully believed that God acts on behalf of His people.

“May the Lord answer you in a day of trouble” “May the name of Jacob’s God protect you” “May he send you help and sustain you” “May He remember all your offerings and accept your burnt offering” “May He give you what your heart desires and fulfill your whole purpose” “May the LORD fulfill all your requests” This prayer shows that the trust is in the Lord to answer.

Not David’s own skill and previous victories (as he was victorious in wars and battles all throughout his life).

The repeated phrase “May He or May the Lord” denotes that it is the Lord that they are looking to provide everything necessary for and for the victory itself.

This understands not all sacrifices are acceptable before the Lord and not all prayers for our desires will be answered either.

If they are not offered accordingly.

Sacrifices as laid out in the book of Leviticus and prayers and described throughout scripture.

If they didnt line up they wouldn’t be remembered or accepted by God.

When our desires are in accord with the plan and will of God for us, then we can pray with confidence that God will grant us our requests.

We must also continue to look to God to bring our desires more into alignment with His as we grow.

Our desires are out of alignment with the Lord also when our relationship with the Lord is broken.

When our hearts are far from the Lord our hearts are far from the Lord’s heart.

Prayers are hindered in such things - the Lord has said He wont hear prayers while we are not in right relationship with Him.

If you are right before God He will hear you, answer you and help you, and give you the victory.

By the same token if you are not right you will miss out on the victory God wants to give you.

God also gives each of us a purpose to fulfill in His plan throughout the ages.

Some of us play a larger part like King David - who was to subdue the land and bring forth in His lineage the promised Messiah.

The key to fulfilled desires and achieved purpose is to seek to find our place in His plan instead of waiting for God to make us an actor through our own plan.

Jesus knew this fulfilled desire and purpose as displayed in His great prayer in John 17.

The apostle Paul also knew of this fulfilled desire and purpose.

The king’s desire was for victory over the enemy and to win the battle before him.

The one who hold the victory in His hands is God and so he went before the Lord in prayer and even invited the people to pray over them as well.

God desires for you to have victory over the enemy in the battles in your life also, but He wants you to trust in Him not your own strength for the victory.

The enemy knows victory is only found in God and that is why he works to discourage us from praying before the battle ever begins.

By Kneeling in Faith

When they prayed they didnt come praying in fear, but in faith because of who they were praying to.

When praying for victory WHO you pray to matters.

Look at verse 5 “Let us shout for joy at your victory, AND lift the banner in the name of OUR GOD.”

The name of God as revealed to Moses was YHWH - Yahweh or I AM THAT I AM.

We also see further identification in that they call upon the name of Jacob’s God.

The God who revealed himself to Jacob at different times throughout his life.

The God who changed Jacobs name from Jacob which was steeped in deceitfulness and sin and was remade, renewed and renamed Israel by this God.

To trust in God is to trust in His genuine name.

The name of something regards its true character, and thus to have the right name requires the right qualities and character.

Downtown you can go and find some $10 Rolax watches, or some $10 oakey sunglasses and some $5 Conserve All Star shoes - none of those things have the quality of the true name though.

Trust in the true and living God, not some handcrafted knock-off.

The Psalmist says that some take pride in chariots and others in horses, but we take pride in the NAME of the LORD our God.

The character and faithfulness of God was mightier in David’s eyes than thousands of chariots and horses.

Israel was not to have large numbers of chariots and horses because they were to trust only in the LORD’s power in the battles.

Even in the face of overwhelming might and odds it is God who will give the victory.

This is easy to forget and counter-intuitive to human reasoning logic.

The end of those who trust in horses and chariots, well they collapse and fall.

They literally bow down prostrated in submission and fall or suffer ruin defeat and failure.

Notice the antithetical parallel and how what each one chooses brings about a different result.

They have trusted in things that do not have sovereign power.

Those who trust in the name of the LORD our God they rise or stand to one’s feet and stand firm to resist and stand against, because God is sovereign and omnipotent to cause them to rise and not be moved.

It is better to trust in Him than stockpiled weapons.

Those who are on the Lord’s side WILL stand upright when the smoke of battle clears.

King David expressed great confidence in verse 6 that God would give the victory to His anointed and that He would specifically answer from His holy heaven with mighty victories from His right hand.

David said “now I KNOW” - not I hope, not “I think”, but David said “now I KNOW”.

What is it that he knows?

David knows that God gives victory to His anointed.)

This statement is a definite statement of faith.

As long as the king and the army is carrying out God’s purposes God’s ways they can trust Him for the victory.

God is seen as willing to save them.

The key to this is not God being on their side as many falsely assume, but rather it is being on God’s side.

This statement is also a definite statement of faith in that not only is God willing to save but that God is ABLE to save.

It doesn’t matter how vast the army or how well developed the warriors.

Our faith and confidence for the victory relies less on experience and training and more on our closeness with the LORD.

If experience and training counts for anything it is merely to continue to shape our utter dependence and reliance upon the LORD.

Faith is the assurance of what is not yet, and those who have faith in God can claim the victory before it is there.

By Standing in Commitment

David cried out to the LORD to give victory to the king!

He looked to the LORD for victory and even called out for it.

Those who live by faith in God through the grace of God will find themselves crying out to God.

They stand committed to God.

Crying out to God might be seen by some as a lack of faith or commitment, but that simply isn’t true.

Crying out to God demonstrates a commitment and a dependence upon God for His help.

The life of the people of God as believers is such that we work out of our weaknesses not our strengths.

It is through our weaknesses that God is most glorified.

Who cares if we can do it in our own strength - it is when God intervenes through God’s miraculous working that people encounter and are touched with the presence of God.

Gods people tend to live tolerating a lesser life because we live in doubt and fear.

The strong and victorious believer is one who lives with a commitment to God knowing that without God’s delivery evil and wickedness would assume their place.

Crying out is not a sign of weakness but commitment.