In the time of King David, the people of Israel found themselves in great turmoil. The King had to endure battles not only with the foreign kingdoms of Aram-naharaim and Aram-zobah, but also with internal strife and struggle. A tension hung in the air, like a storm brewing on the horizon, threatening to drown the land beneath its wrath. But amidst these storms, a prayer was lifted to the heavens.
David cried to God, “O God thou hast cast us off, thou hast broken us down; Thou hast been angry; oh restore us again. Thou hast made the land to tremble; thou hast rent it: Heal the breaches thereof; for it shaketh.” The earth itself seemed to quake with the agony of God’s people. They had become the plaything of misfortune, buffeted about in the stormy seas of strife, conflict, and hostility.
David recounted the hard trials God had brought upon His chosen ones: hard things beyond their strength to bear, a heavy, intoxicating draught of sorrow and despair. “Thou hast showed thy people hard things: Thou hast made us to drink the wine of staggering.” Yet even in the throes of despair, David held onto faith. He recognized that God had given a banner to those who still held Him in fear and awe. This banner was a symbol, a beacon of truth and hope amidst the turmoil.
David pled for deliverance, not for himself alone but for all of God’s beloved. “That thy beloved may be delivered, Save with thy right hand, and answer us.” He also recognized God’s sovereignty and divine ownership over the nations such as Gilead, Manasseh, and Ephraim. Yet, he did not exclude the enemies like Moab and Edom, which were compared to a washpot and a shoe respectively. In a triumphant note, David declared, “Philistia, shout thou because of me.”
Yet, amidst this, a plea for divine assistance rang out. Aware of their weakness, the Psalmist questioned, “Hast not thou, O God, cast us off? And thou goest not forth, O God, with our hosts?” A desperate plea for assistance rose from the multitude, “Give us help against the adversary; For vain is the help of man.” But their weakness was their strength, for it led them back to God.
Through their struggles, the people of Israel learned a profound truth. Despite their trials, despite their sufferings, they understood that they were not alone. God was with them, and God was their strength. “Through God we shall do valiantly; For He it is that will tread down our adversaries.” With renewed faith, they prepared to face whatever lay ahead, knowing that God would be their shield and defender, their ultimate deliverer.
