2. You have shaken our land and split it open. Seal the cracks, for the land trembles.
3. You have been very hard on us, making us drink wine that sent us reeling.
4. But you have raised a banner for those who fear you—a rallying point in the face of attack.
Interlude
5. Now rescue your beloved people. Answer and save us by your power.
6. God has promised this by his holiness “I will divide up Shechem with joy.
I will measure out the valley of Succoth.
7. Gilead is mine, and Manasseh, too. Ephraim, my helmet, will produce my warriors, and Judah, my scepter, will produce my kings.
8. But Moab, my washbasin, will become my servant, and I will wipe my feet on Edom and shout in triumph over Philistia.
9. Who will bring me into the fortified city? Who will bring me victory over Edom?
10. Have you rejected us, O God? Will you no longer march with our armies?
11. Oh, please help us against our enemies, for all human help is useless.
12. With God’s help we will do mighty things, for he will trample down our foes.
One of the things I've learned through my study of the Psalms is that David believed absolutely everything in his life was influenced by God...either by way of his involvement of his lack of involvement. It's an approach that would benefit each of us. Instead, we consider so much of life a coincidence...leaving us wondering about the point.
Not David...so he begins this psalm by saying "You have rejected us, O God, and broken our defenses. You have been angry with us; now restore us to your favor. You have shaken our land and split it open. Seal the cracks, for the land trembles. You have been very hard on us, making us drink wine that sent us reeling." In this instance trouble has come through God's direct intervention. It's not an accident and it didn't happen because God was busy elsewhere.
It's a tough pill to swallow. After all...it's much easier to believe we're in trouble because God has distanced himself. We don't have to take it so personally...we can believe God has "copped an attitude". Which, by the way, is the reason most of the world is angry with God. We can turn our backs on God with an inappropriate sense of self-righteousness.
Of course, it's a very short-term solution. When has it ever paid long-term dividends?
Because David recognized the hand of God in his circumstance he knew exactly where to turn for relief. "But you have raised a banner for those who fear you—a rallying point in the face of attack. Now rescue your beloved people. Answer and save us by your power." I like the metaphor of God as a "rallying point." The picture is of the pandemonium of battle, let's say 16th century England. The battle is going poorly. As casualties mount every soldier begins looking for his own path to safety.Will falters and confidence vaporizes. Before long the army is in full defeat and scattering.
But, wait! The king sits tall in his saddle and lifts his ensign high...for all to see. He roars a command for his army to take courage...and the tide turns. The kings forces are victorious.
When our lives are in disarray, we need a focus...a rallying point. Something that we can look to that will fill our hearts with strength and courage. I can't imagine we would ever regard God as that banner unless we held an abiding conviction that He was already interested and involved in our lives.
For David it was simple. He knew his trouble derived from God and knew his equilibrium had the same...and only...source. "Oh, please help us against our enemies, for all human help is useless. With God’s help we will do mighty things, for he will trample down our foes." Unfortunately most of us are slow to this awareness. By the time we recognize God is the solution we have tried a new wife, a new job, a new house, a new diet and a new wardrobe... resulting in nothing of note, except for new credit card bills.
How about we skip the frenetic search for solutions and go straight to the source?
Live boldly out there today...
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