Psalm 20 – The Lord Saves His Anointed

Psalm 20 is a unique kind of royal Psalm, a prayer for a king about to go into battle, in this case, King David. In ancient Israel, entering a battlefield was always an extremely spiritual thing. This Psalm is a prayer and a thanksgiving for the king.

In Psalm 20: 1-4, we see a prayer to God for the king’s protection. The people were begging God on his behalf that he, the Lord, Hear, The name Defend, send, strengthen, remember, accept, grant, and fulfill.

The Lord hear thee in the day of trouble; the name of the God of Jacob defend thee; send thee help from the sanctuary, and strengthen thee out of Zion; remember all thy offerings and accept thy burnt sacrifice; Selah. Grant thee according to thine own heart and fulfill all thy counsel.

Psalm 20:5-6 we have the realization of the people’s prayers for their king. They picture the king protected by God. And that causes them to rejoice. The use of salvation or saveth or saving is where we get the idea that the people are asking for salvation, deliverance, or protection of their king. In the first four verses of the Psalm, we see individual requests taken together amount to this repeated concept of protection.

We will rejoice in thy salvation, and in the name of our God, we will set up our banners: the Lords fulfill all thy petitions. Now know I that the Lord saveth his anointed; he will hear him from his holy heaven with the saving strength of his right hand.

Psalm 20:7-8 have some contracts; in verse 7, the first contrast is between the things that a person trusts in or the one to whom we call when we are in distress. Some people call upon chariots and horses or those materials that are available for us. Then there is we who trust in the name of the Lord. The second contrast is the result of choosing God for protection or any other means.

Some trust in chariots and some trust in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God. They are brought down and fallen: but we will rise and stand upright.

Psalm 20:9 concludes this prayer with a request from the people to the Lord to hear them again and the petition they’ve offered for their king.

Save, Lord: let the king hear us when we call.

Even the greatest of men may be in much trouble. Neither the crown on the king’s head nor the grace in his heart would free him from difficulty. Even the greatest of men must be much in prayer. As the king needed prayer we also need it. The Psalm reminds us whom to call unto when in trouble and where our strength comes from. Let us never forget God’s faithfulness as we lift his banner and petition for his desires and purpose to manifest out of our lives: he is faithful to do it.