No king is saved by the size of his army
Psalms 33:16-19 - Right, much more than might, has importance in God’s eyes.
The subjugation of Edom by King David’s army. Image source unknown, found on ScripturalThinking.com.
“No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength. A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save. But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine.”
Psalms 33:16-19 NIV
The Old Testament is full of references to underdogs being victorious over much larger or fiercer armies, and today’s verses hearken back to the many times that the righteous — those who fear Him, on those whose hope is in His unfailing love — were delivered by the Lord. Let’s look at these four verses from Psalms in order, and gain some deeper understanding of what the Psalmist is saying.
“No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength.” The psalmist is stating that humans working alone (without God’s assistance) cannot direct the course of events. God works on and with man in accordance to His plan to accomplish His purpose, sometimes working in opposition to man’s plans.
I’m sure I’ve mentioned our fascination with World War II history. When one looks at the early phases of the war, it frankly looked hopeless for the forces of good — the Allied nations — who were fighting against evil. The forces of evil (the Axis nations) were enslaving millions, were sadistically cruel in their treatment of those who they dominated, and (in the case of Nazi Germany) were systematically murdering those they felt were “subhuman”.
Dunkirk 26-29 May 1940 British troops line up on the beach at Dunkirk to await evacuation. Public Domain, from the archives of the Imperial War Museum and published under the IWM Non Commercial License
Yet even in those hopeless times, it was possible to see God’s plan at work. After Europe was overrun by German troops and the few Allied troops attempting to hold the continent suffered humiliating defeat, there were signs of hope. The evacuation of over 338,000 troops from Dunkirk was nothing less than miraculous, and the nine months of the Battle of Britain essentially stopped any German hopes of invading the island nation.
There were certainly many deaths and defeats on the Allied side in both theaters of war, but the number of seemingly miraculous victories kept mounting until there was total victory over the Axis. Was God at work for the Allies? I personally believe He had to be. As Charles Spurgeon said of this verse,
“All along the line of history this verse has been verified. The strongest battalions melt like snowflakes when God is against them.”1
“A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save.” This verse seems a little out of place, but the psalmist is referring to the height of military technology of the time — the horse. God governs humanity’s destiny, so even having the latest technology and vast resources will not affect the eventual outcome of a conflict alone.
“But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,” Here the psalmist reiterates that God watches over those who fear (respect) Him, and those with unshakable faith. In Matthew 10:29, Jesus reminds us that “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.”
God watches out even more for those whose faith is in Him, who were made in His image, and who honor Him with praise and worship.
“to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine.” The last verse points to the saving grace of God through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. Those who respect the Lord expressed through righteous living and repentance, and who display their faith in Jesus are delivered from death.
Right, much more than might, has importance in God’s eyes.
Heaven On Wheels Daily Prayer:
Lord, I thank You for the many examples of Your mercy to those nations that fear You, and for Your written Word that instructs those with faith. I pray for peace, but if conflict is inevitable I know that those who love You will eventually prevail. AMEN.
Scripture quotations taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica US, Inc.®. Used by permission.
Spurgeon, Charles Haddon "The Treasury of David: Volume 1" (Psalms 1-57) (Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson, 1988)