Psalm 20

Order of Service

• Scripture Reading & Sermon — Psalm 20
• Pastoral Prayer

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Sermon Title: Trusting in the Name of the Lord

Scripture: Psalm 20

I. Request — Psalm 20:1–5

A. The name of the Lord as protection (v. 1)

1. Israel's armies went out under the name of Yahweh as their protector
2. This continues into the New Testament — disciples go out in the name of Christ, baptizing in the name of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Acts)
3. To have the name of God upon you is to have his protection

B. The sanctuary and sacrifice as the place of drawing near (vv. 2–3)

1. God's special presence dwelt in the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle, later the Temple on Zion
2. The king would offer burnt sacrifices before going out to battle
3. Application: like Israel and the king, we should pause to worship and cry out to the Lord before entering difficult situations
4. Hebrew sacrifice is not manipulation of God — it is a heartfelt cry acknowledging God's sovereignty and freedom to bless; God must confer his favor on the offering, distinguishing Israel's religion from surrounding ancient Near Eastern religions

C. The king's heart aligned with Yahweh's heart (v. 4)

1. The king's desires are fulfilled because they are Yahweh's desires
2. This unity of will between king and God finds its fulfillment in Christ — "I and the Father are one" (cf. John 10:30); "Whoever has seen me has seen the Father" (cf. John 14:9)

D. Banners set up in the name of God (v. 5)

1. Military banners were common rallying points throughout the ancient Near East, seen also in the tribal organization of Numbers
2. Israel's banners are raised in the name of the Lord — trust is not in military might but in the sovereign God above them

II. Assurance — Psalm 20:6–9

A. The pattern of the Psalter: petition leads to assurance

1. Prayerful reflection on God's goodness and character, followed by requests according to his covenant promises, yields assurance of his protection and love
2. The Reformers taught that assurance is not the essence of faith but is an added blessing Scripture calls us to seek; the Psalter provides a repeated channel for gaining it

B. God's sanctuary expands from Zion to the heavens (v. 6)

1. The earthly Tabernacle and Temple were blueprints and types of the heavenly sanctuary (cf. Hebrews 8)
2. The psalmist lifts his eyes from the earthly type to Yahweh enthroned in his heavenly sanctuary, answering his anointed with the saving might of his right hand

C. Trust in the Lord rather than chariots and horses (v. 7)

1. Chariots and horses were the most formidable military force of the ancient world; Israel rests instead in the power of Yahweh
2. A repeated Old Testament motif: God brings victory when his people are weakest and most vulnerable
   • The Exodus: weak Israel vs. Pharaoh's chariots — God destroys the army at the Red Sea
   • Judges 7: Gideon's 32,000 reduced to 300 so Israel would not credit the victory to their own strength
   • Deuteronomy 17: the law of the king forbids acquiring many horses, so the king relies on Yahweh rather than military might

D. Psalm 20 points to King Jesus

1. Christ is the king who fully embodies trust in God rather than in earthly strength
2. The cross is the starkest fulfillment of the motif — Christ strips himself of equality with God and becomes a servant unto death (cf. Philippians 2:6–8), naked and vulnerable, relying solely on his Father
3. The resurrection confirms that God answered his anointed — the king's heart's desire fulfilled, victory over sin and death won
4. Christ goes to battle for his people, purchasing them with his redemptive blood and rising victorious for their justification (cf. Romans 4:25)
5. Gethsemane as the picture of the king's trust: Christ sweats blood yet puts his faith entirely in the Lord, and that trust wins victory over Satan, sin, and death