There is no instance of a country having benefited from prolonged warfare. --Sun Tzu
In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity. --Sun Tzu
Have you ever played "capture the flag"? It is an outdoor game in which two or more teams divide up the play area, using clearly defined boundaries between each team's zone. Each team hides their flag or banner. The goal is to find the other team's flag and bring it back to your own territory. The game is more complicated the more teams there are, because the strategy mimics that of a general fighting a war on multiple fronts.
Twentieth century American writer David Eddings said, "Only an idiot tries to fight a war on two fronts, and only a madman tries to fight one on three." As soon as you shore up your defense on the west, you will most assuredly face an attack from the east. If you plan a huge offensive to the north, you leave your southern border exposed to the enemy.
This may be what David was thinking when he wrote Psalm 60. David, as you know, was a warrior king. This is why God did not allow him to construct the Temple (1 Chronicles 22:6-10). He frequently had to defend Israel's borders from enemies such as Philistia, Edom, and Moab. The preamble to Psalm 60 references a time "when he strove with Aram-naharaim and with Aram-zobah, and when Joab on his return struck down twelve thousand of Edom in the Valley of Salt."
We read of these battles in 2 Samuel. The first is described in chapter 8, verses 3-8. David was battling to restore his power at the river Euphrates. He went up against an army of chariots and defeated them. He hamstrung the horses, saving only enough for 100 chariots that he kept for himself. The rest of the chariots were destroyed. Suddenly, the Syrians of Damascus (north of Israel) came to help David's enemies. David had to fight against the Syrian allies, but he defeated them as well. He set up garrisons in Damascus and made the Syrians pay tribute to him. The Bible says, "And the Lord gave victory to David wherever he went."
The next battle is described in chapter 8, verses 13 and 14. "And David made a name for himself when he returned from striking down 18,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt. Then he put garrisons in Edom, and all the Edomites became David's servants. And the Lord gave victory to David wherever he went." If you know a bit about the geography of the region, you will realize that the Valley of Salt is to the south, near the Dead Sea. Basically, while David was battling in the north, he received intelligence of an uprising in the south, and had to march his troops all the way to the Dead Sea to defeat his enemies there.
The first battle is described more fully in 2 Samuel 10:6-19. David was winning the war against the Ammonites, who then hired the Syrian army to come help them fight off David's advances. David sent Joab, his second in command, to meet the Syrian army. Outflanked, "Joab saw that the battle was set against him both in front and in the rear" (verse 9), so he divided his army in two. And he said, "If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you shall help me, but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will come and help you." (verse 11). Joab's men were able to exhibit such a show of force that the Syrians fled. When the Ammonites saw that the Syrian mercenaries had retreated, they also fled.
Even though "the Lord gave victory to David wherever he went," there were times when the king and his general found themselves in uncertain situations. When David and his foot-soldiers were met with an army of chariots, the odds were against them. Likewise when Joab was outflanked, with the Ammonites on one side and the Syrians on the other, he knew he was not in an advantageous position.
Maybe this is why Psalm 60 starts with a cry for help.
A cry for Mercy
O God, You have rejected us, broken our defenses; You have been angry; Oh, restore us. You have made the land to quake; You have torn it open; repair its breaches, for it totters. You have made Your people see hard things; You have given us wine to drink that has made us stagger. You have set up a banner for those who fear You, that they may flee to it from the bow. That Your beloved ones may be delivered, give salvation by Your right hand and answer us! (Psalm 60:1-5)
Anyone who has been in the heat of battle knows how chaotic it can be. In order to survive, you must adapt. To overcome, you must be brave. I can't imagine how much bravery it would take if it looked like God has forsaken you. The enemy soldiers marching in lock-step, such that the earth shakes with every advancing step they take. You survey the battlefield and see the landscape littered with barriers and craters. You turn your head and see more weapons arrayed against you; everywhere you look there is danger. Your head swims; you get so dizzy you think you are drunk; you are so off-balance that with every step you stumble.
Quickly, you turn to look for your banner, your battle-flag. This gives you courage, because you know that as long as your banner flies, you are not defeated. David looks for the Banner of the Lord, Jehovah-Nissi. He knows that if God is for him, there is none that can defeat him.
A Command from God
God has spoken in His holiness: "With exultation I will divide up Shechem and portion out the Vale of Succoth. Gilead is Mine; Manasseh is Mine; Ephraim is My helmet; Judah is My scepter. Moab is my washbasin; upon Edom I cast my shoe; over Philistia I shout in triumph." (Psalm 60:6-8)
God reminds David that the battle is His. You find yourself divided, fighting on two fronts? God says he will divide the enemy for you, and set up boundaries in the land. What will He use to accomplish this? Israel itself. Gilead is a region of Israel; elsewhere in scripture God promised to heal the people there (see Jeremiah 8:22). Ephraim and Manasseh are tribes of Israel, descended from the sons of Joseph. You remember the trials that Joseph went through before he was elevated to second in command in Egypt. Things looked bleak for Joseph, but God did amazing things for him that he could only dream of. Ephesians 3:20 says, "Our God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we ask or think."
What does He think of Israel's enemies? Not much. He washes His feet with Moab. He throws His shoe on Edom. He shouts in triumph over Philistia. God is gently reminding them, "Hey, I've got this." If God has placed their enemies under His feet, then the banner they should be looking for is not their battle flag; it is the banner of God that will guide them.
A Call from Humility
Who will bring me to the fortified city? Who will lead me to Edom? Have you not rejected us, O God? You do not go forth, O God, with our armies. Oh, grant us help against the foe, for vain is the salvation of man! With God we shall do valiantly; it is He who will tread down our foes. (Psalm 60: 9-12)
David admits that from where he stands, things still look pretty bleak. Through the eyes of man, it looks like God has abandoned them. He admits that in their own strength, the battle would surely be lost. However, because God has spoken, they will fight. Because God has promised, they will prevail. Because God leads them, He will strike down their enemies.
Perhaps David remembered that God brought His people out of the land of Egypt and commanded them to cross the Red Sea on dry ground. Exodus 14:13-14 says, "And Moses said to the people, 'Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent'." The story in Exodus goes on to say that God told Moses to stop whining and to tell the people to go forward. Their situation looked bleaker than the battlefield before David--they had an army behind them and a sea in front of them. God told them to have faith, and move forward; He also said He would fight their battles. Some translations say, "The Lord Himself will fight for you; you need only to be still."
How many times do our situations look bleak, so bleak we think we will certainly need to surrender. When we are in a no-win situation, we must have faith. God will fight for us. Whether you are a seasoned soldier, or a rag-tag refugee facing a seemingly insurmountable sea of trouble, we must remember that the battle is the Lord's.
No comments:
Post a Comment