 |  |
May we who read these words gratefully realize that the power and the glory of the
Word of God lie largely in the fact that there Christ is all and in all.
The Name (Psa. 20:).
pp. 187 - 189
The most important feature of this Psalm is the recurrence of "The Name".
"The Lord hear thee in the day of trouble
The NAME of the God of Jacob defend thee" (verse 2).
"We will rejoice in Thy salvation
And in the NAME of our God we will set up our banners" (verse 5).
"Some trust in chariots and some in horses;
But we will remember the NAME of the Lord our God" (verse 7).
Before endeavouring to draw out some of the comfort of these verses, it will be
helpful if we remember the custom of Bible lands to which allusion is made. In his book,
Pictured Palestine, the Rev. James Neil, quoting from an article in the Quarterly
Statement of the Palestine Exploration Fund, January, 1879, says:--
"A fourth and most remarkable mode of taking sanctuary is evidently ancient. A man
when pursued and overtaken by the avenger of blood may yet in most cases save himself
by crying, `I am the Daheel (that is `one who has entered the abode of') such an one',
mentioning the name of some person of power or rank. According to their custom, the
protection of the person invoked is gained by thus merely calling upon his name. It is
held to be as though the fugitive had succeeded in entering the tent of the dwelling of the
person he mentions. In such a case, if `the avengers of blood' refuse to listen to the
appeal and take the manslayer's life, the person on whose name he has called is bound,
by their code of honour, to take swift and summary vengeance. . . . he marches to the
place where his Daheel was slain and has a right to take vengeance upon all who were
concerned in killing him during three and one-third days. . . . when the three and
one-third days are over, a white flag is hoisted on a pole by the relatives of the Daheel
who was put to death, in honour of his protector."
At first sight we may be tempted to call such an illustration but cold comfort, for
although the name was invoked, and vengeance was executed, the fact still remained, the
one who sought protection was dead. This, however, we feel, is just the very point of the
passage before us. First notice that the Psalm is a prayer for the Messiah, who figures
prominently in the series of Psalms commencing with Psa. 16: Notice Psa. 21: is all
about the King, crowned and in resurrection. Psa. 20: 4 says, "Grant thee according to
thine own heart". Psa. 21: 2 says, "Thou hast given him his heart's desire". What was
this desire? "He asked life of thee, and thou gavest it him, even length of days for ever
and ever". The "crown of pure gold", the "glory and honour", the gladness with the
Lord's countenance, speak of the glory of the Lord in resurrection (cf. Heb. 2: 10-18;
5: 7).
Psalms 22:, 23:, and 24: follow, and the references therein to the
Messiah's death and resurrection need no expansion in these pages.