Series: Psalms
Title: Some Trust Horses But We Will Remember
Text: Psalm 20: 7-8
Date: March 12, 2015
Place: SGBC, New Jersey
Psalm 20: 7: Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God. 8: They are brought down and fallen: but we are risen, and stand upright.
There is no question: you and I need to be saved! We have broken God’s law—we need righteousness; we have a defiled sin-nature—we need holiness.
Romans 3:10: As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
Jeremiah 17:9: The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
There is no question: in Adam, we all became sinners and death passed upon us; There is no question: only by the obedience of Christ can we be made righteous and holy.
Romans 5: 17: For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)
Righteousness and eternal life is a free gift given by the abundance of God’s grace, by the obedience of one, Jesus Christ. So there is no question we need to be saved; there is no question we need to be made righteous and holy by the Lord Jesus Christ. The question is: Do you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ to save you? Or do you trust in some vain way?
I love a simple illustration of salvation. Our text puts all men into one of two categories: “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.”
Chariots and horses represent all things sinners look to for salvation other than Christ Jesus: Concerning our works for salvation, God says, “I will declare thy righteousness, and thy works; for they shall not profit thee.” (Is 57: 12) Scripture is clear, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us.” (Titus 3: 5)
The second half of our text says, “But we will remember the name of the LORD our God.” Believers trust the LORD our God alone for salvation. One thing which marked Israel as God’s peculiar people was the absence of the horse and chariot, in their midst. They were to trust God alone to deliver them. So it is with those God brings to faith in Christ, we are to have an absence of all works for salvation: “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God. “
The question you and I must ask is: which of these two categories am I in?
Here is what we will see in the message: all who trust in another refuge are fallen and shall be damned; but those who trust the LORD are saved and shall be saved.
“Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.”
THE FAITHFUL KING JESUS IN HUMBLE OBEDIENCE
First, to remember the name of the LORD our God, we will look to our faithful King Jesus.
In Israel, God gave a law, which the king of Israel was to obey which forbid the king from looking to horses rather than God. The law stated, “he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses.” (Deut 17: 16)
Look at this one law as representing the whole law of God. The king was to obey God’s law, trusting God alone to save Israel. The king was not to add anything—such as multiplying horses to himself. The king was not to break covenant with God by making an alliance with a heathen king in order to multiply horses. The king was to remain faithful by keeping his side of the covenant, trusting God to fulfill God’s side of the covenant. The faithful king was to save his people by obeying God’s law, as he trusted God to protect and deliver him. But if he turned to Egypt, he would not only break God’s law himself, he would cause his people to turn away from God.
Brethren, Christ is the faithful King, who served God in perfect obedience, who fulfilled this law of God, as well as all the law of God. Christ fulfilled his side of the covenant toward God the Father, as he trusted God the Father to fulfill his side of the covenant toward him. Thus, Christ saved his people and kingdom from our sins.
We know, King Solomon was a great type of Christ. Solomon was the son of David and the son of God—typifying Christ, the Son of David after the flesh and the Son of God after the Spirit, the GodMan Mediator. Also, Solomon built the house of God—typifying Christ who built the spiritual house of God by saving his people from our sins on the cross and by building us up as spiritual stones, the house of God, in regeneration.
Yet, the type breaks down. Solomon was not the faithful king. The first recorded sin of Solomon was “Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen.” (1 Ki 4:26)
Solomon was a sinner saved by grace like us. We in see in Solomon that God saves purely by grace. Even the most faithful believer, has unbelief mixed with his faith, as did Solomon. Yet, God saved Solomon, despite unbelief being mixed with his faith, the same as he save us, despite unbelief being mixed with our faith.
It is because King Jesus fulfilled that law for his people, as well as all the law of God, putting away our sins and bringing in everlasting righteousness for his people. We need but look to one scritpure to see this. When Christ entered Jerusalem to publicly declare himself the King of his people, he did not enter on a horse or chariot, “Fear not, daughter of Sion; behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass’s colt’.” (Joh 12:15)
This one scripture declares Christ’s glory as the faithful and true King and Savior of his people. As the representative and substitute of all God’s elect, as the one typified by Solomon, the Son of God was also the Son of David, ‘made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law.’ (Ga 4:4)
Philippians 2: 6: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Christ perfectly fulfilled the law in every point. We see it in how Christ purposely selected an ‘ass’s colt’ rather than a horse to enter Jerusalem. It shows Christ’s perfect subjection to the law of Moses in every jot and tittle. When Christ formally presented Himself as our faithful King, he did not ride in a golden chariot, drawn by powerful stallions. He came obeying God’s holy law, seated upon a borrowed ass’ colt.
Romans 5:19: For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. 20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: 21: That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.
Fear not, believer, it is God that justified us; yea, it is Christ that died. Christ is the Holy and Faithful One, who fulfilled the law for his people in perfect obedience.
THE FAITHFUL KING JESUS HIGH AND LIFTED UP
Having highly exalted God, having accomplished redemption from the curse of the law by being made a curse for his people, “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name.” (Php 2: 9)
Now, all power belongs to our risen King and Savior. Do you remember how John saw Christ in heaven? He said, “I saw heaven open, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True.” (Rev 19: 11)
The white horse declares Christ now reigns as King of kings and Lord of lords, the Faithful and True Redeemer! He who came to save us in humiliation and shame, rules heaven and earth in power and majesty. He who was nailed to a malefactor’s cross, now wields the scepter of imperial dominion. Just as the ‘ass colt’ declared him the humble servant of God, the “white war-horse” declares Christ is now ‘crowned with glory and honor’
Revelation 6:2: And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.
He has conquered sin, death and hell on the cross; now he is doing so in the hearts of his people through this gospel.
“Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.” Sinner, in the face of your sin, in the face of trials and troubles, do you trust some vain refuge like chariots and horses? No matter the foe, the believer saved by grace, will remember the name of the LORD our God!
THE FAITHFUL KING’S REGENERATING GRACE
Secondly, let’s remember the name of the LORD our God by seeing how Christ saves his people in our experience of grace. We will turn to three passages of scripture. These illustrate the whole life of the sinner saved by Christ from beginning to end. We will read these with little comment.
First, Christ delivers his people out of our spiritual death to give us life and faith in him in regeneration. While dead in our sins, we were like Israel in bondage in Egypt under Pharaoh and his taskmasters. But having fulfilled the law and delivered us from the curse by giving himself as our Passover Lamb. At the time appointed, Christ comes in regeneration, delivers us, and gives us faith in the Lord, like as he delivered Israel at the Red Sea. Notice, how the LORD destroyed those who trusted in chariots and horses, while delivering his people from them.
Exodus 14: 23: And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the sea, even all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. 24: And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the LORD looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians, 25: And took off their chariot wheels, that they drave them heavily: so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the LORD fighteth for them against the Egyptians. 26: And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen. 27: And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. 28: And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them. 29: But the children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea; and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left. 30 Thus the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore. 31: And Israel saw that great work which the LORD did upon the Egyptians: and the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD, and his servant Moses.
In regeneration, our King Jesus binds Satan and defeats all his devices, regenerating his child, giving us faith in him. Thus we sing with Moses:
Exodus 15: 1: Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea. 2: The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation:
THE FAITHFUL KING’S PRESERVING GRACE
Secondly, Christ our King preserves the believer throughout the life of faith.
As believers, like Solomon, at times, we turn to our “just in case helps.” We foolishly start thinking there is safety in numbers; we foolishly look to things we can see; we foolishly look to things that appear strong. Whether a believer will admit it or not that is true of you and it is true of me.
When the unbelieving children of Israel—those who did not believe—made this foolish mistake, God promised them woe, sudden destruction. But listen to the instruction God gives about earthly helpers.
Isaiah 31: 1: Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help; and stay on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the LORD! 2: Yet he also is wise, and will bring evil, and will not call back his words: but will arise against the house of the evildoers, and against the help of them that work iniquity. 3: Now the Egyptians are men, and not God; and their horses flesh, and not spirit. When the LORD shall stretch out his hand, both he that helpeth shall fall, and he that is holpen shall fall down, and they all shall fail together. 4: For thus hath the LORD spoken unto me, Like as the lion and the young lion roaring on his prey, when a multitude of shepherds is called forth against him, he will not be afraid of their voice, nor abase himself for the noise of them: so shall the LORD of hosts come down to fight for mount Zion, and for the hill thereof.
Yet, woe to the unbeliever is well for the believer, who Christ has made the righteousness of God. So throughout the life of the believer, our faithful King and Savior comes to fight for his people. While Christ allows the unbeliever to go on in rebellion, he preserves faith in his people.
Isaiah 30: 15: For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not. 16: But ye said, No; for we will flee upon horses; therefore shall ye flee: and, We will ride upon the swift; therefore shall they that pursue you be swift. 17: One thousand shall flee at the rebuke of one; at the rebuke of five shall ye flee: till ye be left as a beacon upon the top of a mountain, and as an ensign on an hill. 18: And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him. 19: For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem: thou shalt weep no more: he will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry; when he shall hear it, he will answer thee. 20: And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers: 21 And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left. 22: Ye shall defile also the covering of thy graven images of silver, and the ornament of thy molten images of gold: thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous cloth; thou shalt say unto it, Get thee hence.
So it is with the believer from the beginning throughout the life of faith. The Lord waits till he bring us to the end of self. Then when we cry, he graciously saves us. Thus the Lord receives all the glory as he continually turns his child from looking to any vain refuge and keeps us continually trusting him alone.
THE FAITHFUL KING’S TRIUMPHANT GRACE
Thirdly, Christ shall finally deliver us into that heavenly land he has promised us. We see it in how God used Joshua, a type of Christ, to defeat all the enemy nations and deliver the children of Israel into the land of promise. Notice, how all the enemies of God and his people joined together, with their multitudes of horses and chariots, in an attempt to stop God’s people from inheriting the promised land. But also notice how Joshua—Jesus—conquered them all and delivered his people into their promised inheritance and rest.
Joshua 11: 1 : And it came to pass, when Jabin king of Hazor had heard those things, that he sent to Jobab king of Madon, and to the king of Shimron, and to the king of Achshaph, 2: And to the kings that were on the north of the mountains, and of the plains south of Chinneroth, and in the valley, and in the borders of Dor on the west, 3: And to the Canaanite on the east and on the west, and to the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Jebusite in the mountains, and to the Hivite under Hermon in the land of Mizpeh. 4: And they went out, they and all their hosts with them, much people, even as the sand that is upon the sea shore in multitude, with horses and chariots very many. 5: And when all these kings were met together, they came and pitched together at the waters of Merom, to fight against Israel. 6: And the LORD said unto Joshua, Be not afraid because of them: for to morrow about this time will I deliver them up all slain before Israel: thou shalt hough their horses, and burn their chariots with fire. [Joshua would render their horses and chariots useless] 7: So Joshua came, and all the people of war with him, against them by the waters of Merom suddenly; and they fell upon them. 8: And the LORD delivered them into the hand of Israel, who smote them, and chased them unto great Zidon, and unto Misrephothmaim, and unto the valley of Mizpeh eastward; and they smote them, until they left them none remaining. 9: And Joshua did unto them as the LORD bade him: he houghed their horses, and burnt their chariots with fire….23 So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the LORD said unto Moses; and Joshua gave it for an inheritance unto Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. And the land rested from war.
So it shall be in the end for every believer who trusts Christ alone. “These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.” (Rev 17: 14)
THE CURRENT STATE OF THINGS
Christ our King has overcome all our enemies—on the cross, in regeneration, throughout life, delivering his people into the promised land. This is why we see the current state of both the unbeliever and the believer in our text.
For those who trust in vain things like horses and chariots, this is your current state, “They are brought down and fallen.” (Ps 20: 8) Christ Jesus said of himself,
John 3: 18: He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
Sinner, you do not stand and shall not stand if you continue trusting any other refuge but Christ.
Yet, this is the current state of all who trust Christ—“but we are risen, and stand upright.” (Ps 20: 8) Believers are risen in Christ our Risen Redeemer. We stand in Christ upright: holy and righteous, complete and accepted of God. And it shall never change because the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. (Rom 11: 29)
Colossians 3: 1: If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2: Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 3: For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4: When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
Amen!