Psalm 20 Summary - 5 Minute Bible Study

Psalm 20 Short Summary:

In Psalm 20, David appears to record a prayer and blessing that his people spoke over him. The people pray for God to give David success with his goals and to protect him in days of trouble. The end of this psalm contains the people’s famous statement of faith, “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. 

Psalm 20 Summary

AUTHOR:

• According to Psalm 20:1, David authored Psalm 20.

NEW TESTAMENT REFERENCES:

• No known New Testament References.

THEMES:

• The people of Israel put their trust in God to support their king.

• God will protect His anointed one.

DEFINTIONS:

• Zion – Zion refers to the hill/mountain where David’s palace was built in Jerusalem. This area was on the southeast side of the city. Zion is sometimes used to refer to the city of Jerusalem as a whole.

• The Sanctuary – The sanctuary is most often a reference to the Temple in Jerusalem, the place where God’s presence dwelt amongst his people.

OUTLINE:

• GOD, SAVE THE KING (20:1-9):

  • In Psalm 20, David appears to be documenting a prayer his people offered on his behalf. Based on the wording, it may have been a prayer offered before a battle.

  • The Psalm begins with the people asking the Lord to help David in the “day of trouble,” and asking God for protection.

  • They asked for God’s support to be sent from Zion.

  • They prayed that God would allow all of David’s goals and plans to come to pass.

  • The people shouted for joy and rejoiced in their expectation that God would bless David with success.

  • The people wanted their banners to be set up in the name of the Lord. An army’s banner (also called a standard) showed the army’s identity, their loyalty, and in whose name they fought.

  • In verse 6, David appears to record a personal statement. He said, “Now I know that the Lord saves His anointed; He will answer Him from His holy heaven with the saving might of His right hand.”

  • Not only did the people have confidence in God, but David had personal assurance that God would protect him and offer him His “right hand,” the strength of Heaven, in whatever danger he was about to face.

  • The people go on to express that their confidence is in God, not in the size of their army.

  • They said, “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God” (20:7).

  • The psalm draws to a close with the people asking God to hear their prayer and save their king.
    

APPLICATION:

• You’ll notice in this psalm that the people had an expectation of success.

• They believed God was going to help their king and their nation succeed.

• Is this positive expectation still present in God’s people, in our churches and amongst God’s saints?  

• Do we have an expectation of future success when we look towards the future of our churches and our nation?

• I know many people have lost hope for the Church to flourish because of the rise of secularism. They expect the church to continue in slow decline. They foresee dark years for religion in the near future. They’ve lost hope that the enemy can be pushed back and defeated.

• But that isn’t an attitude of faith, it’s an attitude of someone who has already been defeated. That shouldn’t be the attitude of a people who believe God can give them His “right hand” of power.

• We have a reason to believe the Church can be better off in 20 years than it is today, that reason is God.

• We have a great King and a great God on our side. We should have an expectation of future success.