Psalm 20:1
1 To the chief Musician, [natsach] A Psalm [mizmowr] of David.
[David]
The LORD [Yahovah] hear [`anah] thee in the day [yowm] of
trouble; [tsarah] the name [shem] of the God ['elohiym] of
Jacob [Ya`aqob] defend [sagab] thee; KJV-Interlinear
1 For
the choir director. A Psalm of David.
May the
Lord answer you in the day of trouble! May the name of the God of Jacob set you
securely on high! NASB
Music comes from
musicians, and generally refers to the grace of God which plays throughout
history regardless of what circumstances exist at any point in time in
history. God is the author and provider
of grace. Grace is His divine policy. Grace is Gods divine favor toward man.
And here we have a
prayer, that God will hear the prayers of David specifically, and of all believers
in general, in their times of trouble.
The phrase, ‘God of
Jacob,’ is a phrase that often refers to the Hebrew people.
Jacob was one of the line
of the Messiah, and of the Hebrew people.
His name was changed to Israel, and thus the name of the nation of
Israel came from Jacobs new name.
This separates Israel
from all other nations who may claim that their god or gods are true and being
referred to here, but this separation completely rejects all other gods, and
points exclusively to one single God, namely that of Jacob.
This lends credibility
and exclusivity to the Messiah and to the line of the Messiah and thus to the
line of David, which ultimately reaches down to Jesus Christ.
If those lines were not protected,
then Christianity would have no basis in fact or in history. And yet those lines have been preserved until
Jesus, and that gives credibility and exclusivity and legitimacy to the lines
that led to the birth of Jesus.
The God of Jacob also is
a reference to the genetic race of the Hebrews, generally now called Jews. But all Jews are not followers of the one
true Messiah, having rejected him at the Cross.
So, in history and in prophecy, there will be tendencies to refer both
the Christians, or all peoples who have believed in Christ, as well as to the Jewish
people, who will ultimately turn to Christ in mass during the Tribulation.
God has promised that
those Jewish peoples will not only exist throughout history, but will be held
under great persecution in the final days, and that they will turn to Christ
and that He will return to save them from total annihilation.
This same promise refers
to believers collectively, which gives all believers, both Jew and non-Jew, the
security of Gods eternal promise of salvation.
