Big Idea: While reliance on our own resources is a mark of achievement, it can also become an obstacle to trusting in the Lord.

Understanding the Text

Psalm 20 is a royal psalm because it concerns the king (“anointed,” 20:6; “the king,” 20:9)[1] and his success in battle. Indeed, the psalm is concerned with the king’s obedience to the law of God (Deut. 17:16). Craigie calls the psalm a royal liturgy for use in the sanctuary,[2] and Goldingay considers it a dialogue between the people and the king,[3] assuming that verse 6 records the king’s words rather than those of a prophet or priest. However, the prospect that a Levite (or priest) is speaking the word of assurance in 20:6 seems stronger, based on the pattern laid out in 2 Chronicles 20: Jehoshaphat’s prayer (20:5–12), a Levite’s word…