GOD’S HAND OF VICTORY (4)

“Stretch out Your HAND from above; RESCUE me and DELIVER me out of great waters” – Psalm144:7

The Captain of our Salvation employs His outstretched HAND of VICTORY to fight battles to sustain our Deliverance and Prosperity: “Stretch out Your HAND from above; RESCUE me and DELIVER me out of great waters, from the hand of foreigners, whose mouth speaks lying words, and whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood” (Psa.144: 7-8). Here, Israel’s King praised the Almighty God for His strong protection, which had repeatedly brought Victory for his people over their enemies. He began on a personal note: “Blessed be the LORD, MY ROCK” (v.1a). This shows how the Lord takes a personal interest in securing Victory for His children (vv.1b-4). First, He equips us to fight even though He often fights our battles by Himself: “Who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle” (v.1b). Then, He actively protects and delivers us, manifesting His lovingkindness, as our Fortress, High Tower, Deliverer, Shield, and Refuge (v.2).

As his thought broadened, the king praised God for His concern for the human race in general, given that humanity in general is unworthy of all of His kindness. He compared Who God is relative to Man: “Lord, what is man, that You take knowledge of him? Or the son of man, that You are mindful of him? Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow” (vv.3-4). God had saved His people in the past, and could be trusted to always do. He fights to secure our Deliverance and unleashes His Power against our enemies: “Bow down Your heavens, O Lord, and come down; touch the mountains, and they shall smoke. Flash forth lightning and scatter them; shoot out Your arrows and destroy them” (vv.5-6). In particular, God delivers us from deceitful foes: “Stretch out Your hand from above; rescue me and deliver me out of great waters, from the hand of foreigners whose mouth speaks lying words, and whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood” (vv.7-8).

God’s Hand stretched out “from above” denotes Supernatural Intervention or Extraordinary Help. The enemies are depicted as “great waters" or deep waters, ready to overflow. Life’s afflictions are, in quantity and quality, like great waters, overflowing and overwhelming: “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you” (Isa.43:2a). God’s Help is never late, even when we seem to be close to sinking and all other helps have failed: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though its waters roar and be troubled…God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God shall help her, just at the break of dawn” (Psa.46: 1-3,5).

Ironically, God’s valiant outstretched “Hand from above” is contrasted with the adversary’s “hand of foreigners” and “right hand of falsehood” (vv.7-8, 11). Satan’s ancient weapon has been Deceit or Falsehood; and as part of His Victory Strategy, God puts “A New Song” in our mouth, the Song of Praise and of Salvation: “I will sing a NEW SONG to You, O God; on a harp of ten strings I will sing PRAISES to You, the One who gives SALVATION to kings, Who delivers David His servant from the deadly sword” (vv.9-10).

Following Deliverance, the Lord blesses His people with Abundant Prosperity: “That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth; that our daughters may be as pillars, sculptured in palace style; that our barns may be full, supplying all kinds of produce; that our sheep may bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our fields; that our oxen may be well laden; that there be no breaking in or going out; that there be no outcry in our streets” (vv.12-14). These comprise four dimensions of Blessings: The fruit of the body – sons and daughters; the fruits of the ground – plenty in the barns; extraordinary multiplication in the fruit of the cattle; and the blessing of collective safety and security.