Psalm 20 Sermon PART 4 — The Anointed One

spoken word, sermon, British church music (a cappella/recitative)

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[SECTION EIGHT — The Closing Petition]
[Cello note sustained, warmer]
[Preacher — measured, pastoral]

The psalm closes with a return to communal petition.

Save, Lord.
Let the king hear us when we call.

The Hebrew is striking.
The psalm has moved through corporate intercession, 
through the declaration of confident knowledge, 
through the great chariots-and-horses contrast, 
and now arrives at this simple closing prayer.

Save, Lord.

Two words.
The whole psalm distilled.
Whatever resources we may also draw upon, 
whatever wisdom we may also seek, 
whatever creaturely means we may also engage — 
in the end, only the Lord saves.

And then the second clause is interesting.
Let the king hear us when we call.

The petition has shifted slightly.
We have been praying for the king.
Now we are asking God to let the king hear our prayers.
The relationship between leader and people 
runs in both directions.
The people pray for the leader.
The leader is to be open to the prayers of the people.

This is one of the marks 
of right relationship 
between Christian leadership and Christian community.
The leader is not above the prayers of the people.
The leader is not isolated 
from the wisdom that comes through the corporate body.
The leader is one who listens 
to the same Spirit 
who is also speaking through the assembled people of God.

When we pray for our leaders today, dear friends,
we may also pray this petition.
That those who lead us 
would hear us when we call.
That the relationship between leader and led 
would be one of mutual openness 
rather than authoritarian distance.

[SECTION NINE — The Christological Reading]
[Cello note steady]
[Preacher — theological, careful]

Now we must take one more step 
that the Christian tradition has always taken with this psalm.

The psalm prays for the anointed.
The Hebrew is mashiach.
The Greek translation is christos.

In David's day 
this meant the anointed king of Israel, 
who held the throne by God's appointment 
and who needed God's continuing favor 
to succeed in his royal duties.

But the New Testament 
identifies the true anointed one — 
the Messiah, the Christ — 
as Jesus the Son of David.

And so the Christian tradition reads this psalm 
not only as a prayer for ancient Israelite kings,
but as a prayer that finds its deepest fulfillment 
in our prayer for and with the risen Christ.

Christ went into the day of trouble.
He went to the cross.
The whole community of God's people 
across all generations 
prays the prayer of this psalm with him 
as he engaged that battle.
The Lord heard him in the day of trouble.
The name of God defended him.
Help was sent — though not in the form the disciples expected.
The strength of Zion was at work in his suffering.
His offering was accepted.
His counsel was fulfilled.

And the great word of verse six 
has become the confession of the Christian church.
Now know I that the Lord saveth his anointed.
He has saved his anointed.
The resurrection on the third day 
is the fulfillment of this verse.

The chariots and horses of the powers of this world 
were brought against him.
They are brought down and fallen.
But he is risen, and stands upright.

This is the gospel that the psalm anticipates.
The Anointed One has won the battle.
The chariots have been broken.
The horses have stumbled.
Death itself has been defeated.
And the king has heard us when we call,
because the risen Christ 
intercedes for us at the right hand of the Father.

[SECTION TEN — The Pastoral Landing]
[Cello note settling, warm]
[Distant small bell once, very softly]
[Preacher — gentle, settled, benedictory]

What does this mean for us, gathered here today?

It means that we are not alone in our prayers, dear brothers and sisters.
We pray as a community, 
not as isolated individuals.
We pray for those who lead us — 
in our churches, in our nations, in our families — 
as those who go into the day of trouble on our behalf.
We set up our banners in the name of the Lord 
without apology, 
in a culture that would prefer 
that we keep our faith private.

It means that we examine carefully 
where our trust is placed.
We do not abandon the legitimate use 
of economic, technological, political, and material resources.
But we do not place our ultimate trust there.
We remember the name of the Lord.
We hold the modern chariots-and-horses 
in their proper creaturely place — 
useful, sometimes necessary, 
but not where our final confidence rests.

It means that when those modern chariots fail — 
and they will fail — 
we are not destroyed.
We are risen and stand upright.
Not by our own strength.
But because what we have trusted 
is what is actually trustworthy.

And it means that we live as the people 
who pray with and for the risen Christ — 
the anointed one whom the Fat

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[intro] [British Reformed-Missionary Sermon] [Mid-sized Reformed church acoustic] [Single sustained low cello note, slightly warmer] [Faint English parish atmosphere] [Preacher — continuing, approaching the close] [SECTION EIGHT — The Closing Petition] [Cello note sustained, warmer] [Preacher — measured, pastoral] The psalm closes with a return to communal petition. Save, Lord. Let the king hear us when we call. The Hebrew is striking. The psalm has moved through corporate intercession, through the declaration of confident knowledge, through the great chariots-and-horses contrast, and now arrives at this simple closing prayer. Save, Lord. Two words. The whole psalm distilled. Whatever resources we may also draw upon, whatever wisdom we may also seek, whatever creaturely means we may also engage — in the end, only the Lord saves. And then the second clause is interesting. Let the king hear us when we call. The petition has shifted slightly. We have been praying for the king. Now we are asking God to let the king hear our prayers. The relationship between leader and people runs in both directions. The people pray for the leader. The leader is to be open to the prayers of the people. This is one of the marks of right relationship between Christian leadership and Christian community. The leader is not above the prayers of the people. The leader is not isolated from the wisdom that comes through the corporate body. The leader is one who listens to the same Spirit who is also speaking through the assembled people of God. When we pray for our leaders today, dear friends, we may also pray this petition. That those who lead us would hear us when we call. That the relationship between leader and led would be one of mutual openness rather than authoritarian distance. [SECTION NINE — The Christological Reading] [Cello note steady] [Preacher — theological, careful] Now we must take one more step that the Christian tradition has always taken with this psalm. The psalm prays for the anointed. The Hebrew is mashiach. The Greek translation is christos. In David's day this meant the anointed king of Israel, who held the throne by God's appointment and who needed God's continuing favor to succeed in his royal duties. But the New Testament identifies the true anointed one — the Messiah, the Christ — as Jesus the Son of David. And so the Christian tradition reads this psalm not only as a prayer for ancient Israelite kings, but as a prayer that finds its deepest fulfillment in our prayer for and with the risen Christ. Christ went into the day of trouble. He went to the cross. The whole community of God's people across all generations prays the prayer of this psalm with him as he engaged that battle. The Lord heard him in the day of trouble. The name of God defended him. Help was sent — though not in the form the disciples expected. The strength of Zion was at work in his suffering. His offering was accepted. His counsel was fulfilled. And the great word of verse six has become the confession of the Christian church. Now know I that the Lord saveth his anointed. He has saved his anointed. The resurrection on the third day is the fulfillment of this verse. The chariots and horses of the powers of this world were brought against him. They are brought down and fallen. But he is risen, and stands upright. This is the gospel that the psalm anticipates. The Anointed One has won the battle. The chariots have been broken. The horses have stumbled. Death itself has been defeated. And the king has heard us when we call, because the risen Christ intercedes for us at the right hand of the Father. [SECTION TEN — The Pastoral Landing] [Cello note settling, warm] [Distant small bell once, very softly] [Preacher — gentle, settled, benedictory] What does this mean for us, gathered here today? It means that we are not alone in our prayers, dear brothers and sisters. We pray as a community, not as isolated individuals. We pray for those who lead us — in our churches, in our nations, in our families — as those who go into the day of trouble on our behalf. We set up our banners in the name of the Lord without apology, in a culture that would prefer that we keep our faith private. It means that we examine carefully where our trust is placed. We do not abandon the legitimate use of economic, technological, political, and material resources. But we do not place our ultimate trust there. We remember the name of the Lord. We hold the modern chariots-and-horses in their proper creaturely place — useful, sometimes necessary, but not where our final confidence rests. It means that when those modern chariots fail — and they will fail — we are not destroyed. We are risen and stand upright. Not by our own strength. But because what we have trusted is what is actually trustworthy. And it means that we live as the people who pray with and for the risen Christ — the anointed one whom the Fat

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