Proverbs 21:31 The horse is prepared for the day of battle, But deliverance is of the LORD. While men make preparations and seek to prudently ready themselves for the task ahead (which is something the Lord would have us to do), we must remember that it is a show of faith and not of strength. Deliverance comes only from the Lord for our strength is weakness and our weapons carnal. When we prepare with the knowledge that God will sustain and deliver, it shows that we trust Him to take that which is meager and weak and accomplish all that He desires.
Gideon (Jdg 7) surrounded the camp of the Midianites with three groups of 100 men and together they broke clay jars with torches inside and blew trumpets. The enemy slaughtered themselves! It was not the strength of Gideon, though he did prepare the clay pots and torches and trumpets. It was the Lord's battle.
The children of Israel marched around the walls of Jericho (Josh 6) for seven days and marched around seven times on the last day, shouted, blew their trumpets and the walls fell down! It was not the strength of Israel that brought down the walls not was it the trumpets they blew or the words they shouted, though they prepared for all those things. Victory came by the strength of God alone.
In Matthew 14 we see the story of the little boy with five loaves and two fish, it wasn't much to offer, yet in the hands of the Master, after being broken, that meager offering became amazing provision for thousands! Our weakness is the fertile soil of God's provision, because where we are weak, He is strong.
2 Corinthians 12:9 And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. We tend to fear the situation, to fear the battle that we're in, the battle that Solomon was referring to when he talked about preparing the horse for battle. But that fear was misplaced. Fearing the battle only brings weakness. Instead we should fear God, giving Him that awesome reverence and respect that He deserves. Do we say to the sea, you are powerless against my little boat? Do we say to the mountain, my feet will always find footing? Do we say to the fire, you cannot burn me? No, we respect and fear all these. We must fear the Lord God with the knowledge that He truly is the God of the Universe, the maker of my soul, the Judge of all Creation, the Savior who died and rose again. When we reject our pride and choose to see our weakness, and come prostrate and fearful to the feet of the living God, we will see that He is true and understand that it is truly He that alone can deliver!
The Proverbs talk much about the fear of the Lord. We must be zealous for the fear of the Lord (Pr 23:17), for it is the beginning of knowledge (Pr 1:7) and wisdom (Pr 9:10). We must choose to fear God, (Pr 1:29) it doesn't happen naturally. Naturally (read, "flesh") self worship happens, not self-less-ness. If we seek the Lord with our whole self, inclining our ears toward wisdom, applying our heart to understanding, crying out for discernment, then we will understand the fear of the Lord (Pr 2:5). The fear of the Lord is to hate evil (pride, arrogance, evil ways, and perverse mouth) (Pr 8:13). As we fear the Lord we are given prolonged days (Pr 10:27) and strong confidence in Him (Pr 14:26). The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life to keep us from the snares of death (Pr 14:27).
As we see that our deliverance cannot come from our strength, we must also realize that it cannot come from the world either. As Egypt is a type of the world, we must avoid going to it for that strength. The reason is simple, the world is just a collection of other weak people, it offers no true strength. Isaiah 31:1 Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, And rely on horses, Who trust in chariots because they are many, And in horsemen because they are very strong, But who do not look to the Holy One of Israel, Nor seek the LORD! Psalms 33:16-18 No king is saved by the multitude of an army; A mighty man is
not delivered by great strength. A horse is a vain hope for safety; Neither shall it deliver any by its great strength. Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him, On those who hope in His mercy,
We must trust in the name (authority, power, character) of the Lord, nothing else. Our God has all authority, has all power, and His character is true. He is light, love, and justice!
Psalms 20:7 Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; But we will remember the name of the LORD our God. What a glorious Name He has! |
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