Follow the Leader to Victory

May 9, 2023

We have heard it with our ears, O God, our ancestors have told us what you did in their days, in days long ago. With your hand, you drove out the nations and planted our ancestors. You crushed the peoples and made our ancestors flourish.

It was not by their sword that they won the land, nor did their arm bring them victory; It was your right hand, your arm, and the light of your face for you loved them.

Through you, we push back our enemies, through your name we trample our foes. I put no trust in my bow,
my sword does not give me victory; but you give us victory over our enemies. You put our adversaries to shame.

In God we make our boast all day long and we will praise your name forever. Psalm 44:1-8

These verses from Psalm 44 are, like most psalms, spoken to God and they contain an important realization. The writer recalls Israel’s history, in particular, how his ancestors had conquered the Promised Land. He states that it was not by their sword that they won the land; not their arm that brought them victory. How then, did they triumph? It was your right hand, your arm, and the light of your face for you loved them. It had been all God’s doing.

We know what he is talking about because we have read in the Old Testament about the many battles that the Israelites had to fight in order to occupy the land God had promised them. God himself led them in battle. Sometimes they were outnumbered but if they obeyed God’s instructions, they were victorious. God did marvellous things to defeat their enemies, sometimes they won without even lifting a finger (see the book of Joshua for accounts of these battles).  But they had to do things God’s way. They had to allow Him to tell them when, where and how,  and He had different strategies every time. Sometimes He would tell them where to set up an ambush. On one occasion he told them to put the choir in front of the army to sing! His ways were certainly unusual but they worked. When the Israelites did things God’s way they succeeded.

On the other hand when they acted without God’s instructions they lost battles, even against weaker foes. So the writer’s assessment is accurate: clearly it wasn’t their ability or skill that got them the victory. It was God who enabled them to triumph.  

The psalmist then makes the connection with his own life, saying: “I put no trust in my bow, my sword does not give me victory.” This leads him to praise God: ‘In God we make our boast all day long and we will praise your name forever.

It’s a resolve and acknowledgement we all need to make. We won’t get very far in our own strength, but with God as our leader we experience lasting and unexpected triumphs.  This truth is echoed throughout scripture: 

Not by might not by power but by my Spirit says the Lord, Zech 4:6

Apart from Me you can do nothing, John 15:5

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, Phil 4:13

Through our God we will do valiantly, for it is he who shall tread down our enemies. Psalm 60:12

So let us be clear where the power lies and how to align ourselves in partnership with God. He leads; we follow; and good things result.