What comes to mind when you hear the phrase, God save the King? Many of us think of some BBC show or a period piece on the British monarchy, as we know this cry entirely from history, literature, or entertainment. Indeed, it has a foreign flavor to it—“God save the president” does not have the same ring. It is the meaning behind this exclamation, however, that troubles us. Sure, we should pray for all those in earthly authority, but how we pray for them makes a difference. And God save the king has a long history of confusion, error, and even great tragedy. Entangled with God save the king has been an inappropriate mixing of politics and religion, a fusion of the church and the state, and a failure to respect Christian liberty. Nonetheless, this prayer for the monarch reaches way back into history, and one of its early appearances is in Psalm 20. Thus, as we sit at the feet of this portion of God’s Word, we will learn the theology behind God save the king, and why it is no longer part of our prayers.
This psalm of David varies a bit from what has appeared up to this point in the Psalter. Typically, David is signaled as the author, and then we hear his voice singing or praying. As the psalmist, he is the speaker of the poetic prayer or song. Here, though, things are different, in that David is not the main mouthpiece. Rather, this prayer issues forth from the lungs of the people. A choir of voices harmonize their words into a single prayer. Therefore, the Lord is referred to by name or in the third person. David is addressed as “you,” in the second person, or as “the king.” And the chorale of the people speaks in the first plural, “we.” These are the three main characters in the psalm—God, David, and the people—and keeping them straight is integral to a proper understanding.
Out of the gate, the people erupt by petitioning the Lord on behalf of the king. The congregation is interceding for their royal leader, and their initial petition is that the Lord would answer “you,” that is, the king. This is a touch unique, as the people’s prayer is for God to answer the prayer of the king. “O Lord, may you grant the prayer of the king” (v. 1).[1] This is intercession to help the intercession of another. Furthermore, it is a season of distress and danger. The king needs an answer on this day of trouble—and with the mention of horses and chariots in verse 7, this crisis is most likely one of battle. The king is about to lead his army into battle, and he is praying and casting himself upon the Lord for help. The function of this psalm is not confined to battle preparation; it could apply to many other distressing situations. But going to war seems to be the original setting for the prayer.
Such prayer is fitting, as gearing up for battle is extensive and dire. War spells life or death on a massive scale, and to maximize life on your side requires heaps of planning and provisions. There are strategies and tactics to be sketched and reviewed: plans A, B, and C, if things go sideways. Supply lines of weapons and stores of rations require organization. Swords need to be sharpened, arrows stockpiled, shields polished, and armor mended and adjusted. Yet, within the covenant, the spiritually minded understand that one preparation takes priority over all others, prayer—seeking the help of God. As wisdom instructs, man plans his ways, but the Lord establishes his steps (Prov 16:1). Likewise, the horse is readied for battle, but the victory belongs to the Lord (Prov 21:31). Hence, the people seek the Lord to aid their king and general. “May the God of Jacob protect you” (v. 1); send help from the sanctuary; support the king from Jerusalem. Safety and success on the battlefield hail from God and from his throne on earth, the sanctum of Zion.
There is, though, another piece to this first concern of prayer, which is sacrifice. Prayer and sacrifice go hand in hand, like two sides of the same coin. The king has been in the temple, and he brought a grain and burnt offering, which are sacrifices for favor. They are bloody gifts to win and secure the help of God. Sin is not primarily in view here, and this is surely not the celebratory offering for victory, the peace offering, which is brought after the battle is won. Rather, these are costly and solemn sacrifices to appease the Lord for aid. The sweet-smelling aroma of sincere devotion is to sway the Lord to act. Such sacrifices reveal complete dependence upon Yahweh. So, the people pray that God would accept the king’s sacrifices: “Be pleased with the humble fealty and gifts of the king” (v. 3). If the Lord is not first pleased in the temple, then he will not march forth with his army.
Furthermore, the people ask that God would grant all the desires of the king’s heart. “All the strategies and goals of the king, let Yahweh fulfill every last one” (v. 4). This pair of petitions in verse 4 signals a special relationship. We find this in a few other places in Scripture. When God answers your whole heart, when he gives you a blank check, this discloses conformity to the Lord. That is, the heart of the king is one with the Lord; each and every urging of the king is covered with godliness and purity, which fits well with David being the man after God’s own heart. The heart of the king, then, is in unison with the Lord’s heart, and such unity between the divine and the human is another way of saying, “Let your will be done, O God.” “May your will be done on earth, through the king, as it is done in heaven” (cf Matt 6:10). Hence, the prayers of the people are not just for the king, but also for the kingdom of God. As the vice-regent of heaven, the king forwards the Lord’s domain—where the king is so is the kingdom. What the king does is the action of the kingdom. And when the king performs, it is for the glory of God and the good of the people.
Thus, the people also pray for the joy of victory. “May we rejoice in your salvation. Let us set up banners in the name of our God” (v. 5). This is a vivid and delightful image of the people hoping to raise the victory flags. Every nation has a flag, a national symbol of identity and proud patriotism. Think of Rome’s insignia that they guarded with their life in battle. Well, Israel too had a flag; we do not know what it looked like, as it was never described and was lost to history. An educated guess is that this flag would be that of David’s house or tribe with the name of Yahweh upon it. The colors and coat of arms are David’s, but the name is God’s. And the people pray to wave these ecstatically in joy: “Let us fill the streets of Jerusalem with flags dancing in the wind of victory.” In short, the people pray for a massive party to greet their triumphant monarch in his victorious return.
After this petition for a worship celebration, however, we get a change in voice. The plural gives way to the singular; the people allow the king to sing a part in verse 6: “Now, I know that the Lord saves his anointed” (v. 6). It is best to understand that David is talking here. After hearing the people’s prayers for him, he is confident in the Lord giving him success. By the congregational prayer, doubts and worries fade away and he is brimming with assurance and conviction about the Lord’s help. It is kind of like when a football team has homefield advantage—the loud chants of the home crowd encourage and energize so they perform better. So, the spiritual intercession of the saints emboldens the king’s faith in God’s triumph. He is now sure that Yahweh is on his side and that he cannot fail with God as his fore and rear-guard.
This brief part allowed to the king, though, is quickly handed back to the people. The chorus of the congregation returns to the front of the stage to conclude this prayer-song. And what a fine finish! Speaking in the first plural, they assert their brave trust in Yahweh alone in contrast with the enemy: “Those trust in horses; they brag in their chariots” (v. 7). At this point in the history of warfare, cavalry and chariots were the preeminent weaponry. They were the F-35s and M1 Abrams tanks of the day. And when it comes to battle, one of the most common ways to predict victory is by counting your weapons. Whoever has more artillery and better military technology will win. Humans trust in their chariots and horses as if they are divine. As Habakkuk said about the Babylonians, they bow down to their war machine. And yet, the counting of weaponry is a false metric. Tanks, guns, arrows, and spears are not determinative for victory—rather, the battle belongs to God. Providence picks the winner in mysterious and crazy ways. Therefore, God’s people in unison with the anointed king put their confidence in the name of Yahweh. Their faith knows that the Lord is the undefeatable Divine Warrior.
With this line of verse 7, we get a nice little echo of David’s life. As a scrawny teenager, David carried a sling and a few stones to face off with the mighty Goliath. Everyone scoffed at David for being a fool. Goliath cursed and laughed at the teenybopper. But, David countered, “You come to me with sword and spear, but I come to you in the name of Yahweh!” (1 Sam 17:45) This brave faith found in the boy king is now echoed in the people. They may not have the biggest force or all the fancy weapons, but it matters not, for they have God, and with the Lord on their side, they fear not. Victory is in the bag, for the Lord fights for them. The enemy will fall and never get up, but they will rise and stand firm. In God, they are immoveable!
And with the Lord being for them, they round out this prayer-song with a closing petition: “O Lord, Save the King!” (v. 9) Let David triumph in Yahweh and for the glory of the kingdom of God. The people understand that their benefits rest upon the king: “Answer us when we call” (v. 9). The congregation’s blessing depends on the king. Their life in the covenant and with God is tied to the success of the Anointed One. In his victory, they have life and liberty; if the king dies, then they perish with him. If salvation comes not to the king, then the people are lost. With clear eyes, the saints understand that they rely upon God alone for salvation, and that God ordained to rescue them through the king. Hence, they petition the Lord to save the king, who in turn will deliver them from the enemy and grant them an overflowing joy amid the flags of Zion.
In this, we see how well this psalm applies to David and even more aptly relates to the True Anointed One, Jesus Christ. Here, the king and kingdom are linked unbreakably; what the king does is for the kingdom. The Lord forwards his kingdom through the Davidic king. Likewise, the royal work of the king is for the people, as their lives depend on God’s king. His victory is theirs, and his triumph in the day of distress is the salvation of the people. And it was the same with our Lord.
As the Messiah, Jesus had to win on the battlefield of his conflict, which required preparations. First, there was the plan, the strategy to reach success. Thus, Jesus came to fulfill all righteousness. As he said, “I came to do the will of him who sent me” (John 6:38). “I seek not my own will, but my food is to do the will of my Father” (John 4:34). The heart of Jesus was in harmony with the heart of the Father. Second, the Messiah had to pray; he had to put his confidence in the name of the Lord. Our king was regularly and consistently devoted to prayer. He prayed with his disciples; Jesus often escaped to quiet places to pray by his lonesome. On the night before the battle of suffering, Christ prayed for the Father’s help with bloody perspiration. Finally, sacrifice was required. To win in his battle, Jesus’ sacrifice had to be accepted, for his archenemy was death with its lieutenant of sin, and the only way to kill death is to lay down your life freely. The sole deathblow to sin is a righteous and pure offering. Thus, Jesus climbed upon that altar for sin, the cursed cross, and he shed his holy blood for us. He had no sin, but he became sin for us to defeat sin for good. Yes, Jesus was victorious in the resurrection, because his sacrifice was perfectly blameless, fully acceptable to the Father. God saved our king from death, because Jesus willingly laid down his life as your sacrifice.
Moreover, this victory of all victories was won without a single weapon. Jesus carried no sword; he bore no quiver and bow. Sure, he was armed with the power of his Word and equipped with righteousness and his indestructible life. Nonetheless, Jesus marched out on the battlefield with nothing but the name of God. The soldiers of the priests and Romans had swords and clubs. These authorities of church and state were armed to the teeth, but not our Lord. He did not go on offense with a javelin; Jesus played no defense with a shield. He did not let his disciples fight for him. Jesus would not even summon a host of angelic warriors to his side. Rather, with no weapons, no armor, no plan-B, Jesus prevailed in his lethal conflict girded merely with the name of God. In all these ways, Christ matched the imagery of Psalm 20 to be victorious for us.
There is one way he is different, however. This psalm is the people praying for their king; and yet, our Lord did not ask for prayer. If you search the Gospels, we have no clear examples of the disciples praying for Jesus. Now, in their lives, the disciples surely prayed for Jesus, but this is not recorded or highlighted for us. Indeed, in Gethsemane, Christ told the twelve to pray, but to pray that they might not fall into temptation. He ordered them to pray for themselves, and not for him. Again, as Jesus hung on the cross, the women who watched likely had the words of Psalm 20 in their hearts, O Lord save the king! But this did not make it into the inspired record of the Gospels. And why? In part, because we do not pray for Jesus. God save the king is not one of our petitions, and it is not because it has already been answered. Christ has already conquered. In his resurrection, the battle is over. He is at the right hand! Concerning this petition, the slight anxiety of prayer is gone. We do not have to hope that God will save the king, for the king has been delivered from death. He is risen and victorious. As Christ cried out upon the cross, “It is finished” (John 19:30). With the perfect victory of our Savior, there is no need for us to pray for our King.
In fact, it is not us who pray for him, but he for us. Jesus intercedes for you! In Psalm 20, the people prayed that God would answer the king’s prayers. This has been reversed in our Lord. Jesus addresses the Father, “Answer my people in the day of their distress.” We often do not know what to pray; our petitions can be confused, misguided, and gibberish. Thus, Jesus helps us pray; he prays for us. He perfects our weak prayers by his holy life. What a wonderful truth: we pray not for our King, but he prays for us. How amazingly this reflects the finished and ideal work of Christ for our eternal salvation!
Even though we do not pray, God save the king, we do offer up a related petition, Thy kingdom come. As seen in Psalm 20, the king and kingdom are inseparable. The king forwards God’s kingdom to which we belong. Even with the atonement of Christ finished, he is still extending the kingdom for God’s glory and our good. Hence, we do pray, Thy kingdom come. We petition for the gospel to gather in the lost. We plead for peace, purity, and unity in the church. We ask for the Father to send Christ a second time to set right all wrongs and to bring us into the resurrection. We cast ourselves upon the Father’s grace to be our constant help and our persistent support. In prayer, we trust in the name of God for all things and not in the weapons of the world.
And with Christ interceding for us, we have the assurance and comfort that the Father answers us when we call upon him. Therefore, in worship, let us raise the banner of Christ in joy and adoration. And may we fly the flag of Jesus, presently in our whole lives until we get to fly it forever in the avenues of that heavenly Jerusalem. Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly.
Notes
- Translations and paraphrases are the author’s.
©Zach Keele. All Rights Reserved.
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Zack, this Essay on Psalm 20 helps me join the grateful praise of our Lord’s Victory for us and rejoice in His intercession on our behalf. Thank you.