Psalms 60:1-12: a reflection

1God, you have rejected us. You have broken us down. You have been angry. Restore us, again. 2You have made the land tremble. You have torn it. Mend its fractures, for it quakes. 3You have shown your people hard things. You have made us drink the wine that makes us stagger. 4You have given a banner to those who fear you, that it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah. 5So that your beloved may be delivered, save with your right hand, and answer us. 6God has spoken from his sanctuary: “I will triumph. I will divide Shechem, and measure out the valley of Succoth. 7Gilead is mine, and Manasseh is mine. Ephraim also is the defense of my head. Judah is my scepter. 8Moab is my wash basin. I will throw my sandal on Edom. I shout in triumph over Philistia.” 9Who will bring me into the strong city? Who has led me to Edom? 10Haven’t you, God, rejected us? You don’t go out with our armies, God. 11Give us help against the adversary, for the help of man is vain. 12Through God we will do valiantly, for it is he who will tread down our adversaries.

This psalm is prayed after a defeat, when the people feel God has rejected them and broken them down. Yet it moves, by its end, from lament to a renewed confidence, and states plainly where true help lies: Give us help against the adversary, for the help of man is vain. Through God we will do valiantly, for it is he who will tread down our adversaries. The help of man, the psalmist has learned, is vain, empty; but through God, they would do valiantly. He turns from reliance on human help to reliance on God.

Notice the two things the psalmist has come to see: the vanity of human help, and the sufficiency of God. The help of man is vain, he says; whatever help people can give proves empty, unable finally to save. But through God, they would do valiantly, for it is God who treads down the adversary. He does not place his hope in human strength or help, which is vain, but in God, through whom alone they would prevail. The lesson of the defeat was to turn from vain human help to the God who alone gives the victory.

That is worth taking to heart, for we can place our hope in human help that proves vain, rather than in God. When we face trouble or opposition, we can look first, and finally, to human help, to our own strength or others', and rely on it; but the help of man is vain, unable finally to save. Our true help is God, through whom alone we do valiantly. Do not place your final hope in human help, your own strength or others', which is vain and cannot finally save; place it in God, through whom you will do valiantly. When you face trouble, turn from reliance on the vain help of man to reliance on God, who treads down the adversary; for the help of man is vain, but through God we do valiantly, as the psalmist learned to look past human help to the God who alone gives the victory.

Lord, this psalm is prayed after a defeat, when the people feel you have rejected them and broken them down. Yet it moves, by its end, from lament to a renewed confidence, and states plainly where true help lies: give us help against the adversary, for the help of man is vain; through God we will do valiantly, for it is he who will tread down our adversaries. The help of man, the psalmist has learned, is vain, empty; but through you, they would do valiantly. Show me the two things the psalmist has come to see: the vanity of human help, and the sufficiency of you. Whatever help people can give proves empty, unable finally to save. But through you, they would do valiantly. He does not place his hope in human strength, which is vain, but in you. The lesson of the defeat was to turn from vain human help to the God who alone gives the victory. Take that to my heart, for I can place my hope in human help that proves vain, rather than in you. When I face trouble or opposition, I can look first, and finally, to human help, to my own strength or others', and rely on it; but the help of man is vain. My true help is you, through whom alone I do valiantly. Keep me from placing my final hope in human help, which is vain and cannot finally save; help me place it in you, Lord, through whom I will do valiantly. When I face trouble, help me turn from reliance on the vain help of man to reliance on you.