“Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;
Sing praises to our God on the lyre,
8 Who covers the heavens with clouds,
Who provides rain for the earth,
Who makes grass to [h]grow on the mountains.
9 He gives to the beast its food,
And to the young ravens which cry.
10 He does not delight in the strength of the horse;
He does not take pleasure in the legs of a man.
11 The Lord favors those who fear Him,
Those who wait for His lovingkindness.” -{Psalm 147:9-11}
This is the second part of the Psalm of reasons for the people to “Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving , sing praises to our God on the lyre.”-{v7}. The Psalmist has spoken about the Greatness and Generosity of God as revealed in Creation, His covering the heavens with clouds, His providing rain for the earth, His making grass to grow, His giving food to the animals, and the young ravens who cry. His Greatness in creating, naming of the stars down to His care in providing for the animals on His earth. His greatness is displayed in His goodness, His generosity and the proper response? Worship Him! “Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; Sing praises to our God on the lyre,” Sing His Praises, boasting in Him and showing and showering Him with gratitude, for His Greatness and Goodness! Indeed, for them and us to look up and see “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.”-Psalm 19:1}. To look around and see the vegetation, the rains purpose, the grass’ the concern for animals, birds and cause us to pause, and Praise Him who is actively involved in it all! But because of our sin, we fail to see or if we do are often unimpressed due to the blindness of our minds, in some cases as Romans 1 teaches, we are un-thankful, we have suppressed the truth and exchanged the worship of the Creator for the creation, and spiral down in sin. And only the Greatness and goodness of God to deliver us from spiritual bondage through His Son the LORD Jesus clothes us in a “right mind,” where we acknowledge Him for who He is and praise Him for His Greatness and goodness!
We see in this Psalm His Greatness and Goodness and then we see what does not please Him in verse 10.
” He does not delight in the strength of the horse;
He does not take pleasure in the legs of a man.”
Note these two things that “He does not delight in… He does not take Pleasure in…”
Didn’t God make horses? Didn’t He give the horse it’s power and strength? Has He now changed His mind?
| “Deuteronomy 17:16
Given the size and scope of the empire he inherited from his father David, Solomon no doubt needed means for transportation and trade. Beyond this, horses were prime war materiel in those days, particularly for pulling chariots, so multiplying horses can indicate territorial aggression and a warlike spirit. Most importantly, it can show a lack of faith in God and too great a faith in armies. I Kings 10:26, 28 says that Solomon had thousands of horses imported from Egypt. The next verse reveals further proof of his departure from these royal guidelines: He also imported chariots and sold horses and chariots to other nations. What surfaces here is nothing more than a tenth-century BC arms race! Solomon armed the Hittites and Syria, providing them with the means to attack Israel and Judah in later years (I Kings 11:23-25; 20:1; II Chronicles 22:5). In so doing, he violated one of the “smaller” precepts of God’s law, first given to Israel 450 years earlier.”-Martin G. Collins |
“No king is delivered by his vast army; a warrior is not saved by his great might.
A horse disappoints those who trust in it for victory; despite its great strength, it cannot deliver.”– {Psalm 33:16-17}
Horses were a show of military power, and often it was where a person, a people put their trust in rather than the LORD. It drew them away from God dependency to self dependency, and that was dangerous to displace Him was …idolatry… a false confidence… arrogance, as self sufficient! “The horse is prepared for the day of battle, But victory belongs to the LORD.”-{Proverbs 21:31}. To trust in the power and number of horses for victory is not only hollow, but deceiving and dishonoring to God, for it displaces the faith, glory, honor that should be placed in Him alone!
“War horses were impressive since they were owned by kings and warriors, in contrast to the donkeys used in agriculture. Even today, we are impressed with athletes’ prowess. However, God apparently looks inward and weighs people’s hearts. Those who fear Yahweh and hope in Him are the ones who impress Him. It hearkens back to the first law of Sinai and the deepest expectations of Israel. Who is ultimately reliable? Self? Neighbor? The King? The Psalmist knows and confesses it. This world knows only one security: God. ” =FRERICHS
Today it is not “horses” we trust in but as individuals there are other things,such as material wealth. Consider the warning in 1 Timothy 6:17, “Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment.” Note the two tendencies, temptations, pride and “to trust in their money” rather than in God! Material wealth, can “evaporate” in many ways and is a faulty foundation for one’s faith and trust. Where God is the Only Source worthy to look to in faith and lean upon Him,His Word, promises. Building your life on a solid, building on His foundation, His Word -{Read Matt 7:24-27}… and trusting in Him!
David told not to count horses???
“He does not take delight in the strength of the horse
“He does not take pleasure in the legs of a man.” Now this seems strange one for us. God doesn’t like the legs of a man? I remember on my journey to coming to know the LORD, a man shared this with me as justification why not to wear shorts!!! Crazy! Is that what God is saying, “Don’t show your legs men, God doesn’t like it! Is that what this verse means? Hardly!
“God. Origen observeth that in the conquest of Canaan, the enemies had horses and chariots, but Israel had none. And it is expressly cautioned that the king of Israel “shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses,” Deuteronomy 17:16, lest they should occasion him or his people to trade with that idolatrous people, 1 Kings 10:26; 1 Kings 10:28, or to trust in the number and strength of that warlike creature, a horse, Proverbs 21:31.
He taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man] How swift soever, as Achilles, ποδας ωκυς, or Asahel, as light of foot as a wild roe, 2 Samuel 2:18. None sooner perish in the waters, nor oftener, than those that are most skilled in swimming and diving, because they do too much trust to their skill; so it is here; for there is no outrunning of Divine vengeance. Nemo scelus gerit in pectore qui non idem Nemesin in tergo; your sin will find you out. Here “the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong,” Ecclesiastes 9:11.’- John Trapp
“No king is saved by the size of his army;
no warrior escapes by his great strength.”-{Psalm 33:16-17}
“The swift will not escape,
the strong will not muster their strength,
and the warrior will not save his life.“-{Amos 2:14}