2003-08-05 - The Lord Who Saves

Psalm 3:8 Salvation belongs to the Lord; Thy blessing be upon Thy people. Selah

This Psalm has to be taken as a whole, but we do not have the space here to do that. The ending of the Psalm is the verse quoted above. Here David gives thanks for his deliverance and victory. But notice that he does not ascribe any credit to himself. Rather he gives thanks for God's mercy in the deliverance. It is God's mercy that saves. It is God's arm and His arm alone that saves.

David here acknowledges the cause of salvation. It is of the Lord. However, he also speaks of the effect of it. The effect is a blessing upon the people. Some people read this phrase as a petition, such as, "Let Thy blessing be upon Thy people." Most however take this phrase as an assertion, namely, "Thy blessing be upon Thy people." It is as if David is saying, "Lord, You have not only granted me salvation from danger, but You have also prospered Your people with blessings."

The word Selah is something we often see in the Psalms. There are many different understandings of the use of this word. We really don't quite know what it means. Here are some of the different thoughts on what this word means. 1. The Psalms were sung, so some people think the word is there to give some direction to the musician that signifies a specific manner of singing. 2. Some think it is to signify a need for voice elevation. 3. Others think that it is to announce a pause in the music or to stop the music so that the congregation can consider and ponder what was just sung. However, we really don't know how the word was used or what it signified.

Salvation is clearly a work of God. Psalm 85:4 calls God the God of our salvation. Psalm 95:1 says that God is the rock of our salvation. Isaiah 12:3 calls God the springs of salvation. God also claims that salvation is His. He calls salvation, "My salvation," in Isaiah 56:1. In Isaiah 63:5 we read, "My own arm brought salvation." Whatever else we might be resting in to save us, they cannot save. Only God can save. "For I will not trust in my bow, nor will my sword save me," Psalm 44:6.

Psalm 3:8 should serve as an encouragement to every Christian. All those who struggle in this life can take refuge in the fact that salvation is a work of the Lord and not something that we have to work up ourselves. As the verse tells us, the result of the Lord's salvation is that the people are blessed. David was thankful to the Lord for His salvation. He was thankful for the results it brought, and we should be also. Let us give thanks to God for His mercies to us.

"Salvation originates not in man but in God." Simon J. Kistemaker"It is not your hold of Christ that saves, but his hold of you!" Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Soli Deo Gloria,
T-

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