Psalm 60 (Listen)

He Will Tread Down Our Foes

To the choirmaster: according to Shushan Eduth. A Miktam¹ of David; for instruction; when he strove with Aram-naharaim and with Aram-zobah, and when Joab on his return struck down twelve thousand of Edom in the Valley of Salt.

60:1   O God, you have rejected us, broken our defenses;
    you have been angry; oh, restore us.
2   You have made the land to quake; you have torn it open;
    repair its breaches, for it totters.
3   You have made your people see hard things;
    you have given us wine to drink that made us stagger.
4   You have set up a banner for those who fear you,
    that they may flee to it from the bow.² Selah
5   That your beloved ones may be delivered,
    give salvation by your right hand and answer us!
6   God has spoken in his holiness:³
    “With exultation I will divide up Shechem
    and portion out the Vale of Succoth.
7   Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine;
    Ephraim is my helmet;
    Judah is my scepter.
8   Moab is my washbasin;
    upon Edom I cast my shoe;
    over Philistia I shout in triumph.”⁴
9   Who will bring me to the fortified city?
    Who will lead me to Edom?
10   Have you not rejected us, O God?
    You do not go forth, O God, with our armies.
11   Oh, grant us help against the foe,
    for vain is the salvation of man!
12   With God we shall do valiantly;
    it is he who will tread down our foes.

(ESV)

In the face of defeat, David detected the nature of the nation’s dejection? “O God You have rejected us, broken us, made land to quake, torn it open, made hard things, made us stagger.” The One who had broken was the only One who could restore. He disciplined His “beloved banner” of Truth who had lost her way.

Shechem, Succoth, Gilead, Manasseh, Ephraim, Judah, Moab, Edom, Philistia. .. great cities, tribes and nations, mere sheep of the Shepherd. “But how can they hear with no one to preach?” To whom will they fearfully flee without the waving and proclaiming of the banner of Truth? Here lies Israel’s hope for deliverance: her return to the Mast, tethered to her Maker.

Man’s methods are vain to deliver if the Almighty isn’t in it. But “with God we shall do valiantly, it is He who treads down our foes.”

John 8:31–59 (Listen)

The Truth Will Set You Free

31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 33 They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?”

34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave¹ to sin. 35 The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. 37 I know that you are offspring of Abraham; yet you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you. 38 I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard from your father.”

You Are of Your Father the Devil

39 They answered him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing the works Abraham did, 40 but now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did. 41 You are doing the works your father did.” They said to him, “We were not born of sexual immorality. We have one Father—even God.” 42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me. 43 Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. 44 You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. 46 Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? 47 Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.”

Before Abraham Was, I Am

48 The Jews answered him, “Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?” 49 Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon, but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me. 50 Yet I do not seek my own glory; there is One who seeks it, and he is the judge. 51 Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.” 52 The Jews said to him, “Now we know that you have a demon! Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet you say, ‘If anyone keeps my word, he will never taste death.’ 53 Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets died! Who do you make yourself out to be?” 54 Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God.’² 55 But you have not known him. I know him. If I were to say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and I keep his word. 56 Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.” 57 So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?”³ 58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” 59 So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.

(ESV)

Abiding in Jesus' Word frees slaves of sin. Assured of themselves, these Pharisees stake their claim to Abraham. But, if such was the case and their faith, wouldn’t they delight in the Truth as Abraham did? Rather, these descendants of the devil hate God’s Word. They chalk Jesus up for a crazy man, boasting of origins before Abraham, before even His own birth. But it was His final succinct statement that put them over the top: “Before Abraham, I Am.” No sticks, only stones (so far) for this clear claim to deity. Yet His hour had not yet come.