12
Give us help from trouble,
For the help of man is useless.
13
Through God we will do valiantly,
For it is He who shall tread down our enemies.
My Thoughts
In verses (7-11) David reminds us that the land was apportioned by God and that He still controls it. He puts Moab, Edom and Philistia on notice of what will become of them. And then in these last two verses of the Psalm (12-13), David prays for the Lord to help them because man’s help is useless. He reminds us that only through the Lord will we prevail, His help inspires us to help ourselves, when we know that God is with us we go forth with confidence. Praise and Prayer are the key ingredients for victory, this applies to every situation we come up against in life. God’s mercy and promises are sure, Bless His Holy Name…………… Bill
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Commentaries:
Charles Spurgeon
“Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man.” This prayer has often fallen from the lips of men who have been bitterly disappointed by their fellows, and it has also been poured out unto the Lord in the presence of some gigantic labor in which mortal power is evidently of no avail. Edom cannot be entered by any human power, yet from its fastnesses the robber bands come rushing down; therefore, O Lord, do thou interpose and give thy people deliverance. Help divine is expected because human help is of no avail. We ought to pray with all the more confidence in God when our confidence in man is altogether gone. When the help of man is vain, we shall not find it vain to seek the help of God.
We will do valiantly: “Divine working is not an argument for human inaction, but rather it is the best excitement for courageous effort.”
God’s help shall inspire us to help ourselves. Faith is neither a coward nor a sluggard: she knows that God is with her, and therefore she does valiantly; she knows that he will tread down her enemies, and therefore she arises to tread them down in his name. Where praise and prayer have preceded the battle, we may expect to see heroic deeds and decisive victories. “Through God“ is our secret support; from that source, we draw all our courage, wisdom, and strength. We shall do valiantly. This is the public outflow from that secret source: our inward and spiritual faith proves itself by outward and valorous deeds. “He shall tread down our enemies.” They shall fall before him, and as they lie prostrate he shall march over them, and all the hosts of his people with him. This is a prophecy. It was fulfilled to David, but it remains true to the Son of David and all who are on his side. The Church shall yet arouse herself to praise her God with all her heart, and then with songs and hosannas she will advance to the great battle; her foes shall be overthrown and utterly crushed by the power of her God, and the Lord’s glory shall be above all the earth. Send it in our time, we beseech thee, O Lord.
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Enduring Word
Through God we will do valiantly: David’s formula was simple. Without God, they could do nothing. With and through God, they could win great victories and accomplish great things. The victory belonged to God (it is He who shall tread down our enemies); it was Israel’s place to praise God and bring themselves into right relationship with Him. This was the goal of this psalm, and we can suppose that it accomplished its purpose and the battle David faced was won. (Guzik)
i. David understood that it was not for Israel to avoid fighting and passively see what God would do. Instead, they would fight, but fight through God. Their fighting through God would be brave and valiant, and in it, they would see God tread down our enemies. (Guzik)
ii. Through God we will do valiantly: “What, then, is the meaning of this word? That God will overcome Edom? By no means. Rather that the people who are of fixed heart in God will themselves do the valiant deed, but that they will do it through Him. This is ever the way of victory.” (Morgan)
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Barnes
Thus the psalm, though made up of parts of two separate psalms, is complete and continuous in itself. There is no break or discrepancy in the current of thought, but the unity is as perfect as though it had been an original composition. It is to be remarked, also, that though in the original psalms, the parts which are used here have a different connection, and are separately complete there, yet as employed here, they seem to be exactly suited to the new use which is made of the language; and though the original “reasons” for the use of the language do not appear here, yet there is a sufficient reason for that language apparent in the psalm as rearranged. To an Israelite, also, there might be a new interest in the use of the language in the fact that words with which he was familiar, as employed for other purposes, “could” be thus combined, and made applicable to a new occasion in the national history.
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Matthew Henry
We must seek help from God, renouncing all confidence in the creature (v. 12): “Lord, give us help from trouble, prosper our designs, and defeat the designs of our enemies against us.” It is not unreasonable to talk of trouble at the same time that we talk of triumphs, especially when it is to quicken prayer for help from heaven; and it is a good plea, Vain is the help of man. “It is really so, and therefore we are undone if thou do not help us; we apprehend it to be so, and therefore depend upon thee for help and have the more reason to expect it.”
We must depend entirely upon the favor and grace of God, both for strength and success in our work and warfare, v. 13.
(1.) We must do our part, but we can do nothing of ourselves; it is only through God that we shall do valiantly. Blessed Paul will own that even he can do nothing, nothing to purpose, but through Christ strengthening him, Phil. 4:13.
(2.) When we have acquitted ourselves ever so well, yet we cannot speed by any merit or might of our own; it is God himself that treads down our enemies, else we with all our valor cannot do it. Whatever we do, whatever we gain, God must have all the glory.
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Cross-References
Through You we will push down our enemies; Through Your name we will trample those who rise up against us. Ps 44:5 NKJV
For by You I can run against a troop, By my God I can leap over a wall. Ps 18:29 NKJV
Do not put your trust in princes, Nor in a son of man, in whom there is no help. Ps 146:3 NKJV
And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen. Rom 16:20 NKJV
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KJV W/ STRONGS BIBLE – PSALMS 108
108:12 Give 3051 8798 us help 5833 from trouble 6862: for vain 7723 [is] the help 8668 of man 120.
108:13 Through God 430 we shall do 6213 8799 valiantly 2428: for he [it is that] shall tread down 947 8799 our enemies 6862.
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Geneva Bible 1560
Psalm 108:12-13
12 Give us help against trouble: for vain is the help of man.
13 Through God we shal do valiantly: for he shal tread down our enemies.
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Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Hebrews 13:20-21 NKJV
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