2. A Confident Leader (vv. 6-8). “Everything rises and falls with leadership,” Dr. Lee Roberson often says, and he is right. Now the king speaks and assures his people that he is confident of success because the Lord has chosen him (“anointed”) and heard his prayers. The people had prayed, “The Lord hear thee” (v. 1), and David’s reply was “He will hear” (v. 6). The Lord would send help not only from Zion (v. 2) but also from the very throne of heaven (v. 6)! Just as God’s hand had reached down and saved David in the past (18:9-18), so His hand would deliver him from the enemy. In the covenant God made with David, He had promised him success in battle (2 Sam. 7:11), and David claimed this promise by faith.

Was the enemy coming with horses and chariots? There was no need to fear, for Israel’s faith was in the Lord. Israel’s kings were commanded not to acquire great numbers of horses and chariots (Deut. 17:16), a law that Solomon disobeyed (1 Kings 10:26-27). Note that the law of warfare even mentions horses and chariots (Deut. 20:1-4; and see 2 Sam. 10:18). God had defeated Egypt’s best troops (Ex. 14:6ff.; 15:4), and He could defeat the enemy attacking David (33:16-17; Prov. 21:31; 2 Kings 19:20-23). “If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Rom. 8:31). God’s people don’t boast in their human resources but in the God who alone can save them in every situation. Only this kind of faith will honor the strong name of the Lord. The enemy will go down in defeat, but Israel will stand upright as victors.