The war horse is a false hope for salvation
The king is not saved by his great army; a warrior is not delivered by his great strength.The war horse is a false hope for salvation, and by its great might it cannot rescue. Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love,that he may deliver their soul from death and keep them alive in famine. (Psalm 33:16-19)
One of the great struggles of Christian men, especially those who live on the "right side of the tracks" in powerful countries, is the struggle against self-reliance. Our temptation is to go it alone, relying on our charm, looks, money, might, etc. Whether your picture of self-reliance is the Marlboro man, Rambo, Frank Sinatra, or Donald Trump they all have at least one thing in common, they trust themselves more than they trust God. They all sing their own version of "I did it my way"... and so do we. The Psalmist reminds us that salvation does not come from our own strength or the resources and technologies we have at our disposal. Over an over Scripture reminds us that our hope is to be firmly set on God's salvation in all situations.
The horse serves as an important reminder. Horses and chariots were the weapons of mass destruction of Pharaoh's day. His horses and chariots were a symbol of his great might (Exodus 14:9, 23) and struck fear in the hearts of all who faced them. A single warrior on a well trained war horse was a match for 50 to 100 foot soldiers. So, it was no wonder kings would build up large cavalry divisions. Except the Law of Moses forbade Israelite kings from amassing great numbers of horses (Deuteronomy 17:16). The same law also made it illegal to be afraid whenever an opposing army had horses, chariots, and/or larger numbers (Deuteronomy 20:1). Why would God hamstring His chosen people in this way? As Proverbs 21:31 says, "The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the Lord."
Neither are we to trust in the strength of our armaments or fear the imposing strength of our enemy's. Go ahead, make ready the horse the Lord has given you. Make ready and dress for battle, but do not fear the enemy or trust in your horse, your skill, or your wealth to save you. If you do, you will surely fall, just ask King Solomon (1 Kings 4:26; 1 Kings 11:1-6). Brother, do not depart from the wisdom of God (Deuteronomy 17:16-17) as Solomon did. Instead, put your faith in the Lord because, "we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28)
Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. (Psalm 20:7)
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones. (Proverbs 3:5-8) In doing so you will make God your ultimate treasure and bring Him the most glory.
