3). Declaration of God's Sovereignty Over The World (13-19).
a). God looks down on men and sees all that they do (13-15).
YHWH looks from heaven,
He beholds all the sons of men,
From the place of his habitation he looks forth,
Upon all the inhabitants of the earth,
He who fashions the hearts of them all,
Who considers all their works.
The Psalmist then reminds us of God's sovereignty over the world as He looks down on it from heaven. Compare Psalms 22:28, ‘for the Kingly Rule is YHWH's, and He is the ruler over the nations'. He see all the sons of men, as He looks continually forth from His dwellingplace on all the inhabitants of earth (compare Psalms 11:4; Psalms 14:2; Psalms 102:19-20). And it is He Who fashions all their hearts (He ‘works within them to will and do of His good pleasure' - Philippians 2:13; compare Zechariah 12:1, ‘He shapes the spirit of man within him'), and considers all that they do. Nothing escapes His attention. ‘All things are naked and open to the eyes of Him with Whom we have to do' (Hebrews 4:13).
b). None are saved apart from His sovereign power (16-19).
‘There is no king saved by the size of an army (multitude of a host),
A mighty man is not delivered by great strength.
A horse is a vain thing (literally ‘a delusion') for safety,
Nor does he deliver any by his great power.
The stress here is on the fact that whatever happens on earth, it is all under His control. Men look for deliverance to their armies and weapons of war, the champion looks to his great strength, the cavalry look to their mighty horses, but all are failing instruments. Unless He determines it they will fail in their purpose. For in the end deliverance or otherwise belongs to YHWH. Napoleon said that God was on the side of the big battalions. God agreed, but declared that it was He Who has the big battalions.
‘There is no king saved by the size of an army.' It may appear so from an earthly point of view, but if so, it was only because it was within YHWH's purposes. How then can men be certain that they will be saved? And the answer is by trusting in YHWH. ‘Who is like to you, saved by YHWH?' (Deuteronomy 33:29). Compare Psalms 20:7, ‘some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we will make mention of the Name of YHWH our God'; see also Psalms 44:3 ff.; Psalms 60:11-12.
‘A horse is a vain thing (literally ‘a delusion') for safety, nor does he deliver any by his great power.' Powerful and swift though a horse may be, it cannot totally be relied on. Once again it depends on YHWH's will and purpose. Compare Proverbs 21:31, ‘the horse is prepared against the day of battle, but victory is of YHWH', and Isaiah 31:1; Isaiah 31:3, ‘woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, and stay on horses and trust in chariots because they are many, and in horsemen because they are very strong, but they look not to the Holy One of Israel, nor seek YHWH -- the Egyptians are men and not God, and their horses are flesh and not spirit'. We must therefore put our trust in One Who is God and Who never fails.
‘Behold, the eye of YHWH is on those who fear him,
On those who hope in his covenant love,
To deliver their soul from death,
And to keep them alive in famine.
What matters for those who would be delivered is that they have YHWH's eye upon them (Psalms 32:8; Psalms 34:15), and that they are united with Him within His covenant, so that He can show them His covenant love and His faithfulness towards them. He it is, and not their fast horses, who can deliver a person from death, and can keep them alive in famine. As well as war, famine was a common problem in those days, compare Psalms 37:19; Isaiah 51:19; Jeremiah 18:21.