Psalm 33:17 “An horse is a vain thing for safety: neither shall he deliver any by his great strength.”
In Biblical times the “horse” was a mighty weapon in battle. Horses were fast and powerful, mounted soldiers could swiftly run through a great host of their enemy destroying many. Horses could transport military supplies and equipment and could quickly reposition soldiers and equipment on the battlefield. Thus, an army equipped with horses was seen as a mighty fighting force for which there was little defense. So, kings and armies felt confident that they would be victorious if they were well equipped with horses. But the Lord declared, “An horse is a vain thing for safety: neither shall he deliver any by his great strength.”; that is, if the Lord is not on the battlefield with us, even horses cannot defend us. In our day, if our Lord is not on the battlefield with us, even the most powerful tanks and ships and airplanes etc. cannot defend us. Thus, “The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the LORD.” (Proverbs 21:31)! We must never forget that our “safety is of the LORD”. It is good to have the best trained and equipped military in the world, but all our “great strength” will not “deliver” us if our Lord is not on the battlefield with us. Furthermore, whatever our battles and struggles are, our “safety is of the LORD”! We might be wealthy, highly educated, and held in high esteem by those around us; but, all these things are “a vain thing for safety” if the Lord is not with us. But, with the Lord victory is assured; for, “the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy; 19 To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.” (Psalms 33:18-19). Furthermore, our “LORD” “is our help and our shield” (Psalm 33:20) and “our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name” (Psalm 33:21). The point is, as the prophet told king Asa, “The LORD is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you.” (II Chronicles 15:2)! To “be with” the Lord is to regularly and faithfully worship and serve Him according to His Holy Word. Oh, may the Lord bless that we will never forget, “If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: 20 But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.” (Isaiah 1:19-20)! Israel didn’t believe that the Lord meant what He said; but, there came a day when He said to them, “An end, the end is come upon the four corners of the land.” (Ezekiel 7:2) and they lost their freedom. When they didn’t believe that “the evil day” would come, they caused “the seat of violence to come near” (Amos 6:3). Therefore, let us diligently be “stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord” (I Corinthians 15:58)!