At its very core, mankind knows it needs to be saved.
Even the most ardent of atheists likely won’t deny there are some thorny situations from which man requires rescue. So many causes arise for the sake of the oppressed, it’s almost impossible to keep track of them all; and deep down, we know we need help!
The desire for a savior is not some modern invention. Mankind has long wanted leaders of renown who we can touch and see and place on a pedestal before others. This dates all the way back to the time of Saul, when the children of Israel grew disquieted with having Yahweh as their leader; they wanted a “tangible” ruler, someone like the nations around them had. I can’t imagine what this did to God’s heart—essentially His own people saying they’d rather have a sinful man as their leader for bragging points rather than the God of angel armies leading the charge—but He honored their freewill choice and appointed them a king.
We can look even further back than this and see the same desire festering in man’s heart, though! Consider the Israelites who were desperate for Moses to stand as mediator; and without him, they made a calf of gold (talk about a rotten trade, yikes!). Examples like this just show how, throughout history, humanity has been on the lookout for a leader, a rescuer, a deliverer. Often, we’ve tried to fill this God-shaped hole with fellow man, creating idols and gods out of flesh; even the most well-meaning people have worshiped unwittingly at the altars of public figures, idolizing a group or cause that claims it will swoop in and deliver the world, mankind, an oppressed group, or the individual themselves from something they fear or resent.
Yet few really seem aware of the trap we’ve collectively fallen into: seeking salvation from the Sauls and the golden calves of our time, completely missing that true rescue only comes by the guidance and provision of God. Places like Psalm 108 offer such a straightforward and factual truth: the deliverance of man is worthless. It is God who treads down our enemies. Now, this was not a call for everyone to sit back and do nothing—notice the Psalmist says, “through God we will do a mighty work…through God we will do it valiantly.” This shows that these were people of action! They were involved! God was clearing the field and they were running the ball in for a touchdown.
It was through God—not by their own might, not by man’s principles—that they saw victory over their enemies and their circumstances. True deliverance from enemy tactics doesn’t come by human strength, but by doing things God’s way; by following in His footsteps and adhering to His precepts. Man’s solo deliverance is worthless, but through God we will do a mighty work as His power removes opposition from our path.
So, as we find ourselves immersed in the need for deliverance and with so many causes to stand for, let’s always be mindful that we—and those we work alongside—are keeping God in the picture, proceeding in His statues and principles. This is the only way to guarantee victory…through our Yahweh God!
