What other scriptures emphasize the futility of trusting in human power? Setting the Stage: Psalm 62:9 “Surely men of low estate are a breath, and men of high estate are a lie; in the scales they go up, they are together lighter than a breath.” The psalmist sweeps all social classes into a single verdict: human power is vapor. Whether the influence is political, financial, or military, it cannot bear the weight of ultimate trust. Echoes in the Psalms • Psalm 118:8-9 — “It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes.” • Psalm 146:3-4 — “Put not your trust in princes, in mortal man, who cannot save. When his spirit departs, he returns to the ground; on that day his plans perish.” These verses pick up the same theme: even the best-placed ruler can’t secure tomorrow. When breath leaves him, every program and promise dies with him. Wisdom Literature Speaks • Proverbs 21:31 — “A horse is prepared for the day of battle, but victory is of the LORD.” • Ecclesiastes 9:11 — “The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong… time and chance happen to them all.” Human strategy and speed have their place, yet final outcomes sit in hands stronger than ours. A Prophetic Warning • Jeremiah 17:5 — “Thus says the LORD: Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the LORD.” • Isaiah 2:22 — “Stop regarding man, whose breath is in his nostrils; for of what account is he?” • Isaiah 31:1 — “Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in the multitude of their chariots… but do not look to the Holy One of Israel.” The prophets underline the same principle with stark language—“cursed,” “woe,” “stop.” Any alliance, army, or economic deal that edges the Lord out of first place invites disaster. History Lived Out • 2 Chronicles 32:7-8 — “Be strong and courageous… for there is One greater with us than with him. With him is an arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God.” • 1 Samuel 17:47 — “The battle is the LORD’s, and He will give all of you into our hands.” In both Hezekiah’s Jerusalem and David’s valley with Goliath, the odds shouted “impossible,” yet the living God overturned them. Fleshly power proved hollow; divine power decided the day. New Testament Reinforcement • 2 Corinthians 1:9 — “We felt we had received the sentence of death, but this happened that we might not rely on ourselves, but on God, who raises the dead.” • Zechariah 4:6 (quoted to New Covenant believers) — “‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the LORD of Hosts.” Even after the resurrection, the apostolic witness keeps the spotlight on God’s sufficiency and our dependency. Drawing the Threads Together Across law, poetry, prophecy, history, and epistle the message rings clear: • Human power is temporary, limited, and often deceptive. • God alone is almighty, faithful, and eternal. • Trust misplaced in people or systems invites disappointment; trust anchored in the Lord secures peace and victory. Psalm 62:9 sets the tone, and the rest of Scripture harmonizes: look past the impressive, fleeting might of humanity and rest in the unshakeable strength of the living God. |
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