“My shield, my saving horn,
my stronghold, my refuge,
my savior, from violence you keep me safe.”
2 Samuel 22:3 (NAB)
“He has raised up a horn for our salvation within the house of David his servant.”
Luke 1:69 (NAB)
The first verse was a song of victory sung by David, praising the Lord as his “saving horn”, written after the final victory over all his enemies.
The second verse was a verse proclaimed by Zechariah, the priest and father of John the Baptist, when he was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied of the coming Messiah as a horn of salvation for his people.
At first reading these references to a horn of salvation, I assumed it is a horn one blows as a trumpet, or a shofar, but after reading commentaries, I learned that this horn refers to the horn of a bull or any animal that had horns, used as weapons. It’s not defensive, but an offensive weapon. The Messiah, Jesus, is God’s offensive horn that offensively charges at our spiritual enemies and defeats them. He fought the fight for our salvation and won our victory.
David sang a song of thanksgiving which filled this entire chapter of 2nd Samuel, praising God as a refuge and a stronghold, who fights for us. There’s no way around defining a “horn of salvation”, other than it being a weapon of offense and victory. Every enemy of our soul has been defeated by Jesus, the horn of our salvation. For this, like David, we should offer songs and dances of praise and thanksgiving to God.
Zechariah repeated the words of David from this exact song of praise in the book of Samuel. When he was in the temple on the day he was able to speak, and the moment came to name his own miraculous baby, John, the Holy Spirit filled Zechariah and he prophesied of the Savior who was to come and be the “horn of salvation” to his people.
Jesus is the offensive horn that charges at every force of darkness, which held people in bondage. The first scripture reading by Jesus in the temple was to proclaim Himself the one who sets all captives free. He described Himself as our victor and the horn of our salvation.
There was history behind this whole concept of horns. The earliest altars of God had four horns protruding from the four corners. The horns of the Holy altar in Jerusalem had provided a refuge for any fugitives. Those who caught hold of the horns of the altar were granted asylum and refuge from punishment.
Jesus, the horn of our salvation, is also the horn on the Holy altar in heavenly Jerusalem, who is our refuge, our stronghold and our safe place. He bore our punishment and fought for our salvation. We cling to the horn of our salvation, trusting Him to finish fighting for us.
Lord, thank you and we love you for the offensive horn that daily fights our battles and we cling to the horn of the altar which is Jesus, our Messiah, who sets all captives free and wins our victory. Amen