Psalms 92:10-11 (ESV)
But you have exalted my horn like that of the wild ox;
you have poured over me fresh oil.
My eyes have seen the downfall of my enemies;
my ears have heard the doom of my evil assailants.
Psalm 92 goes back and forth regarding who is speaking. It is tough to understand if the song/prayer is from an individual or representing a group. It seems to be liturgical song intended to be song as a worship song by the masses. But it certainly has personal applications. Note how the organizers of he psalms entitled the song:
Psalm 93:1
A Psalm. A Song for the Sabbath.
Whoever wrote it intended it to be read, sung or prayed on the Sabbath. The above lines of the song follow the admittance of the plight of the evil and unjust person. The contrasting “But” that begins verse 10 shows us that this is antithetical to the lines that came before it. The song is saying the wicked are like this but the righteous are like this.
The writer acknowledges that his success if a gift from God. The phrase you have exalted my horn like that of a wild ox is emblematic Hebrew poetry. It means God has given me strength. The second line is equally emblematic as it reads you have poured over me fresh oil. The word oil in the Bible is almost always a symbol for the Holy Spirit or riches and prosperity. What the writer is saying to us is that the wicked do not last but the righteous flourish in many ways. We are not to forget that is God who blesses us and rescues us from those who would befall us. He not only raises us up but he allows the righteous to see the triumph over their enemies. We might point to the story of Job to see this more practical. Eventually Job was both vindicated and his foes (once showing up on his door step as friends) were made to submit to him. It took some time, but God was faithful to His promises. We are both exalted and vindicated by our God.
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