Psalm 18

The great warrior and King, David, the man after God’s own heart, has reached the end of his life.  As he reflects on his life, looking back on how God was always with him he composes Psalm 18.

Psalm 18
For the director of music.  Of David the servant of the Lord.  He sang to the Lord the words of this song when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.  He said:		 David’s Final Psalm of Thanksgiving

To His Rock and Deliverer

1 I love you, Lord, my strength.

2 The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;

my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

3 I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise,
and I have been saved from my enemies.

 A.  David Praises God  
Using seven military metaphors1. Strength,  2. Rock,  3. Fortress,  4. Deliverer,  5. Shield,  6. Horn,  7. Stronghold“who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.  25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. – Matthew 7:24-25
4 The cords of death entangled me;
the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.
5 The cords of the grave coiled around me;
the snares of death confronted me.6 In my distress I called to the Lord;
I cried to my God for help.
From his temple he heard my voice;
my cry came before him, into his ears.
7 The earth trembled and quaked,
and the foundations of the mountains shook;they trembled because he was angry.
8 Smoke rose from his nostrils;
consuming fire came from his mouth,
burning coals blazed out of it.
9 He parted the heavens and came down;
dark clouds were under his feet.
10 He mounted the cherubim and flew;
he soared on the wings of the wind.
11 He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him—
the dark rain clouds of the sky.
12 Out of the brightness of his presence clouds advanced,
with hailstones and bolts of lightning.
13 The Lord thundered from heaven;
the voice of the Most High resounded.
14 He shot his arrows and scattered the enemy,
with great bolts of lightning he routed them.
15 The valleys of the sea were exposed
and the foundations of the earth laid bare
at your rebuke, Lord,
at the blast of breath from your nostrils.16 He reached down from on high and took hold of me;
he drew me out of deep waters.
17 He rescued me from my powerful enemy,
from my foes, who were too strong for me.
18 They confronted me in the day of my disaster,
but the Lord was my support.
19 He brought me out into a spacious place;
he rescued me because he delighted in me.		 B. David Recounts How God Delivered Him

David uses three powerful but familiar Old Testament stories to describe how God saved him from death and destruction.
 

 
1.  Like God showed Israel His power at Mt. Sinai, shaking the mountains, Hebrews 12:18-21, God showed His awesome power in saving David.

 

 

 

  

2.  Like God went before Joshua and Israel into the Promised Land and subdued all of His enemies, thundering from heaven, God went before David all of his life. Joshua 10

 

 

3.  Like God parted both the Red Sea and the Jordan River, allowing His people to cross through safely, God rescued David from deep waters. Exodus 14

 

 

 

 

Do you believe that our God, who is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and who delights to save His children, will deliver you just like He delivered David? Hebrews 13:8
20 The Lord has dealt with me according to my righteousness;
according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me.
21 For I have kept the ways of the Lord;
I am not guilty of turning from my God.
22 All his laws are before me;
I have not turned away from his decrees.
23 I have been blameless before him
and have kept myself from sin.
24 The Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness,
according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.25 To the faithful you show yourself faithful,
to the blameless you show yourself blameless,
26 to the pure you show yourself pure,
but to the devious you show yourself shrewd.
27 You save the humble
but bring low those whose eyes are haughty.
28 You, Lord, keep my lamp burning;
my God turns my darkness into light.
29 With your help I can advance against a troop;

with my God I can scale a wall.

C.  Why God Delivered David  

Just about everyone familiar with David’s life is aware of the fact that he both committed adultery with Bathsheba and had her husband murdered. How can he claim to be blameless?

Yes, David sinned terribly, but he confessed his sin and repented.  2 Samuel 12:13-14, recounted in Psalm 51. 

 

11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast toward those who fear him;  12 as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.  13 As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. – Psalm 103:11-13

 

Will you examine your life, confess your sins to God your Rock and Redeemer, and repent?

30 As for God, his way is perfect:
The Lord’s word is flawless;
he shields all who take refuge in him.
31 For who is God besides the Lord?

And who is the Rock except our God?
32 It is God who arms me with strength
and keeps my way secure.
33 He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;

he causes me to stand on the heights.
34 He trains my hands for battle;
my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
35 You make your saving help my shield,
and your right hand sustains me;
your help has made me great.
36 You provide a broad path for my feet,
so that my ankles do not give way.

37 I pursued my enemies and overtook them;
I did not turn back till they were destroyed.
38 I crushed them so that they could not rise;
they fell beneath my feet.
39 You armed me with strength for battle;
you humbled my adversaries before me.
40 You made my enemies turn their backs in flight,
and I destroyed my foes.
41 They cried for help, but there was no one to save them—

to the Lord, but he did not answer.
42 I beat them as fine as windblown dust;
I trampled themlike mud in the streets.
43 You have delivered me from the attacks of the people;
you have made me the head of nations.
People I did not know now serve me,
44  foreigners cower before me;

as soon as they hear of me, they obey me.
45They all lose heart;

they come trembling from their strongholds.

D.  David Retells How God Delivered Him  

In David’s first account of God’s deliverance (above in B) David used familiar Old Testament stories.  In this second telling David becomes much more personal.

Notice all the times David uses the very personal terms “me” and “my” as he describes how God protected him and armed him for battle giving David:
Strength
Swift feet
Secure heights
Trained hands
Strong arms
Bronze bow
Shield
Broad path
Strong ankles

Similarly we are told to put on the whole armor of God:
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.  12 For our struggleagainst flesh and blood, but against the rulers, againstthe authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.  13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.  14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.  16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.  With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. – Ephesians 6:10-18
46 The Lord lives! Praise be to my Rock!
Exalted be God my Savior!
47 He is the God who avenges me,who subdues nations under me,
48 who saves me from my enemies.
You exalted me above my foes;
from a violent man you rescued me.49 Therefore I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;
I will sing the praises of your name.50 He gives his king great victories;
he shows unfailing love to his anointed,
to David and to his descendants forever.		 E.  David Again Praises God

Why do we praise God?
Because He is our Rock in all circumstances, yes, even in seemingly overwhelming circumstances.

Where do we praise God?
Publically, among the nations.

Do you have the courage to praise God and tell of his wonderful deeds in your life as David did?
[So] that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy … “Therefore I will praise you among theGentiles; I will sing the praises of your name.” – Romans 15:9

In Jesus Christ we have been provided the double cure. He has saved us from the wrath of God’s judgment in His sacrifice for us and now, He works in our lives to remake us, restore us, in sanctification, as we cling to our rock and savior. I think that David would whole-heartedly agree with the words of the Hymn written by Augustus Toplady in 1763, about the Rock of Ages:

Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee;
Let the water and the blood,
From Thy riven side which flowed,
Be of sin the double cure,
Save from wrath and make me pure.

Not the labor of my hands
Can fulfill Thy law’s demands;
Could my zeal no respite know,
Could my tears forever flow,
All for sin could not atone,
Thou must save, and thou alone.

Nothing in my hands I bring,
Simply to Thy cross I cling;
Naked, come to Thee for dress,
Helpless, look to Thee for grace:
Foul, I to the fountain fly,
Wash me, Savior, or I die.

While I draw this fleeting breath,
When mine eyes shall close in death,
When I soar to worlds unknown,
See Thee on Thy judgment throne,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee.

By Richard Loper