Transcription
[Music]
Today we come to Psalm 18. And Psalm 18 is an amazing psalm of praise and honor and glory to God from the pen or from the uh liar from the the musical instrument of David, the servant of the Lord.
Now, Psalm 18 is a long psalm. Matter of fact, there are only three psalms in the entire book of Psalms that are longer than Psalm 18. We have Psalm 78, Psalm 89, and of course, Psalm 119. But the length of this psalm matches its theme. Again, this is great praise from a place of great victory. And so, it deserves a long psalm.
Now, the title to the psalm, the title in the Hebrew text, because we remind ourselves that these title portions, the part that comes before verse one, those are included in the Hebrew text. The title of the psalm is long. There's only one longer title to the psalms in the entire collection. That's found in Psalm 60. So here's the title of Psalm 18. Ready?
"To the chief musician, a psalm of David, the servant of the Lord, who spoke to the Lord the words of this song on the day that the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul." And he said, and then that leads us right into verse one.
Now, in the title of the psalm, David tells us first of all whom the psalm was written for, uh, the chief musician. And as we've said in our study throughout the psalm so far, I I would regard the chief musician primarily to be God. Because David understood that God was the source, the origin of all music. It could have been one of the choir leaders of ancient Israel. Uh, one of the Levites who led praise and worship at the tabernacle or at the temple. But but again, uh, it could also mean both of these things. So the title tells us to whom the psalm was written. I believe the chief musician represents God himself.
But David tells us about himself. He says, uh, "to the chief musician a psalm of David the servant of the Lord." He also tells us the occasion for writing the psalm. This man who identifies himself not as the king of Israel but as the servant of the Lord. The occasion for writing this psalm was the uh deliverance from the hand of Saul. It says, "this on the day that the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul." So these describe the events immediately after the death of Saul. That's described in 1st Samuel chapter 31 and in 2 Samuel chapter 1. But perhaps also of the period leading up to the actual enthronement of David over the tribes of Israel. That's in 2 Samuel chapters 2-5.
I have to say as well that the title of the psalm also tells us something about Saul. God showed Saul such great undeserved mercy when in the title, notice how this is phrased, "from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul." Do you see what David did there in the title? The the the title there describes Saul as being separate from the enemies of David. Again, let me read that to you from the title, "from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul." Now, listen, let me tell you. If there was ever anybody who deserved to be numbered among the enemies of David, it was Saul. But just out of kindness, out of generosity of heart, David says, "enemies and Saul."
Now, before we get into verse one, one other thing we have to consider about Psalm 18. This psalm is virtually the same as the psalm that was sung by David at the very end of his life as recorded in 2 Samuel chapter 22. If you were to turn over to 2 Samuel 22 and consider it line by line with Psalm 18, you would see that they are very similar. Very little variation between the two.
I believe that it went like this. David composed this song as a younger man uh after his conflict with Saul was over, after the tragic death of Saul and his son Jonathan. And he composed it there as a younger man right before he took the throne of Israel. Yet in his old age, David looked back with gratitude and he sang this song again. He sang the song in light of his whole life. It's as if he looked at the a great triumph of that moment when he had passed the test, so to speak, with King Saul. And he looked at the great victory of that moment. And then at the very end of his life, reflected in 2 Samuel chapter 22, David said, "God's given me victory all through my life, not just at that one beautiful moment."
All right, with all that in mind, let's take a look now making our way through this wonderful Psalm 18, beginning here with the first three verses of the psalm. And I just want you to catch the strength and the praise and the deliverance in all this. Okay, you ready? Psalm 18, beginning now at verse one.
"I will love you, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my strength in whom I will trust, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I will call upon the Lord who is worthy to be praised. So shall I be saved from my enemies."
What a wonderful beginning in these first three verses to a wonderful psalm. Did you notice the very first words of the psalm? First line there in verse one, "I will love you, O Lord." Now, that was a triumphant declaration made in a season of great triumph for David. It's true that David decided to love the Lord. But it's even more true that he simply felt compelled to love the Lord. "Lord, you have delivered me so wonderfully, I will love you."
I want you to think about it. Since David was taken from watching the sheep of his father Jesse and since the time he was anointed the future king of Israel really as just a boy or a teenager. David had lived some 15 or so years as a fugitive and as a man who had lost everything. Think of everything that David lost in those 15 years. He lost his safety. He lost his youth. He lost his family. He lost his career. He lost his rights. He lost his connection with the covenant people of God. He lost his comforts and at times he even lost his close relationship with God.
Now, despite all of that, David remained steadfast to the Lord and God in his timing delivered David and fulfilled that long ago promise of his anointing. I find that so beautiful. I don't mean to imply that David had nothing but victory during those 15 or so troublesome years. Oh no, he he had seasons of up and down. There's no doubt about it. But the overall picture of that 15 years was a glorious victory and deliverance. And because of all that, David says, "I will love you." He says that to the God who delivered him, not only for rescuing him from his trial, but don't you got to believe that David proclaimed to God, "I will love you for all that God did in and through the trials to make him what he was." In other words, after all of it, David wasn't bitter against God. It wasn't as if David stood back with folded arms and said to the Lord, "Well, it's about time you delivered me." Instead, he was grateful that the years of trouble had done something good, had done something necessary in his life.
And as David looked back, he says in verse two, "The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer." Now, David knew that to be true before. Then he knew it by faith in the midst of the trial. But now that that particular trial seems to be over, now David's saying it from a perspective that knew it by experience in a greater way than he ever knew it before.
See, when David said, "The Lord is my rock," he likely meant that in more than one way. A rock was of help to an ancient Jewish person in the Judean wilderness in many ways. First of all, a rock could provide essential shade. That's always necessary in what you might call the merciless sun and heat of the desert. You can see an example of that in Isaiah 32:2. A rock being shade. A rock could also provide shelter and protection. Rocks have cracks and crevices that you can hide in and find the strength of the rock for yourself. You can find that in Exodus 33:22 or Proverbs 30:26. But a rock can also provide a firm place to stand upon and fight. You know, you're standing on a rock, you're much more firm as a fighting position than if you're standing on sinking sand. That's the sense in Psalm 40:2. So Lord, you've been my rock. You've been a blessing. You've been my shade. You've been my shelter and protection. You You've given me a place to stand and fight. Thank you, God, for being my rock.
And then he says in verse two, "My God, my strength in whom I trust." David knew the triumph of God's strength over the long trial. Brothers and sisters, let's just remind ourselves that David is talking from a context of having come through a 15 or so year trial. And many people fall under the excruciating length of an extended season of trial. And David almost did. If you look at the end of this period in 1st Samuel chapter 27 and in chapters 29 and 30, you see David was wavering at the end. But but God kept him strong even to the end. And I love when David says there in verse two, "My God, my strength in whom I will trust." That reminds me of the great promise that thousand year later was expressed through the apostle Paul. Ephesians chapter 6:10, "Be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might." It's as if David said, "God, you made your strength available to me." And that's a promise for believers today in Jesus Christ. We can, as Ephesians 6:10 says, we can be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might.
And then he keeps going. Verse two, "my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold." Now again, I we'll talk about this more in just a moment, but do you notice David is piling title upon title for God? Verse one, "my strength." Verse two, "my rock, my fortress, my deliverer, my strength, my shield, the horn of my salvation, my stronghold." It's title upon title. David stacked honoring name for God upon honoring name. Matter of fact, in the first few verses of the psalm, I can count nine honoring names for God. It's as if David had a flood of praise and emotion that he just had to let out. David could not say enough about who God is. He could not say enough about the great things that God had done for David.
Now, it's revealing that David could speak so eloquently about God and all that God had done for him. I I like what the great British preacher Alexander McLaren said. He said, "The whole is one loving accumulation of dear names." Now, that means that David knew God, but it also means that he had experienced God. I mean, just think about the nine titles that we see for God in these first few verses. In verse one, you have that God is his strength. That is the one who empowered him to survive against his enemies and to defeat his enemies. Then starting in verse two, we have God was his rock. As we said before, a place of shelter, safety, and secure standing. God was his fortress, a place of strength and safety. God was his deliverer, the one who made a way of escape for David. God was his God. Now, the particular word for God that's used there in the ancient Hebrew, Adam Clark gives a sense of it when he says that this has a sense of "my strong God." Not only the object of my adoration, but he who puts strength in my soul. That's the sense behind the word God in verse two. Then continuing on verse two, the next title is "you're my strength." Now, that uses again a different Hebrew word that's found in verse one. In verse one, David said, "You're my strength." In verse two, he says, "You're my strength." But he uses two different Hebrew words. And again, according to Adam Clark, the idea behind the second word used for strength is that God is his fountain, his source, his origin. Continuing on in verse two, God is his shield who defends both the head and the heart of David. God is his horn having the sense of his strength and defense. God is his stronghold. That's the ninth and the most one of the most glorious titles. You're the high tower of refuge where I can see an enemy from a long distance off and be protected from that adversary.
Now again, because David knew God so well, nine names for God just in the first two verses, it made complete sense that he would call upon the Lord. It made complete sense that David expected God to answer and to save him from his enemies. Right?
Now, continuing on in verse three, he says, "I will call upon the Lord who is worthy to be praised. So shall I be saved from my enemies." Now, in many of the Psalms previous to Psalm 18, we see that David cried out to God from times of intense crisis. That's a very common theme through the Psalms. Basically, David calling out to heaven, "I'm in trouble. Lord, help me." But now he's crying out to God with the same strength, with the same urgency, but to praise him for the deliverance that he brought. Now, I I think it's sad that many times we are more passionate in asking God for help than we are in praising him and giving thanks to him when he does bring us the help. Therefore, at this point in this psalm, this is all a song of praise for David. You see, I I like what Charles Spurgeon said about David at this point. He said that David was not only saved, but that he was saved singing. He said that David fought singing and he won the battle with a song of praise on his lips. Brothers and sisters, that's a glorious thing to not just be rescued by God, but to be rescued singing, to be rescued praising the Lord. And that was David right here.
Now, starting at verse four, let let's think of the danger that made David cry out to the Lord. Here we go. Verse four.
"The pangs of death surrounded me, and the floods of ungodliness made me afraid. The sorrows of Sheol surrounded me. The snares of death confronted me. In my distress, I called upon the Lord and cried out to my God. He heard my voice from his temple, and my cry came before him, even to his ears."
Again, starting back at verse four, David said that "the pangs of death surrounded me." "The floods of ungodliness made me afraid." David here described two threats. First of all, the threat of death. "The pangs of death surrounded me." But then the second threat was the floods of ungodliness. David felt like the overwhelming presence of ungodliness was like a flood that would sink him under. And this felt like a significant trial to David.
Now, I want you to be reminded of something here. David, such an amazing, unique man. He was a true warrior. I want you to think today of the modern special forces elite soldier warrior. That was David, the son of Jesse. That was David, the king of Israel. David knew what it was like to take the life of many men in direct hand-to-hand combat in battle. David was a true warrior, but he was also a sensitive soul who was troubled by the deeds and by the words of the ungodly. Isn't that interesting? David was worried about a flood of ungodliness. You know, many rough, tough men that we think of, you know, the special forces, those men might be, I'm not saying that they all are, of course, but they might be crude, they might be profane, they might be ungodly. That they're brave, they're honorable, they're strong, we respect them for all that. But on the other hand, we say, "Well, there's a lot of ungodliness." And not David. David was troubled by a flood of ungodliness, and he praised God when he was delivered from it.
He continues on in verse five, "The sorrows of Sheol surrounded me." That that was another way of saying that David was threatened with death. Sheol is another word for the grave or death in the Hebrew frame of mind. And when he cried out to God in the midst of that death-like struggle, look at the response in verse six. "He heard my voice from his temple."
Now, this was long before the temple was later built in the days of Solomon, the son of David. So, how can David say "he heard my voice from his temple"? Matter of fact, at the time David wrote this psalm, before he took the throne as the king over Israel. At the time David wrote this psalm, the city of Jerusalem was not yet even under Israeli control. Now, it wasn't under Israeli control until 2 Samuel chapter 5. But yet David knew that God had a temple. He knew that God had a heavenly temple. And that heavenly temple was the model for the tabernacle and the later temple that Solomon would build. You you could find that idea in Exodus chapter 25 verses 9 and verse 40 where it talks about the tabernacle and then later the temple built on the same model that the tabernacle and the temple were built after the model of God's temple in heaven. This is what David's saying. "You heard my voice from your temple in heaven, from the courts of heaven, from the throne room of heaven itself. I was in trouble and you heard my voice."
Now, starting at verse seven, we have a section that goes all the way to verse 15 where David is going to describe the majestic deliverance that God brought to him. Take a look here, starting at verse seven. I love reading these verses.
"Then the earth shook and trembled. The foundation of the hills also quaked and were shaken because he was angry. Smoke went up from his nostrils and devouring fire from his mouth. Coals were kindled by it. He bowed the heavens also and came down with darkness under his feet. And he rode upon a cherub and flew. He flew upon the wings of the wind. He made darkness his secret place. His canopy around him was dark waters and thick clouds of the skies. From the brightness before him, his thick clouds passed with hailstones and coals of fire. The Lord thundered from heaven, and the Most High uttered his voice. Hailstones and coals of fire. He sent out his arrows and scattered the foe. Lightnings in abundance, and he vanquished them. Then the channels of the sea were seen. The foundation of the world were uncovered at your rebuke, O Lord, at the blast of the breath of your nostrils."
You know that section verses 7-15. I think you could see why I love reading that section. It's filled with such passion and drama as David describes basically how God shook heaven and earth to bring his deliverance to his servant David. I mean, that's what he says in verse 7. "Then the earth shook and trembled." David described the dramatic deliverance that God brought to him. It was marked by earthquakes, by the indignation of God. Verse 7 says "he was angry." Verse 8 says that it was marked by smoke and fire. It was marked by the personal intervention of God where in verse 10 he says "he rode upon a cherub and flew." It's as if like God is riding flying cherubs down from heaven to speedily help David. By the way, that's the whole sense of the phrase there in verse 10. "He rode upon a cherub and flew." That's just sort of a Hebraic poetic way of saying that God brought his deliverance to me quickly.
Now, there's a few things to uh consider here. First of all, in all this drama where David describes earthquakes and smoke and fire and the anger of God and all of this, one thing I want you to consider is this is a period over some 15 years in David's life. And for so much of that, David lived as a fugitive in the wilderness. I I have every reason to believe, and I think you do too, dear brother or sister. You have every reason to believe that David actually experienced God's deliverance in an earthquake once or twice. That he experienced God's deliverance in smoke and fire. That that he experienced God's deliverance speedily. "He rode upon a cherub and flew."
Now, I I always think about this. David is looking back on God's deliverance and he says, "You brought it to me fast, God. You rode upon a cherub and flew." Again, verse 10. Now, I always wonder about this because in my own life, when I look back, I often say, "Wow, God, you quickly brought your deliverance to me." But in the midst of the trial, often times I'm saying, "How long, O Lord?" So often God brings his deliverance to us speedily, but we only sense the speed of it after the trial is done. In the midst of it, it seems like it takes forever.
Now again, as David uses all this terminology, verse 7, "he was angry." Verse 8, "smoke and fire." Uh, verse 7, "the earth shook and trembled." This is all terminology about the judgment of God. But the judgment of God was directed against David's enemies. And that means deliverance for David. You see, David won this deliverance against David's strong enemy, against those who hated David. That's going to be described for us in verses 16 and 17 that we haven't gotten to just yet. You see, there's a larger principle at work here. Deliverance for a righteous person or people. It often means judgment against those who oppress them. And that's what David saw. He saw it when, as it describes in verse 13, when "the Lord thundered from heaven." David is just setting phrase upon phrase in describing the great work of God on his behalf.
Now, according to David's description, God moved heaven, sky, earth, and sea to deliver him. And so again, he came through earthquakes, thunder, storms, lightning. Now, what's interesting to me about this is he's using poetic images from the same way God delivered Israel from Egypt and at Mount Sinai during the conquest under Canaan, under Joshua. Those three things from Egypt, from Sinai, and in Canaan. But but again, I want to give you the sense that David probably literally saw this phenomenon. God brought it to him again and again to rescue him over that long period of 15 or so years as a fugitive.
Now again, David saw this mighty deliverance once it was accomplished. Brother, sister, don't be surprised if in the midst of the trial, you stand back and say, "Where is the hand of God?" That's normal within the trial. David is proclaiming this after the trial is over. Oftentimes in the midst of the trial, it seems just God is moving slowly. Often in the midst of the trial, we wonder where the strength of God is on our behalf. But again, once the fog clears and God has delivered us, then we sing the song the same way that David did.
Well, starting now at verse 16, he's going to describe how God put him in a safe place. This is what he says. Again, starting at verse 16 of Psalm 18, he says, "He sent from above. He took me. He drew me out of many waters. He delivered me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me, for they were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my calamity. But the Lord was my support. He also brought me out into a broad place and delivered me because he delighted in me."
So again, he's talking about the deliverance God brought to him over this extended period. Verse 16, "He took me, he drew me out of many waters. He delivered me from my strong enemy." David felt that he was drowning when the strong hand of God picked him up out of many waters. As it says in verse 16, like a man under a flood, David knew that his enemies were too strong for him. That's what it says in verse 17. But that God could deliver him.
So in verse 19, David says, "He also brought me out into a broad place." The the strong hand of God not only plucked David from the flood that would have drowned him, but it also set him in a safe place, a broad place, a place where David could be secure. And why did he do this? Look at verse 19. "He delivered me because he delighted in me."
Now, we can say that David meant this in two ways. First of all, God delighted in David in the sense that he chose David. He anointed David. He set his marvelous, loving kindness upon David. Secondly, God delighted in David because David lived a righteous life as is going to be explained in the following verses. We'll get to verse 20 in a moment, but I can just imagine somebody reading that line from verse 19. They say, "He delivered me because he delighted in me." And I don't blame somebody reading that line and saying, "I I wish God delighted in me like that. I wish God delighted in me in that way because then maybe he would deliver me."
Listen to me carefully here. In Jesus Christ, God delights in us. In Jesus Christ, God does not merely tolerate us. He delights in us. This is the blessing and the glory of the grace of God in our life. That God not only likes us or tolerates, he loves us. As it says in Ephesians, we are accepted in the beloved. We are highly favored in him. I'm here to tell you, brother or sister, in Jesus Christ, God does delight in you. He's not barely tolerating you. And because he delights in you, you put your trust in him and God will deliver you. Have that confidence. Say it unto the Lord today. Say, 'Lord, I believe that on the basis of your grace, not on the basis of you, but on the basis of God's grace, God delights in me. And therefore, God, I believe you will deliver me.' That was David's heart. And we we can take it we we can take it even more confidently from a new covenant standpoint.
Anyway, now on to verse 20. David's going to talk about his righteousness, and that's why God delivered him. He says here in verse 20, "The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands. He has recompensed me, for I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from my God. For all his judgments were before me, and I did not put away his statutes from me. I was also blameless before him, and I kept myself from iniquity. Therefore, the Lord has recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight."
So again, verse 20, David plainly says, and he kind of explains it in the following verses all the way up through verse 24. In verse 20, David says, "The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness." Now, during this long season of affliction under King Saul, again, we're estimating it to be some 15 years or so, David was challenged to respond in unrighteous ways. He had many opportunities to strike against Saul as really a matter of self-defense. Yet, what did David said? He said, "I'm not going to raise my hand against the Lord's anointed." David consistently conducted himself in righteousness and he knew that God rewarded him because of that righteousness. That's why he says in verse 21, "I have kept the ways of the Lord and have not wickedly departed from my God. I was also blameless before him and kept myself from my iniquity."
Now, as with many of these proclamations of righteousness that we find in the Psalms, we understand this was not a claim of sinless perfection on David's part. Matter of fact, in the year or so before the death of King Saul, David spent some significant time in a measure of spiritual and moral compromise. If you don't believe me, look it up in 1st Samuel chapter 27 and then read chapters 29 and 30. That describes a season of what we might call backsliding or spiritual decline in David's life. He He wasn't all right before God in those things. God had to shake him out of that season. Yet through it all, David kept a core of integrity towards God. David was correctable before God despite his failings. And most importantly, he did not fail in the greatest test. He did not fail in the temptation to gain the throne of Israel through killing or undermining Saul.
Now, I believe that this psalm, as I mentioned to you before in the introduction, it's twice recorded in scripture with minor variations, both here, Psalm 18, and at 2 Samuel chapter 22. I I believe that this psalm actually speaks from two contexts here. According to the title of the psalm, it was sung first from that season of David's victory over Saul and receiving the throne of Israel. That's the first time it was sung right here, Psalm 18. But then in 2 Samuel 22, David sung it as a grateful retrospect over his entire life.
Now in both places David could say, "I have kept the ways of the Lord and have not wickedly departed from my God." Now he can say it in both places but with somewhat different meaning in each context. You see, it meant one thing for David to say, "I've kept the ways of the Lord and have not wickedly departed from my God." It meant one thing for him to say it before his sin with Bathsheba and against Uriah. It was another thing for him to say it after it. And I think it's true both before and after. You see, before God, the man after God's own heart was a humble sinner. But before his enemies, before his accusers, he could, and I'm quoting Spurgeon here, "with an unblushing face speak of the cleanness of his hands and the righteousness of his life." So often when we see these uh proclamations of David's righteousness, he's saying in comparison to his enemies, and that was certainly true. That's why David can say in verse 23, "I kept myself from my iniquity."
Now again, some people think that this was arrogance or pride on David's part, but there is certainly a sense in which we must keep ourselves from sin. You know, the Apostle Paul spoke of the man who cleansed himself for God's glory and for greater service. You you can find that in 2 Timothy chapter 2:21. But David is saying something I think very insightful when he uses that phrase in verse 23. "I kept myself from my iniquity." I think it speaks of a personal danger for every one of us. There is iniquity that can particularly belong to each one of us as individuals. You can say that it is our own pet sins. The the the sins that we are attracted to. You know, one person might be particularly attracted to greed. Another person might be particularly attracted to jealousy. Another person might be particularly attracted to drunkenness. A a fourth person might be particularly attracted to sexual immorality. Now again, there are the possibility for each one of these and every one of us but you know how we're wired as human beings that there are iniquities that have a particular appeal to us and when David said "I kept myself from my iniquity." It's as if David said, "I understand that there's particular sin in me. I'm like every sheep who can go astray but remember that phrase, 'every one of us has turned to our own way.'"
Now this iniquity that particularly belongs to us, it may be in from us from birth. Maybe it was educated into us by a bad family or by bad company. Our own iniquity may come to us through our temptations, through adversity. It might even come to us through prosperity, through the blessings that we have. But we need to be on guard against our own iniquity. And that's what David says. He says, "Guard me from my iniquity." So he was determined. David was to keep himself from his iniquity. That's what we read in verse 24.
Now again, I know what someone might say and and I think it's worthy to talk about. They may say, "Listen, David did not keep himself from his iniquity. Some years after he sang this psalm, Psalm 18, he sinned with Bathsheba. And even more grievously, he sinned against Uriah, her husband, and arranged his murder." Now, that's true. And let me tell you, David was disciplined greatly for that sin. Oh, David and his family suffered for the sin that he committed with Bathsheba and the sin he committed against Uriah, her husband. Nevertheless, I think it's remarkable that after David was disciplined for his sin against Bathsheba and her husband Uriah, we never hear of David sinning in a similar way after that. There is a real sense in which after his repentance, if you want to read about it, it's in Psalm 51. After David's repentance, David did keep himself from his iniquity all over again. You know, there's a uh American writer, colonial times, named Benjamin Franklin. He gave this proverb. He said this, "Many princes sin with David, but few repent with him." David truly repented. And that's what sort of set him aside. That's why he could say there in verse 23, "I kept myself from my iniquity." Not perfectly, but in a way that even his repentance was an example to many.
But verse 24, he can say, "Therefore, the Lord has recompensed me according to my righteousness." You see, David resisted the remarkably strong temptation to uh run Saul off the throne, to murder Saul, to undermine Saul, and to take the throne promised to him by violence or by intrigue. David refused that temptation. And again, the constant expression of righteousness that David showed in that the Lord rewarded him for it. The Lord rewarded David by giving him a throne that could not be taken from him. So David here in those verses that we just read, he testified to his clean conscience. That's a good and a wonderful thing.
Now, starting at verse 25, David is going to declare an abiding principle of God's dealing with humanity. It's a principle that was at work in David's life. But look at this. Verses 25, 26, and 27. Ready?
"With the merciful you will show yourself merciful. With a blameless man you will show yourself blameless. With the pure you will show yourself pure, and with the devious you will show yourself shrewd. For you will save the humble people, but bring down haughty looks."
Now, David understood this that as a basic principle of God's dealing with humanity that as he says in verse 25, "with the merciful, you'll show yourself merciful." God often treats a man or a woman, of course, but God often treats a man in the same way that that man treats others. Jesus explained this principle in the sermon on the mount. He said this, quote, "For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you." That's in Matthew 7:2. You see, human nature wants to use a small measure of mercy with other people, but it also expects a large measure of mercy from God. Jesus said, "No, you need to expect the same measure from God that you give to others."
Now, notice this. He basically says, as G. Campbell Morgan notes here, "The attitude of God towards men is created by their attitude towards him." In other words, God may treat you the way that you treat other people. Now, it works in a positive way. If you show great mercy to others, God may very well show great mercy to you. It also works in a negative way. Look at verse 26. "With the devious, you will show yourself shrewd." You know, one of the greatest illustrations of that principle, "with the devious, you'll show yourself shrewd," was how God used the shrewd Laban to educate the devious Jacob. If you don't know what I'm talking about, read Genesis chapters 27 and 28. You will see how God used the shrewd Laban to educate the devious Jacob. And again, God just says, "Hey, I I will um answer people many times with the way that they treat others." It's not that God will ever sin against a person. No, God forbid. But but if a person insists in going in devious ways in their dealings with God, God's going to outwit that person just as that person deserves. But the bottom line is this, as it says in verse 27, "you will save the humble people, but will bring down haughty looks." God loves to give grace to the humble. And likewise, he resists the proud. You you can find that verse not only in the Proverbs, but in James and in first Peter. God will resist the proud but gives grace to the humble.
Now, David just did not look back in his life and thank God for what he had done. He also looks to how God will meet his need in the present and in the future. Look at this starting at verse 28. We read here verse 28.
"For you will light my lamp. The Lord God will enlighten my darkness. For by you I can run against a troop. By my God I can leap over a wall. As for God, his way is perfect. The word of the Lord is proven. He is a shield to all who trust in him."
Now, in this great consideration that we've had up until verse 28, the first 27 verses of Psalm 18, we've seen David praise God for all his past deliverance. But now, David's looking in the present and the future, and he says verse 28, "you will light my lamp." The same God who brought him to the throne would give him the light that he needed to rule and God would enlighten his darkness. And then I love the phrasing in verse 29. Isn't this wonderful? He says, "For by you," this is what David says, "for by you I can run against a troop and by my God I can leap over a wall." You see, David gave thanks for past victories, but he also thanked God for present strength. You know, somebody might think that after 15 or so years of living as a fugitive from Saul, David would simply be exhausted. But this was not the case. God empowered him and he felt strong enough to accomplish superhuman feats. Run against the troop. David says, "I I see a army of a couple hundred people march against. I'm going to run against them all by myself." And then he says, "By my God, I can leap over a wall." David imagines himself coming to a city barricaded by mighty, strong, thick walls. And David says, "No problem. By my God, I'll just jump over the wall."
Then he says verse 30, "As for God, his way is perfect. The word of the Lord is proven." You know, David spoke of the great things that he could do as he was empowered by God. Run against a troop, leap over a wall. Okay? But don't miss this. He always came back to the thought of the greatness of God. He considered the perfection of God's way. He thought about the proven character of God's word. That's why he says, "Please notice that phrase in verse 30, 'the word of the Lord is proven.'" David could say that from his personal experience. The word that God gave to David way back, as I said, some 15 years before that David would be the next king of Israel, plus hundreds of smaller promises, all of those have been proven true.
Now, let me say, do you know that? Do you know the principle as it says in verse 30 that the word of the Lord is proven? Do you know that? Because God has proven himself true in your life again and again and again. Now, if you don't know that from your own experience, maybe it's because you will not allow yourself to be put in a situation where God must prove his word true. David knew the glorious truth of God proving his word true, but he knew it from many extreme circumstances of life. In other words, David was out there in the danger zone. He he was out there really serving God and standing firm for the Lord in difficult circumstances. And God proved himself true. If if you read that phrase in verse 30, "the word of the Lord is proven." You wonder, "Well, do I know that by experience?" Let me tell you what to do. Get out and share your faith. Get out and go on that missions trip with your church. Go out and find a way to stretch yourself in the service of the Lord. Go out and serve at the rescue mission in your community. Go out and serve with the children's ministry at your church. You go put yourself out on the line and you're going to see God prove himself and prove the strength of his word. That's where David experienced it time and time again.
All right. So, let's move on to verse 31. David's going to continue proclaiming the greatness of God. He says, "For who is God except the Lord, and who is a rock except our God? It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect? He makes my feet like the feet of a deer, and he sets me on high places. He teaches my hands to make war so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You've also given me the shield of your salvation. Your right hand has held me up. Your gentleness has made me great. You enlarged my path under me so my feet did not slip."
Again, I just love this section of praise unto God. David says in verse 31, "for who is God except the Lord?" It's as if David is celebrating the reality of Yahweh, the God of Israel, against all the illusions of the gods of the nations, the Philistines, the Moabites, the the Egyptians, the Assyrians, all of them, that they all had their gods, but only Yahweh, only the Lord is God. And David knew it. And that's why he could say with such confidence in verse 32, "it is God who arms me with strength." It's not the illusions of the nations, but God arms me with strength.
Verse 33, "he makes my feet like the feet of a deer." David knew by experience the strength of God given to him. But he also knew the skill to use such strength. That skill was like the skill that deer have as he mentions in verse 33. You know, deer can run effortlessly upon the high places. I don't know if you've ever seen that. I've seen it most vividly perhaps traveling in Israel. You look upon the hills and you see these deer or these goats, ibex, and they're running and hopping and moving quickly around this steep hilly terrain and you know it never seems like they stumble. They never fall. They they have such sure footing even on high places. And David says that's the skill you gave me.
But David also saying about the way that God helped him to make war. God gave him strength. That's in verse 32. But God also, he says in verse 32, "makes my way perfect." Verse 33, like the feet of a deer, and it made him strong enough. I love what it says in verse 34, "to bend a bow of bronze." By the way, one of my favorite commentators, Derek Kidner, he points out that that bow of bronze is probably not solid bronze in its construction, but probably um surrounded with strips of bronze, wood surrounded with strips of bronze. But whatever it is, it's impressive. He could bend a bow of bronze and it gave to him as it says in verse 35, "the shield of your salvation." David was a warrior and he knew that God was the one who helped him to make war triumphantly. God gave him what he needed. He needed physical strength. He needed skill. That's what he needed in battle. But let me tell you, God will also give you what you need. If you're a warrior, God will give you the strength and the skill you need. But whatever situation you're in, God will give you the endurance, the wisdom, the supernatural ability, whatever it is you need in the situation, you look to the Lord and he will give it just as he gave it to David.
Then I love what he says in verse 35. Did you catch that? "Your right hand has held me up. Your gentleness has made me great." You're going to have to pardon me. We're going to camp out on verse 35 for a while. I love this phrase. "Your right hand has held me up. Your gentleness has made me great." First of all, he says, "Your right hand has held me up." In the Hebraic thinking and the thinking of the ancient world in general, the right hand was the hand of skill and strength. So if something had to be done with skill and strength, it had to be done with the right hand. And David says, "Lord, you're not giving me your left hand. You're giving me your right hand and you're holding me up." But then he loved that second part of the phrase, "Your gentleness has made me great." I love that David, this rough, tough, special forces elite warrior. He says, "Lord, you made me great by your gentleness." We don't often think that way, do we? We don't often think of being some somebody
being made great by the gentleness of God, as it mentions in verse 35. It's very easy for us to underestimate the power of God's gentleness. Often we want a more, uh, evidently spectacular display from God. "Oh Lord, no. Don't, don't save me with your gentleness. Save me with the fireworks." But David, this great warrior, he received from and he responded to the gentleness of God. And I would say that it was the gentleness of God towards David in at least two respects. First of all, it was the gentleness that God showed to David, but it was also the gentleness that David learned from God and showed to others.
You know, in many ways, God showed his gentleness to David. And there were even more ways after his victory over Saul and after the taking of the throne. I, I want to think of how the gentleness of God was great in David's life all the way out. You know, God's gentleness was great to David when he was a despised member of his family, when he was neglected, ignored, tending the sheep in solitude. God showed his gentleness to David, and it was great. God's gentleness made David great. When Saul began to envy and hate him, it consoled the soul of David who was rejected by the king. God's gentleness made David great, but by giving him a friend like Jonathan. God's gentleness made David great by allowing him to have the holy bread at the tabernacle when he was fleeing from Saul. God's gentleness to David was great through Abigail, who kept him from slaughtering a foolish man in his family. God's gentleness made David great by granting him the self-control to spare Saul's life twice. God's gentleness made David great even when he was foolish, such as when he acted like a madman in the court of a Philistine ruler. God's gentleness made David great to, to gently prevent him from fighting on behalf of the Philistines against Saul and Israel. Even when David wanted to do such a foolish thing, God's gentleness made David great when he lost everything at Ziklag. But David encouraged himself in the Lord and recovered everything. You see, this gentleness of God made David great.
And I can say that the gentleness of God will make every believer great, greater than you can ever consider. I want to speak very directly and pointedly to every person who is born again by God's spirit. Every person who enjoys the adoption into God's family, every person who is one of God's children, God has made you great by his gentleness. You think about all the ways that the people of this world are great. Some people are great because of their royal birth, but who has a greater claim to royal birth than a son or a daughter of the King of Kings? Some people are great because, uh, they've been elected. They're elected, uh, prime minister or president or senator, whatever. But what greater election is there than to be the elect of God? Some people are great because of their wealth. Who has greater riches than the children and the heirs of the God who owns everything in heaven and earth? Some people are great because of their victories. But who has achieved greater victory than the one who is in unity with Jesus Christ, the greatest champion of all? Some people are great because of their influence. But who has greater influence than the child of God who can move the hand of God with their faithful and righteous prayers? Some people are great because of their discoveries. But who has discovered anything greater than the nature of the infinite and eternal God? Some people are great because of their history. But who has a greater heritage than a member of the body of Christ as it spans throughout the ages and generations? And some people are great because of their destiny. But who has a more glorious and amazing destiny than the heirs of his glory? Those who are his own inheritance. Brother or sister, I tell you with all sincerity, it's the gentleness of God that has made you great in Jesus Christ.
Now, we continue on verse 37. Uh, God gives David victory over his enemies. Look at how David phrases this. He says this, "I have pursued my enemies and overtaken them." I'm starting here at verse 37. "I have pursued my enemies and overtaken them. Neither did I turn back till they were destroyed. I have wounded them so that they could not rise. They have fallen under my feet. You have armed me with strength for the battle. You have subdued under me those who rose up against me. You have also given me the necks of my enemies so that I destroyed those who hated me. They cried out, but there was none to save. Even to the Lord, but he did not answer them. Then I beat them as fine as the dust before the wind. I cast them out like dirt in the streets."
Well, here's a little bit of boastful talk from David about the great victory that he won over his enemies. So he says in verse 37, "I've pursued my enemies and overtaken them." Now, you would say when David says enemies, he has in mind those other than Saul. I mean, King Saul, he doesn't describe as his enemies. Not in the title of the psalm or throughout. But, but again, in no specific sense did he label Saul his enemy. He was very respectful to not do that about the king. But he thinks about all the people around Saul who was hunting David on Saul's behalf. Those, those David will say, "You're my enemies and I've defeated you." You see, David knew that as the king of Israel, he would have to face enemies from surrounding nations. So, here he celebrates the past victories that God gave him against the enemies that bothered him.
In verse 37, he says, "Neither did I turn back until they were destroyed." Verse 40, "You've also given me the necks of my enemies." David fought as a true warrior. He sought to utterly defeat the enemies of Israel on the field of battle. He properly believed that God gave him the victory over these enemies, and he was going to win a complete victory on the field of battle. Again, as I told you before, David was a marvelous, a great soldier.
Now, verse 43, "You have delivered me from the strivings of the people. You have made me the head of the nations. A people I have not known shall serve me. As soon as they hear me, they obey me. The foreigners submit to me. The foreigners fade away and come frightened from their hideouts. The Lord lives. Blessed be my rock. Let the God of my salvation be exalted. It is God who avenges me and subdues the peoples under me. He delivers me from my enemies. You also lift up above those who rise against me. Excuse me. Lift me up above those who rise against me. You have delivered me from the violent man. Therefore, I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the Gentiles and sing praises to your name."
Again, that section from verse 43 all the way through verse 49. What a beautiful triumphant section. David's there says in verse 43, "You've delivered me from the strivings of the people." David knew that taking the throne of Israel was more than just a matter of removing Saul. There were also the strivings of the people that there were those who did not immediately support David as a king over united Israel. We find that in 2 Samuel chapters 2-5. Eventually all the tribes of Israel came around to support David, but not immediately. But, but God delivered him from the strivings of the people. And then he says there in verse 43, "You have made me the head of the nations. A people I have not known shall serve me." David also knew that God would raise him up not only as the king of Israel, but also as a regional power with authority over the neighboring nations who brought him tribute. And this is true. They brought David tribute. And when he was king, the Moabites brought David tribute when he was king. This was true. But this promise has an even greater fulfillment, I believe, in the millennial kingdom of Jesus Christ. Look, I don't have any time to go into it in depth, but I believe that the scriptures teach clearly that David, David in his glorified body, so to speak, David in his resurrection will be the king over the millennial Israel, which will be exalted above the other nations of the earth. You can find a reference to that in Isaiah 55:3-5. And there are several other references to that in the Old Testament. Matter of fact, David says in verse 44, back to Psalm 18, "As soon as they hear of me, they obey me."
Now, I love that verse because verse 44 of Psalm 18 tells us how we should obey Jesus. How should we obey Jesus? As soon as we hear of him, we should obey him. That, that tells us of the obligation of the believer, the, the one who can immediately come to Jesus Christ, they can live obedient to God. It's not like you have to say, "Well, look, I'm going to come to Jesus and live in disobedience for four or five years, and then eventually I'll come around to obedience to Jesus." No. "As soon as they hear of me, they obey me." That's how we should obey Jesus.
Then in verse 46, David's getting all triumphant. He says there, verse 46, "The Lord lives. Blessed be my rock." You see, all of this made David love and honor the Lord more than ever. He gave praise to God for the great things that he had done. He said, "Lord, you've delivered me from the violent man, most notably the murderous Saul and all his associates who were hunting him." And notice this, did you catch this in verse two of Psalm 18? David says, "The Lord is my rock." If you start there, then by the end you're going to be saying verse 46, "Blessed be my rock."
Now, let's take a look at verse 50, the last verse in this amazing psalm. "Great deliverance he gives to his king and shows mercy to his anointed, to David and his descendants forevermore." David could say this with confidence. Not only that God would give him deliverance, but did you notice the phrasing there in verse 50? "Great deliverance he gives to his king." You see, he can know that he was God's king. "Great deliverance he gives to his king." Do you understand that? David could know that because he did everything he could to make sure that he did not take the throne of Israel in an ungodly way. He didn't assassinate King Saul, even though he could have, even claiming self-defense. He didn't undermine Saul with politics and intrigue. No, he left Saul unto the Lord. And in the right time, in the right way, David took the throne. And so David could know, "I am God's king." Brother, sister, if you promote yourself, and I'm talking especially about those of us who serve the Lord relevant to ministry. If you promote yourself and by intrigue or by undermining others or by whatever way you want to do, whatever ungodly way it is, if you use any kind of ungodliness to get yourself into a certain position for ministry, how can you be sure that God gave you the position? How can you be sure that it wasn't your own, you know, ungodly cleverness or intrigue or politics or whatever? No, you want to know that the position you are in is because God gave it to you, not because you were clever. That's why David could say so confidently, "Great deliverance he gives to his king."
Now, David had that blessed benefit of knowing that with confidence that he was not a king of his own making. It wasn't through self-promotion. It was because of God. And then he says in the second line of verse 50, "And shows mercy to his anointed." You know, I, I picture David writing that line in this psalm very thoughtfully. "Lord, you anointed me to be king and you've shown me so much mercy over the years in all the challenges and all the pains and all the struggles. Thank you, Lord, for your mercy. But I know that I made it over this some 15 years. I made it because of your mercy." And then the final line of the psalm, "to David and his descendants forevermore." Here David understood something, and he understood it either by intuition, maybe he understood it by revelation, but that it would be specifically promised to him later that David, and not Saul, would begin the hereditary monarchy in Israel, and that his descendants would sit on the throne of Israel, would actually be the Messiah of Israel. We see that promise made in 2 Samuel 7:1-17.
Now, as we come to the end here of Psalm 18, and we're going to take some time here at the end to consider this, we want to ask a question we've been asking as we make our way through the Psalms. How does Psalm 18 point to Jesus? Well, let me show it in a couple places here. I think it's amazing to see it. First of all, we notice, uh, verse 50 where it says, "And shows mercy to his anointed." Are you aware that the Hebrew word for anointed, from that word comes the Hebrew name Messiah, Messiah? Technically speaking, the Messiah is the anointed one. "He shows mercy to his anointed." That right there has in mind the Messiah, to David and his descendants forevermore. The greatest descendant of David, the one who has the title the Son of David, is Jesus the Messiah himself.
But, but then look at verse 49, the verse right before the last verse. David said this, "Therefore I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the Gentiles and sing praises to your name." Now, on one level, this was David praising God for his deliverance and safety among the neighboring kingdoms. Okay, we get it. But on a second level, the Apostle Paul quoted this line in Romans chapter 15 in the section verses 8-2 as the first of four Old Testament prophecies demonstrating that the work of Jesus Christ was not only for the Jewish people, but it was also for the Gentiles. This line, "I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the Gentiles and sing praises to your name," by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the Apostle Paul applies that phrase of David to the work of Jesus the Messiah. Now, I, I don't have any doubt that maybe when David wrote this, he had one thing in view. But the Holy Spirit took, by his wonderful inspiration of David's words, he took those words and gave them an even greater meaning that he would praise him among, in fellowship, a whole host of Gentile worshippers.
Now, if we make that connection between Romans 15, Paul's quotation of it, and its use of verse 49 and Psalm 18, we like to do what James Montgomery Boyce said. James Montgomery Boyce said this, "Quote, at this point, we are encouraged to look back over the entire psalm for messianic meanings." And you know, when we do that, we see so many pictures in Psalm 18 of how they point to Jesus and his work. I mean, if you want to take a look at verses 1-6 of Psalm 18, these suggest his death. Verse four, and I'm going to read these verses. I want you to think of them in terms of Jesus and who he was and what he did. Verse four, "The pangs of death encompassed me." Can't you see Jesus saying that? Verse five, "The sorrows of Sheol, or the grave, surrounded me. The snares of death confronted me." Can you not see Jesus saying that before God?
Psalm 18:7-18 suggest his resurrection. Verse 7, "The earth shook and trembled." Do you remember that the Bible says there was an earthquake? I think it's in the Gospel of Matthew. There was an earthquake when Jesus was revealed as risen from the dead and the stone was rolled away. The earth shook and trembled. Verse 7. Verse 16, "He sent from above. He took me. He drew me out of many waters." Verse 17, "He delivered me from my strong enemy." Was not Jesus Christ delivered from the strong enemy of death? Again, this suggests the resurrection. What we're doing again, we're just looking through these phrases in Psalm 18 and seeing how they suggest things about the person and work of Jesus Christ.
Uh, verses 19-27 suggest the exaltation of Jesus. Verse 21, "I have kept the ways of the Lord." Verse 23, "I was also blameless before him." Verse 24, "Therefore the Lord has recompensed me according to my righteousness." All of that was true in a lesser sense of David. It was ultimately true of Jesus Christ.
Verses 28-42 suggest the victory of Jesus. Jesus says, again, we're putting these words prophetically into the mouth of Jesus. Verse 29, "For by you I can run against a troop." Verse 37, "I, I have pursued my enemies and overtaken them." Jesus was strong enough to run against a troop and be victorious. You know, the enemies that came against us, they were strong. They were disciplined. They were like soldiers coming in ranks against us. Yet, Jesus defeated them. Matter of fact, I love what it says in verse 29. Jesus was great enough to jump over a wall. It was the wall of God's holy law that separated us from God. Jesus didn't destroy the wall. Instead, with his holy life, he jumped over it and he fulfilled the law on our behalf.
And then verses 43 through 50, they suggest the kingdom of Jesus. Again, think of these phrases and apply them to the person and work of Jesus Christ. Verse 43, "You have made me the head of the nations." Verse 44, "The foreigners submit to me." Verse 48, "You also lift me up above those who rise against me." And then verse 49, "Therefore I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the Gentiles." So we see that Psalm 18 gloriously points to the person and work of Jesus the Messiah all throughout the psalm. No wonder that Jesus the Messiah had the great title, the Son of David. So much of David's life and experience was a prophecy of the life and the experience of Jesus the Messiah. Not everything, of course. We, we'd never take David's sins and scandals and seasons of backslidings. Those stand in contrast to Jesus Messiah. They, they don't speak directly of him. But in many, many ways, what God did in and through David the king, David the son of Jesse, was a prophecy of what he would do in a perfect, ultimate, and greater sense through Jesus the Messiah.
You see, in the Lord, David the psalmist won a great victory. And the victory of Jesus is prophesied and proclaimed in this psalm. Jesus shares his victory with his people. The great victory of Jesus, as it's prefigured in the victory of David in this psalm. Brothers and sisters, I say this with all humility, that victory belongs to us in Jesus Christ. Jesus is so loving and generous to share his victory with us. I'm going to pray that you and myself, that we'll walk in that great victory.
Father in heaven, we read a great and majestic and beautiful psalm like Psalm 18, and we are stunned with its greatness. We are stunned with the great praise that it offers from a place of great victory. And Lord, when we really figure out that this prefigures, that it connects to the greater and perfect victory of Jesus on our behalf, and that we can share in that victory, Lord, we are the ones who just want to praise you for the great victory that you have given us in Jesus the Messiah. And how beautifully you proclaimed it through your servant David, both in David's life directly and as it would be fulfilled in the Messiah. Help us to receive that victory, to trust that victory, to, uh, venture forth and fight the battles we have to fight from that place of victory, and to praise you for it in Jesus' wonderful name. Amen.
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