Psalm 18 is a psalm of David, a track celebrating “the day the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.” This psalm, the longest of E book One, praises God for His deliverance. It’s also recorded with minor variations in 2 Samuel 22. On the heart of this psalm is a strong confession of religion: “With the merciful you show your self merciful” (Ps 18:25).
This psalm begins (vv. 1-6) and ends (vv. 46-50) with reward supplied to God. It’s a reward full of affection and thanksgiving for God's safety from enemies and from demise. Reward rejoices within the victories that God has given to His King and His individuals—victories exhibited to the world.
The central a part of the psalm (vv. 20-29) celebrates the faithfulness of David and God. David served the Lord blamelessly (beneath we have a look at the difficulties that appear to encompass this sort of declare). The Lord was at all times dependable and blessed his king. On both sides of this central meditation on faithfulness we’ve a file of God's mighty assist to David (verses 7-19; 30-45). Every of those two components has its personal character. Verses 7-19 emphasize God's work in saving David. Verses 30-45 emphasize David's success as God labored by way of him.
In gentle of this overview of the construction of the psalm, we wish to take a better have a look at a number of factors. First, how can David declare to be innocent (verses 20-24)? Claiming integrity is a recurring theme within the Psalms. Psalm 26 states with specific drive:
Forgive me, O Lord, for I’ve walked in my integrity and I’ve trusted within the Lord with out wavering. Take a look at me, O Lord, and check me; check my coronary heart and my thoughts. On your mercy is earlier than my eyes, and I stroll in your faithfulness. I don’t sit with false individuals, nor affiliate with hypocrites” (Ps. 26:1-4).
However David is a assassin and an adulterer to call just some of his sins. How can he declare to be innocent?
We should acknowledge that David was a loyal and protracted follower of the Lord, despite the fact that he fell into a really severe sin. When Nathan confronted him about his sins, he repented and grieved deeply over them. He expressed his repentance in stunning psalms of repentance, reminiscent of Psalms 32 and 51. His life as a complete was characterised by trustworthy observance of God's covenant in obedience and repentance.
So what David is asking for is just not absolute ethical perfection. He acknowledged that based on such a typical, he would by no means stand: “Don’t enter into judgment together with your servant, for nobody residing is righteous earlier than you” (Ps. 143:2). Somewhat, he pleads for his faithfulness in comparison with the wickedness of those that hate God and His king. He makes this comparability to not declare that he deserves or has earned God's favor, however to indicate that God's saving grace has certainly set him other than the depraved in the way in which he thinks, believes, and lives. David loves the Lord and His legislation, so his sin is heavy for him and he willingly repents and tries to guide a godly life. In distinction, the depraved despise God and His holy legislation. They ignore God and attempt to hurt their neighbor in each method.
Once more, David doesn’t declare that his good righteousness earns God's favor. Somewhat, he says that God introduced him into his covenant and gave him the integrity that he has. He’s “the God that hath strengthened me, and made my method innocent” (Psalm 18:32). He belongs to God and follows God, and subsequently is aware of that God will likely be sort to him. The Lord doesn’t save the self-righteous, however the humble: “For you save the standard individuals, however you carry down the haughty eyes” (Psalm 18:27). All his energy comes from the Lord (v. 1), and the psalmist's religion or belief at all times turns to the Lord for assist (Ps 18:2; cf. Ps 26:1: “I trusted within the Lord with out wavering”). The premise of God's look after David is just not David's benefit, however the Lord's alternative: “He delivered me as a result of he was happy in me” (Psalm 18:19).
Whereas David wrote this psalm and had each proper to sing it in his faithfulness, we see once more that the psalm attracts our minds to one thing higher and purer than David. This psalm belongs to Christ, who was in each method fully innocent, reasonably than to David. Paul proves this by utilizing this psalm in Romans 15:8-9. He wrote:
I say to you that Christ grew to become the servant of the circumcised to indicate the reality of God, to verify the guarantees made to the patriarchs, and that the Gentiles would possibly glorify God for his mercy. As it’s written, “Subsequently I’ll reward you among the many Gentiles and sing to your title” (Rom 15:8-9).
When Paul quotes Psalm 18:49, he reveals that he’s talking of Jesus no less than as a lot as of David. Even David can declare covenantal integrity solely as he’s in Christ.
One other characteristic of this psalm is the vivid image of God coming to avoid wasting David (verses 7-15). David cried out for assist (v. 6) and the Lord answered. “He bowed the heavens and got here down; there was thick darkness beneath his ft. He rode on a cherub and flew; he got here swiftly on the wings of the wind” (Psalm 18:9-10). The anger of the Lord shook the earth (verses 7, 15) and thunder and lightning overtook him (verses 12-14). From his nostrils got here scorching smoke and from his mouth hearth (vv. 8, 15).
Right here is a tremendous image of God's energy and willpower to avoid wasting. However when did that occur in David's life? Once we search the historical past of the Outdated Testomony, we discover no such episode. One thing like this occurred when the Lord met with Israel on Mount Sinai, however in David's expertise nothing like that occurred.
The reason, in fact, is that David is talking poetically right here. He information not what he noticed along with his bodily eyes, however what his eyes of religion noticed because it occurred. Though this superior energy of God normally stays hidden from view, it is vitally actual and is getting used for the welfare of His individuals. God is at all times working mightily and passionately for His individuals, even after we can not see it. David's poetic imagery reveals us greater than meets the attention.
This reality is taught time and again within the Bible. We have to be taught this repeatedly as a result of we’re so inclined to suppose that solely what’s seen is actual. Keep in mind Elisha's expertise. He sat in Dothan apparently defenseless towards the ability of the king of Aram. When his servant panicked, Elisha replied, “Don’t be afraid, for individuals who are with us are greater than those that are with them” (2 Kings 6:16). And to consolation his servant much more, Elisha prayed and God did a beautiful factor. Elisha then prayed and stated, 'Lord, please open his eyes in order that he might even see.' So the Lord opened the eyes of the younger man, and he noticed, and behold, the mountain was filled with horses and chariots of fireplace round Elisha” (2 Kings 6:17).
Elisha was by no means in any hazard as a result of the Lord was on his aspect.
We see one thing related when the authorities got here to arrest Jesus within the Backyard of Gethsemane. Jesus regarded weak and defenseless. In a panic, Petr tried to guard him along with his sword.
Then Jesus stated to him, “Put your sword as a substitute. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Do you suppose that I can not flip to my Father and he’ll ship me greater than twelve legions of angels? (Matthew 26:52-53)
Jesus submitted to arrest not as a result of He was powerless, however as a result of He accepted the Father's will for His demise and our redemption.
This psalm reminds us all that God is at all times working for us and for our good. The apostle John within the New Testomony states the identical factor: “He who’s in you is larger than he who’s on the earth” (1 John 4:4).
We don't have to concern as a result of God will save us in his due time. We must always reward God for his mercy and assist, as this psalm does.
This text was first printed in Tabletalk, the Bible journal of Ligonier Ministries. Be taught extra at TabletalkMagazine.com or join as we speak at GetTabletalk.com.
Dr. W. Robert Godfrey is a Ligonier Ministries instructor and president of Ligonier Ministries. He’s president emeritus and professor emeritus of church historical past at Westminster Seminary in California. He’s the lead instructor for a lot of of Ligonier's instructing collection, together with the six-part Overview of Church Historical past collection. He’s the creator of many books, together with God's Sample for Creation, Outlines of the Reformation, and An Sudden Journey.
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