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Broken Crown, Unshakable Kingdom • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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1 David spoke the words of this song to the Lord on the day the Lord rescued him from the grasp of all his enemies and from the grasp of Saul. 2 He said: The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer, 3 my God, my rock where I seek refuge. My shield, the horn of my salvation, my stronghold, my refuge, and my Savior, you save me from violence. 4 I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I was saved from my enemies.
This is a Psalm of David and was written after David had been king in Israel for several years.
We see the enemies of David listed and Saul is separated from that list which shows us David was a loyal supporter of Saul.
This Psalm is a lot like Psalm 18 but one major difference is that here there are no musical directions.
David began with eight praise-filled descriptions of the Lord replete with metaphors.
David shows us that the Lord is not just a source of salvation for the world in general but is a strong and benevolent protector of David.
The extensive use of the first-person personal pronoun is significant - for David the Lord is a very personal helper, a living resource..
David calls the Lords: rock, fortress, deliverer, God , rock where refuge is sought, shield, horn of salvation, stronghold, refuge, Savior, savior from violence.
One of the cooles things we learn about God through David - When you call on Him - He answers.
5 For the waves of death engulfed me; the torrents of destruction terrified me. 6 The ropes of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me. 7 I called to the Lord in my distress; I called to my God. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry for help reached his ears.
David gives a vivid picture to describe the threats to his life - “waves of death” and “torrents” - the power and danger of water is something we can all understand.
“The ropes of Sheol” - Sheol is where the dead reside aka the grave - David says he is entangled, snared - one tactical misstep in David’s career would have spelled death.
David agin cries out to the Lord - the idea that God heard David from His temple indicates that we can call out to God anywhere and not just in a worship setting.
8 Then the earth shook and quaked; the foundations of the heavens trembled; they shook because he burned with anger. 9 Smoke rose from his nostrils, and consuming fire came from his mouth; coals were set ablaze by it. 10 He bent the heavens and came down, total darkness beneath his feet. 11 He rode on a cherub and flew, soaring on the wings of the wind.
David’s description of God’s response is in stark contrast to his humble and frail position.
What an amazing and powerful God we serve.
12 He made darkness a canopy around him, a gathering of water and thick clouds. 13 From the radiance of his presence, blazing coals were ignited. 14 The Lord thundered from heaven; the Most High made his voice heard. 15 He shot arrows and scattered them; he hurled lightning bolts and routed them. 16 The depths of the sea became visible, the foundations of the world were exposed at the rebuke of the Lord, at the blast of the breath of his nostrils.
David uses meteorological images to portrays the Lord as a being whose power and presence are vastly superior to all things human.
The thundering and lighting are all representative of the presence of God.
The arrows and lightning bolt that routed and scattered are God’s divine interaction in defeating the enemies.
Life and breath are closely related in Israelite thought; thus the Lord’s life force was vastly superior to that of humanity.
17 He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he pulled me out of deep water. 18 He rescued me from my powerful enemy and from those who hated me, for they were too strong for me. 19 They confronted me in the day of my calamity, but the Lord was my support. 20 He brought me out to a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me.
Up to this point the descriptions of God could be considered scary but here it changes.
Here as David was sinking, God reached down, personally, to pull him out of the water.
David was not literally threatened by water but if you have ever been attacked, persecuted or in great distress - it feels like you are drowning.
God became David’s support in times of trouble.
If you feel like you are drowning the idea of being out into a open spacious place is fantastic.
21 The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness; he repaid me according to the cleanness of my hands. 22 For I have kept the ways of the Lord and have not turned from my God to wickedness. 23 Indeed, I let all his ordinances guide me and have not disregarded his statutes. 24 I was blameless before him and kept myself from my iniquity. 25 So the Lord repaid me according to my righteousness, according to my cleanness in his sight.
David is sharing what he believes is his “secret” of success - it was his scrupulous obedience to the Lord’s law.
If we will obey the Lord we will find success in all He wills us to do.
We should assume that genuine God-centered faith was the wellspring of David’s attention to the law and his personal conduct.
David received his reward from God because he had a faith -based righteousness that produced actions consistent with it.
26 With the faithful you prove yourself faithful, with the blameless you prove yourself blameless, 27 with the pure you prove yourself pure, but with the crooked you prove yourself shrewd. 28 You rescue an oppressed people, but your eyes are set against the proud— you humble them. 29 Lord, you are my lamp; the Lord illuminates my darkness.
David makes six observations about God’s treatment of various types of individuals.
Four virtues that please the Lord: Faithfulness, moral blamelessness, purity and humility - each of this is partnered with God proving the same (faithful - God is faithful, blameless - God is blameless, etc.)
For those who are proud (haughty), the Lord will bring them low - in other words, if you exalt yourself at the expense of God and others then God will take you down a bunch of notches.
In a world of darkness, unlit by opportunity and hope then God becomes a light, more specifically a lamp to shine in that darkness and point the way.
30 With you I can attack a barricade, and with my God I can leap over a wall.
When God is helping you there is nothing you cannot do - for David it was attack a stronghold or leap over a wall.
What has God helped you accomplish?
31 God—his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is pure. He is a shield to all who take refuge in him. 32 For who is God besides the Lord? And who is a rock? Only our God. 33 God is my strong refuge; he makes my way perfect.
God’s plan is perfect what He says is true, pure.
God is a shield - notice to those who choose to take refuge.
God is a refuge that if we dwell in God make our way perfect.
34 He makes my feet like the feet of a deer and sets me securely on the heights. 35 He trains my hands for war; my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
Watching the deer up here has really illustrated this verse - I have seen a deer jump and land on some of the steepest slopes.
God sets our feet securely just like the deers.
God training he hands for war and when David says he can bend a bow of bronze is another example of how God has the power to take make an otherwise ordinary life extraordinary.
36 You have given me the shield of your salvation; your help exalts me. 37 You make a spacious place beneath me for my steps, and my ankles do not give way.
The sovereign God who controls every facet of life granted His faithful follower circumstances that permitted him to stand and move confidently against all of life’s foes.
38 I pursue my enemies and destroy them; I do not turn back until they are wiped out. 39 I wipe them out and crush them, and they do not rise; they fall beneath my feet.
David did not idly accept these divine gifts and circumstances - he used them.
As the Lord’s agent of judgment he “crushed” the enemy.
40 You have clothed me with strength for battle; you subdue my adversaries beneath me. 41 You have made my enemies retreat before me; I annihilate those who hate me. 42 They look, but there is no one to save them— they look to the Lord, but he does not answer them. 43 I pulverize them like dust of the earth; I crush them and trample them like mud in the streets.
David continues to exclaim the Lord’s power over his enemies, even those who tried to call on the Lord - God did not answer them.
44 You have freed me from the feuds among my people; you have preserved me as head of nations; a people I had not known serve me. 45 Foreigners submit to me cringing; as soon as they hear, they obey me. 46 Foreigners lose heart and come trembling from their fortifications.
Sometimes trouble comes from those closest to you.
God give the victory over enemies foreign or domestic…
47 The Lord lives—blessed be my rock! God, the rock of my salvation, is exalted. 48 God—he grants me vengeance and casts down peoples under me. 49 He frees me from my enemies. You exalt me above my adversaries; you rescue me from violent men. 50 Therefore I will give thanks to you among the nations, Lord; I will sing praises about your name. 51 He is a tower of salvation for his king; he shows loyalty to his anointed, to David and his descendants forever.
What may have seemed like a chapter of David bragging on his victories he again makes it clear…
All we have, every victory, every success - belongs to the Lord.
