ETB Psalm 18:16-29

Session 7: God’s Deliverance - p.60

Looking back over our past can be a beneficial exercise for believers. We’re wise when we take some time to reflect on the successes, as well as the failures, in our past. Even more important, we do well to ask the Lord to help us so we can see clearly what He has done in our lives to shield and uphold us. [LifeWay Adults (2025). Explore the Bible: Adult Leader Guide, Summer 2025]

One reason to review our past is to prepare for future events that may be similar, especially when it comes to protecting loved ones or possessions from harm or damage.

Relate: Each day we take steps to protect ourselves from harm’s way. Each day, there are people who stand in the gap to offer protection to others.

Reflect: What measures do you take to protect the things you value? What prompts you to take these steps?

Transition: In today’s session we will examine Psalm 18. As we do, think about how David praised God for deliverance. Identify areas of our life where you can demonstrate gratitude to our mighty God for protecting and defending you in times of adversity.

Understand the Context

The end of 2Sam 21 records several battles that are accomplished both by David and his trusted men, including one incident where David "grew weary” and was saved from one of the descendants of the giants by Abishai. It was after this that his men told him that he should not go out into battle with them anymore.

Chapter 22 of Second Samuel starts off with:

2 Samuel 22:1 ESV

1 And David spoke to the Lord the words of this song on the day when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul.

As David reflected on the number of ways the Lord had taken care of him. Long before he became the king of Israel, he had survived Saul’s repeated attempts to kill him (1 Sam. 17–31). During his reign as king, he had to overcome an assortment of challenges. In particular, he defended himself against his enemies who tried to remove him from the throne (2 Sam. 1–21). Looking back on all of his victories, he gave the Lord the credit for each of them.

Psalm 18 begins with a call to praise. David expressed his love for the Lord who had been faithful to rescue him from his enemies (18:1-3). He went on to describe the anguish he faced as he found himself at death’s door. He turned to the Lord and pleaded for help. The Lord heard his cry and reached into his desperate predicament. [ETB:ALG Sum'25]

Our lesson passage starts in verse 16 of the song as recorded in Psalm 18. In this part David expounds on some reasons that the Lord had delivered him from danger so many times.

Explore the Text

Psalm 18:16–19 ESV

16 He sent from on high, he took me; he drew me out of many waters. 17 He rescued me from my strong enemy and from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me. 18 They confronted me in the day of my calamity, but the Lord was my support. 19 He brought me out into a broad place; he rescued me, because he delighted in me.

He sent from on high

The ESV translates the first part of the verse as “He sent” which made me ask, “Sent what?” Reading through the other English Bibles and the quarterly’s translations, we see it translated as “He reached down” which gives us a better image of the saving “hand of God” coming to David’s rescue.

The Hebrew for “took hold” suggests placing something in one’s hand and carrying it. The Lord grabbed David and held him with a firm grip. [ETB:ALG Sum'25]

The CSB and other translations using this help us with the Hebrew poetic style called a parallelism which is used throughout this Psalm. “Reaching down” and “drawing out” are the same image restated with different words. As we read through the rest of the Psalm, look for more instances of this poetic style. But also note when it is not used, drawing emphasis to those singular statements.

drew me out of many waters.

The Lord also removed David from a dangerous crisis that could have taken his life. David used vivid imagery to describe what the Lord had done. Like someone drowning in many waters, David realized that he could never save himself. Only the Lord could save him. [ETB:ALG Sum'25]

David wrote about these “waters” after recalling all the times of great distress. Jonah expressed the same realization as he languished in the stomach of a gigantic fish (Jonah 2:5-6). Job, who suffered even more than David, also used a water reference.

Job 22:11 “11 or darkness, so that you cannot see, and a flood of water covers you.”

When was the last time you felt like you were “in over your head?”

How did God deliver you?

Strong enemy… those who hate me.

These are the same group of people opposing David one description is their military might one is their motive.

What is David’s last description of this group in the verse?

Why is that a significant statement?

The writer of Hebrews at the end of the “Legends of Faith” notes these deliverances too.

Hebrews 11:34 “34 who through faith quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.”

David admitted these enemies were too strong to conquer and Paul drew attention to his weakness and God’s strength also.

2 Corinthians 12:9 “9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

Only when we admit our need for God’s help does He gives us the extra strength of His presence to overcome that which we feel is “drowning” us. Jesus did not reach out for Peter until he admitted he was going under.

We see in part some of this triumph in the next verse.

confronted me in the day of my calamity

Did the enemies come when David was having “a good day?”

In that moment of extreme weakness or weariness, his enemy attacked. This violent aggression would have destroyed David, but the Lord sustained him. David’s testimony of the Lord’s support in his weakness resonated with the declaration of Moses that God’s people could count on Him to stand against their enemy (Deut. 32:35-37). [ETB:ALG Sum'25]

The enemy of our souls knows we are weaker when we have a lot on our plate or multiple distractions. We must be vigilant even in those “off days” to continue to seek God’s help.

David knew he had an army to help him with the fight, but he also knew that ultimately it is God’s sovereign that will win. God’s “hand” is not always supernatural, many times today His will and provision come through those that we interact with and consider friends and family.

Be like David, do not resist the desire to call in reinforcements if you see you’re going to have problems. Many in the church will pray, some will even come to your side and help any way they can. God can use any or all of these as He chooses or He may speak clearly and with comfort through His Word. Sound the call to arms and see how God responds.

Brought me out… rescued me

The Hebrew word for “spacious place” implies more than a generous amount of square footage. It suggests a safe place that would offer comfort. Such a place stood in stark contrast to the severe constrictions that crowded David and left him feeling like a prisoner to his difficulties. [ETB:ALG Sum'25]

Notice how David does not focus much on what he was delivered from, but his focus is mostly on the Deliverer.

That is a good lesson for us as well, focusing on the solution instead of the problem can bring us closer to Him faster and more faithfully than allowing the enemy to distract us from our true source of power.

Notice the reason that David states for all this deliverance and support.

because he delighted in me

David accepted that it was of no merit on his own that God did these things, it was merely God’s delight to do so.

While the king was far from perfect, the Lord knew that He had David’s heart.

Centuries earlier, the Lord demonstrated a similar love for Israel when He rescued His people from Egyptian bondage and established a covenant relationship with them (Ex. 19:4). During Solomon’s reign, the Queen of Sheba affirmed that the Lord demonstrated His unending love for the kingdom of Israel. She recognized that God had verified His delight in Solomon by blessing him lavishly with both wisdom and material possessions (1 Kings 10:9).  [ETB:ALG Sum'25]

The Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament, uses a word that is translated into “support” for our word delighted. The pleasure of God is revealed through His support and help to David His servant. The same can be true for us. We know God is “for us” because He loves us and reveals that love through His constant support and help through the tough times.

Philippians 2:13 “13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”

David now shifts from the external “deliverances” that God had granted to more internal and spiritual ones.

Psalm 18:20–24 ESV

20 The Lord dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he rewarded me. 21 For I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from my God. 22 For all his rules were before me, and his statutes I did not put away from me. 23 I was blameless before him, and I kept myself from my guilt. 24 So the Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.

The first phrase and the last phrase are the keys to understanding the verses in this stanza. David it not boasting but is amazed at how God perceives him as “clean” and “righteous” even though he knows he is not. David knows that all the blessings are because from God’s “sight” he is clean. Because he is clean in God’s sight, then these other things are true the Psalmist writes them down in humble amazement.

I am very glad that God also deals with me according to what He sees, and not what I do.

There is also Hebrew structure to this stanza that emphasizes David’s reliance on the truth of God’s word as “His rules”.

Verses 20-24 are written in a poetic, chiastic structure. This means that verse 20 corresponds to verse 24, and verse 21 corresponds to verse 23. This structure is meant to draw attention to the center. Verse 22 is in the center and is the main focus of emphasis as it contains the reason David could proclaim what he did in the other verses:

Verse 20 – David’s righteousness and cleanness of hands

Verse 21 – David has kept the ways of the Lord

Verse 22 – God’s Word is David’s guide in life

Verse 23 – David has kept himself from iniquity

Verse 24 – David’s righteousness and cleanness of hands [ETB:ALG Sum'25]

Kept the ways of the Lord… not wickedly departed.

David’s poetic style shifts from the similar parallelism like in verse 20 where “righteousness” and “clean hands” have the same meaning to contrasting parallelism in the next three verses. This shift emphasizes those things that the Lord has done and the difference between how God sees David and how he sees himself.

all his rules were before me

Rules, law, statutes, testimonies, commands, ordinances, or judgements. Whatever you want to call them, they are His words to us, and they need to “stay before us” as much as possible. We need to fight the urge to “put them away.”

What are some ways that you keep Scripture “before you” during the week?

Is there anything that seems to distract you from God’s Word, that tempts you to “disregard” it?

I kept myself from my guilt

When we see ourselves as God does and desire to please Him, we will take extra steps to prevent temptations from causing guilt.

Sometimes we may even feel guilty, for something that God had already forgiven us for which may be what David it alluding to here. He knows that God sees him as redeemed and now he is trying to accept that view for himself, instead of allowing the enemy to continue to harass him with past failures.

rewarded me according to my righteousness

Being righteous means being made right with God, and it resulted from faith in Him (Gen. 15:6). That has always been God’s standard, and He honored David’s faith and dependence on Him.

In the New Testament, Paul echoed the same message about righteousness. He wrote that people only could be made right with God by placing their faith in the risen Christ (Rom. 10:9-10; Eph. 2:9-10). It is not something any of us can earn. [ETB:ALG Sum'25]

I am grateful that God rewards based on the righteousness that He has imputed to us through Christ. If He rewarded me any other way, it would be more of a curse than a blessing.

Other than salvation through Christ’s work, what are some other rewards that God has granted to you based on His view and not what your deserve?

Transition: David moved from examining his own attitude and actions to rejoicing in God’s faithfulness.

Psalm 18:25–29 ESV

25 With the merciful you show yourself merciful; with the blameless man you show yourself blameless; 26 with the purified you show yourself pure; and with the crooked you make yourself seem tortuous. 27 For you save a humble people, but the haughty eyes you bring down. 28 For it is you who light my lamp; the Lord my God lightens my darkness. 29 For by you I can run against a troop, and by my God I can leap over a wall.

John Phillips had the best insight for verses 25-26 that I read this past week.

Psalms 18:25 (John Phillips Commentary)

Most of us have played dominoes. You put down a six, I put down a six; you put down a two, I put down a two. The point of the game is to match perfectly the other person’s play. That is what Jesus does. We call it poetic justice. The Bible is full of it. We see Haman being hung on the gallows he had built for Mordecai; we see Laban cheating Jacob who himself had cheated Esau; We see David reaping murder and adultery in his own family after he himself had seduced Bathsheba and murdered her husband. When the Lord plays dominoes on a galactic scale it becomes far too complicated for us to follow. That is why we don’t always see the principle of poetic justice at work; but we can be quite sure that ’whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." Jesus, the Royal Priest, is insuring that all are treated with mercy and with judgment. In the end He will see that the law of poetic justice is impartially applied to all.

you save a humble people, but the haughty

More contrasting imagery but also a statement of faith.

When we observe the world and its successes, rarely do we see the humble rising to the top. It seems to be the “self-promoters” and arrogant that “have everything.”

David reminds us with this simple statement that this is not God’s way. We must continue in faith humbling ourselves before Him and His ways, keeping ourselves “from guilt.” Not to be saved, but because we already have been. If He chooses to deliver us from other enemies of this world, we will praise Him, if not, we should still praise Him and trust His sovereignty and His word that one day, those that are haughty in God’s eyes, will be brought down in perfect judgement from a Holy God.

you light my lamp

In 2Samuel 21, when Abishai and his men tell David that he should not come out to battle with them anymore the reason they give is so that David’s “lamp will not go out.” David now recognizes that this wise request comes from God, and He is using his men to further protect not only him as king, but Israel’s future.

God lightens my darkness

Jesus said, “I am the Light.”

David admits his dark times are overcome by God’s gracious hand.

What “darkness” has God dispelled in your life recently with His presence or power?

by my God I can leap over a wall

In some areas, like in the British Isles, walls are made of stone and not very high. They are more of a marker of territory than a prevention of invasion. Those walls can be jumped over with a little effort.

I don’t think that is the kind of wall David is imagining. Think Jericho walls.

Paul in his letter to the Philippians had a similar boast of God’s power.

Philippians 4:13 “13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

David will continue in the Psalm extolling all the ways that God allowed him to be victorious over many other peoples and nations. He starts by acknowledging that all of this is only possible because of God’s indwelling power and because God has chosen to see him as righteous and pleasing.

Apply the Text

Verse 29 focuses on David’s testimony of how God rescued him from his enemies. Because he trusted God, he had the courage and passion to fight any battle against any foe. God can still provide that kind of confidence and strength when we humble ourselves before Him. This week, think about how you can apply these verses to your life as you face struggles and challenges in life. [ETB:ALG Sum'25]

“Love Lifted Me” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGgMmakXUU0

Pray: Dear Lord, remind us that we can always call upon You in our times of adversity. Give us the strength not only to endure but to wait on Your answer and resolution. God, You are so gracious to reward those who faithfully follow Your Word and Ways. May we continue to be a part of that group and praise Your name when the blessings come. Father God, You are always faithful even when we are not. Help us to trust You even in those times that our doubts and fears begin to overwhelm us. Lord increase our faith and trust in You as our Protector and Provider.