Reasons to Praise Him

Introduction

Many of you are familiar with the Battle Hymn of the Republic. If nothing else, during college football season, you hopefully get to hear it often when Georgia scores a touchdown.

Battle Hymns are songs that rally the troops and remind us of why we fight.

If I were to ask you tonight if you know what song is the Battle Hymn of the Reformation, how many of you good give a good guess at it?

The song that is often dubbed the Battle Hymn of the Reformation is actually Martin Luther’s song “A Mighty Fortress is Our God.”

The song was inspired by Psalm 46 and was used as a rallying cry for many of the reformers who were being persecuted by the Roman Catholic church. It encouraged them to remain faithful knowing that God was their never failing refuge.

Well, tonight we are going to look at a song that David wrote that was a reminder to him and his people of God’s faithful protection. In the song, David gives reasons to praise the Lord.

2 Samuel 22:1–4 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. 2 He said, “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, 3 my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge, my savior; you save me from violence. 4 I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.

Pray

We could go around the room tonight and all give reasons we have to praise the Lord. Tonight, let’s take a look at several throughout this song.

The song is actually almost identical to Psalm 18.

1. God is a Stronghold for His People (vv.1-7)

The psalm begins at some undisclosed time in David’s life, but it was after his time fleeing from Saul and during a period of peace that God had given to David

David had a lot of experience fleeing from Saul and hiding out in the rocks and clefts of the valleys as well as wilderness fortresses

David uses this language to describe God as the ultimate source of his security

Do you look to the Lord to protect you and deliver you out of your troubles?

David describes the waves of death and torrents of destruction - wadis in Israel and the flash flooding that can happen during a storm

David was wrapped up with the cords of death and couldn’t save himself. In the midst of his predicament, He called out to the Lord

The good news is that God heard Him

God hears our prayers too, especially the prayers of the Lost who cry out to Him for salvation.

2. God Responds the Prayers of His Beloved (vv. 8-16)

2 Samuel 22:8–16 ESV

8 “Then the earth reeled and rocked; the foundations of the heavens trembled and quaked, because he was angry. 9 Smoke went up from his nostrils, and devouring fire from his mouth; glowing coals flamed forth from him. 10 He bowed the heavens and came down; thick darkness was under his feet. 11 He rode on a cherub and flew; he was seen on the wings of the wind. 12 He made darkness around him his canopy, thick clouds, a gathering of water. 13 Out of the brightness before him coals of fire flamed forth. 14 The Lord thundered from heaven, and the Most High uttered his voice. 15 And he sent out arrows and scattered them; lightning, and routed them. 16 Then the channels of the sea were seen; the foundations of the world were laid bare, at the rebuke of the Lord, at the blast of the breath of his nostrils.

The language that is used is figurative language describing God getting up from His throne and mounting His chariot to ride to the aid of David

Description is like that of Mt. Sinai when the children of Israel saw the mountain quake

God was not indifferent to the cry of David. God was angry at the enemies of David

God is angry at sin and the devastation it brings

God mounts His chariot that is carried by the cherubim and the earth reels and rocks at His presence

The description David gives is like a volcano erupting and the arrows scattered about are lighting coming from the clouds of darkness

Then there is a picture like that of the Red Sea parting where the seas are laid bare

Any enemy of David that saw this would be trembling. We have just as powerful of a God fighting for us

3. God Delivers His People Out of Troubles (vv.17-20)

2 Samuel 22:17–20 ESV

17 “He sent from on high, he took me; he drew me out of many waters. 18 He rescued me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me. 19 They confronted me in the day of my calamity, but the Lord was my support. 20 He brought me out into a broad place; he rescued me, because he delighted in me.

David says God rescued him out of many waters - this is referring to many troubles

God rescues from a strong enemy that David could not defeat on his own

God loves David and that is why He rescued him

4. God is Merciful and Compassionate (vv.21-24)

2 Samuel 22:21–24 ESV

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

Notice that it is according to David’s righteousness and cleanness of hands that God rewarded David

We know that David was not always a righteous man

This is not a righteousness that is from within, but one that is given to David

How has God been compassionate towards you?

5. God Stands Alone in His Glory(v.26-32)

2 Samuel 22:26–32 ESV

26 “With the merciful you show yourself merciful; with the blameless man you show yourself blameless; 27 with the purified you deal purely, and with the crooked you make yourself seem tortuous. 28 You save a humble people, but your eyes are on the haughty to bring them down. 29 For you are my lamp, O Lord, and my God lightens my darkness. 30 For by you I can run against a troop, and by my God I can leap over a wall. 31 This God—his way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him. 32 “For who is God, but the Lord? And who is a rock, except our God?

We see here God’s attributes laid bare

Notice after David speaks of the mercy and purity of God, he then points out that those who are crooked and perverse and don’t know God have every reason to fear God.

Do the crooked, you make yourself torturous

David then turns to God’s enabling him in battle

6. God Has Equipped His People (vv.32-43)

2 Samuel 22:32–43 ESV

32 “For who is God, but the Lord? And who is a rock, except our God? 33 This God is my strong refuge and has made my way blameless. 34 He made my feet like the feet of a deer and set me secure on the heights. 35 He trains my hands for war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. 36 You have given me the shield of your salvation, and your gentleness made me great. 37 You gave a wide place for my steps under me, and my feet did not slip; 38 I pursued my enemies and destroyed them, and did not turn back until they were consumed. 39 I consumed them; I thrust them through, so that they did not rise; they fell under my feet. 40 For you equipped me with strength for the battle; you made those who rise against me sink under me. 41 You made my enemies turn their backs to me, those who hated me, and I destroyed them. 42 They looked, but there was none to save; they cried to the Lord, but he did not answer them. 43 I beat them fine as the dust of the earth; I crushed them and stamped them down like the mire of the streets.

David is able to do the impossible because God is with him

7. God Has Exalted and Brought Low (44-49)

2 Samuel 22:44–49 ESV

44 “You delivered me from strife with my people; you kept me as the head of the nations; people whom I had not known served me. 45 Foreigners came cringing to me; as soon as they heard of me, they obeyed me. 46 Foreigners lost heart and came trembling out of their fortresses. 47 “The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock, and exalted be my God, the rock of my salvation, 48 the God who gave me vengeance and brought down peoples under me, 49 who brought me out from my enemies; you exalted me above those who rose against me; you delivered me from men of violence.

Conclusion

Our Response: Worship and Praise

Life is uncertain and there are many things to make us anxious

We don’t need to worry about any of those things

We have many reasons to praise the Lord

Ultimately the deliverance we needed came from Jesus coming down to earth.

He didn’t come in a fiery chariot carried by angels, but in a manger with angels singing in the skies

He didn’t break a bone and a bruised reed he didn’t snuff out, yet he crushed the head of the serpent and broke the chains of sin and death for us.