Praise our Rock! - Psalm 18

Psalm 18 Praise our Rock! 20210509 The testimony of God’s delivering you is a powerful occasion for praise In 2 Samuel 22 we read the words of this Psalm with very few differences. This was near the end of David’s life. He had fought many battles, and now he reflected back on those battles, and the victories God had granted him. This is a Psalm testifying to the grace of God’s deliverance, and is a Psalm of praise. David begins… Scripture Passage: Psalm 18:1-50 Praise the Deliverer (vv.1-3) 1. v.1 “I love you, O LORD, my strength.” - The first three verses begin this Psalm with praise for who God is. David professes his love and affection for God, and his dependence on God. 2. v.2 rock, fortress, deliverer, rock, refuge, shield, horn of my salvation, stronghold. All of these are ways that God has revealed himself to David. David considered each of these attributes worthy of mention and worthy of praise. 3. v.3 “I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies” - David knew a thing or two about enemies, didn’t he? Saul wanted to kill him, his wife Michal mocked and despised him, foreign kings fought against him, and even his own children rose up against him. David also knew that he could be his own worst enemy - read Psalm 51. For the Christian, we know we have many enemies - the world, the flesh, and the devil. They are opposed to us, and they are at work to bring us down to ruin. Have you been confronted by one of these enemies recently? Do you see in the world that there are temptations and opportunities ad infinitum that would draw you away from God? Has your mind tried to lead you down paths that you know aren’t right, and aren’t true? Have bodily appetites cried for attention and demanded to be satisfied in ways opposed to God’s ways? Have you noticed the devil’s sly ways and cunning work, trying to deceive you into believing what is false? Transition: The world, the flesh, and the devil are all very real and present enemies. Which brings us to our next observation from the Psalm this morning, that we need a deliverer. You Need a Deliverer (vv.4-6) 1. vv.4-5 “The cords of death encompassed me; the torrents of destruction assailed me; the cords of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me.” - Can you picture these in your mind? Think of your enemies - the world, the flesh, and the devil - as you consider David’s struggle. Ropes of death were wrapping around him, squeezing life from him. Destruction came like torrential waves crashing against him. Ropes of the grave were getting his feet entangled. Everywhere he looked he saw deadly traps and snares waiting to snatch him. He was in a desperate place and realized his need. 2. v.6 “In my distress I called upon the LORD; to my God I cried for help. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears.” - This is the power of prayer, which was lifted up as a result of providential distress. 1. Providential distress - This is a point we hit on regularly, but one I think is appropriate to be reminded of. Trouble, difficulty, distress are used by God to form character in us, and to draw us to him. We tend to immediately try to get out of the distress, instead of simply leaning into the Lord, learning to depend on him and trust in him. 2. Powerful prayer - It wasn’t the eloquence of the prayer, or the duration of the prayer, but the faithful and sincere plea in prayer. David was asking in faith. Transition: Realizing his need for a deliver, David prays to the Lord, and the Lord displays his power. The Power of the Deliverer (vv.7-15) 1. vv.7-15 The mighty Deliverer arises. This is reminiscent of God’s manifestation on Mount Sinai in Exodus 19, and might cause us to think forward to Revelation 4 and the thunder and lightning coming from the throne. 1. v.7 says that God was angry. Not angry with David, and irritated that he needed to arise to deliver him. God is angry with David’s enemies as they oppose him, ultimately attempting to thwart God’s plans. He appears as an awesome and intimidating figure. Transition: But contrasted with this anger and this powerful display is God’s tender display toward David. The Delight of the Deliverer (vv.16-19) 1. v.16-18 “He sent from on high, he took me; he drew me out of many waters.” - David needed one to intervene; he needed a deliverer. God arose and powerfully delivered him, dealing with David in a very tender and caring way. 2. v.19 “…he rescued me, because he delighted in me.” - These lines in this Psalm show that what follows, that is, the further explanation of God’s mighty deliverance, stem from God’s initial doing and from his delight in David. The Grace of the Deliverer (vv.20-45) 1. vv.20-36 …in giving strength for the battle 1. vv.20-24 David knows that God has dealt with him according to their covenant relationship. David didn’t have any illusions about being perfect or sinless, but he knew he was righteous and clean. Yes, he disobeyed, but he repented and returned to pursue the Lord. Overall, David’s life was one lived in faithful devotion to the Lord. Look even to v.32, where David confesses that his blamelessness came as a gracious gift from God. Compare it with v.23, where he says he was blameless before God. 2. vv.25-36 we see God’s grace toward David. v.17 he was too weak to fight his enemy, but v.29 God gave him strength to run against a troop and to leap over a wall. God in his grace gave David his word to direct and guide him (vv.22, 30). vv.32-36 are filled with what God did, the grace that God gave to David to strengthen him for battle. And notice particularly v.35. 3. v.35 “…and your gentleness made me great.” - How do we compare with with vv.7-15, where we see the mighty power of God at work? Let me share a testimony that might help illustrate this. 1. Last Friday and Saturday Natalie and I were in Grants Pass, and we stayed Friday night in the home of some friends. As we were shown around their home we stopped and chatted at the top of a flight of stairs, where the man was sharing his testimony with us. Alcohol was his god, and not a day went by without him drinking heavily. His work required him to spend his days on scaffolding, so he would wait until after work on those days, but weekends would start off with beer as the sun was coming up. He shared that he wanted to be delivered, and decided to go to church to give God the chance to deliver him. He went into the church service and went out when it was over, and he said nothing happened. He was looking for a miracle, and he was expecting some miraculous display. There was no thunder, no lightning, nothing. Nothing happened, he said, and he took this to mean that he could go on drinking, since God didn’t show up. Then, as he woke up the next day, he realized that he had forgotten to get drunk the day before. And so it’s been since that day. His life was radically and miraculously transformed. That is God’s gentleness at work. My friend didn’t see the awesome display of the earth reeling and rocking, the smoke from God’s nostrils and the bowing of the heavens, like we read in vv.7-15. But I have no doubt that they were on full display against the spiritual forces that were keeping my friend in bondage. His experience of God’s work was gentleness, and it was grace that gave him strength and victory. 3. vv.37-45 …in giving victory over the enemy 1. v.37 “I pursued my enemies and overtook them…” - David’s enemies were destroyed, and this was by the grace of God, as we see in v.43. 2. This should give great encouragement. In your battle agains the world, the flesh, and the devil, do you get discouraged? Does it seem like victory is impossible or unattainable? David beat enemies stronger, armies larger, kings more cunning, and it was by God’s equipping with strength (v.39). Transition: As a result of this lavish grace, David returns to giving praise to the Lord, his deliverer. Conclusion - Praise the Deliverer (vv.46-50) 1. v.49 “For this I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations, and sing to your name.” 1. Have you recognized God’s grace in delivering you? Have you experienced any victory over the world, the flesh, or the devil? Your battles won’t end on this side of eternity, but have you witnessed the grace of God at work in your life? Have you seen how Jesus, the greater than David, conquered sin, Satan, and death, and in the words of Paul to the Ephesians, blessed you in Jesus with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places (Eph. 1:3)? That’s ultimately what this Psalm is about; not David’s victory, but Christ’s victory. We praise God, like David, for our deliverances. But we praise him even more for his Deliverer, Jesus.