The Lord is My Rock Part 1: Psalm 18:1-24

David’s Praise for God (vv. 1-3)

Read Psalm 18:1-24

Psalm 18:1–24 (ESV)

I love you, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.

The cords of death encompassed me; the torrents of destruction assailed me; the cords of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me.

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. Then the earth reeled and rocked; the foundations also of the mountains trembled and quaked, because he was angry.

Smoke went up from his nostrils, and devouring fire from his mouth; glowing coals flamed forth from him. He bowed the heavens and came down; thick darkness was under his feet.

He rode on a cherub and flew; he came swiftly on the wings of the wind. He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him, thick clouds dark with water.

Out of the brightness before him hailstones and coals of fire broke through his clouds. The Lord also thundered in the heavens, and the Most High uttered his voice, hailstones and coals of fire. And he sent out his arrows and scattered them; he flashed forth lightnings and routed them.

Then the channels of the sea were seen, and the foundations of the world were laid bare at your rebuke, O Lord, at the blast of the breath of your nostrils. He sent from on high, he took me; he drew me out of many waters.

He rescued me from my strong enemy and from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me. They confronted me in the day of my calamity, but the Lord was my support.

He brought me out into a broad place; he rescued me, because he delighted in me. The Lord dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he rewarded me.

For I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from my God. For all his rules were before me, and his statutes I did not put away from me. I was blameless before him, and I kept myself from my guilt.

So the Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.

Psalm 18:1–3 (ESV)

I love you, O Lord, my strength.

The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,

my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,

my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised,

and I am saved from my enemies.

Why does David compare God to a Rock?

Protection and Shade from the Elements

Refuge from Enemies

Sure Foundation to keep one from falling

The Psalmist’s Deliverance (vv.4-19)

Psalm 18:4–19 (ESV)

The cords of death encompassed me; the torrents of destruction assailed me; the cords of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me.

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.

Then the earth reeled and rocked; the foundations also of the mountains trembled and quaked, because he was angry.

Smoke went up from his nostrils, and devouring fire from his mouth; glowing coals flamed forth from him.

He bowed the heavens and came down; thick darkness was under his feet. He rode on a cherub and flew; he came swiftly on the wings of the wind. He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him, thick clouds dark with water.

Out of the brightness before him hailstones and coals of fire broke through his clouds.

The Lord also thundered in the heavens, and the Most High uttered his voice, hailstones and coals of fire.

And he sent out his arrows and scattered them; he flashed forth lightnings and routed them.

Then the channels of the sea were seen, and the foundations of the world were laid bare at your rebuke, O Lord, at the blast of the breath of your nostrils.

He sent from on high, he took me; he drew me out of many waters. He rescued me from my strong enemy and from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me.

They confronted me in the day of my calamity, but the Lord was my support. He brought me out into a broad place; he rescued me, because he delighted in me.

vv. 4-6 David recounts the danger he was in and his need for God’s salvation.

vv.7-11 - David recounts God coming to his aid. Do you notice anything of interest in his description of God’s coming to him? (God coming down to Mt. Sinai to meet with Moses and the people of Israel).

vv. 12-14 - These give images to how God dealt with Israel’s enemies during the conquest of Canaan, particularly in Joshua 10.

vv.14-15 - Describes the parting of the red sea.

David is showing how God’s rescue in His life reflects the rescue that He has performed in the life of Israel throughout her history. He is claiming that the God of Moses, Joshua and the Judges is his God too.

vv. 16-19 - David recounts God’s rescue specifically for himself that he prayed for in Psalm 17.

Why God Delivered David (vv. 20-24)

Psalm 18:20–24 (ESV)

The Lord dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he rewarded me.

For I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from my God.

For all his rules were before me, and his statutes I did not put away from me. I was blameless before him, and I kept myself from my guilt.

So the Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.

David is claiming that God has delivered David because of David’s righteousness, as we last saw in Psalm 17. Now, since this Psalm is also found in 2 Samuel 22, this obviously occurs at the end of David’s life after his event with Bathsheba.

How can David claim that he has kept the ways of the LORD and not wickedly departed from his God?

Because of Christ, we can be made righteous when we come to Him in faith and repentance. To be righteous does not mean we are sinless ourselves, but that we have inherited the righteousness of Christ for ourselves.

There is also a general principle that when we live for God and try to go in His way, He cares for us and blesses us. It doesn’t always happen as we see in Job, but there is that general idea.

David praises God because of His deliverance and because of His answer of David’s prayer in Psalm 17. We need to always remember to praise and thank God for His goodness towards us in Christ even before we see how God answers our prayers.