The Lord is My Rock Part 2 - Psalm 18:25-50

An Important Principle - Those Who God Saves (vv.25-29)

Psalm 18:24–29 (ESV)

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

With the merciful you show yourself merciful; with the blameless man you show yourself blameless; with the purified you show yourself pure; and with the crooked you make yourself seem tortuous.

For you save a humble people, but the haughty eyes you bring down.

For it is you who light my lamp; the Lord my God lightens my darkness.

For by you I can run against a troop, and by my God I can leap over a wall.

So we looked last week at how there was a progression in David’s song of praise, starting with praising God, moving on to recounting how God had powerfully rescued and delivered David from his enemies, and then why God saved David.

In these next several verses, we will see much of the same thing but in reverse order, along with some differences and things that enhance the message David is communicating.

First, we see an important principle being communicated about why and who God rescues and delivers.

Again, this is relating to why David says God rescued him, because of his blamelessness and righteousness, which we talked about how David was counted righteous because of his faith and not because of what he did or did not do.

What are some things you notice about the list of characteristics in vv.25-26? Matthew 5:7-8

Matthew 5:7–8 ESV

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

In the sermon on the mount, we see that those who receive mercy are those who show mercy. But does this mean that I earn God’s mercy by being merciful? Do I earn God’s favor by being favorable?

We also need to interpret Jesus’ words here by what he says about God’s forgiveness and our forgiving of others.

Matthew 18:21–35 ESV

Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times. “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”

Jesus is saying that those who have been forgiven by God should be able to forgive others because they know the greatness of God’s forgiveness. We show mercy because we have been shown mercy. Those who cannot forgive and show mercy are those who have not truly received forgiveness and mercy.

2. Who does David say God saves in verse 28? Why do you think God saves the humble, but brings down the haughty?

3. What is David saying in vv.28-29? God is the giver of all we need. We are able to rise up and succeed, not because of our own strength, wit, or skills, but because of God’s grace and presence in our lives.

The Story of Deliverance Retold (vv.30-45)

Psalm 18:30–45 (ESV)

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.

For who is God, but the Lord? And who is a rock, except our God?— the God who equipped me with strength and made my way blameless.

He made my feet like the feet of a deer and set me secure on the heights.

He trains my hands for war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

You have given me the shield of your salvation, and your right hand supported me, and your gentleness made me great.

You gave a wide place for my steps under me, and my feet did not slip.

I pursued my enemies and overtook them, and did not turn back till they were consumed.

I thrust them through, so that they were not able to rise; they fell under my feet.

For you equipped me with strength for the battle; you made those who rise against me sink under me.

You made my enemies turn their backs to me, and those who hated me I destroyed.

They cried for help, but there was none to save; they cried to the Lord, but he did not answer them.

I beat them fine as dust before the wind; I cast them out like the mire of the streets.

You delivered me from strife with the people; you made me the head of the nations; people whom I had not known served me.

As soon as they heard of me they obeyed me; foreigners came cringing to me.

Foreigners lost heart and came trembling out of their fortresses.

This next section is a retelling of how God saved David. However, last week, we looked at the imagery that David used of God’s almighty power, language that displayed God’s holiness, greatness and power.

While David is recounting the story, he does so in a bit of a different way. He is looking at God’s rescuing David from David’s point of view rather than from God’s point of view. Instead of looking at the clouds and thunder of God’s presence and anger or the air from his nostrils blowing apart the seas, here David describes how God had given him the strength to overcome his enemies.

David describes how God has made his way blameless, again looking at his righteousness was from God and not from himself. How God made his feet secure like a deer, how God gave strength to his arms and hands to wield the weapons of war, how God supported him and allowed him to overtake his enemies.

Why do you think David retells his salvation from this different point of view? What do you think is the significance of this?

In what ways do we see how God gives us what we need to live life and overcome the obstacles of the world around us?

What are some things we daily need that God supplies? How do we recognize these things and give the glory and credit to God?

Praise Continued (vv.46-50)

So now David returns to praising God like he did at the beginning of this Psalm. And he also picks up the image of the rock again, speaking of God’s power and faithfulness to himself.

We see that David longs to bring God’s praise among the nations. God is using his deliverance and salvation of David to make His glory known among the Gentiles.

Paul quotes this Psalm in Romans 15:8-12

Romans 15:8–12 ESV

For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.” And again it is said, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.” And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him.” And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope.”

Through Paul’s quoting of this Psalm we see that he is interpreting what God did in David’s life was preparing the way for David’s descendant, King Jesus, and what He will do for all the nations of the earth.

God, as David’s Rock, was preparing the way for Jesus to come and bring salvation not just to David and God’s people, but through Christ bring salvation to all the nations.

Jesus is the King who is seated upon David’s throne, bringing praise among the nations, and who is at the same time the rock that David praised for delivering him. Jesus is the rock to which all of us must run and find our safety and security in him alone.

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