Psalm 18

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, the servant of the Lord, who addressed the words of this song to the LORD on the day when the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. He said:

1 I love you, O LORD, my strength.

This psalm was addressed to the LORD on the day when the LORD delivered David from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. The civil war between the houses of David and Saul had essentially been going on for seven years, ripping the nation apart and resulting in untold human casualties. Loyalties were divided and atrocities (war crimes) were committed to satisfy Saul’s ego. In the midst of it there were seasons of great doubt and turmoil in David’s psyche as the psalms attest. One can’t imagine the gratitude that David, his men, and their families all felt at this moment. Of course, there were losers in this war, but eventually time would heal those schisms. This psalm is an outpouring of David’s gratitude, a memoir on his experience on the battlefield and on the run. It begins with the most simple of statements as well as one of the most profound: “I love you, O LORD, my strength.” It is one of two occasions where the psalmist declares his love for God (Psalm 116:1 is the other, often thought of as a song about God’s presence at our time death). In fact, in all of scripture we don’t hear much about “loving God”, certainly not as much as we hear about obeying, serving, fearing, and worshiping. Without doing a thorough analysis of the word “love” in Hebrew, we can be sure that it is a word that expresses deep affection, gratitude, and devotion, based on the context of this psalm. In fact, the rest of the psalm fleshes out why David loves the LORD, why his devotion is steadfast, and why he can say, “I love you”. How often do I declare my love for the LORD? Not in some perfunctory way that often accompanies the conclusion of a prayer, but at the very beginning, with enthusiasm, passion, and devotion. I think of Tevye’s question of Golda in The Fiddler on the Roof -- “Do you love me?” As her husband she has served him, lived with him, and shared life with him, but does she love him? The LORD is asking me that question today. Is there passion or is it merely a contractual relationship?  Love causes a person to do crazy things, and we admire them for it. Love the people in your life with passion, but love God with passion and devotion first and foremost. 

2 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.

There are seven metaphors or identifiers for God in this single verse, but the primary one is that God is my rock. In battle a rock is high ground, and as such it is effective as a fortress and a place of refuge. The LORD is my high ground. He is where I go to get above it all, to see the big picture, and to place myself out of range of the arrows of the enemy for a moment. (Shooting an arrow up is more difficult than shooting one down on one’s enemy -- gravity is working for you and against you). Being on the high ground lifts you above the fray for a moment so you can catch your breath and get a bit of rest and refreshment. The LORD is my fortress. When I am abiding in Him, nothing can penetrate and harm me. He is my Helm’s Deep, my Minas Tirith. Psalm 46 will echo this image as it applies to the entire nation. The LORD is my deliverer. He is the one who rescues me, sometimes at the very last moment when it seems that all hope is lost. He swoops in and plucks me out of the maylay, binds up my wounds, and brings me back to life and health. The LORD is my God. He is the Mighty One, the one whom I worship and value above all else. He is the one that orients my life and his reality and his judgment is the lens through which I see everything and everyone. The LORD is my shield. He stands between me and certain death and destruction. He takes the arrows for me, just as Jesus took the wounds on the cross. A shield is unyielding, unflinching before the enemy onslaught. It is fashioned of hardened material that blunts arrows and the blows of swords. The LORD takes the bullet for me. The LORD is the horn of my salvation. The horn was the business end of a bull, it’s primary offensive weapon, the kind of thing that you instinctively get out of the way from. If the shield is a defensive weapon, the horn is an offensive one. Consequently, the horn in ancient Israel signified strength and victory. David’s military success did not originate in the strength of his teenage boy arms, but in the LORD. David humbly acknowledges that it was the LORD who enabled him to slay his “10,000’s”, not his military prowess. It was the LORD who inspired him to run into battle and face giants twice his size, and it was the LORD himself who was the tip of his spear. The LORD is my stronghold. David returns to the initial image of rock, a place of refuge that cannot be disturbed by any army. The trials of life and the attacks of a very real demonic enemy cannot penetrate the walls that surround the heart of the faithful one. LORD, my you be my rock, my fortress, my deliverer, my God, my shield, my horn of salvation, and my stronghold. You are the same God and I trust and abide in you as David did.

3 I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.

David expresses a common correlation in the psalms. He calls upon the LORD and he is saved from his enemies. Calling upon the LORD is another way of saying David prayed. He spoke aloud (most likely), asking the LORD for deliverance, and he received it. This is a statement of gratitude and a testimony of God’s faithfulness and intervention in David’s life on multiple occasions. Reading the history of David’s life in 1 and 2 Samuel and reading the many psalms that were composed in the midst of his life, it’s easy to see how this single verse is a summation of sorts, a life verse for David. It is the theme of this psalm, the message boiled down into one verse. It is his thesis statement and the rest of the psalm he will spend in proving it through one example after another. The LORD isn’t just a savior who answers when David calls, like some sort of divine butler. No, he is worthy to be praised. He is God himself -- The God, the One and Only, the Creator and Sustainer of the Universe. David doesn’t just snap his fingers and YHWH comes running. No, David worships God. He assigns ultimate value and authority to Him through his words and actions. This is the song of Revelation, “Worthy is the Lamb to receive honor, glory, power, majesty and dominion.” In this statement, David acknowledges the sovereignty of God not God’s subservience to the wishes of the king. When calling upon the LORD to rescue you from your enemies, remember that he is worthy to be praised. He is above and beyond it all, and he is not obliged to come running when you snap your fingers. We serve the one who is worthy to be praised. The imagery David employs to describe God in this psalm makes this clear.

4 The cords of death encompassed me;  the torrents of destruction assailed me; [terrified me]

5 the cords of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me.

While there may be a level of hyperbole here, it’s clear that David had a near death experience, or more likely, multiple near death experiences. He was a soldier on the front lines, a leader with a target on his back. How many times had he been grazed by arrows, swords, or sling stones? How many times had he been wounded in the days before modern medical care? His body bore the scars of brushes with death. He had faced enemy charges and bombardments, and while warfare wasn’t as mechanized as it became in the last few hundred years, it was still deadly in so many awful ways. David was surrounded by the cords of death. The pounding waves and waters of a raging flood were rising and would certainly sweep him way, leaving him absolutely terrified that this is the end. He was entangled in the cords of death as one might be hopelessly caught in a net. Likewise, death is seen as a snare, a trap from which there is no escape. Have you ever had a near-death experience? I remember one from childhood, and although I may not actually have been close to death, the rush of adrenaline made it feel like it. I was sliding down an incline at Palo Duro Canyon with no way to stop. Somehow I did and I’ve never forgotten it. That rush of adrenaline and immediate fear is just a taste of what David felt on multiple occasions. Actually facing death, at least a premature death, is terrifying because it is the end (as we know it), and the human response is to avoid this at all costs, leading to panic. These verses correspond to the prayer of Jonah in the fish, suggesting that Jonah himself was praying them or at least had them in mind during his long near-death experience. 

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 verse is the story of every believer. At some point, in desperation and in deep awareness of our need, we call out to the LORD and cry for help to God. This is a salvation prayer from one who is face to face with death. Every person needs to contemplate their own mortality, but many do not until the very end when it can no longer be avoided. David was facing death on the battlefield, and describes the moment when he cried out for help and the LORD heard him. The LORD heard his prayer from his temple. The psalmist’s cry reached his ears -- the first of many anthropomorphisms in this psalm. This psalm is all about God showing up for the psalmist, and the use of anthropomorphic language accents this physical way in which YHWH showed up. It begins here with God listening from his temple. Yes God is listening. Among all the many things that he has to do to manage the cosmos, he is listening to my prayers and to the cries of 7 billion other people. If that is the case, then why don’t I bend his ear more often? Why is it only when there is a crisis do I speak to him so forcefully? The God of the universe is listening to me. That is mind-blowing. It is also a very good reason to avail yourself of this amazing opportunity -- fellowship with God, the God who listens. This is the third reference to the temple. (Psalm 5:7 - In reverence I will bow down toward your holy temple, Psalm 11:4 -- the LORD is in his holy temple, the LORD’s throne is in heaven, his eyes see, his eyelids test the sons of man.)  Not only is God listening, but he is watching. God is engaged with you. Are you engaged with Him? 

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

8 Smoke went up from his nostrils, [in his wrath] and devouring fire from his mouth; glowing coals flamed forth from him.

YHWH answers David’s cry in a big, unmistakable way. In the ancient world, everything that today we would consider natural phenomena were ascribed to deity. So earthquakes and volcanoes, the two phenomena described here in verses 7 and 8, were assumed to be the handiwork of God. David is recalling his experience of seismic events, and whether he actually witnessed the eruption of a volcano he could see evidence of it in the Dead Sea region and in the stories of Sodom and Gomorrah. Such events were widely known in the ancient near east where there was an abundance of seismic activity. The anthropomorphic language emphasizes the nearness and presence of God. He is angry and so the earth shakes. He spews fire and smoke from his nostrils and mouth in his wrath. This is not a God to be toyed with. He is an awesome God as Rich Mullins reminds us in his lyric. What do we do with natural phenomena today? We explain them with what we know of physical science and remove causation from deity. However, ironically we are also quick to blame God for our losses, even using the term “an act of God”. When disaster strikes it is a reminder that we are not in control. It’s possible that human activity can influence the climate (global warming) and seismic activity (fracking), but we are certainly not in control. No, these events remind us that we are miniscule and fragile. For some reason we love to watch cataclysmic disaster movies only because we attach ourselves emotionally to the survivors, not the unnumbered casualties. In doing so, we are telling ourselves that nothing can destroy us. We are invincible. David’s posture is one of wisdom. God is sovereign, even over the natural world. While there are natural processes at work and perhaps some human activity, He is ultimately the one in control. The ancients got that right, and we would do well to learn from them. 

9 He bowed the heavens and came down; thick darkness was under his feet.

10 He rode on a cherub and flew; he came swiftly on the wings of the wind.

11 He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him, thick clouds dark with water.

The metaphor of God’s visitation moves from earth (seismic activity) to heaven (meteorological activity). He bent the heavens and came down. Thick, dark clouds were under his feet. He rode on an angel and flew swiftly on the wings of the wind. Darkness was his covering, his canopy, thick clouds with dark water. David is describing a furious thunderstorm here and YHWH is in the midst of it, commanding it, and shaping it to his will. Here in the midwest we can’t help but see the power of a tornado with roiling dark clouds in the west. Dark clouds, wind and water -- YHWH commands them all. This creates a theological problem for those who have been negatively affected by storms: Does God cause life destroying hurricanes, tornadoes and floods? This text and 29:10 make it clear that God is sovereign over the storm. David clearly saw him as the “storm God” (in Psalm 29 in particular he is seen as superior to Baal, the regional storm god). Do we chalk this up to ancient misunderstanding of the natural phenomena of weather, or does David’s poetic description describe God’s actions today? Recently an EF3 tornado passed about three blocks north of my home, and we were spared (gratefully), but others were not. Was that God’s sovereign will? No lives were lost. Was that God’s salvation? I’m content to leave this in the category of mystery. God allows terrible tragedies to happen every day and yet he is still sovereign. The thrust of this text is to remind us that YHWH is God, and we are not. We may think that we are sovereign over our lives, but in an instant, a storm can put us in our place. Next time a thunderstorm rolls through, remember that God commands the heavens. 

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

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

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

15 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.

YHWH is portrayed as the storm itself. The brightness before Him is the lightning that then unleashes hailstones and coals, breaking through the clouds. The lightning is the first thing that one sees, then the thunder is heard. Lightning heralds the coming storm. The presence of coals of fire suggests a volcanic eruption as well. Volcanic eruptions create huge ash clouds that can also generate lightning. This volcanic lighting was described by Pliny the Younger at the eruption of Vesuvius, but perhaps this is a description as well. It could also be a reference to the 7th plague in Exodus given the reference to the channels of the sea in verse 15. Verse 14 suggests the presence of a storm with lightning scattering the enemy in battle, perhaps a reference to the thunderous sound that panicked the Philistines (I Samuel 7:10), although there is no mention of lightning in that account. Verse 15 describes the channels of the sea (the deep parts) being seen and the foundations of the world (the deep parts laid bare (perhaps a reference to a tsunami and earthquake). In short, this seems to be a conflation of several events not necessarily described in the Bible but seen by or reported to David in the ancient world. All of these events are known to occur, and David is declaring that YHWH is in all of them, commanding them, demonstrating his supreme power and authority over humanity. All of these actions are done at YHWH’s rebuke, at the blast of the breath of his nostrils. Whether one ascribes these naturally occurring phenomena to random geophysical events or whether one sees God behind them all, there is no doubt that they are humbling. They put us in our place and remind us that we are not masters of our destiny. We are very fragile, and so life must be lived purposefully and thoughtfully. Some will see God in the storm, the volcano, and the earthquake. Some will see nature. All should be humbled. 

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.

The same God who is in the storm, the earthquake and the volcano took note of David in his distress and reached down and took hold of him, drawing him out of the many waters where he was drowning. Like a roiling ocean, David’s mighty enemies had surrounded him and made his demise inevitable. He was a drowning man. It was the day of his undoing, but the LORD supported him and pulled him out of the deathly waters just in time. The phrase “draw me out” points to Moses, whose name means “drawn out [of water]”, and who was drawn out of the deadly waters of the Nile quite miraculously. In the same way the children of Israel were drawn out of the waters of the Red Sea to be birthed as a nation, passing through certain death to celebrate on the other side. This is playing on the fact that every one of us is born out of the waters of the womb in a quite dramatic, death-defying way. It is a metaphor for birth that Jesus appropriates for those who enter the kingdom of God. They are born again, drawn out of the mighty waters, of certain death. This is David’s salvation story and it is ours as well. We are facing certain death as we flounder in our fragile bodies not made for survival on the surface of the ocean. But God himself came down and entered these mighty waters to save us in Christ, dying himself in the process. Jesus jumped in and saved us. David’s testimony came a thousand years early, but it is our testimony as well. 

19 He brought me out into a broad place; he rescued me, because he delighted in me.

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

There is a strong visual contrast here of David drowning with the cords of death wrapped around him (think seaweed), and then the LORD lifts him up and brings him to a spacious place. (Again, Jonah’s experience echoes this psalm). David moves from confinement to freedom, another paradoxical aspect of salvation. The unbeliever operates under the delusion that he is free, that he is unbound from God’s law and has license to do as he pleases. However, it actually the lover of God’s law who walks around in freedom (119:45 -- I shall walk in a wide place, for I have sought your precepts; and 119:32 -- I will run in the path of your commands for you have enlarged my heart). Obeying the commands of YHWH opens us up to new freedom and happiness in a way that seems counter-intuitive. Romans 1:18ff speaks to this as it describes the corrupting nature of sin. Exchanging truth for a lie and placing the individual on the throne leads to greater depravity and brokenness. David acknowledges that his salvation is the work of God -- he brought me out, he rescued me, he delighted in me. Those are all images of God’s grace and pleasure toward us. But David also notes his own role in his salvation -- his repentance, his turning toward God. His decision borne out of his free will. In this context, David believes that good has come to him both because of God’s pleasure and grace and because of his own choices, his own decisions to do what is right and keep his hands from sin. He may be referring specifically to his dealings with Saul where he operated with utmost integrity given the opportunity he had to assassinate the king. He didn’t do that, and he believes that he was rewarded for it. He is not declaring his sinlessness as he freely acknowledges this in other psalms (32 and 51). In the same way, I can’t declare that I am perfect, free from sin by my own doing, and therefore God will reward me. But in certain instances, it is right to say, “I have acted in this situation with integrity” and because of that God honored me. This will be illuminated further in the psalm where we see the reciprocal nature of our relationship with God (vv. 25-27). God honors those who honor him.

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

22 For all his rules [just decrees] 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.

David’s story moves from his treacherous circumstances to a recollection of his own determination to remain faithful through trial. He declares that he has kept the ways of the LORD and not wickedly departed from God. Nor did he disregard the rules, decrees, and statutes that were before him in God’s law. He declares that he was blameless and guiltless before God. David is not boasting here to elevate himself above others (for this would be violating the very laws of God that he is keeping), but he is declaring that he was faithful under pressure, and his readers should follow his example. He believes that the LORD has rewarded him because of his integrity and the cleanness of his hands. He has done what was right and has no regrets. Living in such a way is a reward in itself. Being faithful under pressure is the challenge today and every day. The cultural climate is one that sanctions conformity to the popular trends and seeks to silence and marginalize those who conform to a different set of laws. This is really the first specific mention of the laws of God since the first psalm. In the following psalm David will further pledge his allegiance to God and his law. This concept will come to a dramatic crescendo in the 119th psalm where statements like that of verse 22 are common. Rather than scold David for his self-righteousness here, (“Who does he think he is, claiming to be perfect? Does he think he’s better than me?) My response is to imitate his faithfulness and pursuit of the ways of God. May this be my guiding verse today. 

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.

These verses seem to express some sort of solidarity between God and men. The merciful experience God’s mercy, the blameless see his holiness, the pure experience his purity. The crooked see him as they see themselves, wicked and tortuous. They cannot envision a good God because they don’t know what goodness is -- perhaps they see it as weakness. They are projecting their own image on God. But God saves a humble people while the arrogant are brought down. The sermon on the mount (Matthew 5:4-7) echoes these verses -- blessed are the merciful, the ones who hunger and thirst for righteousness (the blameless), the pure in heart, and the meek (humble). These are the ones who get everything and most importantly, get God. Indeed, the pure in heart will see God. David sees YHWH as the source of all good things and he pursues him as his highest value. The proud see themselves as the source of all things and YHWH is seen as an obstacle to them. They just don’t get it, and they don’t make the connection between their own actions and their own demise. The metaphor for pride is “haughty eyes”, looking down on others, showing contempt for others, considering themselves better than all. It is the enthroning of self. We see it on display everywhere in our culture. Most recently a Hollywood starlet boasted that she couldn’t have achieved what she us unless she hadn’t had the freedom to have an abortion earlier in life. “If I hadn’t killed my baby I wouldn’t be rich and famous now.” This is literally where the enthronement of self leads -- the destruction of others deemed beneath us. David sides with God in this one and allows his character to be transformed by the one he worships -- merciful, blameless, pure, and humble. 

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.

It’s hard for us to imagine now in the 21st century what it was like before electricity was harnessed. In order to have a light in the darkness David needed a lamp, fuel, a wick and a source of fire. All we need to do is touch our phones or flip a switch. The times in which we are living are an aberration in human history. The experience of humanity before the advent of electric lighting was that light was a very valuable commodity that was not easy to come by. Imagine you’re awakened by a noise at 2 AM. There is no moon and the skies are cloudy. It’s pitch black and your heart is pounding. You are at the mercy of the darkness. So when David says that YHWH is the one who lights his lamp, the one who lightens his darkness, it is no small thing. I don’t think that David is saying that God miraculously causes his lamp to burn or magically creates light in the darkness (like something of a fantasy story). He must be suggesting that the presence of God has the effect of lighting up the dark situation in which he finds himself. David is not afraid of the dark because YHWH is with him (Psalm 23:4). This same God gives him the courage to run head on into a line of soldiers and with an adrenaline boost to leap over defensive walls. This is soldier-talk and David is confident that it has been the strength and presence of the LORD that has made him successful in battle, helping him see when all seemed dark, helping him to run into battle when everyone else wants to retreat. Do you have this kind of crazy confidence in God? This is a battlefield mentality that shouldn’t be relegated only to the physical arena. We wage war against the principalities and powers, forces of evil in the heavenly realms, and we are fighting for the souls of men and women. Shouldn’t we approach that battle with the same confidence that David expressed here? It is God who lights my lamp, lights my darkness, gives me courage and strength to run to the battle and to leap over any obstacle in my way. 

30 This God—his way is perfect; [blameless] the word of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.

31 For who is God, but the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God?—

32 the God who equipped me with strength and made my way blameless.

David moves from reflecting on what God has done for him to who God is. God’s way is perfect and above reproach. His word proves true. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him. He is the God above all gods. He is the one and only rock. There is a shift to worship in these verses as David begins to list the characteristics of God which of course is reflected in God’s actions toward David. The metaphors for YHWH are shield and rock -- objects that protect in battle. David has made use of both of those many times, and he asserts that ultimately it is God who has protected him throughout his life. In addition to equipping David with himself as shield, YHWH has also equipped him with strength, physical strength as the text before and after indicate. Verse 32 ends with a profound truth: David’s way is blameless just as the God that he worships is blameless. That which we worship, value, elevate, serve becomes the focus of our life and in the process we are transformed into its likeness. As David worships the blameless one, the true one, protecting one -- David’s character is conformed to God’s nature as well. Another profound statement is found in verse 31 where David asserts in the form of a rhetorical question the YHWH is the God above all gods. An argument has been made that the Jews at this time were not strict monotheists. They believed that there were a multitude of Gods, but YHWH was God above them all. The commandment said, “Have no other gods before me.”  The same point could be made today. There are many different gods that people may worship, usually falling into the three big categories: sex, money, and power. To the Greeks that was Aphrodite, Ceres, and Ares, but every culture has them. Moderns claim to have rid themselves of such superstition, but we can’t help but worship someone of something. David asserts that none of these gods of this world are owed allegiance like YHWH and we know that none of them will transform your character in such a positive way as worship of YHWH. Pursue erotic pleasure and you become and addict, controlled by your god or goddess. Devote yourself to accumulating material goods and you find yourself on an endless treadmill of dissatisfaction. Worship power, and you will fight your way to the top until you find yourself all alone. 

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

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

These two and the next several verses demonstrate an interesting use of voice. It moves from 3rd person (He made, He set, He trains) to 2nd person (You have given, your right hand, your gentless, You gave) to 1st person (I pursued, I thrust them through), then back to 2nd person (You equipped, You made), and then back to 3rd person (they cried). David begins with describing what YHWH has done for him in the context of battle. God made his feet like that of the deer, enabling him to clamber to the high ground for safety and military superiority. Four legged creatures are amazing at scrambling up vertical surfaces, and David likens himself to a deer, easily maneuvering out of harm’s way and to a safe place above the fray. God also trained his hands for war so that David could bend a bow of bronze. Today we have compound bows that make them easier to bend, but in David’s time, you are talking about bending a bow that would have taken significant upper arm strength. This may simply be an example of hyperbole -- bending a bow of bronze being physically impossible. Or perhaps this is a reference to a weapon of war that was limited and for which we have no evidence of its existence -- something like a crossbow that would have had metal components (although the first cross bows don’t appear until the 7th century BC and not in the near east). I’m content understanding it as hyperbole in light of the context. The point is that God can enable us to do things that seem to be impossible -- scrambling up a hillside like a deer, bending metal with ease. David experienced those moments in battle where he seemed to have super-human strength. We could just write that off as adrenaline, but I’d like to think that there’s more here. Trust God today with the difficult tasks ahead, and expect his super strength to move you to the high ground and enable you to do battle with whatever enemy attacks. 

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

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

I can’t tell you how much I love these verses! David moves to second person voice and describes what the LORD personally has done for him. First, YHWH gave him the shield of his salvation. Paul uses similar language to speak of putting on the armor of God, although it is the shield of faith and the helmet of salvation. The LORD defended David when he needed it most, blunting the attacks of the enemy as a shield. Second, YHWH’s right hand supported him. He experienced God’s favor and strength. Third, YHWH’s gentleness made David great. This is the one that stuns me because it is so unexpected -- a gentle God who also trains David’s hands for war? A meek God, who uses his strength to make others great? This is antithetical to everything we know about the gods of the ancient world, and indeed the modern world. By definition, gods are great and powerful, not gentle and meek. This is one of the characteristics that sets YHWH apart from all others -- his concern for the poor and lowly. David sees himself in that category and he recognizes that God took special concern for him and lifted him from his low estate and exalted him to the place of king, the highest in the land. Finally, the LORD gave David a wide place to walk so that his feet would not slip. I think of the recent videos on the internet of people walking across a thin mountain ridge just inches wide. It makes me anxious just watching. David had no doubt climbed some rugged terrain and had his share of slips while loaded with armor and weapons. But he declares that the LORD gave him a wide path where his feet did not slip. Jesus said that the way of the LORD is narrow, but it is not treacherous or dangerous. It is actually safer than the broad way that leads to destruction. The destination of the path is what is critical. The way of God is clearly marked and as the psalmist would later say, “I run in the path of your commands” (119:32). There is freedom living in the wide space of God’s rule and law.  His meekness makes us great. One can’t help but think of the incarnation in that statement (little did David know). God humbled himself ultimately in Jesus Christ to lift us up. 

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

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

David moves to first person voice here, and he also moves from defense to offense. He chased down his enemies and caught up with them. He didn’t quit running after them until they were consumed. That’s an interesting choice of words, perhaps “consume” is a metaphor for being devoured as by an animal. The phrase “devoured by the sword” comes to mind. Indeed the next image is of David thrusting his sword through the bodies of those who have fallen under his feet. This is bloody hand to hand combat and David is dominating an exhausted enemy. Probably only someone who has experienced the trauma of hand to hand combat in war can fully appreciate David’s words here, and I don’t want to judge him for the viciousness of his actions. The effect of the metaphor is to communicate that fact of David’s complete victory over his enemies. Jesus as the son of David demonstrated this same kind of victory in his resurrection and at the end of time he is depicted as coming on a war horse with a sword in his mouth to devour his enemies (and we are all cheering). We participate in the victory of God by his grace. We are on his team, the winning team. I’m not a soldier, but every day I fight battles -- with my sinful nature, with my will, with everyday choices to do what is good and right. May I experience the same type of overwhelming victory that David describes here, chasing my spiritual enemies and putting an end to them for good. Jesus said, “don’t be afraid of the one who can kill the body. Fear the one who has the power to cast both body and soul into hell. Yes. fear him” (Luke 12:4,5). Fight for your soul today. Fight for the souls of others. 

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

40 You made my enemies turn their backs to me, [you gave me my enemies’ necks] and those who hated me I destroyed.

David continues to describe the absolute victory he experienced over his enemies. Of course he is looking back on his life, or at least the conclusion of a seven year chapter of his life where the house of David and the house of Saul have been at war with one another. David has finally secured peace for the kingdom, and my guess is that as he looks back, he does as we all tend to do, remembering the best parts over the worst. He describes his enemies sinking beneath him as he tramples over them. He says that YHWH made his enemies turn their backs toward him and run, or perhaps more graphically, they were laying on the ground where he could sever their heads. The summary statement is more succinct: those who hated me I destroyed. Recall the little ditty that was sung about David, “Saul has killed his thousands, David his tens of thousands.” While this is hyperbole no doubt, it is a reminder that David was a man of war with lots of blood on his hands. Remember the bride price he paid for Michael -- 200 Philistine foreskins (that were not freely surrendered). I don’t know what kind of demons a man like David may have had after so much bloodshed, but at this point, he’s simply expressing gratitude for surviving the chaos and coming out as king. And he credits YHWH completely for his victory. “It was you who equipped me with strength for the battle.” I can say the same of any victory that I’ve experienced. It has only been through the grace and sovereign will of God. What I now feel is a stewardship to make the most of what God has given me. 

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

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

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

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

45 Foreigners lost heart and came trembling out of their fortresses.

David describes his complete domination over his enemies. Even his enemies cried out for help, even to YHWH, but he didn’t answer them, didn’t save them. This may go back to David’s statement that he was saved because of his integrity. God honors those who honor him. David’s description of his enemies suggests that this was a last moment, last ditch effort when they knew that all was lost -- cry out to the god of your enemy. Or it could just be a simple statement that YHWH was not with their cause. Politicians who are complicit in the killing of unborn children say that they pray for the President. First, I doubt the sincerity of that prayer, and second I don’t know how those prayers are heard. The psalmist says later in Psalm 66:18, “If I had cherished sin in my heart, the LORD would not have listened.”  David’s enemies praying to YHWH would have been in addition to their prayers to their own gods, making sure they had all of their bases covered. The metaphors for David’s defeated enemies are strong -- beaten like dust before the wind and cast out like refuse in the street (maybe dung?). Verse 43 seems to be central as the longest as it describes David’s kingship even over foreign nations. His fearsome reputation so great that enemies surrendered and came out of their fortresses without lifting a weapon. This may be hyperbole since Israel was never a feared war machine like Assyria, Babylon, Persia, etc. Nonetheless, in the region at this time, David and Solomon reigned over a wide swath of territory that included lands of others. What is your reputation among your enemies? I mean your real enemies, the devil and his minions. I doubt they are coming out of their fortresses with their hands up. Maybe you are not putting up enough resistance. Maybe you are not calling out to YHWH and wielding his weapons in battle. To experience this level of total victory you have to be totally engaged in the war. Put on the full armor of God and stand, praying in the Spirit on all occasions. 

46 The LORD lives, and blessed be my rock, and exalted be the God of my salvation—

47 the God who gave me vengeance and subdued peoples under me,

48 who rescued me from my enemies; yes, you exalted me above those who rose against me; you delivered me from the man of violence.

“YHWH lives” strikes me as a fascinating statement. Has there been any accusation that he is dead? Are David’s enemies declaring the death of God? It seems rather that David is saying that YHWH is real and active in his life. He has been David’s rock (fortress, security, high ground, unchanging partner) and he has been the God who has saved him again and again. For this reason he is to be worshiped, blessed and exalted. The list of God’s saving acts follows: he gave me vengeance (justice), he subdued peoples under me (victory), he rescued me from my enemies (deliverance), he exalted me above those who rose against me (vindication), and he delivered him from the man of violence (probably a reference to Saul). David summarizes God’s saving acts as he comes to the conclusion of the psalm. The phrase “YHWH lives” takes on much greater significance for the Christian and thus everything that follows in this passage. The greatest enemy is death and a close second is sin. These are the two great enemies from which God has delivered me through Christ. And to do so, God did not show up in an earthquake, a volcano, or a storm. He showed up as a baby who grew into a man who shared in my struggles and emerged completely victorious. He shares his victory with me -- victory over death, victory over sin. Live in that victory. Understand that your enemies are not flesh and blood but rather the enemy of the souls of men, the ultimate man of violence.  

49 For this I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations, and sing to your name.

50 Great salvation he brings to his king, and shows steadfast love to his anointed, to David and his offspring forever.

The culmination of the song is worship as David credits YHWH with his salvation and exaltation as king. He praises YHWH among the nations, even though they do not see the world as David does. This is missionary -- enjoining us to live out our faith and worship publicly for the nations to see. David is the anointed one, the messiah, and God has shown him his steadfast love and salvation. This blessing will be on his descendants forever. David’s line on the throne will be cut off in four hundred years by the Babylonians, so the genealogies of Matthew and Luke become very significant in connecting Jesus to David. Imagine the records that were kept to pull that off, and the culture that cared enough to keep them! All that is true of David in this psalm is true of Jesus as well. Great salvation has YHWH brought to king Jesus, delivering him from death and saving the world through him. The phrase “great salvation” occurs again in Hebrews 2:3 where the readers are warned not to neglect so great a salvation. Praise God for the ways he has brought such a great salvation to you and shown his steadfast love to you. Worship Him among the nations so that they may share in the blessings of the messiah.