Dwell in the Word: Psalm 18:33-50
Contemplate these questions as you dwell in Psalm 18:33-50:
1. How does David's acknowledgment of God as his rock and fortress in Psalm 18 emphasize the importance of relying on God's strength rather than our own in times of conflict and peril?
2. In Psalm 18:33-50, David contrasts gentleness and humility with the necessity of pursuing and overcoming his enemies. How does this juxtaposition help us understand the balance between trusting in God's strength and taking action in our battles?
3. How does the protection and victory that God grants David in Psalm 18 foreshadow the ultimate victory of Jesus Christ over death, hell, and the devil, and what does this signify for believers today?
Transcript:
As we have worked our way through Psalm 18, we've seen David speak of how God is his rock and his fortress and how God has rescued David even though he was in significant peril. The conflict that had such a deep impact on the life of David was King Saul pursuing him in jealousy. As we saw when we started this psalm, it's a psalm of praise to God for the deliverance that God gave him from this terrible situation. And as we close up this Psalm with verses 33 through 50, we're going to see a repetition of these ideas and we're going to see continued praise to God for the deliverance that he provides. When we wrapped up last time, David was making a statement by asking a question, Who is God but Yahweh and who is a rock except our God? The psalmist was making it very clear that God is in control and that God is faithful to keep the promises that he makes to his people. And as we come to verse 33, we continue to see this idea that God protects and fortifies His people. God makes David's feet like a deer and makes him secure on the heights and he trains his hands for war. The strength that causes David to be protected isn't from David himself, it's from God. It is all a part of the salvation that shields him. And there's something really unexpected in all of this. Right after he speaks of hands trained for war and arms so strong they can bend a bronze bow, he says that the gentleness made him great. And the idea here is the idea of humility, being humble and trusting in the strength of God is what caused him to be ready for the battles that he would face. And you can understand why this is, right? 1 of the most famous cliches we know is pride comes before a fall. David trusted in God and not in his own strength. And so he was prepared for what his enemies would bring against him. And as we move down through the passage, there are statements that might surprise us a little bit. Here David is speaking of gentleness, making him great, but then suddenly there is this language of pursuing enemies and overtaking them. And if we didn't know what that meant, all we need to do is keep reading. We read that they did not turn back until they were consumed. Then it says that he thrust them through till they were consumed and not able to rise. Like I said, that's violent language, especially right after reading about gentleness. But this is typical of a battle, particularly in their time. If you did not overcome your enemies, they would overcome you. You needed God to be your defense, or you would be wiped out. Our modern sensibilities don't like this at all, but it was a reality of the way the world worked in battles such as these in their time and David believes that God gave him this victory. As we read this, it isn't only important that we try to read it understanding the times that David lived in, but we also need to be sure we understand why David is being defended. He is the anointed king of Israel. Yes, Saul is currently reigning as king, but David is the chosen 1 of God. And we're going to find out that he is in the line to the Messiah as the story of David continues. God is protecting his people and protecting his promise. Throughout the story of scripture, the line to the Messiah is in jeopardy and it seems as though the promises will fail. This is 1 example. Another example is Pharaoh having all the males of the Israelites killed in Egypt. Remember, that is a satanic attack on the promises of God. And this is why survival of the anointed of God is so important and it's why David is defended by God. This is not only a victory for David, it's a victory for all the people of God who are in Christ Jesus. And as this psalm closes up, we see in verse 47 praise to God for the salvation that he gave to David. Now you might know a song that's based upon this line, the Lord lives and blessed be the rock and exalted be the God of my salvation. But like me, you might have been surprised by the statement that follows. As far as I remember, it isn't in the song. The God who gave me vengeance and subdued peoples under me. That's strong language. But this doesn't change the fact that it's a reason for God to be praised. He preserved his people. It's the reason that you and I can sing praise to God. If the promise of God would have failed, we would not be praising him. We would not even be his people. So we can sing and pray this psalm because we know God as the rock who saved us from our enemy. Death, hell, and the devil were destroyed by David's descendant who rose victorious over the grave and now he is ascended and reigning at the Father's right hand. In Christ, God has shown steadfast love to his people. So may we praise him forever.
