Dwell in the Word: Psalm 18:4-19

Contemplate these questions as you dwell in ⁠Psalm 18:4-19⁠:

1. In Psalm 18:4-19, how does David describe the severity of his situation, and what emotions might these descriptions evoke in us?

2. How does the imagery of God's powerful response to David's cries for help in Psalm 18 illustrate His role as a divine warrior and protector?

3. How can we apply the message of Psalm 18:4-19 to our own lives, particularly in understanding the significance of Jesus' victory over death and the new life He offers us?

Transcript:

We continue through Psalm 18 and what we read from verses 4 through 19 and what we see emphasized to us and what we read is the way in which David describes the desperate state of affairs that he's in. This is strong language that we see here. The opening of Psalm 18 used great imagery of fortresses and strongholds, and David told us that he was saved from his enemies, but as we continue, he paints a picture of how desperate that situation was. The chords of death encompassed him. And I'm not sure what emotions that invokes in you, but as I think about how it feels to be wrapped up and unable to escape, it elicits panic in me. The idea is that he has no way of escape by his own power. We also read that the torrents of destruction assailed him, and the idea is that he is being overwhelmed once again, and we're made to feel just how impossible that situation is.

Now maybe we've watched too many superhero and disaster movies, but I think we like to think that we can find a way out of any situation. We can squirm out of the cords and get away. We think maybe a strong wave of water is something that could come at us, but we might be able to swim right on through it. But we know that's not the case. If we were tied up by an enemy, they would make sure that we couldn't escape. It wouldn't be like an episode of the 1960s Batman television show where the villains would leave Batman and Robin and just assume their method of making them meet their demise would work and then Batman and Robin escaped. When you're tied up for real, you are hopeless. And just in case we aren't getting the emphasis of this, David goes back to the idea of cords. And this time it is the cords of Sheol that have entangled him. Sheol is the grave, and David is expressing just how terrible this situation is he's done for. And I'm sure that at many points he thought that he would never come out of that situation, but then after reminding us that he had the snares of death around him, we're told that in this situation he didn't look to himself for rescue. He cried to God for help. And we read that his cries did not fall upon deaf ears. As distressing as the situation David was facing, God heard his voice and as vivid as the picture of his difficulties were, the image we get of God Hearing the cries of David is just as vivid. When these cries reached the ears of the Almighty, he went into action. We read that the foundations of the mountains trembled and quaked at the anger of God. Smoke went up from his nostrils and fire came from his mouth and he devoured. He bowed the heavens and came down. And the image being painted for us is 1 of power and 1 of a warrior who is coming on behalf of his anointed 1. And as we come to verse 16, we see that the point of this display of great power is to draw David from the waters that have flooded over him and to rescue him from his enemy and those who have hated him.

Notice that he says they were too mighty for him. And Psalm 18 wants us to deeply understand the peril that David is in. And while we aren't being pursued by the king, we should feel as though we are in great peril. The grave has its cords entangling us as well. We need someone who is from on high to rescue us because the enemy that we face is much stronger, but it is not stronger than the 1 who comes as a warrior from heaven for us, for his people. We read in verse 19 that the Lord brought David into a broad place. He delivered him and brought him into a place that is open as opposed to a narrow place where he couldn't escape. As we consider the words of this psalm, we can easily read these words and apply them to ourselves because of the work of the Lord Jesus for us.

As I mentioned earlier, Death has a stranglehold on us. We can't escape on our own, but God the Son bowed the heavens and came down for his people. He faced death and the grave, and he arose victorious. He removed the cords of the grave from around us, and he brings us into a broad place of new life in him. And so as you recall the words of this Psalm, may it drive you to praise God for the freedom that you have in the gospel, that you might declare the goodness of God and bring honor to him with your life.