Included in the Epilogue of this book is a song of thanksgiving written by David.
• The author says David sang it; he did not simply tell God that he was grateful, he sang it. Can tell he was happy and glad for what God has done.
• This song is Psalm 18, with some words changed or rephrased, likely to suit the music so that the people of Israel can sing.
The most important thing about this song is the REASON for it - what give birth to this song.
• The author says David sang because “the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.” (v.1)
• David fought many battles and over a long period of time. He was a great fighter and a good one.
• Remember the time when he overcame the Philistine and the women danced and sang: “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.” (1 Sam 18:7)
• I believe David was obviously the better fighter.
He was good, BUT despite his competence, David recognises God as the ONE who has given him the victories. It’s all about God.
• That’s the mark of a great man – his humility. It’s never about him.
• If you want to be great, be humble.
DAVID ACKNOWLEDGES GOD IN ALL HIS SUCCESSES
• This is the reason why some people give thanks, and others don’t. They FAIL to see the HAND OF GOD in their success.
• “I work hard to earn a living and I pay for my own food, so why do I have to give thanks?”
• If we fail to see God’s hand in it, there is nothing for us to thank Him for. We earned it. We achieved it.
Remember the healing of the TEN LEPERS in Luke 17, when 10 lepers came to Jesus and were healed. Only ONE came back praising God and giving thanks.
• Leprosy is an incurable disease (at the time) and they were healed! It is a supernatural act of God, a miracle they had just received by the grace of God!
• Yet only ONE came back to say THANK YOU because only one SEE the HAND OF GOD in it!
Jesus was shocked: “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” (Luke 17:17-18)
• The one who came back was a Samaritan. Jesus expected the Jews to know better. If the Samaritan is not sure of who God is, well, he’s a Samaritan!
• But what about you, the Jews? Don’t you know God, through the Law? Why didn’t you give thanks to God when He did something so miraculous for you?
“Why do we NOT give thanks?” Have you ever thought about it?
• I’m not talking about bad situations like failing your exams, losing your job, falling ill… but the obvious good that we receive, like the healing of the lepers.
• So why don’t we give thanks for what God has done?
I don’t give thanks because I don’t SEE GOD in it; I’m seeing something else.
(1) I am preoccupied by my gift. I took the toy, like a child, and ran away to play with it. Enjoying the gift is all that matters.
(2) I am too preoccupied by myself. “Look at me, I’m good. I won the battle, I’m first in class. I won the race.” Self-centredness blinds me to God’s role.
I am not seeing God’s hand in it because I am looking only at myself and my blessings, my healings, my victories, my successes.
• Actually, I am beginning to feel I DESERVED it. I feel I EARNED it. I feel I’ve ACHIEVED it.
• Where is God in all of these? Not too sure. I am not seeing Him clearly.
David says in Psalm 103:2-5 “… forget not all his benefits” and then went on to list what God has done (as if we have forgotten): “3who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, 4who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, 5who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.”
The healing of the incurable lepers – 10 at one go - was such a miraculous feat that it was unthinkable to Jesus to see only ONE returning and acknowledging God for it.
• It is easy for David to believe that he has achieved these victories, but he did not. God is the ONE who has delivered him from ALL his enemies.
DAVID BELIEVES GOD IS HIS SECURITY
2 Sam 22:2-3 - He said: “The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; 3 my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and my saviour - from violent men you save me.
There are all images of the battlefield. That’s the terrain he fights in - rock, fortress, refuge (caves), stronghold (high grounds)…
• They are the places that gives him protection or gain the upper hand over his enemies.
• And David uses these images on God! He says the Lord is my rock, my fortress, my refuge, my shield, my stronghold… (not ‘He is LIKE the rock, LIKE the fortress…’)
David never consider these natural resources to be his security, even though they are indeed his security and protection in that kind of terrain.
• He hid himself in the caves a few times when running from Saul.
• But to David, the true protection comes from God. Behind all these “protection” lies the true PROTECTOR.
• God is the ONE who is in control of the battlefield and the outcome of the fights.
Is this the same way we see life? Is God our security in life?
Reminds me of the story of a believer who was chased down by local tribesmen out to harm him. He knew he could not outrun them, so when he came to a small cave, crawled in and prayed for God to save him.
In a short time, his enemies caught up and stood near the cave. But by now, a spider had appeared and made a web at the entrance of the cave. The enemies did not suspect anyone to be inside, and moved on.
If God’s hand is there, even a spider’s web can be an unbreakable shield of protection. He is my shield, David says.
22:4 “I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies.”
DAVID TRUSTS GOD TO SEE HIM THROUGH
See the way David describes the deliverance of God – 2 Sam 22:5-6
5The waves of death swirled about me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me. 6The cords of the grave coiled around me; the snares of death confronted me.
Again he uses different images – the waves of death, the torrents of destruction, the cords of the grave, the snares of death…
• Every one of them speaks of danger or death, because his life was threatened many times.
Again he prayed (verse 7): “In my distress I called to the Lord; I called out to my God. From His temple He heard my voice; my cry came to His ears.”
• Twice he mentioned he prayed to God – verse 4 and 7 - and twice he affirmed that God heard his prayers and responded.
• How did God rescue him? David describes it in a dramatic way in the next part.
2 Sam 22:8-20
8"The earth trembled and quaked, the foundations of the heavens shook; they trembled because he was angry. 9 Smoke rose from his nostrils; consuming fire came from his mouth, burning coals blazed out of it. 10He parted the heavens and came down; dark clouds were under his feet. 11 He mounted the cherubim and flew; he soared on the wings of the wind.
12He made darkness his canopy around him - the dark rain clouds of the sky. 13 Out of the brightness of his presence bolts of lightning blazed forth.
14The LORD thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded. 15 He shot arrows and scattered [the enemies], bolts of lightning and routed them.
16The valleys of the sea were exposed and the foundations of the earth laid bare at the rebuke of the LORD, at the blast of breath from his nostrils.
17 "He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters. 18 He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. 19 They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the LORD was my support. 20 He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me.
This is a dramatized way of describing what God has done for him in his battles.
• The description is similar to what happened at Mount Sinai when God came down to meet His people – lots of lightning, smoke and fire.
• It is the awesome presence of God. God came near and helped him.
David is not likely saying that during the battles, these supernatural things happened.
• I don’t think we can take it literally because we read through some of his battles and we do not see these many signs.
• This is David’s way of saying: “God came in remarkable and miraculous ways, and saved me from my enemies.”
• 22:17 “He reached down from on high and took hold of me; He drew me out of deep waters.”
We worship the same God today. Let’s acknowledge Him in our lives. He is our security and He will see us through.
A pastor was travelling on a train and met a Christian man seated facing him. They struck off a conversation and the young man was obviously very despondent about life. He felt so weak in his faith and so discouraged that he told the pastor he could not stand it anymore.
The pastor says, yes, surely you can stand, and you will stand strong. It doesn’t seem to get through. The pastor took a pencil from his pocket and say, try to make this stand. On a moving train, this is almost impossible. The young man tried a few times and but failed.
The pastor says, “See, I will make this pencil stands, despite the shaking.” He held on to the pencil while placing his hand on the table. “See, it stands.”
“You are cheating!” the young man retorted. The pastor replied, “I didn’t say you cannot hold on to it.”
“God is holding you, young man. You stand because He is holding you up. You cannot stand on your own. With His hand around you, you will stand!”
PRAY. Just like David, pray… when we pray, we get what only God can do!
I like to close with this hymn ALL THE WAY MY SAVIOUR LEADS ME, words by Fanny J. Crosby (1820-1915). Blinded as a child but trusted Jesus to lead her through life, without her own sight.
• I will play the clip. Let the words of this hymn be our response to God.
