He turns my darkness into light - Psalm 18:25-30
Greetings: “The Lord is good his love endures forever.”
Introduction of the monthly theme:
Introduction of the theme for the day:
KJV: Psalms 18:25-30
“With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright; With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself froward. For thou wilt save the afflicted people; but wilt bring down high looks.
For thou wilt light my candle: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness.
For by thee I have run through a troop; and by my God have I leaped over a wall. As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.”
Outline of Psalm 18:
The bridge way commentary summaries:
‘The outpouring of praise recorded in this psalm as title, applicable to many of David’s experiences. It was probably put into its present form after David reached the height of his power as king. He had conquered all his enemies and now controlled all the country from Egypt to the Euphrates (2 Samuel 8, 22).
David opens by declaring his love for God (1) and thanking God for hearing his prayers and saving him from death at the hands of his enemies (2-6). God revealed himself in dramatic exhibitions of his mighty power (7-15), to deliver his servant (16-19). David walked in God’s ways and kept himself pure and humble (20-24).
God’s attitude to people, whether he helped them or opposed them, depended on whether they were devoted to him or rebelled against him (25-27). That is why David was always confident of God’s help (28-30).
?God had blessed David with good health, physical strength, natural ability, and the desire to train and practise till he was skilled in the abilities God had given him (31-34). God gave David his saving power (35-36). David had victory, and conquered his foes (37-42), expanded his kingdom (43-45) and brought glory to God (46-48). As he looks back on what God did for him in the past, he offers further praise for God’s unfailing kindness (49-50).’
I would like to share with you under the theme “Darkness turned into Light” with the sub themes of ‘Right dealings of God, Light dealings of God, and mighty dealings of man of God’
Right dealings of God
David penned the important principles of God’s dealings with each of us in the same way we choose to relate to him. If we respond to him positively, seeking to know him better and imitating his ways by striving to be merciful, blameless, and pure, God will, in turn, be merciful to us. However, if we respond negatively, sinfully pursuing our own wicked inclinations, he will then treat us “perversely”.
David says the Lord deals with all of us according to the characters of each one of us. Human beings see our outward appearance and deal with us falsely, but God is looking into the inner being of every one. Nothing is hidden in his sight.
He knows our sitting, our standing, our thoughts even before we utter any word he knows the end of it. He is omniscient God. He deals, compensates in accordance with the intention of the hearts of humanity. We are basically evil and wicked. From our childhood, the satanic rebellious, disobedient nature is within us. We are filled with jealousy, ego, pride, cunningness and full of iniquity. David had all these in his life, he confessed those feelings, dealings and sought the blessings of God.
Though we cannot earn our eternal salvation through our own good works or supposed righteousness (Titus 3:5; Romans 11:6; Ephesians 2:8–10), God does respond to our actions.
Galatians 6:7 assures us that "whatever one sows, that will he also reap."
Matthew 5:7 states: "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy."
Christ's model prayer for us contains a reciprocal relationship: we are to ask God to "forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors" (Matthew 6:12).
Therefore he says, “With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright; With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself froward. For thou wilt save the afflicted people; but wilt bring down high looks.”
‘It is better to change all the futures into our present through our actions.The human heart makes its God like itself’ (Ellicott).
These are ‘the general principles of the divine administration’ (Barnes).
‘David lays down the general method of the procedure of God’s providence and moral government’ (Benson).
He doesn’t run an immoral government where everything is free, where every evil acts go unpunished. Only salvation is free but we can’t be scot free from our actions.
‘The gracious recompense of which David spoke, may generally be expected by those who act from right motives. Hence he speaks comfort to the humble, and terror to the proud.’ (Matthew Henry).
‘Thou meet to every one the same measure which he meets out to others, and gives to him the fruit of his own doings’(Matthew Poole).
This word ‘froward to the forward’ reflects the self-centred viewpoint of the wicked who would naturally consider a holy God’s disapproval of their sinful behaviour as “perverse.” In James 4:6, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
Now, let me move on to the second point of my sermon, the Light dealings of God.
Light dealings of God (Psalm 18:28)
David further moves on to say that he turns my darkness into light. My nightmares into joyful, colourful experiences. The nightmares turned into sweet memories, memoirs, and sweet dreams. The Lord is light and he shines with his fullness. There is no shadow of darkness in him. His light chases away the darknesses. His light brings joy into the mind, heart and soul.
The sunrise is a joyful occasion for all of us to witness. We love to see the sunrise, and also sunset. But sunrise brings a greater joy for the birds, insects, animals, and human beings. David says the Lord lights my candles. We are potentially good, but not good within to do good deeds. So, God brings the light in us.
The true lamp of David, which "enlightened his darkness," was "the light of God's countenance." While this shone upon him, his whole path was bright, and he himself, reflecting the Divine rays, was a lamp to others.(Pulpit). Refer psalm 34:5 “look to him, be radiant.”
Light symoolizes life, goodness, and truth in Hebrew culture. Job 18:5–6 and 21:17 allude to the death of the wicked as God putting out their lamps.
In Psalm 27:1 David testified: "The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?"
Yahweh said, “David my servant may always have a lamp before me in Jerusalem" (1 Kings 11:36).
‘Light is an emblem of prosperity, happiness, or life itself’ (Ellicott).
It is refers to ‘safety, comfort, glory, and posterity: all which particulars are often signified by a candle, or a light. Thou wilt or dost advance me to honour, increase my prosperity, and make me continually joyful by thy favour.’(Benson).
The flourishing condition of David's kingdom or his internal spiritual light, and an increase of it, by giving fresh supplies of the oil of grace, to cause the lamp to burn more clearly, the lamp ordained for the Messiah, (Psalm 132:17).
‘In other places the Scripture says the light is an image of prosperity, success, happiness, holiness, as darkness is the image of the opposite - Proverbs 20:27, 24:20, Psalms 119:105, 132:17)’(Barnes).
He brings me out of darkness into light; out of adversity to prosperity, from walking in darkness to the enjoyment of the light of his countenance (Gill).
Today, God would bring you out of darkness. He brings out a nation from darkness through Jesus Christ. He shines in then country or land of darkness. His light has shone in Africa, Asia, Europe and USA. Still it reached the uttermost part of the world through all of us.
Now let’s move to the last point of my sermon. The mighty deeds of the men of God who walk in the light of the Lord.
Mighty dealings of the man of God
The mighty acts belong to God and his host of angels. But God share the might with his children on earth.
He passes on, he equips our hands, hearts and minds to do mighty things for God. See the history who are those people went around the world to establish the kingdom of God.
The apostles of Christ were ordinary fishermen, the missionaries down throughout history were ordinary men and women of God. They had established universities, colleges, schools, institutions and challenged the kings and princes of the world. They were daredevils of their times and days. Yes, you are mighty because he is mighty. They were known as people who turns the world upside down.
When a person hits a wall, three things he can do. Either Stop and change directions. Go around the wall. Or scale and go over the wall. Most people stop and change directions, giving up what they wanted to do.
David knew that with God’s help, there was nothing he could not do. He could go against a whole troop of enemy or he could scale a wall that was in front of him.
Even in the life of a believer, one will come across walls in his life. Going up against a wall is a common thing. It is not a one time event, but occurs on a regular basis. Some walls are small, while others are massive great walls, like the Great Wall Of China. These walls become a problem for the person to overcome.
You may have some walls in your life that are trying to slow you down or stop you. You have a choice as to what you will do, give up or keep moving forward.
In yourself, you may not be able to ever climb that wall and get to the other side, but with God it is possible. God can guide your steps to get over that wall. He can give you strength to be able to pull yourself up as you climb that wall. Trust in God for your strength and guidance. You can get over that wall in front of you, not by yourself, but with His help.
By my God have I leaped over a wall; which refers to the scaling of walls, and taking of fortified places; and so the Targum, "By the word of my God I will subdue fortified towns"; so Apollinarius has it, passed over a tower, or took it; which was literally true of David, in many instances.(Gill).
The military key-note is at once struck. Gedud (???????) is a marauding band of light-armed troops sent out to plunder an enemy's country. David "ran through" such a "troop," when he pursued and defeated the Amalekites who had plundered and burnt Ziklag( 1 Samuel30:17). (Pulpit).
"I have broke a troop", or "through one". it comes from a root which signifies to "break" in pieces, and is fitly used for the destroying or cutting in pieces a troop of the enemy; and is true of Christ, when he engaged with the troops of hell, and broke the squadrons of the infernal fiends, and spoiled or disarmed principalities and powers, and triumphed over them on the cross, and made a show of them openly, when he dragged them at his chariot wheels, and led captivity captive.
Unless you bind the mighty you can’t rob the spoils of the Satan. Prayer gives you courage, strength and energy.
Psalm 18:30 embodies three-fold description, “way, truth, life,” which Jesus would later apply to himself. God’s way is perfect just as Jesus shows us the perfect way to God. As our refuge and shield, Yahweh preserves our lives just as Jesus gives us abundant life in himself. Jesus is indeed the way, the truth, and the life, the beloved Son, our Savior, through whom we have full access to the Father.
