Psalm 18 - Great Praise From A Place Of Great Victory Series

Although David wrote this psalm, it is not really completely true of him, instead, as we said earlier, it can be applied to Jesus Christ. David may be speaking prophetically through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit about the One who would be both his Son and his Lord (See Matthew22:41-46).

(v. 30) He is a buckler to all those that trust in him. Because David trusted God, God enabled him to run, leap, fight, and defeat the enemy (vv. 29, 32-34, 37-45). He could run through a troop, scale a wall, or leap like a deer up the mountains (See Habakkuk 3:19). David said God was his shield (buckler).

(v. 31) or who is a rock save our God? David said God is His rock (refuge)—See verse 46. God can be trusted for safety and salvation. Moses, at the beginning of his great song about the Lord in Deuteronomy 32, called God, the Rock (v. 4). The Lord is indeed a massive, unshakable foundation and force of protection.

(v. 32) It is God that girdeth me with strength. Here David describes how God gets him ready for battle, giving him strength, agility, and efficiency (vv. 32-34); how God gave him victory over his enemies, pursuing, crushing, and destroying them (vv. 35-42), and how God gave him rule over other nations (vv. 43-45; 2 Samuel 8). Credit for victory is explicitly given to God, who made every step possible. He prepared the way, taught, trained, and led into battle.

(v. 32) and maketh my way perfect. Because God is perfect (v. 30) He could make David’s way perfect. The dominate thought throughout these verses is that David attributed every ability and victory of his to the Lord. Everything he had done and everything he now enjoyed was due to the Lord’s enabling.

(v. 33) He maketh my feet like hinds' feet. God’s help is describes here as giving swiftness to pursue or elude his enemies—“The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer” (Habakkuk 3:19). Swiftness was essential to a successful warrior.

(v. 34) He teacheth my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms. This is not a glorification of war, for God trained him to fight his battles and to protect Israel so they could accomplish His purposes on earth. David has been carefully trained by God. This preparation has been physical; health, strength, and agility have been provided to bring David’s body to completion. It has also been instructional—skill in the use of war-like methods and arms had been gained—and moral: the Lord had freely given him His own equipment for resistance, His means of support in danger, and His gentleness (v. 35); that is, His understanding patience or, more literally, meekness, during all the long years since He so graciously raised a shepherd boy to a throne of power.

David did not invade other countries just to add territory to his kingdom. Whatever territory he gained was the result of his defeating armies that first attacked Israel.

(v. 34) So that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms. Bronze is probably meant rather than steel. The tips of arrows were made of bronze and the warrior’s bows were strengthened with it.