Psalm 18 Series

8/24/03

Text: Psalm 18:1-50

Introduction

One writer calls Psalm 18 "a magnificent hymn"

He says, "David sketches a few grand outlines in the Psalm...reflections of his life...and record the marvellous deliverances and victories which the Lord had given him."

Another writer said, "The Psalm breathes the atmosphere of extemporaneous praise" W. T. Purkiser

Another writer called it an "exuberant thanksgiving" Derek Kidner

and still another, "one of the most magnificent lyrical raptures in the Scriptures" George Gi fillan

It is fitting for us to end our Psalms for Psummer Psunday Nights (at least for this summer) with this most beautiful Psalm

Read Text: Psalm 18:1-50

Some commentators indicate that this Psalm was one of the last ones that David wrote.

So here we see David, after a long and glorious life.

Obviously filled with ups and downs along the way...

looking back at his life....

reflecting upon what God had done for him...

perhaps remembering very specific situations in which God helped him...

but also just being overwhelmed with the general sense that God has been with him throughout his life.

And these 50 verses are an outpouring of David’s praise to God for what He has done for him.

Body

1. First of all, David Tells of His Love for His Lord Ps 18:1-3

In verses 1-3, you almost get the sense of David’s overwhelming joy as he bursts out into song.

He starts off saying those 3 precious words "I Love You"

I’ve said it before, but it certainly bears mentioning again, sometimes we need the say the words!

It’s not enough to just love your wife or kids or husband, you need to tell them.

And that goes for the Lord too.

It is good for us to say the words, "I love You" to the Lord.

David goes on to call the Lord:

"my strength,

my Rock,

my Fortress,

my Deliverer,

my Refuge,

my Shield,

the Horn of my salvation,

my Stronghold"

Obviously David thinks of God as being Strong...

but also his Protector.

Undoubtedly, David, as a warrior had many times owed his life to the protection of his shield...or to the protection of a fortress.

Other times, God intervened in a great show of strength.

those words, "horn of my salvation" takes on the image of the horns of a wild animal.

and how that animal uses its horns to push down and through the enemy.

Thus God, like the horns of a battering ram, provided salvation many times by the strength of His hands.

David indicates that he just calls out to the Lord...

and God saves him from his enemies.

2. David Tells of His Deliverance Provided by the Lord Ps 18:4-19

David goes on to tell, in very picturesque language, how God provided deliverance.

It is important to note, that in the examples that David cites, he doesn’t indicate that he NEVER had difficult times...

on the contrary, he says:

"the cords of death entangled me"

"the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me"

The cords of the grave coiled around me

The snares of death confronted me"

Obviously the situation was grim...

In today’s language, he might say,

"I was a goner...

I was nearly done for...

I was as helpless as a sitting duck...

I was a lost cause"

But then, David indicates that he "called to the Lord for help"

and his cry for help did not go unheeded!

Because God heard his cry...

and God came!

Boy, did He!

David says that the ground shook...

there was smoke coming from his nostrils.

fire from His mouth...

and He flew down to earth on a cherubim

and came to the rescue in an incredible, miraculous way!

Verse 16 says that God "reached down from on high and drew me out of deep waters"

I remember one time, we had been invited to swim out at Tropicana Village.

We had turned our backs for a second,

and Jason had taken off his life jacket and jumped into the water.

I looked back, and there was Jason, under the water...

I quickly grabbed him and lifted him up to safety.

In the same way, just when we think we have "bought the farm"...

God reaches down and saves us and sets our feet on the solid rock!

3. David Tells of the Faithfulness of God to His People Ps 18:20-29

In verses 20-29, David tells how God has always been faithful to him.

And, not only to him, but in verse 25, he says, "to the faithful, you show yourself faithful"

I like verse 29, it says, "with Your help, I can advance against a troop; with my God, I can scale a wall"

This is David’s way of saying that,

when the situation was grim...

when the difficulties seemed insurmountable...

when the way seemed impossible...