BIG IDEA:
DAVID’S EXPERIENCE OF GOD’S POWER AND PROVIDENCE ON HIS BEHALF EVOKES THIS SONG OF PRAISE AND WORSHIP –
6 WAYS THAT GOD HAS DEALT WITH US – LEADING US TO PRAISE AND WORSHIP HIM
Background: Ex 14-15 – Deliverance by the power of God in the Exodus; anger of God poured out against the Egyptian pursuers; God’s people rescued from an impossible situation; Very similar Song of Praise; Deut. 31:30
1 Sam. 2 – Song of Hannah – number of verbal similarities and common themes
This hymn of praise mirrors very closely Psalm 18 so I will pattern my outline after my Psalms commentary for this section.
Very important to keep in view that David is a type of Christ, the ultimate seed of David.
I. (:1-4) WE ARE PROTECTED —
INTRODUCTION: THE IMAGES OF GOD’S PROTECTION LEAD TO PRAISE AND WORSHIP — PRAISE FOR THE ROCK OF SALVATION
A. (:1) Context – Deliverance
1. From External Enemies (like the Philistines)
“And David spoke the words of this song to the Lord in the day that the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies”
Timing of David writing this song of worship
Wiersbe: It’s unlikely that this song was written just after the defeat of Saul and the beginning of David’s reign in Hebron. From verse 51, we infer that David wrote this psalm after God made His dynastic covenant with him (2 Sam. 7) and gave him the victories recorded in 2 Samuel 8 and 10. We further infer from verses 20-27 that he wrote the psalm before his terrible sins in connection with Bathsheba and Uriah (2 Sam. 11-12), for he could never have written verses 20-27 after that sad episode. The emphasis in this psalm is on what the Lord in His grace and mercy did for David.
???? But David certainly not trusting in his own righteousness; language ultimately fulfilled in person of Christ who could point to His own righteousness
2. From Internal Strife — Saul
“and from the hand of Saul.”
B. (:2-3) Relationship: Secure Under the Loving Protection of the Savior –
Visualize how the Lord protects us in His loving Providence and His powerful care
“my rock” strength; stability when everything is unstable
“my fortress” protection; impenetrable; hiding place when attacked
“my deliverer” the one who rescues from danger
T. Michael Crews: They’re Playing Our Song
Everybody needs a refuge. You need someplace you can go to escape the worries and fears of life. You need to have some place of safety where you don’t have to be afraid—somewhere you can catch your breath, get your strength, so you can back out and face this cold, cruel world. The Lord wants to be your Refuge. He wants you to come to Him and let Him hide you in His love and care, and shelter you.
Everybody needs a rescuer. No matter how careful or cautious you are, trouble will always find you. Often trouble will overwhelm you. Bills pile up, your health starts to fail, your home gets shaky, and before you know it, you seem to be drowning in problem. And don’t forget about the biggest problem we all have: what do to with the guilt of our sins. Who will rescue us from disaster and death? The Lord wants to be your Rescuer. He wants you to cry out to Him when you get in over your head and you’re going down for the last time. He wants to reach down to wherever you are and save you.
“my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge”
“my shield” deflects the arrows of the wicked
“the horn of my salvation” speaks to power and authority
“my stronghold and my refuge” cf. traveling around out in Tucson and Phoenix
“my savior, Thou dost save me from violence”
Ryrie: the horn of my salvation. The figure denoting power is borrowed from animals whose horns are for protection and defense.
James Drake:
“The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them” (Deut. 33:27).
“And he said, The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer” (2 Samuel 22:2).
“The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower” (Psalm 18:2).
“Unto thee will I cry, O Lord my rock; be not silent to me: lest, if thou be silent to me, I become like them that go down into the pit” (Psalm 28:1).
“Our soul waiteth for the Lord: he is our help and our shield” (Psalm 33:20).
“He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defence; I shall not be greatly moved” (Psalm 62:2).
“Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort: thou hast given commandment to save me; for thou art my rock and my fortress” (Psalm 71:3).
“I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust” (Psalm 91:2).
“But the Lord is my defence; and my God is the rock of my refuge” (Psalm 94:22).
“My goodness, and my fortress; my high tower, and my deliverer; my shield, and he in whom I trust; who subdueth my people under me” (Psalm 144:2 ).
“The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe” (Proverbs 18:10).
“Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him” (Proverbs 30:5).
“The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him” (Nahum 1:7).
C. (:4a) Response: Call Upon the Lord – Why?
“Call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised.”
This is the simple prescription for deliverance from enemies
Brings to mind choruses we sing
D. (:4b) Result: Deliverance – From Whom?
“I am saved from my enemies”
II. (:5-7) WE ARE BELOVED —
THE TIMELINESS OF GOD’S ATTENTIVENESS — OUR DESPERATE CRIES FOR DELIVERANCE FIND GOD TO BE ATTENTIVE —
CRY FOR HELP EVEN WHEN DELIVERANCE SEEMS IMPOSSIBLE
We find grace to help just in the nick of time; just when we need it; when the situation is humanly impossible
A. God’s Anointed was in a Tough Jam
“the waves of death encompassed me”
“the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me”
“the cords of Sheol surrounded me”
“snares of death confronted me”
B. God Hears Our Desperate Cries for Help
1. Desperate Cries for Help
“In my distress I called upon the Lord,
Yes, I cried to my God”
2. God Hears
“And from His temple He heard my voice,
And my cry for help came into His ears.”
III. (:8-16) WE WILL BE AVENGED —
THE UNLEASHING OF GOD’S ANGER – LEADS TO AWE-INSPIRED WORSHIP; FEAR OF GOD
WHEN OUR SUPERGOD GETS ANGRY HE UNLEASHES HIS SUPER POWERS –
ALL NATURE QUAKES WHEN GOD GETS ANGRY – WATCH OUT!
What happens when God gets Angry? (language of theophany)
A. (:8) The Earth Shakes in Anticipation of God’s Angry Rebuke
“Then the earth shook and quaked;
The foundations of heaven were trembling
And were shaken, because He was angry.”
B. (:9) God Breathes Smoke and Fire
“Smoke went up out of His nostrils,
And fire from His mouth devoured;
Coals were kindled by it.”
C. (:10-11) God Springs Quickly Into Action
“He bowed the heavens also, and came down
With thick darkness under His feet.
And He rode upon a cherub and flew;
And He sped upon the wings of the wind.”
D. (:12-13) God’s Brightness Hides Behind a Cloak of Darkness as He Approaches
“And He made darkness canopies around Him,
A mass of waters, thick clouds of the sky.
From the brightness before Him coals of fire were kindled.”
E. (:14) God Announces His Arrival with Displays of Power
“The Lord thundered from heaven,
And the Most High uttered His voice.”
F. (:15) God Routs the Enemy
“And He sent out arrows, and scattered them,
Lightning, and routed them.”
G. (:16) The Earth Submits to God’s Angry Rebuke
“Then the channels of the sea appeared,
The foundations of the world were laid bare.
By the rebuke of the Lord,
At the blast of the breath of His nostrils.”
IV. (:17-20) WE HAVE BEEN RESCUED —
THE COMPLETENESS OF GOD’S DELIVERANCE —
THE LORD RESCUES HIS ANOINTED EVEN FROM THE MOST POWERFUL ENEMIES
A. The Danger
“out of many waters”
“from my strong enemy”
“from those who hated me, for they were too strong for me”
“They confronted me in the day of my calamity”
B. The Deliverance
“He sent from on high”
“He took me”
“He drew me out”
“He delivered me”
“the Lord was my support”
“He also brought me forth into a broad place”
“He rescued me”
C. The Delight
“because He delighted in me”
V. (:21-28) WE WILL BE REWARDED —
THE CONSISTENCY OF GOD’S JUSTICE —
THE LORD REWARDS THE RIGHTEOUS BUT PUNISHES THE PERVERSE
A. The Lord Rewards the Righteous According to Their Righteousness
1. (:21) Principle Stated
“The Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness;
According to the cleanness of my hands He has recompensed me.”
2. (:22-24) Testimony of Personal Holiness
“For I have kept the ways of the Lord,
And have not acted wickedly against my God.
For all His ordinances were before me,
And as for His statutes, I did not depart from them.
I was also blameless toward Him,
And I kept myself from my iniquity.”
3. (:25) Principle Restated
“Therefore the Lord has recompensed me according to my righteousness,
According to my cleanness before His eyes.”
4. (:26-27a) Examples of the Lord’s Justice
a. “With the kind Thou dost show Thyself kind”
b. “With the blameless Thou dost show Thyself blameless”
c. “With the pure Thou dost show Thyself pure”
5. (:28a) Testimony to the Lord’s Mercy
“And Thou dost save an afflicted people”
B. (:27b, :28b) The Lord Punishes the Perverse According to Their Sin
1. “And with the perverted Thou dost show Thyself astute.”
2. “But Thine eyes are on the haughty whom Thou dost abase.”
VI. (:29-30) CONCLUSION – WE HAVE BEEN TRANSFORMED —
THE ADEQUACY OF GOD’S NEW CREATION
A. (:29) The Darkness Yields to God’s Light
“For Thou art my lamp;
And the Lord illumines my darkness”
B. (:30) Obstacles Present No Problem to God’s Warriors
“For by Thee I can run upon a troop;
By my God I can leap over a wall”
Mittelstaedt: When life is hard, we are to remember that the Lord is our Strength. Those who don’t know David that well often picture him as a man of superhuman strength. He is spoken of a the young man who single-handedly slew the giant Goliath. The truth is that David was by no means strong in himself. The key to David’s strength and greatness was that he allowed the Lord to be his strength. “It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer and enables me to stand on the heights. . . You give me your shield of victory; you stoop down to make me great.” How like God, to bend low and lift us up, so that when we are at our weakest point we are the strongest, all because of him. David’s experience was that of the Apostle Paul, who wrote: “I can do all everything through him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13).