Heading. ‘For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David the servant of YHWH, who spoke to YHWH the words of this song in the day that YHWH delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. And he said,' This Psalm, dedicated to the Choirmaster, and therefore now prepared for pu... [ Continue Reading ]
DAVID EXPRESSES HIS TRUST IN YHWH (PSALMS 18:1). Psalms 18:1 ‘I love you, O YHWH, my strength.' These words are added to the beginning of the original Psalm. They are not found in the parallel Psalm in 2 Samuel 22:2. They are a declaration of personal faith and dedication, especially suitable for... [ Continue Reading ]
TROUBLES AND DEATH HAD PRESSED IN ON HIM (PSALMS 18:4). ‘The cords of death encompassed me, And the floods of ungodliness (literally ‘worthlessness' - belial) made me afraid. The cords of Sheol were round about me, The snares of death came on me, In my distress I called on YHWH, And cried to m... [ Continue Reading ]
GOD HAD INTERVENED ON HIS BEHALF (PSALMS 18:7). David's description of God's intervention portrays the situation from Heaven's point of view. Little was necessarily seen on earth, but David was aware of the mightiness of God active on his behalf in powerful ways. He looked back to the experiences of... [ Continue Reading ]
DAVID'S GIVES THE EXPLANATION FOR HIS TRIUMPH (PSALMS 18:20). David's explanation for YHWH's intervention on his behalf is simple. His attitude had been right towards God. He had been faithful to YHWH and His covenant. He had walked in YHWH's ways and had sought to please Him, not in order to earn... [ Continue Reading ]
HE DECLARES THAT WHAT A MAN SOWS HE WILL REAP (PSALMS 18:25). David was confident that righteousness must triumph simply because of what God is. Like him we too can know that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Psalms 18:25 ‘With the merciful you will show yourself m... [ Continue Reading ]
INDEED IT IS THROUGH GOD THAT WE WILL TRIUMPH (PSALMS 18:28). ‘For you will light my lamp, YHWH my God will lighten my darkness. For by you I run on a troop, And by my God do I leap over a wall. Here is the Godward side. David is confident that it is God Who will deliver him. Note that his relia... [ Continue Reading ]
DAVID GIVES A SUMMARY OF WHAT GOD IS AND OF ALL GOD'S BLESSINGS TO HIM (PSALMS 18:30). Psalms 18:30 ‘As for God, his way is perfect, The word of YHWH is tried (tested and proved true), He is a shield to all those who take refuge in him.' David knows that God's way is perfect. Thus to walk in th... [ Continue Reading ]
HE DECLARES THAT YHWH HAS GIVEN HIM VICTORY OVER ALL HIS ENEMIES (PSALMS 18:37). We should note as we consider this cry of triumph that this is not describing peaceful nations who are being subjugated by a tyrant, but nations who ‘rose up against me'. David's world was a violent place, with neighbou... [ Continue Reading ]
DAVID DESCRIBES HIS WIDESPREAD VICTORIES WHICH ARE ALL DUE TO GOD (PSALMS 18:43). Psalms 18:43 ‘You have delivered me from the strivings of the people, You have made me the head of the nations, A people whom I have not known will serve me. As soon as they hear of me they will obey me, The fore... [ Continue Reading ]