Psalms 18

Rev Gideon Lee

The Lord led me to this Psalms even as I was looking at what to share.

Psalms 18

1 ((For the Chief Musician. By David the servant of Yahweh, who spoke to Yahweh the words of this song in the day that Yahweh delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. He said,)) I love you, Yahweh, my strength. 2 Yahweh is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer; My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; My shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower. 3 I call on Yahweh, who is worthy to be praised; And I am saved from my enemies. 4 The cords of death surrounded me. The floods of ungodliness made me afraid. 5 The cords of Sheol were round about me; The snares of death came on me. 6 In my distress I called on Yahweh, And cried to my God. He heard my voice out of his temple, My cry before him came into his ears. 7 Then the earth shook and trembled. The foundations also of the mountains quaked and were shaken, Because he was angry. 8 Smoke went out of his nostrils. Consuming fire came out of his mouth. Coals were kindled by it. 9 He bowed the heavens also, and came down. Thick darkness was under his feet. 10 He rode on a cherub, and flew. Yes, he soared on the wings of the wind. 11 He made darkness his hiding-place, his pavilion around him, Darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies. 12 At the brightness before him his thick clouds passed, Hailstones and coals of fire. 13 Yahweh also thundered in the sky, The Most High uttered his voice: Hailstones and coals of fire. 14 He sent out his arrows, and scattered them; Yes, great lightning bolts, and routed them. 15 Then the channels of waters appeared, The foundations of the world were laid bare at your rebuke, Yahweh, At the blast of the breath of your nostrils. 16 He sent from on high. He took me. He drew me out of many waters. 17 He delivered me from my strong enemy, From those who hated me; for they were too mighty for me. 18 They came on me in the day of my calamity, But Yahweh was my support. 19 He brought me forth also into a large place. He delivered me, because he delighted in me. 20 Yahweh has rewarded me according to my righteousness. According to the cleanness of my hands has he recompensed me. 21 For I have kept the ways of Yahweh, And have not wickedly departed from my God. 22 For all his ordinances were before me. I didn't put away his statutes from me. 23 I was also blameless with him. I kept myself from my iniquity. 24 Therefore Yahweh has rewarded me according to my righteousness, According to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight. 25 With the merciful you will show yourself merciful. With the perfect man, you will show yourself perfect. 26 With the pure, you will show yourself pure. With the crooked you will show yourself shrewd. 27 For you will save the afflicted people, But the haughty eyes you will bring down. 28 For you will light my lamp, Yahweh. My God will light up my darkness. 29 For by you, I advance through a troop. By my God, I leap over a wall. 30 As for God, his way is perfect. The word of Yahweh is tried. He is a shield to all those who take refuge in him. 31 For who is God, except Yahweh? Who is a rock, besides our God, 32 The God who arms me with strength, and makes my way perfect? 33 He makes my feet like deer's feet, And sets me on my high places. 34 He teaches my hands to war; So that my arms bend a bow of bronze. 35 You have also given me the shield of your salvation. Your right hand sustains me. Your gentleness has made me great. 36 You have enlarged my steps under me, My feet have not slipped. 37 I will pursue my enemies, and overtake them. Neither will I turn again until they are consumed. 38 I will strike them through, so that they will not be able to rise. They shall fall under my feet. 39 For you have girded me with strength to the battle. You have subdued under me those who rose up against me. 40 You have also made my enemies turn their backs to me, That I might cut off those who hate me. 41 They cried, but there was none to save; Even to Yahweh, but he didn't answer them. 42 Then I beat them small as the dust before the wind. I cast them out as the mire of the streets. 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 shall serve me. 44 As soon as they hear of me they shall obey me. The foreigners shall submit themselves to me. 45 The foreigners shall fade away, And shall come trembling out of their close places. 46 Yahweh lives; and blessed be my rock. Exalted be the God of my salvation, 47 Even the God who executes vengeance for me, And subdues peoples under me. 48 He rescues me from my enemies. Yes, you lift me up above those who rise up against me. You deliver me from the violent man. 49 Therefore I will give thanks to you, Yahweh, among the nations, And will sing praises to your name. 50 He gives great deliverance to his king, And shows loving kindness to his anointed, To David and to his seed, forevermore.

Here are the outlines.

David's Delight - v1-3

David Distress - v1-6

David's Deliverance -v 7-49

David's Descendants - v50

One of the hymns written for the church was by  Augustus M. Toplady. I know the name is unusual.

Toplady drew his inspiration from an incident in the gorge of Burrington Combe in the Mendip Hills in England. Toplady, a preacher in the nearby village of Blagdon, was travelling along the gorge when he was caught in a storm. A gorge is like a valley between two steep cliff. He found a shelter, a cleft of rock just enough for him. A piece of rock that jutted out shielded him. It was there that he penned this hymn - Rock of Ages.

Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee;
Let the water and the blood,
From Thy wounded side which flowed,
Be of sin the double cure,
Save from wrath and make me pure.

Not the labor of my hands
Can fulfil Thy law’s demands;
Could my zeal no respite know,
Could my tears forever flow,
All for sin could not atone;
Thou must save, and Thou alone.

Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to Thy cross I cling;
Naked, come to Thee for dress;
Helpless, look to Thee for grace;
Foul, I to the fountain fly;
Wash me, Savior, or I die.

While I draw this fleeting breath,
When my eyes shall close in death,
When I rise to worlds unknown,
And behold Thee on Thy throne,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee.

This pastor hid there and it was where he realised and penned this hymn.

David's Delight

If you look from v1 to 3 you'll see David's Delight. David started out this Psalms with - I will love you Lord with my strength. Whatever that he was going through he wanted to start it right, I will love you. It was found in one other Psalms. It's with deep seated compassion. It added to his devotion to God. The matter of worship is to look back at the victories and deliverance that God has helped us.

We can't help but say my God I love you. Some important words that he used is you are my rock. Stability, firmness. Then he said fortress, a place you run to for safety. Then my deliverer. David knew God has delivered him many times. My strength, God is his strength, his strong defence. And his buckler, a small shield. God is our shield. All these descriptions he personalised it. My deliverer, my fortress, my strength, my buckler. The horn of my salvation. About power and strength, my high tower, that God cares for him.

All these words talks about protection. He had a theme and that God is his protector. As we look at this, I don't know what you're going through, let's start with God I love you. When we come in prayer, let's see how David does it, first in praise to go who is his salvation and fortress. Let's not let our prayer supersede our praise for him.

Verse 3 says I call upon the Lord with Praise.

David's Distress

From verse 4 to 6 tells us about David's distress. He was almost dying and if no hero came at that particular time he would have died. He had a tough time with King Saul. The enemies of Israel were also chasing David. Even David's own son, Absalom chased David. He came into these times many times. Anyone hunting you down now? I hope not. David was at a place where he was so hounded. Like the movie Fugitive. Where he was chased even though he was innocent.

More so when a loved one chased David for his throne. Maybe we are being chased by circumstances or situations where you can't get out. I want to encourage you through this Psalms. This morning God can be there for you. Maybe it's a sickness or physical condition, you have a rock you can stand on. David said he cried out and God heard him. He hears you.

David's Deliverance

It's from verse 7 to 49. 43 verses he talks about his deliverance. 

The first thing is that God came to his rescue. God arrives. Verses 7 to 15.

Psalms 18:7-15

7 The earth trembled and quaked,

and the foundations of the mountains shook;

they trembled because he was angry.

8 Smoke rose from his nostrils;

consuming fire came from his mouth,

burning coals blazed out of it.

9 He parted the heavens and came down;

dark clouds were under his feet.

10 He mounted the cherubim and flew;

he soared on the wings of the wind.

11 He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him—

the dark rain clouds of the sky.

12 Out of the brightness of his presence clouds advanced,

with hailstones and bolts of lightning.

13 The Lord thundered from heaven;

the voice of the Most High resounded.

14 He shot his arrows and scattered the enemy,

with great bolts of lightning he routed them.

15 The valleys of the sea were exposed

and the foundations of the earth laid bare

at your rebuke, Lord,

at the blast of breath from your nostrils.

Just think about it for a moment. What does these verses reminded you of? The book of Revelations described how God is like a consuming fire. He was looking into the future and prophetic in his writing. The book of Revelations was not written yet.

If you're going through something that maybe happened in the office, leave your enemies to the Lord and let him deal with them. God is able. He's coming with all his power and glory. David saw smoke, fire and coal. Appearing like lightning. God is more than able to handle your problems. He is more than able to handle your situation. He is a God that love his people. David understood that.

You see all these descriptions and I sat down in awe. I wouldn't want to be God's enemy. The fact that the God of Moses and Joshua is also the God of David. Sometimes we forget to count our blessings. Name them one by one. As we look at the faithfulness of God, thanksgiving and devotion arises. We must have that attitude of thankfulness. Worship is not just a time of singing songs. It's a time of devotion. We sing and worship because the lyrics help us to connect with God.

The Lord not just arrived but God helped him. God rescued, rewarded and revived him. God took hold of him and took him out of deep waters. God was his support. This is for you this morning. He will reach down from on high to take hold of you. A drowning man is in a desperate situation and God will grab hold of you. He is more than able to see us through.

God delights in you. God calls you friend. You are the Apple of God's eyes. We are all God's children because God has no grandchildren. When Christ was on the cross it was not the nails that kept him there but you and me. You are his delight. God tells you that you are his delight and he will rescue you.

God rescues this morning. Not only did God rescued and helped him he also rewarded him. 

Psalms 18:20-28

20 The Lord has dealt with me according to my righteousness;

according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me.

21 For I have kept the ways of the Lord;

I am not guilty of turning from my God.

22 All his laws are before me;

I have not turned away from his decrees.

23 I have been blameless before him

and have kept myself from sin.

24 The Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness,

according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.

25 To the faithful you show yourself faithful,

to the blameless you show yourself blameless,

26 to the pure you show yourself pure,

but to the devious you show yourself shrewd.

27 You save the humble

but bring low those whose eyes are haughty.

28 You, Lord, keep my lamp burning;

my God turns my darkness into light.

God rewarded David. And God revived him. You are only able to do whatever you are going through when God revive you. He gives strength. If today you are tired and weary, he wants to revive you. He gave David that assurance. As you read this passage you see how David responded when God came through for him.

David's Descendants

This promise is not just for us but also to our descendants. It's for your children and all those that love the Lord. God wants you to do a great work for the Lord. God wants you to be effective. God is your rod and your strength. Many songs are made from Psalms 18. There are just too many to sing. It shows God can do it.

When you're going through a difficult situation we don't see the light at the end of the tunnel. How long you have to continue to endure. Trust his heart and his character. You are his delight and he will save you.

Rock of ages. I like this last words.

While I draw this fleeting breath,
When my eyes shall close in death,
When I rise to worlds unknown,
And behold Thee on Thy throne,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee.

Jesus is that cleft and that foundation. Just enough to shield you from that storm. This Psalms 18 is also repeated in 2 Samuel.

2 Samuel 22:1-4

David’s Song of Praise

22:1-51pp — Ps 18:1-50

1 David sang to the Lord the words of this song when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. 2 He said:

“The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;

3 my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,

my shield and the horn of my salvation.

He is my stronghold, my refuge and my saviour—

from violent people you save me.

4 “I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise,

and have been saved from my enemies.

You continue to read and it's almost word for word. Different writer but the words are the same. On the storm, we see that cleft that shield and protect us. God is our refuge in the midst of our storms.