Praising God’s Deliverance from Enemies

 By: Dr. Dale Weckbacher

 

Text: Psalm 18

 

Psalm 18:29

For by You I can ^[g]run against a troop,
By my God I can leap over a wall.

(NKJV)

 

Jesus warned us that in this world we would have trouble, but did not leave us without hope, reminding us that he overcame the world (John 16:33). After telling His disciples this, Jesus demonstrated his overcoming the world with his resurrection from the dead, conquering sin and death (Romans 8:37-39). In Psalm 18, David offers praise to God for delivering him from his enemies, a picture of God’s deliverance from sin and death on the cross.

 

David begins with expressing his love for the Lord, who is his rock, fortress, deliverer, and his strength in whom he trusts (Psalm 18:1-3). David then pleads his case to the Lord because he knows the Lord hears him (Psalm 18:4-6). After pleading his case the earth shook and trembled with the hills quaking because the Lord was angry (Psalm 18:7). In His anger, smoke came from His nostrils, devouring fire from his mouth (Psalm 18:8). The Lord bowed the heavens and came down with darkness under His feet and from the brightness before Him came hailstones and coals of fire (Psalm 18:9-12). When the Lord thundered from heaven, David’s enemies were scattered and vanquished (Psalm 18:13-15).

 

The Lord sent from above and took David out of many waters, delivering him from his strong enemies because the Lord delighted in David (Psalm 18:16-19). The Lord rewarded David according to his righteousness and how he kept the ways of the Lord, keeping himself from iniquity (Psalm 18:20-24). The Lord is merciful to the merciful, blameless to the blameless, pure to the pure, and shrewd with the devious, saving the humble and bringing down the proud (Psalm 18:25-27). The Lord lights David’s lamp so he can run against a troop, and leap over a wall, because God’s way is perfect (Psalm 18:28-30).

 

There is no God but the Lord, who is a rock and source of strength, the one teaching David to make war and strong enough to bend a bronze bow (Psalm 18:31-34). The Lord has given David His shield of salvation and enlarged his path so his feet do not slip (Psalm 18:35-36). Because of the strength and shield of the Lord, David has been able to defeat his enemies (Psalm 18:37-42). David is delivered from the strivings of the people with nations he does not know serving him (Psalm 18:43-45). The psalm concludes with David praising the Lord, his Rock (Psalm 18:46-50).

 

After his anointing as king, David spent his time escaping from King Saul, who wanted to kill him and the enemies of Israel due to his defeat of Goliath (1 Samuel 17:48-54, 19:1-3). This psalm was written after the defeat of Saul at Mount Gilboa (1 Samuel 31) and offers praise and glory to God for his deliverance of David from his enemies. However, in Psalm 18:21, David says he has kept the ways of the Lord and not wickedly departed from his God, yet there is the sin with Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah, trying to cover it up (2 Samuel 11). These events occurred after the kingdom of David was established to the point where David no longer went out in battle. This allowed David to become complacent and give in to temptation while his troops went to battle.

 

While it is great to live in a country that allows the freedom of religion, where Christians can freely go to Church and worship the Lord without the fear of arrest or execution, it can bring complacency. In the letters to the Churches in Asia in Revelation 2-3, we see how complacency can creep into the Church. The Church in Ephesus left its first love (Revelation 2:1-7), and the Church in Laodicea started trusting in their wealth and prosperity (Revelation 3:17) instead of the Lord, leaving the Lord outside knocking to come in (Revelation 3:20). This is why the persecuted Church thrives because there is no room for complacency (Revelation 2:8-11). The Church must remain steadfast in its commitment to advancing the Gospel of Jesus Christ and be like David after the defeat of his enemies in Psalm 18.

 

If you are reading this and have strayed from your first love, trusting in the things of this world to save you, or have never prayed to invite Jesus to be your savior, I invite you to pray with me.

 

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

 

May God convict, challenge, and encourage everyone reading this post.