Praise for Divine Deliverance – Part 3 & 4 – Psalm 18:20-50

Exposition of Psalm 18. The central theme of Psalm 18 is Divine Deliverance. What a theme for thanksgiving!

Text: Psalm 18:20-50 Introduction:

1. The Prologue to the Psalm – the prologue gives us helpful information concerning the setting and the subject of the Psalm. This Psalm has been called “The Song of a Grateful Heart”. C.H. Spurgeon describes it as “the song of a grateful heart overwhelmed with a retrospect of the manifold and marvelous mercies of God. We will call it THE GRATEFUL RETROSPECT.”
2. Expository idea: “The living God is to be praised because he intervenes supernaturally to destroy the forces of evil and give his people victory; and in the process he even subjugates people to the dominion of his anointed king in accordance with his loyal love to the covenant.” (A. Ross)
3. Psalm 18 is the fourth longest Psalm in the Book of Psalms. Psalm 119 (176 verses); Psalm 78 (72 verses); Psalm 89 (52 verses); Psalm 18 (50 verses).
4. The language of the Psalms so often expresses the cries of our hearts as believers. Bring the language of the Psalms into your prayer life. Psalm 18 will stir you to praise God for His saving acts (e.g., salvation, victory in the Christian life). It will also help you in spiritual warfare praying.
5. We will briefly review the points we have covered so far then continue with the exposition of the Psalm.

Part 3

The Resolve Towards Divine Deliverance (Vs. 1-3)

David’s resolve can be seen in his two “I will” statements – “I will love thee” and “I will call upon the LORD”. There is…

A Resolve to Praise (Vs. 1-2)

1. The Passion for God (Vs. 1a)
2. The Preciousness of God (Vs. 1b-2)

A Resolve to Pray (Vs. 3)

In light of what God was to David (the nine “my” statements), it is little wonder that his prayer of faith follows.

1. David’s Call upon God (Vs. 3a)
2. David’s Confidence in God (Vs. 3b)

The Remembrance of Divine Deliverance (Vs. 4-19)

David’s plea is supported by the remembrance of God’s faithful dealings in the past. Answers to prayer in the past provide a foothold for faith in the present as we ask the Lord for fresh victories. David recounts:

1. The Distress from the Enemy (Vs. 4-5)
2. The Defeat of the Enemy (Vs. 6-16)
3. The Deliverance form the Enemy (Vs. 16-19)

The Righteousness of Divine Deliverance (Vs. 19- 28)

The Psalmist now demonstrates that God’s deliverance of him was consistent with His Holy character and the manner in which He faithfully deals with His obedient children. He expounds the reason why God had intervened on His behalf. “Verse 20 through 30 provide the explanation for the LORD’s supernatural deliverance – it is the faithfulness of the LORD to those who are faithful to Him… It is not arrogant boasting as these words form part of the praise for God’s faithfulness. God deals with people as he sees their heart towards Him. God reciprocates the righteousness of his people.” (Ross)

The Principle of God’s Righteous Rewards (Vs. 19-24)

God had rewarded and recompensed David for His upright, godly walk. These are not the prideful words of a self-righteous man but the humble words of a man who was filled with gratitude to His God, the words of a man who understood something of the righteous ways of His God.

1. God had rewarded David in Mercy (Vs. 19). God had delivered David because He delighted in him. He was the object of God’s loving favour. God’s undeserved grace is the foundation for it all.
2. God had rewarded David’s Purity (Vs. 20, 24) Both these verses essentially state the same thing. Sandwiched between these two statements we have David’s testimony where he outlines specific details of how he had been faithful to His God.
   1. “my righteousness” = no contradiction to imputed righteousness which David had experienced (Ps. 32:1-2; Rom. 4:6-8). The reference is to the fact David was living a life of practical holiness as a believer. Practical righteousness is an outflow of positional righteousness. C.H. Spurgeon explains, “It is not at all an opposition to the doctrine of salvation by grace, and no sort of evidence of a Pharisaic spirit, when a gracious man, having been slandered, stoutly maintains his integrity, and vigorously defends his character. A godly man has a clear conscience. Read the cluster of expressions in this and the following verses as the song of a good conscience, after having safely outridden a storm of obloquy, persecution, and abuse.”
   2. “cleanness of my hands in his eyesight” = clean hands symbolize a holy, pure life. The hands are often the instruments for carrying out sinful acts but David’s hands were clean. Moreover, this was a genuine life of holiness in God’s sight. David was not pursuing a life of holiness for the praise of men but rather to please His God.
3. God had rewarded David’s Fidelity (Vs. 21-23)
   1. Faithful to God’s ways (Vs. 21, 23) “There is “I have” and “I have not”, both of which must be blended in a truly sanctified life; constraining and restraining grace must each take its share.” (Spurgeon)
      1. “I have kept the ways of the LORD” – Faithful in the paths of God.
      2. “have not wickedly departed from my God” – Faithful to the Person of God. Fellowship with the Lord takes place in the paths of the Lord. “…he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” (Ps. 23:3) “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” (1 Jn. 1:7)
      3. “I was also upright before him” – He was walking uprightly in the sight of God. God blesses those who walk uprightly! (Psalm 84:11).
      4. “I kept myself from mine iniquity” – David knew his own besetting sin (Note “mine”) and kept himself from it with God’s help.
   2. Faithful to God’s Word (Vs. 22) This verse gives the key to the previous one. The preserving power of God’s precepts were what had kept David on the right paths with the Lord.
      1. “For all his judgments were before me” – David had kept the Word of God in view. It was the object of his study and meditations. The Word of God was his delight (Psalm 1). The inflow of the Word into his inner life was the secret behind the outflow of godly action in his outer life.
      2. “I did not put away his statutes from me” – David had not neglected or rejected God’s truth. He loved it and sought to live it. “Backsliders begin with dusty Bibles, and go on to filthy garments.” (Spurgeon)

The Pattern of God’s Righteous Rewards (Vs. 25-28)

David moves from the testimony of his own life to highlight the pattern of how God acts.

1. God lavishes the righteous (Vs. 25-26). These verses highlight the timeless principle of sowing and reaping.
   1. God is merciful to the merciful.
   2. God is upright to the upright.
      1. “with an upright man” – The word ‘upright’ is “literally, a perfect man. See Job 1:1, where the same word is used in the original, and rendered perfect. The idea is that of a man who is consistent, or whose character is complete in all its parts.” (Barnes)
      2. “Thou wilt show thyself upright” – Thou wilt deal with him according to his character. As he is faithful and just, so will he find that he has to do with a God who is faithful and just.” (Barnes)
   3. God is pure to the pure.
   4. God is forward to the forward
      1. The word used here, ‛iqqêsh – means properly perverse; a man of a perverse and wicked mind. It is derived from a verb, ‛âqash – which means, to turn the wrong way, to wrest, to pervert. (Barnes)
      2. In relation to God, “it cannot mean here that God would assume such a character, or that he would be crooked, crafty, perverse in his dealings with men, for no one can suppose that the psalmist meant to ascribe such a character to God; but the meaning plainly is, that God would deal with the man referred to according to his real character: instead of finding that God would deal with them as if they were pure, and righteous, and merciful, such men would find that he deals with them as they are – as perverse, crooked, wicked.” (Barnes)
2. God lifts the humble (Vs. 27a)
3. God lowers the proud (Vs. 27b). The phrase “high looks” is a reference to pride and haughtiness in the Bible. God hates a proud look (Prov. 6:17). See also Ps. 101:5; Prov. 6:17; Prov. 21:4 & Is. 2:11.
4. God lightens His people (Vs. 28) Candles lit by the Lord can’t be blown out by the devil!
   1. God enlightens us for salvation. Praise God for the moment the pure light of Christ shined into our dark, depraved hearts.
   2. God enlightens us in the dark seasons of the Christian life (e.g., battles & trials). His Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path (Psalm 119:105).
   3. In 2 Samuel 22:29, the parallel passage, David says “For thou art my lamp, O LORD”. God is light! When we walk with Christ, we know fellowship in the light (1 John 1).

The Reaffirmation of Divine Deliverance (Vs. 29- 45)

David enlarges upon his testimony of God’s deliverance in his life. This section is predominantly in the past tense as he reflects further on God’s saving acts towards him. The Psalmist delights to recount, again and again, what God has wrought. “Some repetitions are not vain repetitions. Second thoughts upon God’s mercy should be and often are the best.

These verses are the ripe fruit of a thankful spirit; they are apples of gold as to matter, and they are placed in baskets of silver as to their language.” (Spurgeon)

The Person of God Praised (Vs. 30-31)

What God does and what God says has infinite value because of who He is.

1. The Perfection of God (Vs. 30a)
   1. His way is perfect – “As for God His way is perfect”. An important truth to remember in the battles and trials of life. Everything that God does is perfect. He is perfect in all His thoughts, plans and actions. He never makes a mistake. He is never in error. There is no limit to God’s perfection. As Plumer puts it, “God’s way is perfectly just, perfectly wise, perfectly holy, perfectly good, perfectly sure to prevail, perfectly honorable to Himself, perfectly safe to His people.”
   2. His Word is perfect – “the word of the LORD is tried”. God’s Word is tried and tested. It is purer than the purest silver. Psalm 12:6-7 “The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.”
2. The Protection of God (Vs. 30b) God is a shield to those who put their trust in Him. God is available for His people’s protection but on our part, we must exercise faith in Him.
3. The Preciousness of God (Vs. 31). The Psalmist poses two questions to highlight the truth that there is none like our God.
   1. Who is God save the LORD? The answer is clear. There is no other God apart from Jehovah God.
   2. Who is a rock save our God?
      1. God is the rock of our salvation. We rest on His Person and work alone. Any other foundation is quicksand. Psalm 40:2 “He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.” 2Sam. 22:47 “The LORD liveth; and blessed be my rock; and exalted be the God of the rock of my salvation.”
      2. God is the rock of our sanctification. He is our support and stay for time and eternity.
      3. God is the rock of our shelter. The Hebrew word also contains the idea of a refuge. God is our hiding place, our shelter and strong defence from the enemy.
   3. 1 Chr. 17:20 “O LORD, there is none like thee, neither is there any God beside thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears.”

The Power of God Praised (Vs. 29, 32-45)

The power of God had worked through David and for David, giving him victory over his strong and powerful enemy. God’s power had given David:

1. Strength in Battle (Vs. 29, 32, 39a)
   1. Enabled in Battle (Vs. 29). Note the key phrases “by thee” and “by my God”. David is attributing all the glory to God for the victories He had given him in battle.
   2. Girded for battle – “It is God that girdeth me with strength” (Vs. 32); “For thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle” (Vs. 39a). The word “girdeth” is a picture drawn from the ancient world of that time where the loins would be girded (robes) for battle. God had empowered David for the battle. Eph. 6:10 “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.”
   3. Guided in battle – “maketh my way perfect”. See the picture? God’s way is perfect (Vs. 30) and He makes my way perfect (Vs. 34). What a blessing to be guided by the Perfect God into the perfect plan He has for our lives.
2. Surefootedness in Battle (Vs. 33, 36) God had made David’s feet:
   1. Swift in Battle (Vs. 33a). A hind is a female deer. They are known for their swiftness and surefootedness.
   2. Safe in Battle (Vs. 33b). A high place refers to an elevated location and therefore a place of refuge in battle.
   3. Stable in Battle (Vs. 36). God had kept David from slipping in the battle. “The idea here is, “Thou hast made room for my feet, so that I have been enabled to walk without hindrance or obstruction.” (Barnes) David prayed in Psalm 17:5 “Hold up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slip not.” We need to pray, “Lord, help me not to slip up in the battle. Enlarge my steps under me.”
3. Skill in Battle (Vs. 34)
   1. Instructed by God (Vs. 34a). In order to “fight the good fight of faith” (1 Tim. 6:12), we need to be taught of God through the Word lest we try to use carnal weapons in a spiritual conflict (2 Cor. 10:4).
   2. Empowered by God (Vs. 34b).
      1. A bow of steel is a strong and formidable weapon. The enemy we face is strong and powerful. The devils’ weapons are weapons of steel! And yet God can teach us how to overcome and break them in His power.
      2. God had so equipped his servant for battle that he knew how to break the enemies bow of steel. The picture is of a soldier snatching the weapon out of his opponents hand in combat and breaking the weapon so that is becomes unusable.
4. Sustaining in Battle (Vs. 35) There are three aspects to this:
   1. The shield of God’s salvation (Vs. 35a). There is no shield like salvation! It protects the soul for all eternity.
   2. The support of God’s right hand (Vs. 35b). The right hand speaks of strength. “Holden up” means “supported”. God had kept David from falling. How we need the Lord’s upholding, especially in the battle! See Jude 1:24
   3. The success from God’s gentleness (Vs. 35c).
      1. The word ‘gentleness’ has the idea of “condescension or meekness” (Strongs). The word is translated “humility” (Prov. 15:33; 18:12; 22:4) and “meekness” (Zeph. 2:3) so the word has the sense of “condescension”. Christ humbled himself in meekness so that we could be lifted out of the pit of sin and exalted as sons of God.
      2. Gentleness is the key to greatness. This is the opposite to the world’s concept of how to succeed. For the believer, the meekness and gentleness of Christ expressed in humble service is the path to true greatness.
5. Success in Battle (Vs. 37-45)
   By God’s power, David became:
   1. The vanquisher of the enemy (Vs. 37-42). The language is of a total rout of the enemy.
      1. The enemy was overtaken and consumed (Vs. 37)
      2. The enemy was mortally wounded, not able to rise and trampled under feet (Vs. 38). Psalm 91:13 “Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.” Romans 16:20 “And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly.”
      3. The enemy that had risen against David had been subdued by God (Vs. 39)
      4. The enemy had been destroyed (Vs. 40)
      5. The enemy’s prayers had been unanswered (Vs. 41). It is a reminder that sometimes even the enemies of God and God’s people try to employ prayer in the hopes to gain heavens help for their evil designs. But God will never side with evil against His own character and people. Prov. 15:8 “The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD: but the prayer of the upright is his delight.” Prov. 15:29 “The LORD is far from the wicked: but he heareth the prayer of the righteous.”
      6. The enemy was beaten as small as dust and cast out as dirt (Vs. 42). Again, the figure speaks of the total obliteration of the enemy.
      7. Note: There was a physical dimension to David’s battles as king of the nation of Israel. For us in the church age, our warfare is spiritual. Eph. 6:12 “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” The comforting truth of these verses is that the Lord is able to give us total victory in the spiritual warfare we find ourselves in.
   2. The ruler over the enemy (Vs. 43-45)
      1. God gave David dominion and mastery over the heathen nations around Israel. He had been made “head of the heathen” and they would “serve” him, “obey him” and “submit themselves” unto him. His enemies would shrink back from him and fear him even in their fortresses (Vs. 45).
      2. These verses look beyond David’s reign to Christ the Son of David.
      3. Christ is the great conqueror of souls. Through saving grace, he brings those who were once his enemies (Col. 1:21) to a place of submission and service. Unlike David, Christ conquers our hearts not with brute force but with the power of His love and grace. Christ reigns in the hearts of His people.
      4. Ultimately the future Millennial reign of Christ is in view when He will rule the nations with a rod of iron.
      5. Psalm 2:7-9 “I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.”
      6. Rev. 2:27 “And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.”
      7. Note: Read Revelation 20 for the 1,000 year reign.

The Rejoicing in Divine Deliverance (Vs. 46-50)

These verses contain the concluding doxology, the final burst of praise from the heart of one overwhelmed with thanksgiving for His God. “With remembrances of conquests in the past, and with glad anticipations of victories yet to come the sweet singer closes the description, and returns to exercise of more direct adoration of his gracious God.” (Spurgeon) Notice that the heart of praise is to focus on God’s attributes and acts, not on self.

The Call to Praise (Vs. 46)

David calls for the exaltation of His God.

1. The LORD liveth – this is cause for praise! We serve the eternal, unchanging, self-existent God. God is immortal, He cannot die (1 Tim. 1:17). He is the source of all life. Psalm 90:2 “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.” “The Lord liveth” is not just an acknowledgement of God’s existence but of His power revealed through his acts – the evidence that He lives.” (Ross)
2. Blessed be my rock – this is cause for praise! Is there any rock like our God? What a firm foundation we have in Christ!
   Born of the Spirit with life from above,
   Into God’s fam’ly divine.
   Justified fully thru Calvary’s love,
   O what a standing is mine!
3. Exalt the God of my salvation – this is cause for praise! Our God is the God of our salvation. God planned our salvation (the Gospel of God) and He performed our salvation. Christ is the author and finisher of our faith. Our salvation is 100% all of God.

The Content of Praise (Vs. 47-48, 50)

Note the word ‘delivered’ occurs 3 times. This is the key word in the Psalm. David’s heart is full of praise for God’s saving acts.

1. God had avenged and subdued the enemy (Vs. 47). Vengeance belongs to the LORD (Deut. 32:35; Rom. 12:19). God’s power is able to conquer our strong foe! The Father conquered sin and Satan through His Son on the cross.
2. God had delivered him from his enemies (Vs. 48). God had raised David above those who had risen in opposition to him. God defends His men! David also mentions deliverance from “the violent man”. This is likely a reference to Saul (see prologue to Psalm) who had viciously and murderously pursued David.
3. God had delivered him with a great deliverance (Vs. 50).
   1. This was a deliverance of great magnitude for David. Our deliverance is also great. To be delivered from the bondage of sin and Satan is no small deliverance! Mercy was the fountain head; the source of this deliverance and it was mercy that extended beyond David to his seed. The reference to David’s seed looks forward ultimately to Christ who would come of the seed of David. Moreover, God’s mercy was eternal mercy – “for evermore”.
   2. “The word ‘deliverance’ is plural, to show the variety and completeness of the salvation. The adjective “great” is well placed if we consider from what, to what, and how we are saved.” (Spurgeon)

The Commitment to Praise (Vs. 49)

This echoes David’s resolve to praise expressed in the beginning of the Psalm (Vs. 3).

1. I will give thanks (Vs. 49a) c. The focus of his thanksgiving – “unto thee, O LORD”. True thanksgiving focuses on the Lord. d. The boldness of his thanksgiving – “among the heathen”. David was unashamed of his God. He would be a witness in the midst of a heathen people. His praise would be public!
2. I will sing praises (Vs. 49b). The Christian faith is a singing faith. We express our praises in prayer but also in song. May our heart be in our singing.

Conclusion

Praise be to God for Divine deliverance! 1 John 5:4-5 “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?”

1. Theological lessons (what we learn about God)
2. Christological lessons (what we learn about Christ)
3. Practical lessons (what we learn about the Christian life)

Sermon 23 & 24 in Heaven’s Hymnbook (the Psalms)

Sermon Audio Id: 426252211353963