David Sings a Song of Praise
November 15, 2021
Commentary
This psalm may have been written toward the end of David’s life when there was peace. God is being praised for His wonderful works and blessings. It seems that David sang this Psalm of praise after “the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul.” His outlaw years were finally ended, a united kingdom had crowned David as king, and his enemies had bowed before him. God saved him, protected him, and strengthened him when Saul and his men had been determined to kill him. Bible scholars tell us that the word used for “love” in the first verse is not the usual word for love but expresses a very strong devotion and a tender intimacy (v. 1). It means “to yearn over” or “with a desire to hug.” Having told the Lord he wants to hug Him, the Psalmist uses up his vocabulary in telling the Lord all that He was and has been to him.
God’s protection is limitless and can take many forms. David praised Him for His loving care with five military symbols. He said God is like (vv. 2-3):
1. A rock that cannot be moved by any who would harm us.
2. A fortress where the enemy cannot follow us.
3. A shield that comes between us and harm.
4. A horn of salvation that serves as a symbol of might and power.
5. A stronghold that is high above our enemies.
David says that death had wrapped its ropes around him, and he felt almost swallowed up by its flood waters (vv. 4-5). He did the only thing he could do, that which he was in the habit of doing, and that was to cry out to the Lord (v. 6). And the Lord intervened in a tremendous way. The earth trembled and hail and fire broke through the clouds at his coming (vv. 7-12).
Application
Have I ever told the Lord that I love Him so much that I would like to hug Him? There should never be a day that I do not tell my wife that I love her and the same should be true of my Lord. I should not only tell the Lord and my wife that I love them, but I need to show them that I love them. The best way to show a person that you love them is to spend quality time with them on a regular basis.
Psalms 18:1– 12 (NET)
1 He said: “I love you, Lord, my source of strength!
2 The Lord is my high ridge, my stronghold, my deliverer. My God is my rocky summit where I take shelter, my shield, the horn that saves me, and my refuge.
3 I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I was delivered from my enemies.
4 The waves of death engulfed me, the currents of chaos overwhelmed me.
5 The ropes of Sheol tightened around me, the snares of death trapped me.
6 In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried out to my God. From his heavenly temple he heard my voice; he listened to my cry for help.
7 The earth heaved and shook. The roots of the mountains trembled; they heaved because he was angry.
8 Smoke ascended from his nose; fire devoured as it came from his mouth. He hurled down fiery coals.
9 He made the sky sink as he descended; a thick cloud was under his feet.
10 He mounted a winged angel and flew; he glided on the wings of the wind.
11 He shrouded himself in darkness, in thick rain clouds.
12 From the brightness in front of him came hail and fiery coals.