Psalm 18
Pastor Mark Hudson
Psalm 18 is the longest Psalm of Book One (1-72). We have this same Psalm in II Samuel 22. This is a Psalms of praise beginning with praise to God in vs. 1-6 and ending in vs. 46-50 (Robert Godfrey). There are many ways to divide the Psalm up. Kidner sees:
1-3 The refuge
4-19 The rescue
20-30 His way is perfect
31-45 Victory and rout
46-50 Doxology
Godfrey’s outline is as follows:
1-6 Praise to God
7-19 God’s powerful help for David
20-29 Faithfulness of David and of God (central section)
30-45 God’s powerful help for David
46-50 Praise to God
We are slightly confused by one element of the Psalm (20-24) where David claims to be blameless. That is a bit hard to swallow considering David’s public sins. David is no Daniel. Yet, David cries out with a clarity in Psalm 26. “Vindicate me, O LORD, for I have walked in my integrity, and I have trusted in the LORD without wavering. 2 Prove me, O LORD, and try me; test my heart and my mind. 3 For your steadfast love is before my eyes, and I walk in your faithfulness. 4 I do not sit with men of falsehood, nor do I consort with hypocrites.” Why does he say in our Psalm, “For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God. 22 For all his rules3 were before me, and his statutes I did not put away from me. 23 I was blameless before him, and I kept myself from my guilt. 24 So the LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.
Certainly, David is not claiming a righteousness of his own. “You have given me the shield of Your salvation” v. 35 and “exalted be the God of my salvation” and “Great salvation He brings to His king” in v. 50. David is claiming relative righteousness compared to his enemies. David knows that God “save(s) a humble people” v. 27.
Is not this what the Old and New Testament teach? Yes, the saints are not yet perfected. They make mistake after mistake, but they are righteous in God’s sight. In Numbers 23:21. Balaam is speaking words of God, but God hardly means Israel has not sinned. The entire adult population of those in the wilderness wandering died before reaching the promised land. Abraham was counted righteous in God’s sight because of his faith in Gen. 15:6. Yet Abraham committed sins against God and other people. These believers, and all Christians, can affirm the righteousness God has given us with no hesitation yet we can also repent daily as Luther starts off the 95 Theses with, “When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said, “Repent” (Mt 4:17), he willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.
Notice the imagery of Mt. Sinai in vs. 7-16 and possible the parting of the Red Sea in vs. 15-16. Even as God came down “from on high” (v. 16) for David, he did the same for His people during the exodus. These phrases all are associated with judgment. “Smoke, as in Isaiah 6:4, dramatizes the reaction of holiness to sin, and nostrils are in Hebrew the organ of anger [being long in the nose in Hebrews means being slow to anger]. Devouring fire is synonymous in Dt. 4:24 with divine ‘jealousy’ or intolerance; coals are rained down from God’s chariot-throne on the doomed city in Ezekiel 10:2.” (Kidner, Vol 1, p. 92. All God’s righteous anger directed at the ungodly is salvation for David.
Although expressed in poetic form, in vs. 43-45, David’s words fulfills what Moses wrote about in God’s covenant blessing in Genesis 12:3, “in you (Abraham) all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” No one can foil God’s plan. Even when Pharaoh tries to prevent the Hebrews from increasing, they still do. Even when Balak wants to curse Israel for the same reason, Israel is blessed. Even when the Canaanites attempt to stop the invading nation of Israel, they are unsuccessful. These enemies of God puff themselves up against God, but at Isaiah writes in 40:15, 17 “Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, and are accounted as the dust on the scales.” . . . “All the nations are as nothing before Him, they are accounted by Him as less than nothing and emptiness.”
Dear holy and powerful Father, we come to you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. You remain faithful to Your word in all Your actions. You always come to the aid of Your people albeit not always ways that makes sense to us. You avenge the injustice done to Your people. You will finally put to rights all the wrongs done in this life. You will be completely justified when You complete Your judgment of the wicked. When You do, that will be further reason for the godly to rejoice. We will rejoice, when we are in heaven, for all Your judgments. Even against those who are now closest to us. May You come to the aid of Your people now. In our suffering Servant’s name, Amen.