David’s Psalm

Jan. 20, 2002                                                                                              Northwest Bible Church

2 Samuel 22:1-28

INTRO

I.  THE BACKGROUND TO THE PSALM.

A.  Basically the same as Ps. 18.

B.  The problem of David’s self-righteousness (2 Samuel 22:21-25).

Several things should govern our interpretation.

1) David is not laying claim to __________________ (2 Samuel 12:13). So, the language is not designed to indicate the perfection  of his life, but the direction  of his life.

2) We are not dealing with personal righteousness in order to merit ____________________.  Rather, the context is temporal deliverances.

3) David is simply affirming the principle that some of God’s blessings come to His children based on their _________________________.  Cf. 1 John 3:22;

1 John 2:3;  Prov. 28:20;  Prov. 10:6.

4) There is probably also a ________________ perspective here (cf. 2 Sam. 22:50 in Rom. 15:9).

C.  The psalm has two major sections:

Deliverance from enemies (2 Samuel 22:1-28) -  David is passive

Victories over enemies (2 Samuel 22:29-51) -  David is active

II.  DAVID’S PSALM OF DELIVERANCE.

Praise comes alive when we are delivered from dire circumstances.  This is one of the reasons why God brings dangers, difficulties and disease into our life,  to intensify our sense of potential loss and then our praise to God for His goodness.

Matthew Henry, “God sometimes brings his people into very great difficulties and dangers, that he may have the honor of saving them and they the comfort of being saved by him.”

A.  David’s praise to God (2-4).

B.  David’s dire circumstances (5-7a).

David’s life was in danger (2 Samuel 22:5-6).

So HOW do you cope with this?   WHO do you turn to in times as this?  David turned to the Lord (2 Samuel 22:7).

C.  David’s deliverance (2 Samuel 22:8-20).

David uses poetic language to express his deliverance by God.  The imagery uses the terrors of earthquakes and storms.

Now we can better enter into the hallowed halls of the Hallelujahs in 2 Samuel 22:2-3 where David gives 10 rapid fire descriptions of His God.

The LORD is my:

ROCK -

FORTRESS -

DELIVERER -

GOD

ROCK -

SHIELD -

HORN -

STRONGHOLD -

REFUGE -

SAVIOR -

III.  APPLICATION

Let David impart to us some of his passion in praising God for our deliverances.    Ps. 34:19  Many are the afflictions of the righteous; but the Lord delivers him out of them all.   We should praise God for our deliverances:

1) ______________ deliverances.

2) ______________ salvation from sin, world and the devil.