The Song of Deliverance: 2 Samuel 22

2 Samuel 22  •  5 min. read  •  grade level: 10
 
2 Sam. 22
We have now reached David's final deliverance. All his enemies, of whom Saul was one (2 Sam. 22:11And David spake unto the Lord the words of this song in the day that the Lord had delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul: (2 Samuel 22:1)), have disappeared. This song which historically belongs at the beginning of 2 Sam. 7 is placed here because the last enemy of David and of his people has just been defeated (2 Sam. 21:2121And when he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimea the brother of David slew him. (2 Samuel 21:21)) and from now on this hostile power will never again raise its head. Indeed, these words which we find again in Psa. 18 could not have been spoken on this occasion, for they mention a time when David was not under discipline but had by grace been preserved from falling amid his cruel enemy's pursuit. But even in these times of strength and holiness which had characterized the first period of his career David could never have applied all the verses of this psalm to himself, as we shall see. David was a prophet; his prophetic songs arise from his personal experiences, but they would not have been prophetic if they did not have Christ as their object. In his experiences David is a reflection of Christ, and this is an immense privilege; but this is only a feeble light, a small reproduction of the perfect Model.
This psalm here before us is divided into three parts.
The first part (Psa. 18:1-191<<To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, the servant of the Lord, who spake unto the Lord the words of this song in the day that the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul: And he said,>> I will love thee, O Lord, my strength. 2The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. 3I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies. 4The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid. 5The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me. 6In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears. 7Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because he was wroth. 8There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it. 9He bowed the heavens also, and came down: and darkness was under his feet. 10And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind. 11He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies. 12At the brightness that was before him his thick clouds passed, hail stones and coals of fire. 13The Lord also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice; hail stones and coals of fire. 14Yea, he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; and he shot out lightnings, and discomfited them. 15Then the channels of waters were seen, and the foundations of the world were discovered at thy rebuke, O Lord, at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils. 16He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters. 17He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me. 18They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the Lord was my stay. 19He brought me forth also into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me. (Psalm 18:1‑19)) celebrates deliverance from Saul's hand: "He delivered me from my strong enemy" (Psa. 18:1717He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me. (Psalm 18:17)). This deliverance recalls that of Israel, saved from Pharaoh's pursuit, crossing the Red Sea: "The beds of the sea were seen, the foundations of the world were uncovered at the rebuke of Jehovah, at the blast of the breath of His nostrils. He reached forth from above, He took me, He drew me out of great waters" (Psa. 18:15-1615Then the channels of waters were seen, and the foundations of the world were discovered at thy rebuke, O Lord, at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils. 16He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters. (Psalm 18:15‑16)). However, this picture does not correspond exactly to David's deliverance or to Israel's deliverance out of Egypt. It treats of a time yet future and prophetic. It deals with the remnant's deliverance at the time of the end when God will intervene openly and visibly in their favor (Psa. 18:8-158There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it. 9He bowed the heavens also, and came down: and darkness was under his feet. 10And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind. 11He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies. 12At the brightness that was before him his thick clouds passed, hail stones and coals of fire. 13The Lord also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice; hail stones and coals of fire. 14Yea, he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; and he shot out lightnings, and discomfited them. 15Then the channels of waters were seen, and the foundations of the world were discovered at thy rebuke, O Lord, at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils. (Psalm 18:8‑15)). They will be led to death's door, and then God will intervene in their favor and will scatter their enemies in an instant. Before this deliverance the remnant will learn that their Messiah, David's Son, passed through this anguish alone and bore it, thus associating Himself with the future distress of His people, in order that He might deliver them. David could only in feeble measure realize these words which make us think of the agony at Gethsemane: "The waves of death encompassed me, torrents of Belial made me afraid. The bands of Sheol surrounded me; the cords of death encountered me" (Psa. 18:4-54The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid. 5The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me. (Psalm 18:4‑5)).
The second part of the Psalm (Psa. 18:19-3019He brought me forth also into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me. 20The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me. 21For I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from my God. 22For all his judgments were before me, and I did not put away his statutes from me. 23I was also upright before him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity. 24Therefore hath the Lord recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight. 25With the merciful thou wilt show thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt show thyself upright; 26With the pure thou wilt show thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt show thyself froward. 27For thou wilt save the afflicted people; but wilt bring down high looks. 28For thou wilt light my candle: the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness. 29For by thee I have run through a troop; and by my God have I leaped over a wall. 30As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the Lord is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him. (Psalm 18:19‑30)) is even more striking in this respect than the first. The reason for David's deliverance is that God takes pleasure in His anointed according to all the perfection of his character. Now, even before David's fall and how much less after that fall, David's character did not exactly correspond to these verses: "He brought me forth into a large place: He delivered me, because He delighted in me. Jehovah hath rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands hath He recompensed me. For I have kept the ways of Jehovah, and have not wickedly departed from my God. For all His ordinances were before me, and His statutes, I did not depart from them, and I was upright before Him, and kept myself from mine iniquity. And Jehovah hath recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to my cleanness in His sight. With the gracious Thou dost show Thyself gracious; with the upright man Thou dost show Thyself upright; with the pure Thou dost show Thyself pure; and with the perverse Thou dost show Thyself contrary" (Psa. 18:19-2619He brought me forth also into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me. 20The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me. 21For I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from my God. 22For all his judgments were before me, and I did not put away his statutes from me. 23I was also upright before him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity. 24Therefore hath the Lord recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight. 25With the merciful thou wilt show thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt show thyself upright; 26With the pure thou wilt show thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt show thyself froward. (Psalm 18:19‑26)). David is celebrating the perfection of Someone other than himself: "Jehovah hath recompensed Me according to My righteousness, according to My cleanness in His sight." Christ alone could give His Father a reason for loving Him and for saving Him—but His salvation has become His people's salvation (Psa. 18:2727For thou wilt save the afflicted people; but wilt bring down high looks. (Psalm 18:27)).
In the third part of the Psalm (Psa. 18:31-51) David celebrates what God had done for him. God had answered him by delivering him "from the strivings of my people" (which corresponds to 2 Sam. 20 in David's history), by making him "head of the nations" whom he had subjugated (Psa. 18:4343Thou hast delivered me from the strivings of the people; and thou hast made me the head of the heathen: a people whom I have not known shall serve me. (Psalm 18:43)). The children of Ammon, the Philistines, the Syrians, and Edom had had to bow beneath his yoke. But how all this speaks to us of One who is greater than David! He comes forth from the trial to be acknowledged as King of Israel and Head of the nations. "Strangers come cringing unto [Him]" (Psa. 18:4545The strangers shall fade away, and be afraid out of their close places. (Psalm 18:45)) God avenges Him and brings the peoples under Him (Psa. 18:4747It is God that avengeth me, and subdueth the people under me. (Psalm 18:47)). He lifts Him up above them that rose up against Him (Psa. 18:4848He delivereth me from mine enemies: yea, thou liftest me up above those that rise up against me: thou hast delivered me from the violent man. (Psalm 18:48); cf. Psa. 2:2,62The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed, saying, (Psalm 2:2)
6Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. (Psalm 2:6)).
Nevertheless David could celebrate these things with a heart filled with thanksgiving. Grace rested on him at that time on account of the integrity and perfection of his conduct. He was at the end of his path of difficulties, and this path was the path of a walk with God. With a peaceful rejoicing heart he celebrated the deliverance that grace accorded his faithfulness. On David's side all is joy, liberty, power, and thanksgiving; on God's side all is favor and grace.
What will we find in the following chapter where it is a question of the king's responsibility?