Psalm 18 - Shield

Introduction:

We’re back in Psalm 18 this week continuing to look at 7 of the primary metaphors both David and many of the Biblical authors used to describe God.We’ve discussed 3 so far: God as our Rock, God as our Strength, and God as the Horn of our Salvation.Tonight we’re going to look at God as our Shield.However, before we jump into our study, I’d like to take a minute to briefly discuss how to handle Biblical metaphors when we come across them in Scripture.

Biblical Metaphor:

You can’t get far in Bible study without meeting metaphors. Metaphors are powerful word pictures which are very frequently employed in both the Old and New Testament.When the authors of Scripture use metaphor to describe something they are not simply decorating a plain idea.  Instead, they’re using a word picture to intentionally pack profound meaning into just a few words. Those few words may seem to contain only a tiny seed of meaning at first glance, but because they appeal to our senses and feelings, they can sink into our own experience and imagination to take root and grow.The challenge, when you come to almost any Biblical metaphor, is not to ask, “What does this passage say, what does it mean, and how do I apply it?”But instead to sit back and visualize the word picture.We do not understand poetic language by “extracting” the meaning from it, but by letting it develop meaning as it works its way into us.Once an application is reached, then comes the work of going back to Scripture to confirm it’s truth.

Applying the Process:

Tonight, looking at God as our Shield, let’s apply this process.We’ll begin by reading it in scripture and then we’ll discuss the word picture as poetry instead of prose.Psalm 18:1-3Visualize yourself with a shield... what does it look like, how does it feel, what kind of things might be going through your head as you equipped yourself with a shield for the day?A shields primary purpose is protection... it’s for your defense against an attack.Their are, traditionally, two types of shields: 1) a large shield, covering the entire body, for entrenched protection; 2) a small shield, moveable, covering the head and heart, used to advance on an enemy or for hand to hand combat.The type of shield that you carry would depend on your circumstance... the battle that you are facing.Here in this Psalm, both shields are in view here.In fact, one of the encouraging and amazing things about this metaphor is that it describes God’s work in and care for our lives almost like an armory.David here is saying, “No matter my circumstances I can suit up with God.”We see this in even greater application when we get to the New Testament in the book of Ephesians chapter 6 where Paul talks about how we need to visit armory of God daily and suit up with the helmet of salvation, the Sword of the Spirit, the Breastplate of Righteousness, the Shield of Faith, and the Girdle of Truth.So, when we visualize God as our Shield... one of the things that we need to see is that we have options... we have the whole armory of God at our disposal.Whatever defensive strategy we need to employ in the battle that we are facing... whether it’s a stationary position where we just need to survive or a mobile position where we are pressing forward... we have options, God has provided us with the right options.

Transition:

So... we’re talking about war and preparing for battle here.With that in mind, standing in the armory, I want us to deal briefly with the application and blessing of taking up God as our shield.And to do this, we need to go from poetry to story... I want to look at the words of God Himself in scripture... the first occurrence of this metaphor and the reasons that we should be encouraged and emboldened and strengthened as we suit up.

Genesis 15 - Context:

Genesis 15:1 “After these things” – meaning Chapter 14 Abram has just returned from war.The people’s surrounding Abrams’ land were constantly fighting for control... these were smaller tribes of people who were attempting to expand their control and make a name for themselves in the ancient world.Abram, up to this point, has really only been an impartial observer... He lived on the outskirts of the cities and didn’t have an alliance or allegiance to any particular one of them.It’s also important to know that Abram was a farmer and herdsman, not a warrior.The issue comes when one of the tribes, the armies of Sodom and Gomorrah, sweep through Abrams’ nephews land (Lot) and take him and his family hostage.Word gets back to Abram, so he suits up, arms 318 of his trained servants (meaning that they had basic defensive military training against wild animals and the occasional drifter) and they set out to save Lot by ambushing his captors during the night.Catching Lot’s captors off guard Abram defeats them and snags Lot, Lot’s family and all of Lot’s stuff, and brings it back to his home.The king of Sodom is kind of ticked about the whole thing, so he sets up a meeting with Abram at the “King’s Valley” to discuss a peaceful resolution.Their mediator was a man named Melchizedek, who was priest and king of Jerusalem... this was a man who spoke for God.Melchizedek basically starts the meeting off by saying, “God’s with you Abram, He has delivered you and He will deliver you... don’t back down.”And so the King of Sodom, clearly not ecstatic over this little proclamation says, “Keep all of Lot’s possessions just give us Lot and his family.”Abram responds, “No... counteroffer... go away and we won’t take any of your stuff, we’ll leave you alone if you leave us alone.”And then the meeting is over.

Genesis 15:

Abram goes home... he’s just given an ultimatum with no idea what the response is going to be, he's just fought a war, he's waiting for a promised son, he's got a barren wife, and he's got a lot to be afraid of. And so, what God says to him is this: “Abram, pay attention to me. Don't be afraid of all your life and circumstances. I have a plan for you. If you trust me, everything's gonna be just fine. There's really nothing to worry about.”Look at it, Genesis 15:1God says, “Abram, you know why you won that war? Because I'm your shield. I protected you. I defended you. I gave you a victory... and if you stay behind Me as your shield... I will be good to you.”That’s the application, that’s what it means to have God, to claim God, and to utilize God as your shield.God says, “Abram, I'm your shield. I know you've got physical and spiritual enemies. I know you've got all kinds of things that you could worry about, fret about, be distressed about, but here's the deal: Pay attention to me. Don't worry about all your problems and all your enemies and all your opposition.” It's like Hebrews says. Fix your eyes on Jesus. Keep your eyes on God and you don’t have to worry about all the attacks, all the enemy, all the darkness, and all the evil. Just keep your eyes on the shield. Just stay behind the shield. You'll be fine. God says, “You just stick next to me. You'll be just fine because I'll protect you.”

War:

You have a literal enemy. There's a literal war. There's literal problems. And as long as you're under the shield of God, it doesn't matter what comes raining down out of the sky. You're going to be okay... in fact, you’re going to be blessed. However, should you get out from under the shield, should you try and act without God’s direction and help... you're in serious trouble. If you run off into sin or folly or disobedience or defiance or prideful arrogance, you're in danger. See, God is a good God and he loves and he protects his people. But when his people rebel and sin and disobey, they come out from underneath the shield, and then hard times come upon them because of their own folly.We're in a war as God's people, but it's not just against flesh and blood. It's not just people. It's against powers, principalities, and spirits.What that means is we, as a church, believe in a literal Satan. Literal demons. Literal spiritual attack... that we are in a literal war, and we have a literal enemy who really wants to do us harm. Our enemy doesn't want us to love each other. He wants us to be bitter, angry, unforgiving, mean-spirited, and divided.... he doesn't want us to be devoted to the Lord Jesus... he wants us to distrust and mistrust the Word of God and the goodness of God. To oversimplify it, God is good, Satan is bad. We believe that. You have to start there; otherwise, you get really confused and hurt and lost. Once you understand that God is good and does good things, and Satan is bad and he does bad things, and that there is a battle between Satan and God and Satan and God’s servants you need to know how to protect and defend yourself.And God responds, “Hang out under the shield, let me be your protector, let me be you defender.”