Psalm 18: Strength

Introduction:

We’re back in Psalm 18 this week continuing through this amazing and intense Psalm of David.

As we had mentioned last week, one of the things that makes this Psalm so amazing is that it’s words happen to be King David’s final words before his death.

What we have, in Psalm 18, is a life in retrospect.

It’s a summary of David’s life with God.

This is one of God’s children... looking back through time, praising God for His activity throughout David’s life.

Transition:

The primary theme of this 50 verse Psalm is summed up in the first three verses.

Here, David names describes God’s activity through 7 metaphors.

vs.1-3

We’ve unpackaged the primary metaphor, God is our Rock, and we broke the remaining 6 down into two categories:

One kind relates to David’s military victories, picturing God as his “Strength,” “Shield,” and “Horn of Salvation.”

The other type relates to the times David was forced to flee from his enemies.

These images picture God as David’s “Rock,” “Fortress,” “Deliverer,” and “Stronghold.”

7 metaphors for God in all.

Tonight I’d like to focus on the first of the 3 metaphors that David uses concerning his military victories, “God is my Strength.”

God is my Strength:

This metaphor appears 4 times in this Psalm... I’ll read you the 4 occurrences and then we’ll focus in on one that appears over and over again in the Scriptures... it’s the most descriptive... and, of course, it employs another metaphor.

vs.1,2,32,39

Now, jump back with me to vs.32... we’re going to look at vs.32-34 and I think that you’ll recognize the analogy.

vs.32-34

Deer’s Feet:

“You make my feet like deers feet... Let’s talk about this image here... it’s a beautiful picture of the sustaining strength of God.

If you’re a Disney classics fan, your mind immediately goes to Bambi.

But Habakkuk wasn’t talking about this friendly, frail little image of a deer.

In the Israeli desert deer were rough, rugged, and sure footed wild animals.

You would find them, not drinking peacefully from a pond or skipping and jumping merrily in the woods with a skunk named Flower and a rabbit named Thumper... but roaming the mountains & rocky terrain where there was amply water, food and protection from predators.

When the image of a deer is used in this context it is of this rugged mountain terrain dwelling, wild animal. These deer are sure footed creatures.

Habakkuk:

I think, perhaps, my favorite passage where this metaphor is used is at the end of the book of Habakkuk.

I’ve been working through this book... thinking about doing a little mini series on it someday in the not to distant future.

What draws me to this book in terms of this particular metaphor, is that it’s a concluding thought from the prophet Habakkuk.

Just like David... this is a conclusion to life, as it is, in retrospect.

However, Habakkuk’s circumstances were abysmal in comparison to David’s who was ruling King and had defeated all of his known enemies, living in peace, aging in his palace, surrounded by luxury.

Habakkuk was prophet during a dark time in Israel’s history right before the dreaded Babylonians conquer Israel and the second major Old Testament Jewish captivity and exile takes place.

Habakkuk has just received word from the Lord that, because of Israel’s defiance and blasphemous living, God was sending the Babylonians to destroy the capital and conquer the Jewish nation.

Habakkuk’s closing response to this news and to God is found in Habakkuk 3:17-19

• vs.17 list of everything Israel needs to survive pastoral society. If Babylon comes in and takes & destroys everything... here’s what I’m going to do:
• Vs. 18   Habakkuk says, “In spite of the loss of all hope and means of survival...I’m going to rejoice...”
• HOW? WHY?
• Vs. 19... because the LORD God is my strength and ultimate salvation... I find stability, I find joy, I find strength... in the Lord.

It is in the context of impending doom and defeat using this imagery of a deer, that Habakkuk says, “I will stand unshaken.”

When all the rocks are falling down around me... when everyone and everything seems to be slipping away... God will give the ability and the strength to pierce through the falling world and stand firm on the rock of His strength and salvation. 

The message of David and Habakkuk is not, God will give me a formula to figure out what He’s doing and then I can know everything and be comfortable with what’s going on around me.

It’s not so that we can say, “Well, we believe Romans 8 where it says that “all things work together for good” & now we can finally put the pieces together, we can pull back the curtain & finally see the whole picture.”

The message of Habakkuk and David here... is hope, It is a reason to stand, the ability to stand firm in any circumstance.

God is your strength... He is sufficient... He will make it so that you can stand even when the ground beneath your feet is falling away.