The introduction to this psalm reveals the occasion for which it was written. It is a celebration of thanks to God upon delivering David from Saul. It is a long psalm consisting of 50 verses, but the joy contained in them makes the reading fast.
Verses 1-3
David expresses his love for the Lord in metaphoric descriptions of His character. The Lord is his strength, rock, fortress and deliverer—all making reference to His power and stability. He is David’s God, his mountain refuge, shield, horn of salvation, and stronghold. All of the second list indicate protection and security. It was to this God David looked to in times of trouble and found deliverance.
Verses 4-6
As he continues to describe his situation, David explains he was afraid, trapped, and near death. He cried to God for help and God heard his cry. The next two sections describe God’s response.
Verses 7-15
God grew angry with David’s enemies so much so that it was as if the earth shook and smoke and fire were released from his mouth. The description painted of God soaring from heaven to come to the aid of his child is powerfully poetic and best left to the original author. The sight of Him in this condition would frighten even the boldest of foes.
Verses 16-19
David continues to write about his fearsome God who sweeps down to pull him from the waters threatening his life. He is rescued from the enemy and carried to a “spacious place” of safety.
Verses 20-24
This paragraph reinforces the idea of Old Testament saints that God loves the good and brings judgment to the evil—which of course is partially true. It is also true that God allows the righteous to endure horrible trials and the evil often have blessed, rich lives. Regardless, David attributes God’s deliverance to his own good works and obedience.
Verses 25-29
With the faithful, blameless, and pure, God reacts in kind. With the shrewd God is also shrewd. He rescues the afflicted, humbles the haughty, illuminates the darkness, and gives strength to those in need.
Verses 30-36
In this section, David offers praise to God whose way is pure, who is a shield to all who seek Him, who makes steady the feet who follow Him. The imagery is similar to the opening verses, repeating many of the metaphors and expounding upon them.
Verses 37-42
This stanza seems to take the focus off God and on to David, but I believe these verses are a continued thought from the previous stanza. Because God is David’s strength, refuge, shield, David is able to pursue his enemies and overtake them.
Verses 43-45
These verses speak of David’s rise to king, not only over Israel, but foreigners also submit to his leadership out of fear. What a drastic difference from his days of hiding in caves with a handful of men at his side!
Verses 46-50
David continues the celebration of his God as he did at the beginning and in verses 30-36. It seems this comparing God to the tangible is similar to a chorus we would have in a song today. His repeated passages are similar, but this section also summarizes the psalm as a whole too. David calls for God to be praised and exalted for His vengeance and the deliverance of His people. Because of what God has done, David offers praise and song to Yahweh. Amidst his celebration, he hints at the Messianic line in the last verse:
He shows loyalty to His anointed, to David and his descendants forever.
Though the concept of grace is not clearly stated, it is certainly displayed in God’s treatment of David. Though David did many good things, he did many bad things as well. The fact that God delivers him, promotes him to power, and sends the Messiah through his family line—this is all due to the greatness and goodness of God, and not David, the recipient of His grace.
This post is Day 18 of the 31 Days of Journaling through the Psalms series. If you would like to read the first post, Psalm 1: The Wise and the Wicked, click here. The introduction to the series can be found here.
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