Psalm 18 is a chapter found in the ancient book of Psalms in the Bible. This piece of writing was created by David, the second King of Israel between 1090 and 970 BC. David wrote this Psalm after the LORD had delivered him from his enemies and securely established him as ruler. Although lament is a common theme found in the book, Psalms chapter 18 can be read as a triumphal ode, a type of lyric poem that combines a thanksgiving prayer with a royal victory song. Psalm 18 contains key truths about God and valuable principles for life. These insights can help us understand both what God has done in the past and how He continues working today.
David wrote Psalm 18 as an expression of thankfulness after the LORD had delivered him from his enemies and securely established him as ruler of Israel. Passages in other books of the Bible, such as 2 Samuel chapters 8 and 22, describe David’s deliverance from opposition and victory in battle. He expresses his confidence in God and expectation of a successful kingship as he observes God’s power and favor working on his behalf. In the first few verses of Psalm 18, he designates God as his deliverer, strength, rock, fortress, stronghold, and the “horn of my salvation (Ps. 18:2, NASB).” In this poem of thankfulness and triumph, he describes the power of God over creation using apocalyptic imagery, reflecting on God’s response to his prayers. The movement he envisions God undertaking on his behalf amidst life-threatening danger emboldens him to ponder and reflect on the character of Providence.
What stands out to me the most about this particular Psalm is the idea it sets forth; namely, that God grants favor to those in whom he delights. The bold portrayal of divine grace that made David exult has caused me to do the same as I consider the character of God described in Psalm 18. If God acted on his behalf, will he not also intervene on behalf of His children? In another book of the Bible, 1 Chronicles, chapter 17 describes the promise God made to David. Verses 7 and 8 say,“‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be prince over my people Israel, and I have been with you wherever you have gone and have cut off all your enemies from before you. And I will make for you a name, like the name of the great ones of the earth.” I am encouraged by Psalm 18 because it reminds me of the faithfulness of God. I think of the promises that He has made to me personally. They are rest, eternal life, and the redemption of my body. I say to myself, “If I am one of God’s children, will He not also keep his promises to me, as He did for David?” The Bible teaches that God never changes, and so since He did not break His promise to protect David from harm and establish his kingdom, we can be confident that the rest of His promises will be upheld. The action that God takes on David’s behalf in Psalm 18 shields the mind from temptation to think that God is distant and uninvolved. We have been granted favor by God irrespective of our own sense of goodness. The apocalyptic imagery in verses 7 through 16 that the psalmist uses to describe the movement of God reinforces His magnificence while strengthening the confidence we can have in His favor. The goodwill we have received as a free gift does not come from a small and inconsequential deity. We have not been shown grace by a figment of our imagination. David’s deliverance from death was not the result of wishful thinking; rather, favor had come from one who causes the “earth to reel and rock”, who’s voice emits “hailstones and coals of fire”, and at whose rebuke “the foundations of the earth were laid bare (The New American Standard Bible, 512).” How great it is to know we on good terms with someone so powerful!
The writing style of Psalm 18 is straightforward, conspicuous, and the author does not appear to be using subliminal messages in the text. Rather, David seems to employ strong visual descriptions to capture the reader’s imagination and to communicate the urgency of his situation. Statements like “the cords of death encompassed me” can be understood as strong language conveying David’s closeness to death (The New American Standard Bible, 512). It is as if he is saying, death almost swallowed me whole as I became entangled in its grasp. One may argue that David’s use of dream-like imagery from verses 7 through 15 is not straight-forward and is an attempt to produce coded messages. I do not think confusion surrounding this type of language was common for ancient people, David’s target audience. Most ancient cultures accepted the idea of movement in the spiritual realm like what is described in Psalm 18. This complaint may come from difficulty reconciling a modern worldview with an ancient one. People might say David’s supernatural account was deliberately fabricated or was the result of psychedelic drug use, but the Psalm itself suggests neither of these ideas.
The characters in Psalm 18 are King David himself, God, David’s enemies, and foreign nations. David is portrayed as a man desperately in need. His prayers and thanksgiving are directed to God, a powerful being who shows favor to David by rescuing him from enemies. The foreign nations mentioned are countries nearby who pay David much respect due to his military success. The author repeats certain words and phrases multiple times throughout the text, likely to emphasize certain points or because the Psalm was originally sung out loud. Ancient songs were often accompanied by stringed instruments such as the lyre and harp. King David was a skilled harpist.
If you wish to know more about God’s dealings with mankind, you might enjoy the glorious truths Psalm 18 reveals. To those in whom God delights, David says the fearful will be strengthened, the needy will be provided for, and the humble will be saved. The reader will leave with an appreciation for God’s grace, while being urged to live a life marked by prayer and dependence on Him. If we see Psalm 18, and even our own lives, in light of God’s grace towards us, we can rejoice and find refuge in Him as David did.
Works Cited: The New American Standard Bible, Published by Zondervan, 2010.
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