II. THE CONFLICT IS PROTRACTED AND CHARACTERIZED BY VICISSITUDES. From the day that Saul entertained a wicked jealousy of his powers (1 Samuel 18:8) till the revolt of Sheba, David had to be on his guard, and in some form or other defend his person and his right to the kingdom. Now he is in deepest distress, and now rescued by the interposition of God. Sorrow and joy were his portion. The lesson for us is obvious. Our warfare is lifelong. As long as there is lurking evil within the domain of our nature, as long as strong and subtle temptations come upon us, and the great enemy seeketh our life, so long we must stand in the whole armour of God, and watch and strive (Ephesians 6:10-17). And, also, we have our seasons of anguish and desolation, our faintings and fears, our falls and wounds, as well as our songs of triumph and joy. The Apostle Paul wrote at the close of his toils and conflicts as one who had suffered much and accomplished much. What is true of us personally is true in a way of the great Church militant; there are, as history reveals, times of sore defeat and sorrow and apparent abandonment, and times again of magnificent triumphs.
III. THERE IS, THROUGH THE CONFLICT, ABIDING TRUST IN GOD AND USE OF GIFTS. The language in which David describes the issue of his conflicts reveals that all through he cherished unceasing faith in God, and used well the fingers to fight which Providence had trained. In darkest seasons his hope was in God. Not armies, but God, formed his Refuge, Strength, and Defence (verses 40, 41). Saving the great lapse, when for a time the soul was estranged from its Source of blessing, there was a calm and unshaken confidence that the great purpose for which he was called to the throne would be realized, and this rendered moral support to all material means employed for subduing foes. It is the characteristic of our warfare that it is the "good fight of faith." From first to last, trust in the presence, help, and succour of God enters into the exercise of all watchfulness, prayerfulness, and resolute endeavours to subdue everything to Christ. Success in Christian warfare springs from a subtle blending of the most absolute faith in the almighty grace of God with the most energetic use of knowledge and resolve. By this combination also, the Church, in its corporate action, seeks to banish spiritual foes from the kingdom, and to extend Christ's supremacy over all people and lands.
IV. CERTAIN AND COMPLETE VICTORY IS THE ISSUE. If we Compare David when an outcast among the eaves of the mountains, or a wanderer among an alien people, dependent on heathen hospitality for his sustenance and protection (1 Samuel 27:1-7), with David at the close of his reign, dwelling in regal splendour, and in peace from all his foes, we can see how complete his triumph, and how tree in effect is the bold language of this song. Helpless, unbefriended by the Judge of all the earth, his oppressors are as the beaten dust and trampled mire. Aliens and the rebellious among his own people (verses 41-44) alike are brought low, and all their pride and strength has vanished. It is only when we come to the end of our Christian career that we can say this of all our foes; but it can even now be said of many in the past. The strongest language of David will be inadequate to express the completeness of the victory we shall at last obtain over all spiritual foes. As Israel saw no living Egyptian as they stood on the shore of the Red Sea, and as the multitude in Revelation 15:2-4 looked over the calm glassy scene of a former arena of conflict and peril, so we each shall, through Christ, be able to survey the past and see our enemies no more. More than conquerors, we shall sing the song of triumph. Sin and temptation, the horrible dangers, the slippery places, the roaring torrents, the deep waters, will have been overcome, and our sanctified nature will constitute a domain in which the voice of tumult is no more heard. Our personal triumph will be analogous to the triumph of Christ over all the evil forces that once opposed his blessed reign.
The glory of the accomplishment of life's purpose due to God.
In the section from verse 45 to verse 51 David looks on to what God will yet do for him; he reflects on what is now his happy position, and on the connection of this with the great deliverances of the past; and, thus taking a threefold view of his life, he ascribes all the glory of real and possible achievements unto God (verse 50). His own people and the heathen would regard him as a great king, and ascribe his wonderful successes to his superior prowess in war, and skill in administration. Not so the man of God. To his God he ascribes all the glory. Taking the particulars of David's life as means of illustration, we also may see that the accomplishment of our life's highest purpose is no occasion of praise to ourselves, but solely of glory to God.
I. GOD HAS CHOSEN US. David was called to leave the sheepfold, and raised by the distinct will of God to be what he subsequently came to be. Never does he forget this. It was all of free sovereign grace. No conquests over Philistines, no succession to Saul, no subjugation of people under him, no lofty piety for the enrichment of the world by its poetic utterances, would have had place but for the Divine choice. It is so of all men after God's own heart. He hath begotten them. He hath made them kings and priests unto himself. "We love him, because he first loved us." Whatever conquests we achieve in the spiritual life are an outcome of our having that life which, as clearly taught in the New Testament, is not of man, but of God (John 3:5-8).
II. IN OURSELVES WE ARE UNWORTHY OF ANY BLESSING. David knew and felt that there was no worthiness in him that he should be called to be king. Whatever moral and mental fitness there may have been in him as compared with others, it was all o! God, and constituted no more merit than the sweetness of the rose gives merit to the rose. And during his career he fell again and again, so that his spiritual condition was, so far as it depended on his watchfulness and care, not so perfect as it should have been. It was God's wonderful "gentleness" (verse 36), and not his superior spiritual qualities or natural force of character, that had made him what he was. The experience of good men is the same in all ages. The ancient patriarch (Genesis 18:27), the evangelical prophet (Isaiah 6:5), and the Christian apostle (Romans 15:10), are one with the "sweet psalmist of Israel" in confessing entire unworthiness of the least of God's mercies. Self-renunciation before God is essential to true godliness. All the honour and glory are due to him.
III. GOD PROVIDES THE MEANS BY WHICH OUR LIFE'S PURPOSE IS WROUGHT OUT. The natural gifts that distinguished David, and the wisdom to use them, and the disposition to use them for the right ends, were provided for him. The mountain fastnesses in which he found a shield from the oppressor, belonged to him who claims the "strength of the hills." The repressive influences brought to bear on the rebellious factions, and the concurrent events which issued in their death or depression, were ordered by a higher wisdom. The gift or non-withdrawal of the Holy Spirit on the occasion of the dreadful fall (Psalms 51:10, Psalms 51:11) was all of pure mercy. And thus it was through God alone that the tempted, tried, sorrowing king was enabled to pursue his course. In his case we have in miniature an illustration of the great provision which God makes for us. We are stewards only of gifts of God. The life and death of his beloved Son is the great Gift by which all else is guaranteed. He directs us to the Rock of Ages. His Spirit worketh within us to will and to do. The faith by which we cling to him in the dark and cloudy day is his own gift (Ephesians 2:8). If we conquer our spiritual foes, it is he who teacheth our hands to war and our fingers to fight. By him alone we are more than conquerors. If we arrive at last "perfect" in Zion, it is because be has led us on by ways we knew not.
IV. HE CONTROLS THE INFLUENCES AT WORK AGAINST US. The "strangers" and his own "people" are brought under him because there is an unseen power so working on them that their force is weakened and their will turned. The life of David is full of this Divine control of adverse influences. Saul and Doeg were baffled and restrained. Philistines at Gath (1 Samuel 27:4-7) were favourably disposed to him in the bitter time of his exile. The nation was made willing to accept him in place of the successors in the line of Saul. The wise counsel of Ahithophel was turned to foolishness, and when for a time the chastisement of rebellion seemed to crush his heart, the hour of deliverance came, and the people were made willing to welcome him once more to his beloved Jerusalem. So is it still. Land and sea, men and evil spirits, life and death, are all alike in the hands of God, and he can say, "Thus far, and no further;" "Touch not mine anointed." Our Lord is Lord also of all. Our highest interests are in his holy honda, and there is nothing, seen or unseen, that can sever us from the love of God that is in Christ our Lord (Romans 8:35-39). How natural, then, the words "Therefore, I will give thanks unto thee, O Lord" (verse 50)! "He" showeth mercy forevermore.
Additional topics—
1. The influence of success in promoting success (verse 45).
2. The accelerated influences of the spiritual world analogous to the laws of motion (verse 45).
3. The inherent sense in all men of the majesty of righteousness (verse 45).
4. The power of reputed character and of deeds in extending personal influence over strangers (verse 46).
5. Foreshadows of the final collapse of the forces of evil before the victorious Christ (verse 46).
6. The ever-living God the Joy and Hope of the Christian amidst the vicissitudes of life (verse 47).
7. The adoration of God a natural expression of the sanctified heart, and its Christian element based on an experience of his mercy (verse 47).
8. The qualities of the rock as illustrating the Divine perfection (verse 47).
9. The reality of providential retribution for the oppression of the righteous and the needy, as seen in individuals and nations, and revealed in history and Scripture (verse 48).
10. The various methods by which God acts on human souls to bring them into submission to Christ (verse 48).
11. The Divine process of brining souls out from embarrassing circumstances, temporal and spiritual (verse 49).
12. The concurrence of Divine and human action in spiritual conquests (verse 49).
13. The setting forth of the wonders of redeeming mercy before men who profess no interest in Christ. How to do it (verse 50).
14. All the resources of the Divine nature in their pledged relation to the accomplishment of the purpose of Christ, the Anointed One (verse 51).
15. The inheritance of Christ's people in the resources belonging to him (verse 51).
16. The permanent character of the work of redemption (verse 51).
HOMILIES BY B. DALE
2 Samuel 22:1-51
(Psalms 18:1-50.).—(JERUSALEM.)
David's song of praise.
"And David spake unto Jehovah the words of this song," etc. (2 Samuel 22:1). It is a song of:
1. The anointed (messiah) of the Lord, his king (2 Samuel 22:51), his servant (Psalms 18:1-50; inscription). Like Moses and Joshua, David held a peculiar and exalted position in the kingdom of God under the Old Testament. He was "a man [unlike Saul] of God's own choosing" (1 Samuel 13:14; 1 Samuel 16:1-23:28), to fill the office of theocratic king, and to fulfil his purposes concerning Israel and the world; he was also specially fitted for his vocation, faithfully devoted to it, and greatly blessed in it. And in the consciousness of this he here speaks.
2. Praise to the Lord, on the ground of his perfections, his relations, his benefits; prompted by the desire to render to him the honour which is his due (1 Samuel 2:1-10). "To praise God means nothing else than to ascribe to him the glorious perfections which he possesses; for we can only give to him what is his own" (Hengstenberg). And, more especially, of:
3. Thanksgiving for past deliverance, from imminent perils, to which, as the servant of God, he was exposed through the hatred and opposition of his enemies. Of these Saul was the most formidable; and, after becoming King of Israel, David was attacked by numerous heathen nations, both separately and in combination (2 Samuel 5:17; 2 Samuel 8:1-18.; 10.). It was probably when "the Lord had given him rest round about from all his enemies" (2 Samuel 7:1), and after the promise of an everlasting kingdom (2 Samuel 7:12-16), that the song was uttered; though by some it is regarded as "a great hallelujah, with which he retired from the theatre of life." "Having obtained many and signal victories, he does not, as irreligious men are accustomed to do, sing a song of triumph in honour of himself, but exalts and magnifies God, the Author of these victories, by a train of striking and appropriate epithets, and in a style of surpassing grandeur and sublimity" (Calvin).
4. Confidence in future triumph over all the enemies of the kingdom of God; of which the success already attained is an assurance. God is praised, not only for what he is and has been to him, but also for what he will be to "David and his seed forever" (verse 51). Of this song, consider—
I. ITS SUBSTANCE; or, the reasons for praise.
1. The personal and intimate relationship of Jehovah to his servant (verses 2-4).
"Jehovah is my Rock, and my Fortress. and my, yea, my Deliverer,
My Rock God, in whom I trust," etc.
(Verses 2, 3.)
"As worthy to be praised, do I call on Jehovah,
And (whenever I call) I am saved from mine enemies."
"Faith knows no past and no future. What God has done and will do is present to it."
2. His marvellous deliverance. (Psalms 18:5-20.) In a single comprehensive picture David describes the many dangers that encompassed him during his persecution by Saul, and the many providential interpositions (1 Samuel 23:24-28) that were made on his behalf.
"For breakers of death surrounded me,
Streams of Belial terrified me;
Cords of Sheol girt me about,
Snares of death overtook me."
"He reached from above, he laid hold of me,
He drew me out of great waters," etc.
"It is true that the deliverance of David was not actually attended by any such extraordinary natural phenomena; but the saving hand of God from heaven was so obviously manifested that the deliverance experienced by him could be poetically described as a miraculous interposition on the part of God" (Keil).
3. His righteous procedure. (Psalms 18:21-28.) "He delivered me because he delighted in me" (Psalms 18:20). He acted toward David in accordance with his gracious choice of him to be his servant, and delivered him because he was "well pleased" with his faithful service; the ground of this deliverance being now stated more fully—
"Jehovah rendered me according to my righteousness,
According to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me," etc.
This language neither implies entire freedom from sin nor indicates a boastful spirit, but is expressive of sincerity, integrity, fidelity; in contrast with the calumnies and wickedness of enemies, in fulfilment of a Divine call, in obedience to the Divine will generally, and in the main course of life, as:
"And oppressed people thou savest;
And thine eyes are against the haughty: them thou humblest."
4. His continued and effectual help. (Psalms 18:29-46.) The righteousness and faithfulness of God are further confirmed by the experience of David (after his deliverance from the hand of Saul) in his wars with the external enemies of the kingdom.
II. ITS SPIRIT; as it appears throughout the song, and particularly in its conclusion—
"Living is Jehovah, and blessed is my Rock;
Exalted is the Rock God of my salvation," etc.
(Verses 47-51.)
1. Personal, appropriating faith. "Faith it is which gives its peculiar grandeur to David's song of triumph; his masterpiece, and it may be the masterpiece of human poetry, inspired or uninspired, What is the element in that ode, which even now makes it stir the heart like a trumpet? What protects such words (Psalms 18:7-17) from the imputation of mere Eastern exaggeration? The firm conviction that God is the Deliverer, not only of David, but of all who trust in him; that the whole majesty of God, and all the powers of nature, are arrayed on the side of the good and the opprest" (C. Kingsley, 'David: Four Sermons').
2. Heartfelt delight in God.
3. Fervent gratitude.
4. Unreserved consecration to his service, his honour, his glory.
"Therefore will I give thanks unto thee,
O Jehovah, among the heathen;
And sing praises unto thy Name."
(Psalms 18:50, 51.)
(See on this song, Chandler, Maclaren, W.M. Taylor, and commentaries on Psalms 18:1-50.) "David, King of Judah, a soul inspired by Divine music and much other heroism, was wont to pour himself forth in song; he with a seer's eye and heart discerned the Godlike among the human! struck tones that were an echo of the sphere harmonies, and are still felt to be such. Reader, art thou one of a thousand, able still to read the psalms of David, and catch some echo of it through the old dim centuries; feeling far off in thine own heart what it once was to other hearts made as thine?" (Carlyle, 'Miscellaneous Essays').—D.
2 Samuel 22:24
(Psalms 18:23).—
Self-preservation.
"I kept myself from mine iniquity" (perversion, distortion, departure from the line of truth and rectitude). The life of a good man is a conflict (2 Samuel 10:12). "A man will never persevere in the practice of uprightness and godliness, unless he carefully keep himself from his inquiry" (Calvin). His self-preservation—
I. IMPLIES EXPOSURE TO A DANGEROUS ENEMY.
1. There is none greater than sin. Every other evil is slight compared with it.
2. Each man has "his besetting sin." "I kept myself," not merely against iniquity becoming my own, but against the iniquity which lies near to me, and to which I am specially liable from my constitution or condition (1 Samuel 24:5). A traitor within the fortress is a more dangerous foe than any other.
3. It besets him at all times, in all places, and by manifold "devices."
4. To be overcome by it is inexpressibly disastrous.
II. REQUIRES THE ADOPTION OF PROPER METHODS.
1. Due consideration of the danger. To be forewarned is to be forearmed.
2. Constant and resolute vigilance against the first approaches of the enemy (Hebrews 3:13).
3. The habitual practice of self-restraint and self-denial.
4. The daily exercise of the virtues and graces that are most opposite to the sins to which he is disposed (Galatians 5:16).
5. Familiar acquaintance with the Word or God (Ephesians 6:13-17).
6. Continual looking unto God for his effectual aid. "Kept [guarded] by the power of God through faith," etc. (1 Peter 1:5).
7. Unceasing prayer. "Keep yourselves in the love of God" (Jude 1:21); "Keep yourselves from idols" (1 John 5:21).
III. DESERVES TO BE SOUGHT WITH THE UTMOST EARNESTNESS, because of the advantages by which it is attended.
1. An assurance of personal sincerity (1 John 5:18; Hebrews 3:14). "The careful abstaining from our own iniquity is one of the best evidences of our own integrity; and the testimony of our conscience that we have done so will be such a rejoicing as will not only lessen the grief of an afflicted, state, but increase the comfort of an advanced state" (Matthew Henry).
2. An experience of Divine help, of which it is an indispensable condition.
3. An increase of moral strength.
4. A preparation for future victories. "To mortify and conquer our own appetites is more praiseworthy than to storm strong cities, to defeat mighty armies, work miracles, or raise the dead" (Scupoli).—D.
2 Samuel 22:26-28
Divine rectitude.
Consider the righteousness of God as it appears in:
1. The supreme importance which he attaches to moral distinctions amongst men. Such distinctions are often made light of in comparison with wisdom, might, and riches (Jeremiah 9:23); and those who possess the latter despise and trample upon the ignorant, the weak, and the poor (2 Samuel 22:27). But God has chiefly respect to men in their moral attitude toward himself, their relation to the law of right, their personal character (1 Samuel 2:30). With him the great distinction is that between the righteous and the wicked (Psalms 34:15, Psalms 34:16). Whilst his infinite greatness dwarfs earthly power and honour into insignificance, his perfect righteousness exalts moral worth beyond measure.
2. The different treatment which he adopts toward men of different character. In himself he is always the same (1 Samuel 15:29); but the aspect which his character and dealings assume toward them is determined by their own character and conduct, and is the necessary manifestation of his unchangeable rectitude—on the one hand, toward the "loving," etc; full of love (all that is kind, desirable, and excellent); on the other, toward the "perverse," perverse (contrary, antagonistic, "as an enemy," Lamentations 2:5; Le 26:23, 24; Hosea 2:6), inflicting severe chastisement. "There is a higher law of grace, whereby the sinfulness of man but draws forth the tenderness of a father's pardoning pity; and the brightest revelation of his love is made to froward prodigals. But this is not the psalmist's view here, nor does it interfere with the law of retribution in its own sphere" (Maclaren).
3. The signal change which he makes in their relative positions; saving and exalting the oppressed and afflicted, and humbling the proud oppressor; his purpose therein being to vindicate, honour, and promote righteousness, and to restrain, correct, and put an end to iniquity (1 Samuel 2:8, 1 Samuel 2:10). "What is God doing now?" it was asked of Rabbi Jose, and the reply was, "He makes ladders on which he causes the poor to ascend and the rich to descend" (The Midrash).—D.
2 Samuel 22:31
God's way, Word, and defence.
"I can overcome all opposition in and with my God" (2 Samuel 22:30); for:
1. His way is perfect. His providential dealings, especially in leading his servant forward in the conflict. Although ofttimes mysterious and different from what might have been expected, it is marked by perfect rectitude, perfect wisdom, perfect love; and is exactly adapted to effect his holy and beneficent purposes (Job 23:8-10; Psalms 77:19; Psalms 97:2).
2. His Word is tried (purified as silver and gold, without dross, and very precious). It is the chief means of preparation, instruction and help; "the sword of the Spirit." Its declarations are true, its directions good, its promises faithful (Proverbs 30:5; Psalms 12:6, Psalms 12:7). The more it is tested, whether by friends or foes, by examination or experience, the more it proves itself to be indeed the Word of God, and of unspeakable worth. "There is none like that; give it me" (1 Samuel 21:9).
3. His defence is sure; himself effectuating his Word, and being "a Shield to all that trust in him," affording certain, constant, and complete protection. Faith is the bond of union between men and God, the "taking hold of his strength," a necessary means of defence, and hence often called a shield (Ephesians 6:16; Hebrews 10:35); but it is God himself who is such in the highest sense (Jeremiah 51:20; Deuteronomy 33:29; Psalms 5:12). He is God alone (2 Samuel 22:32); the absolute, incomparable, perfect One; worthy to be trusted and praised (2 Samuel 22:4).—D.
2 Samuel 22:33
God is my Strength.
"The God who girdeth me with strength" (Psalms 18:32). Physical strength is derived from God. Much more is spiritual. It is obtained through faith. And every believer may say, "His strength is mine." Thereby:
1. I live—live unto God, "soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world" (Titus 2:12; Hebrews 2:4; Galatians 2:20).
2. I stand—stand fast in temptation, attack, danger (Romans 14:4; 2 Corinthians 1:24; Philippians 4:1).
3. I walk—walk forward, in the way of the Lord, surely, swiftly (2 Samuel 22:34), perseveringly (2 Corinthians 5:7; Isaiah 40:31).
4. I labour—labour with and for God, zealously, patiently, and not in vain (Isaiah 26:12; 1 Corinthians 15:58).
5. I endure—endure "hardness," afflictions, reproaches, yea, all things, supported and "strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inward man" (2 Timothy 2:3; Hebrews 11:27; Psalms 138:3).
6. I fight—fight "the good fight of faith," against his enemies, courageously and effectually (2 Samuel 22:35).
7. I overcome—overcome in life and death (1 Corinthians 15:57).—D.
2 Samuel 22:36
True greatness.
"Thy answering hath made me great." Is. 18:35, "Thy gentleness" (humility, meekness, condescending grace). True greatness consists not in external prosperity, nor in splendid achievements, but in moral and spiritual excellence. "The good alone are great." Notice—
I. ITS CONDITIONS, on the part of man.
1. Conscious weakness, the sense of utter helplessness in himself (1 Samuel 30:1-10; John 15:5; 2 Corinthians 12:10; Hebrews 11:34).
2. Believing prayer (2 Samuel 22:7). "By showing us our own nothingness, humility forces us to depend upon God; and the expression of that dependence is prayerfulness."
3. Ardent aspiration. "When sea water rises into the clouds it loses its saltness and becomes fresh; so the soul when lifted up to God" (Tamil proverb).
II. ITS BESTOWMENT; by "that practical hearkening on the part of God when called upon for help, which was manifested in the fact that God made his steps broad" (Keil).
1. In wonderful condescension (Psalms 138:6).
2. By manifold methods; preserving, instructing, strengthening, exalting those who trust in him.
3. With considerate adaptation to their nature and capacities. "The great God and Father, intent on making his children great, follows them and plies them with the gracious indirections of a faithful and patient love" (Bushnell, 'Christ and his Salvation'). "Like as father" etc. (Psalms 103:13).
III. ITS MANIFESTATION. As the effect of sunshine and rain, received and appropriated by a plant, appears in its abounding strength, beauty, and fruitfulness, so the effect of Divine grace appears in enlargement and elevation of mind, sincere and fervent love to God, a set purpose to do his will, eminence in "love, joy, peace, gentleness," etc. (Galatians 5:22), maturity of character (Hosea 14:5-7), holy and beneficent activity, growing conformity to the perfect Pattern of true greatness (Matthew 20:25-27). "Have the mind in you which was also in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 2:5).—D.
2 Samuel 22:50
The praise of God among the heathen.
"Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, O Jehovah, among the heathen" (Romans 15:9). The purpose of God to below the blessings of salvation upon all nations was made known in the earliest ages (Genesis 12:3; Numbers 14:21; Deuteronomy 32:43). "From the beginning there existed a power to rise above the exclusiveness of Old Testament religion, namely, the vital germ of knowledge, that the kingdom of God would one day find its completion in a universal monarchy embracing all people" (Riehm, 'Messianic Prophecy'). In sympathy and cooperation with the Divine purpose David here speaks. That purpose is, in its highest sense, fulfilled in the extension of the kingdom of Christ (1 Samuel 2:10; 1 Samuel 5:3). This language is such as might be adopted by Christ himself (Psalms 2:8; Hebrews 2:9-13). It should be that of all his followers; to whom he said, "Go ye, therefore" (Matthew 28:18-20), "proclaim the good news to every creature" (Mark 16:15); "Ye are witnesses of these things" (Luke 24:48; Acts 1:8). As such it indicates—
I. A JOYFUL PROCLAMATION of the Word of truth, by which God is glorified in his Son (2 Samuel 7:14, 2 Samuel 7:26); pertaining to:
1. His marvellous doings, in conflict with the powers of evil and in victory over them, through humiliation, suffering, and sacrifice (Psalms 22:1-31.). "Make known his deeds among the people" (Psalms 105:1, Psalms 105:2; John 12:31, John 12:32).
2. His glorious exaltation and reign (2 Samuel 22:47). "Say among the heathen, The Lord is King" (Psalms 96:10; Philippians 2:9-11). His reign is righteous, beneficent, and universal.
3. His saving benefits—the remission of sins, deliverance from oppression, "righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." "Praise him, all ye people: for his merciful kindness is great," etc. (Psalms 117:1, Psalms 117:2). "The means of bringing them to the knowledge of God is not the sword, but the proclamation of God's great deeds for his people. As David in his character of missionary to the heathen world praises his God's grace, so at bottom all missionary work among the heathen is, in the announcement of the Word of the God who is revealed in Christ, a continuous praise of the Name of the living God" (Erdmann).
II. A SACRED RESOLVE. "I will praise thee." This determination, or "vow of thanksgiving," ought to be made by every one who has himself received the knowledge of salvation, from:
1. A feeling of compassion for the urgent need of the heathen (Acts 16:9). He may not keep the "good tidings" to himself (1 Kings 7:9).
2. A conviction of duty, arising from acquaintance with the merciful purpose and express commands of the Lord.
3. An impulse of grateful love, on account of the condescending grace shown toward himself, constraining him to obey the Lord's will, promote his purpose, and glorify his Name. It will also lead him to employ every means in his power that "Christ may be magnified" (Philippians 1:20).
III. A CONFIDENT PERSUASION that the heathen will listen to "the joyful sound," freely submit themselves (2 Samuel 22:44-46), and join in the praise of God; founded on:
1. His power to effect his purposes.
2. His faithfulness in fulfilling his promises.
3. His past achievements (2 Samuel 22:48, 2 Samuel 22:49).
"They shall come and declare his righteousness" (Psalms 22:27-31). "Above eighteen centuries have verified the prediction of the permanency of his kingdom, founded as it was by no human means, endowed with inextinguishable life, ever conquering and to conquer in the four quarters of the world; a kingdom one and alone since the world has been, embracing all climes and times, and still expanding, unworn by the destroyer of all things, time; strong amid the decay of empires; the freshness and elasticity of youth written on the brow which has outlived eighteen centuries".—D.
HOMILIES BY G. WOOD
2 Samuel 22:2-4
God the Refuge and Deliverer.
The psalm was composed as a thanksgiving for the safety and deliverances David had experienced when Saul so persistently sought to destroy him, and afterwards in the wars with the house of Saul, and with the heathen tribes that set themselves against him. It appears to belong to an earlier period than the place it occupies in the book would indicate. It is scarcely possible that David could have asserted his uprightness and innocence in the strong terms of 2 Samuel 22:21-25 after his great sins. These verses form the introduction to the psalm, and express in emphatic language the safety and salvation which David had found in God. The Christian may use the words of the similar perils to which he is exposed, and of others not immediately in the psalmist's view.
I. THE DANGERS TO WHICH WE ARE EXPOSED. Bodily, mental, spiritual. To reputation. From our own constitutional tendencies. From diseases and accidents. From the malice of men, and their favour. From prosperity and adversity. From solitude and society. From labours, rest, and pleasures. From Satan and his angels. From the broken Law and injured justice of God. Always and everywhere, under all circumstances and conditions, we are all exposed to perils.
II. THE SAFETY AND DELIVERANCE TO BE FOUND IN GOD. The psalmist labours to express his sense of the protection, safety, and deliverance which God had vouchssfed to him, yea, which God himself had been to him. The imagery he uses is taken chiefly from natural features of Palestine, with which he had become especially familiar as affording refuge and safety during the time that he was hunted by Saul. He calls him "my Rock," in the heights and recesses of which he had been safe from his foes; "my Fortress," his fortified castle, too high to be reached, too strong to be broken into; "my Deliverer," by whose aid he had escaped from many a peril; "the God of my Rock," equivalent to "my mighty God;" "my Shield and the Horn of my salvation," at once protecting him in battle and pushing his enemies to their destruction; "my high Tower," or lofty Retreat; "my Refuge and my Saviour." What the Almighty was to David he is to all his people. We may use similar language. Our dangers may not be so fearful in appearance, or so numerous, or so obvious; but they are as real and serious. And our safety and deliverance must come from "the Lord." The words of the text show that it is not only what he employs for our good, nor what he himself does, but what he is, that assures of safety. Not only does he afford protection and secure deliverance; he is our Protector and Deliverer. In his almightiness, love, knowledge, wisdom, universal presence, observation, and operation, we realize salvation. In Jesus Christ, his very righteousness has become our friend, and assures us of victory. The safety thus assured is not absolute immunity from trouble, but protection from the evil it might produce, and change of its character. The righteous are visited with calamities similar to those which befall the wicked, and in some conditions of society with calamities peculiar to themselves. But in their ease they lose their unfriendly character, and become visitations of a Father's love, means of deliverance from worse evils, and of obtaining greater good. The evil which they might do God will defend us from, if we trust and obey him. Nor are the righteous sure of absolute preservation from sin, though they would enjoy perfect immunity if they fulfilled the necessary conditions on their part. But they have a right to feel sure of preservation of' body and soul in this world, until their appointed work is done; and of final deliverance from all evils (2 Timothy 4:18). They should not desire more.
III. THE CONDITIONS OF SAFETY AND DELIVERANCE.