Psalm 18 was written in David’s later years (see 2nd Samuel 22). It was written after David had reaped the whirlwind sown by his sin with Bathsheba (2nd Samuel 12). What a tsunami of consequences came from his affair:
- The rape of his daughter Tamar (2nd Samuel 13:1-20);
- The honor killing of his son Amnon by another son, Absalom (2nd Samuel 13:23-30);
- A coup lead by Absalom (2nd Samuel 15-18) which brought the treachery of a close advisor—Ahithophel (2nd Samuel 15:31), the nasty words and actions of Shimei, a descendant of Saul (2nd Samuel 16:5-13), the public violation and humiliation of his concubines (2nd Samuel 16:21-22), the blatant disobedience by his highest ranking officer in his military of his explicit orders (2nd Samuel 18:5, 14), and the violent, heartbreaking death of his son Absalom (2nd Samuel 18:33);
- Civil unrest (2nd Samuel 19:40-42);
- Another coup attempt, led by a rebel named Sheba (2nd Samuel 20:1-22);
- A three-year famine which came because of a treaty violation by Saul and resulted in the execution of seven descendants of his predecessor to the throne—five of the executed were sons of his first wife, Michal (2nd Samuel 21:1-8);
- Four battles with the emboldened Philistines (2nd Samuel 21:15-22);
- A near death experience in battle (2nd Samuel 21:16);
So, where was God in all of this? Note the following “my’s” and the answer is crystal clear: “I will love You, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, so shall I be saved from my enemies” (Psalm 18:1-3).
To David, the man after God’s own heart, Jehovah was not a theory or a philosophy; He was not an impersonal force or an intellectual idea. Jehovah was David’s strength when he was weak; David’s rock when his life was shattered into a thousand pieces; David’s fortress when attacked; David’s deliverer when he was imperiled; David’s shield when he was assailed; the horn of David’s salvation when he had nothing else to hang on to; David’s stronghold when he was being hunted by his enemies. In short, Jehovah was David’s God!!
Oh My!
