Today's Reading:

2 Samuel 22
2 Samuel 23
Psalm 57

Even in despair, hiding alone in dark caves while being hunted by Saul, David chose to worship God with all his heart. Instead of keeping God’s goodness to himself in private, he declared: “I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises to you among the nations.” (Psalm 57:9)

David wanted the whole world, including the Gentiles and nations outside of Israel, to know how great God is. God’s love and faithfulness reach higher than the heavens. Even while at war and in danger, David praised God. He believed his song of praise would sing to glorify the Lord and reach the ends of the earth. David understood to share God with the Gentiles, like Paul in the New Testament understood sharing the Gospel. God’s plan from the beginning was to save people through His Son, including the Gentiles. David’s public worship lifted God high and brought glory to Him.

There is grace in that God’s mercy is not limited or private. Even in our darkest “cave” moments, God wants us to know and feel His love and share it boldly with others, even those outside of our inner circles and church community.

“Among the people and nations,” are we boldly proclaiming God’s love passed our church doors, families, and friends? How can you be challenged to step out of your comfort zone and spread publicly, God’s glory so all might hear of His goodness?

 

David sang a song of praise to the Lord (very similar to Psalm 18). He rejoiced that God saved him from danger and death. The Lord was his Savior and Rock, from whom all refuge comes. David called God his Rock, which was fitting, since he had been protected by God while hiding in the rock caves.

He described God as his shield and the “horn of my salvation,” meaning his defender and source of strength. David was not comparing God to a musical trumpet, but a smaller animal horn that would have been used as a weapon. David was saved from enemies and from the overwhelming waves of death. God had heard his cries, and His wrath was evident in the earthquakes sent out for the evil ones who were after David. God came down riding on cherubim, and His voice thundered from heaven. He scattered David’s enemies with arrows and lightning. God brought David out of the waters of chaos, rescuing him.

David knew he was rewarded for his righteousness and blessed as the anointed one, not because he was sinless, but only because he had kept God's ways and His laws. God’s ways are perfect, His word is flawless, and only because of the Lord’s help was David able to succeed. Through it all, God was gentle with him and gave him a wide path to take so that he did not stumble. David said, “I pursued my enemies, I did not turn back, and I crushed them. But it was because You armed me, You humbled my enemies, You made them turn back, and You did not answer their cries.” God made David a powerful leader whom the nations feared. Then David praised the name of the Lord, the One who exalted him, set him free, and continued to show His kindness to the anointed one.

The next section is titled “David’s last words.” These were not his dying words, but his final psalm. He called himself the son of Jesse (noting his humble upbringing), the man raised up on high, the anointed of God of Jacob, and Israel’s beloved singer of songs. He described himself as the righteous leader who feared God (awe) and therefore ruled by fear of God with justice.

David talked about the covenant God made with him (2 Samuel 7) to make his family line endure forever. He trusted in God’s faithfulness, even through the failures of his own family. Whereas the godless people who do not follow God will be destroyed like thorns.

God allowed David the victory in battles, but David did not win them alone. His brave warriors were recognized. The top 3 were Josheb-Basshebeth, Eleazar, and Shammah. He remembered the three mighty men who risked their lives to bring him water on the battlefield. Then he mentioned Abishai, and Benaiah, and the Thirty. This was all about their courage and loyalty to the king, and ultimately to God. True strength comes from God alone, and so we must exclusively rely on Him.

Psalm 57
This psalm relates to when David fled from Saul and hid in a cave. Note the superscription described when David fled from Saul in the cave. This was most likely the events from 1 Samuel 22:1, after David escaped the Philistine king of Gath. David gave a plea for God to have mercy on him: “Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in you my soul takes refuge. In the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by” (Psalm 57:1).

We have seen this image before, with God as the protective mama bird, her baby under her wings. It appeared in Psalm 17, and through Boaz as the protective kinsman-redeemer to Ruth.

David was being hunted like a lion, but knew his enemies had fallen into their own traps. He was alone, discouraged, and hunted, but his whole soul found safety in God. David was not just hiding out but actively trusting in God, knowing He had a plan. Not just a plan for David’s safety, but for God to be magnified and glorified across all the earth.

Some versions of the Bible have “Selah” written after this section, which means “pause and reflect”. David’s heart was fixed and steadfast (the psalm is called a Miktam/Michtam, meaning “engraved”). Even waiting in the dark, David chose to sing songs of praise and worship, knowing a new day would come.

Today's Discussion question: 

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