2 Samuel 22--David's Song of Deliverance

2 Samuel 22
English Standard Version

David's Song of Deliverance
22 And David spoke to the LORD the words of this song on the day when the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. 2 He said,

“The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
3     my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield, and the horn of my salvation,
    my stronghold and my refuge,
    my savior; you save me from violence.
4 I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised,
    and I am saved from my enemies.

5 “For the waves of death encompassed me,
    the torrents of destruction assailed me;
6 the cords of Sheol entangled me;
    the snares of death confronted me.

7 “In my distress I called upon the LORD;
    to my God I called.
From his temple he heard my voice,
    and my cry came to his ears.

8 “Then the earth reeled and rocked;
    the foundations of the heavens trembled
    and quaked, because he was angry.
9 Smoke went up from his nostrils,
    and devouring fire from his mouth;
    glowing coals flamed forth from him.
10 He bowed the heavens and came down;
    thick darkness was under his feet.
11 He rode on a cherub and flew;
    he was seen on the wings of the wind.
12 He made darkness around him his canopy,
    thick clouds, a gathering of water.
13 Out of the brightness before him
    coals of fire flamed forth.
14 The LORD thundered from heaven,
    and the Most High uttered his voice.
15 And he sent out arrows and scattered them;
    lightning, and routed them.
16 Then the channels of the sea were seen;
    the foundations of the world were laid bare,
at the rebuke of the LORD,
    at the blast of the breath of his nostrils.

17 “He sent from on high, he took me;
    he drew me out of many waters.
18 He rescued me from my strong enemy,
    from those who hated me,
    for they were too mighty for me.
19 They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
    but the LORD was my support.
20 He brought me out into a broad place;
    he rescued me, because he delighted in me.

21 “The LORD dealt with me according to my righteousness;
    according to the cleanness of my hands he rewarded me.
22 For I have kept the ways of the LORD
    and have not wickedly departed from my God.
23 For all his rules were before me,
    and from his statutes I did not turn aside.
24 I was blameless before him,
    and I kept myself from guilt.
25 And the LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness,
    according to my cleanness in his sight.

26 “With the merciful you show yourself merciful;
    with the blameless man you show yourself blameless;
27 with the purified you deal purely,
    and with the crooked you make yourself seem tortuous.
28 You save a humble people,
    but your eyes are on the haughty to bring them down.
29 For you are my lamp, O LORD,
    and my God lightens my darkness.
30 For by you I can run against a troop,
    and by my God I can leap over a wall.
31 This God—his way is perfect;
    the word of the LORD proves true;
    he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.

32 “For who is God, but the LORD?
    And who is a rock, except our God?
33 This God is my strong refuge
    and has made my way blameless.
34 He made my feet like the feet of a deer
    and set me secure on the heights.
35 He trains my hands for war,
    so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
36 You have given me the shield of your salvation,
    and your gentleness made me great.
37 You gave a wide place for my steps under me,
    and my feet did not slip;
38 I pursued my enemies and destroyed them,
    and did not turn back until they were consumed.
39 I consumed them; I thrust them through, so that they did not rise;
    they fell under my feet.
40 For you equipped me with strength for the battle;
    you made those who rise against me sink under me.
41 You made my enemies turn their backs to me,
    those who hated me, and I destroyed them.
42 They looked, but there was none to save;
    they cried to the LORD, but he did not answer them.
43 I beat them fine as the dust of the earth;
    I crushed them and stamped them down like the mire of the streets.

44 “You delivered me from strife with my people;
    you kept me as the head of the nations;
    people whom I had not known served me.
45 Foreigners came cringing to me;
    as soon as they heard of me, they obeyed me.
46 Foreigners lost heart
    and came trembling out of their fortresses.

47 “The LORD lives, and blessed be my rock,
    and exalted be my God, the rock of my salvation,
48 the God who gave me vengeance
    and brought down peoples under me,
49 who brought me out from my enemies;
    you exalted me above those who rose against me;
    you delivered me from men of violence.

​50 “For this I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations,
    and sing praises to your name.
51 Great salvation he brings to his king,
    and shows steadfast love to his anointed,
    to David and his offspring forever.”

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You will recognize many of the words from this song from the Psalms of David, and you may recognize some portions as lyrics to modern day praise and worship songs, as we have often set these words to music to praise the LORD for who He is, what He has done, and to remind ourselves of a proper response to the facts, no matter what our current situation or circumstances may appear to be.

David is nearly at the end of his reign, he has been asked by his generals to stay home from battle, and it is not apparent who his successor will be.  It would be easy for David to have a different attitude, but he chooses to focus first on what he has to be thankful for.  Only in light of God's attributes and a complete assurance that the LORD will bring about everything He has promised does David look at his current situation.  He prays for the LORD to work things out, but David is confident that that LORD is in control and will bring His perfect will to fruition and completion.

David remembers how the LORD has not only delivered him from his physical enemies, but from the enemy of his own sin, for David committed heinous sins such as adultery and murder and covered them up until the LORD sent the prophet Nathan to confront David.  The LORD had every right to demand that David be executed as punishment under the Law and to take the kingdom away from David (and his family), but the LORD had a bigger and better plan that included Jesus, the Son of David who would be born one day in the City of David (Bethlehem).  David thanks the LORD for choosing to not look on his seen and for making David blameless in His sight.

Only the LORD God is able to fight our battles for us, both against our flesh and blood enemies, our spiritual enemies and even our own flesh and mind which war against our spirits.  David in the end chooses to praise the LORD and share his testimony not only with the LORD's people, Israel, but with the whole world so that they too might know of the LORD and the salvation that He alone can provide.  This is how we too who have experienced salvation should respond.