2 Samuel 22:36-51
36 You have also given me the shield of Your salvation,
And Your help makes me great.
37 You enlarge my steps under me,
And my feet have not slipped.
38 I pursued my enemies and eliminated them,
And I did not turn back until they were finished off.
39 And I have devoured them and smashed them, so that they would not rise;
And they fell under my feet.
40 For You have encircled me with strength for battle;
You have forced those who rose up against me to bow down under me.
41 You have also made my enemies turn their backs to me,
And I destroyed those who hated me.
42 They looked, but there was no one to save them;
Even to the Lord, but He did not answer them.
43 Then I pulverized them as the dust of the earth;
I crushed and trampled them like the mud of the streets.
44 You have also saved me from the contentions of my people;
You have kept me as head of the nations;
A people I have not known serve me.
45 Foreigners pretend to obey me;
As soon as they hear, they obey me.
46 Foreigners lose heart,
And come 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 executes vengeance for me,
And brings down peoples under me,
49 Who also brings me out from my enemies;
You also raise me above those who rise up against me;
You rescue me from the violent person.
50 Therefore I will give thanks to You, Lord, among the nations,
And I will sing praises to Your name.
51 He is a tower of salvation to His king,
And shows favor to His anointed,
To David and his descendants forever.
David’s Song (5)
David’s victory
David declares that the reason he was able to experience the grace of continual victories was because of the Lord’s grace. (1) The humility of the Lord – that is, the fact that the Lord came down to him and stretched out His hand – established David as king. As a result, David was able to walk “with wide steps.” In other words, he was able to act freely. Let us also remember the humility of the Lord and offer our thanks to Him. Without the humility of the Lord Jesus (His incarnation), there would have been no salvation for us. Moreover, that humility was to the point of death on the cross. How foolish it would be to become arrogant before such a Lord. (2) David gained victory over those who opposed God. No matter how loudly his enemies cried out for help, it was a futile effort. They were trampled like mud in the streets. (3) David subdued domestic conflicts and became king of Israel, and in the end, he gained authority to rule over foreign nations as well. All of these things were accomplished by the grace of the Lord.
The Lord lives
In the end, David praises the Lord with all his strength. (1) “The Lord lives.” Idols have no life. They are dead gods. In contrast, the God of Israel, the God who made a covenant with David, is alive. (2) The Lord is the One who delivers us from the hand of our enemies. (3) David praises the name of the Lord among the nations. We, too, should praise the name of the Lord in this nation. (4) The Lord is the One who keeps the covenant He gave to David through the prophet Nathan and bestows mercy forever. David sings, “He is a tower of salvation to His king, And shows favor to His anointed, To David and his descendants forever” (v 51). It is the Lord Jesus who is born as the descendant of that David. The God we believe in is still alive today and is the One who keeps His covenant. How wonderful this is. Therefore, let us “strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble,” (Heb. 12:12).
Today's prayer
Heavenly Father, You are alive. Your covenant will never fade away. I trust in You. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.