Anchored to the Rock: A Song of Thanksgiving

One with God is a majority. – William Carey

I am skipping psalm 17 because I plan to preach from the ‘parallel’ psalm (22) closer to the Passion Week. Psalm 18 is a very long psalm, so I was tempted to skip it in my preaching.

However, I find this an important one (it is also found in 2 Samuel 22) and I will tackle it with God’s help.

The following preliminary notes are from Lawson and the ESV Study Bible. By the end of the week I usually refine my understanding of the psalm and I may be in partial disagreement with these comments, but I find these notes as good starting points.

MAIN IDEA: David rejoices in God who has rescued him from all his enemies.

This is a royal psalm, i.e., it celebrates the way that God has shown his love to his people by giving them the Davidic monarchy and by preserving David through many dangers (see the title and v. 50). The text of the psalm is almost identical to 2 Samuel 22. The two songs differ, however, in their context: Second Samuel 22 is David’s personal expression of gratitude to the Lord, while Psalm 18 is the adaptation of that song for the whole people to sing, because their well-being is now tied to the offspring of David (2 Sam. 7:4–17). When God’s people sang this, then, they were to give thanks for the Davidic line and to pray that its heirs would be faithful to the Lord and would be valiant military leaders, so that Israel might carry out its God-given purpose of bringing light to the Gentiles. (ESV Study Bible).

A. David’s Rejoicing (1-3)

Love for God

Protection from God

B. David’s Reasons (4-45)

God rescued me (4-19)

God rewarded me (20-27)

God renewed me (28-42)

God restored me (43-45)

C. David’s Refrain: (46-50)

God subdues (46-47)

God saves (48)

God succeeds (49-50)

QUESTIONS and THOUGHTS:

What struck me about this psalm is the opening line: I love you, O Lord! This statement of love is almost unparalleled in the Bible. Check it out for yourself by starting with the psalms.

Read the ‘theophany’ in vv. 7-15. What are your feelings and understanding about this?

How is this psalm applicable to the Christian today?

What are your reasons for thanksgiving?

Can this psalm be preached ‘Christologically’?