2 Samuel 22 David's Song of Deliverance

Monday, September 17, 2012 
Part 1 of Friday Night's lesson.

Praise Him at all times. What's the worst that could happen?

• 22:1-4 "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. He said, 'The LORD is my rock and my fortress, in whom I take refuge [...] you save me from violence. I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised and I am saved from my enemies.'"

• David shows faith in the belief that God was worthy of praise even in the difficult and dangerous times of his life. We are constantly coasting through the easy times in our life, then when the waves get choppy, we turn and blame God. We wonder how he could put us through these things. We fail to see the truth in the idea of a Refining Fire. He doesn't bring us there to warm our hands, but to push us in. 

• In a service I was in, a pastor (can't remember which one) insured that when a trial arises, we will be delivered. The question is how. Not by what means. But how. God can choose to deliver us around, through, or by a situation. Sometimes God actually does not intend a battle for us. He brings us around and we go on our way. Our less favorite is when he delivers us through a situation. Despite our fears, doubts, or short comings, he will give us the ability to survive a situation, in order for us to come out, on the other side, stronger and closer to him. Yet another option is to be delivered by a situation. Despite our prayers when a loved one is sick, in danger, etc, sometimes God's will is not what we have been asking for. We may be called to trudge right into the middle of a wasteland or treacherous jungle of a situation, and then, without ever seeing the other side, we may be called to come home. This is indeed a deliverance. What's the worst that could happen?

God takes action for his children.

•  22:7-10 "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. Then the earth reeled and rocked, [...]. He bowed the heavens and came down; thick darkness was under his feet."
• If any of you have little siblings, you probably understand this from a certain perspective. Disclaimer: I was not/ am not the perfect big sister. I tormented my little brother. We are only a year and a half apart, so the action was mutual. But if anyone else picked on him, other than me, I came down on that guy like a panther. I've almost come to blows with a mutual friend of ours over the way he treated my brother. But in that same way (the defending, not so much the picking on) God takes action for us. 
• David went through a lot of crap. Let's face it. I'm pretty sure that if a week went by and no one was after his life or his kingdom, that was considered a vacation. They may as well head to the beach. But in all of his trials, God had his hands around David. He was constantly taking action to protect his child. When people came up against David, they got what was coming to them, not because David wished it on them or took his own action, but because God sought to punish them in some way. While David sometimes mourned the death of his enemies, (Saul, Jonathon, Ishbosheth, Abner, Absolom) he recognized God's judgement as divine intervention on his own behalf. 
• Examples in retrograde: Sheba, beheaded for slander against the king. (2 Sam 20:1, 22) Absolom, takes his fathers kingdom, used for javelin practice. (2 Sam 16:15-16, 18:14) Hanun, disgraces David's men despite David's kindness, people defeated in battle. (2 Sam 10:4, 13-14) The list could easily go on. 
• In the same way, God is constantly in control in our lives. When we cry out to him, He takes action. To think, that an almighty and holy God, beyond comprehension, would take action for the minute concerns of a "puny human," so small in the grand scheme of things, because He loves me, specifically me. He knows me and my voice reaches him, even on his throne. Not to mention, he sent his son, humbled to the state of flesh, to give all he had for me. Wow. 

The enemy.

• 22:18 "He rescued me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me."
• "God does not call the qualified, he qualifies the called." David was the smallest and youngest of his brothers. He was a mere shepherd, not an heir to any throne. From the beginning he was up against (in a way) a king, equipped with a nation and an army. But God chose David. God calls those who can't, to show that He can. He looked beyond what man could see. When captains pick teams, they typically look for the biggest, strongest, and fastest. None of these were ever me. But every once in a while, a captain would look for the most determined, most loyal, most eager. That's when I got picked. :)
• In our life, we will be put up against others far more capable than ourselves. David defeated a giant. But we may be called to face an opposing teacher, boss, culture, or nation. But in all things, God is higher and more powerful. It is not through the means that man would equip us, such as armor and swords, fire, ground trembling strength, but how God would guide with his still, small voice.

 God shining through us.

• 22:26-28 "With the merciful you show yourself merciful; with the blameless man you show yourself blameless; with the purified you deal purely, and with the crooked you make yourself seem tortuous. You save a humble people, but your eyes are on the haughty to bring them down."
• Our actions and attitudes are sometimes the only way people can experience the God that we serve. How is it that you can show mercy to the coworker whom your flesh really wants to strangle? Well think of the things you did to deserve the mercy Christ showed you. Jesus shares a parable containing this same concept. A man is forgiven a great debt, and turns around to punish his debtor for far less. We should be showing others the goodness which God has shown to us. He is merciful; he keeps at bay the judgement we deserve. He is a Holy God, who never fails or falters, thus making a constant on which we can depend. He deals fairly, a commonly unheard of thing here on Earth. We realize we cannot deliver ourselves, and so he saves us. He will lift us up above the world, despite the flack we get day in and day out, as a result of following. 
• The true proof of being his disciple is to show the love which has been shown us: mercy, purity, humility, etc.