2 Samuel 22:5-20 Delivered!

 ”“When the waves of death surrounded me, The floods of ungodliness made me afraid. The sorrows of Sheol surrounded me; The snares of death confronted me. In my distress I called upon the Lord, And cried out to my God; He heard my voice from His temple, And my cry entered His ears. “Then the earth shook and trembled; The foundations of heaven quaked and were shaken, Because He was angry. Smoke went up from His nostrils, And devouring fire from His mouth; Coals were kindled by it. He bowed the heavens also, and came down With darkness under His feet. He rode upon a cherub, and flew; And He was seen upon the wings of the wind. He made darkness canopies around Him, Dark waters and thick clouds of the skies. From the brightness before Him Coals of fire were kindled. “The Lord thundered from heaven, And the Most High uttered His voice. He sent out arrows and scattered them; Lightning bolts, and He vanquished them. Then the channels of the sea were seen, The foundations of the world were uncovered, At the rebuke of the Lord, At the blast of the breath of His nostrils. “He sent from above, He took me, He drew me out of many waters. He delivered me from my strong enemy, From those who hated me; For they were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my calamity, But the Lord was my support. He also brought me out into a broad place; He delivered me because He delighted in me.“

‭‭II Samuel‬ ‭22‬:‭5‬-‭20‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. Waves…floods…. Sorrows…snares: Danger surrounded David on every side – physically, spiritually, emotionally, socially – David was on the brink of ruin when he cried out to God.

b. In my distress I called upon the LORD: The enemy of our soul wants us to believe that we can’t call upon the LORD in our distress – as if we had to be right with God and sitting peacefully in a prayer chapel to pray rightly. David knew that God hears our distress signals.

c. He heard my voice: For David, it was that simple. He cried out to God, and God heard. David also knew that God could not hear the distress of His people without taking action on their behalf.

d. Then the earth shook: God was so concerned about David’s problem that it seemed to David as if He shook the earth to meet his need.

i. “What is most impressive…is the magnificent way the psalmist describes God rising from his throne in heaven in response to his servant’s cry, parting the clouds, and descending to fight the king’s battles accompanied by earthquakes, thunder, storms, and lightning.” (Boice)

e. He rode upon a cherub, and flew: David pictured the LORD coming to meet his need, coming with glory and speed. He came so fast to David that it seemed that God traveled upon the wings of the wind.

i. “In the original of this sublime passage, sense and sound are astonishingly well connected…. The clap of the wing, the agitation and rush through the air are expressed here in a very extraordinary manner.” (Clarke)

f. The Most High uttered His voice: When God came He spoke up on David’s behalf, commanding all creation to respond to His passionate desire to deliver His child.

i. All this is a reflection of David’s confidence in the love of God. David sees a God so loving that He won’t tolerate the distress of His beloved. When things aren’t right for His beloved all creation will see His passion and urgency to meet the need of His beloved.

g. He took me…He drew me…. He delivered me: David saw God apply all that majesty and strength to the meeting of his need.

h. They were too strong for me…. the LORD was my support: David knew that the victory was due to God’s hand, not due to his own ingenuity or ability. Without the LORD for support, David would fall.

i. He delivered me because He delighted in me: David had a sense of God’s delight in him. His plea for deliverance was rooted in relationship, not merely in a desire to survive. (Guzik)

Delivered!

I have had uncountable times in my life where the Lord has blessed and delivered me. I wonder in awe, why me Lord?

I can relate to David’s words! 

“The Lord was my support“. “He delivered me because He delighted in me.”

Can you relate to them also?

Blessings