2 Samuel 22:31-51

I forgot to set that. Second Samuel 22 verses 31 to 57 for our study this evening. There was a man, a pastor who stepped up to the checkpoint so that he could get into prison. He held Bible studies at the prison, but somehow rather they had misplaced his card so that he couldn’t get in. So he had to get a temporary pass or permission slip to hold the Bible studies with the inmates. after showing the guard his driver’s license. She filled out a slip of paper and handed it to the pastor as he entered into the prison. And he looked down and smiled as he looked at the permission slip because in the space to indicate who he was representing the guard had written God. So the guard sort of had a sense of humor, but she was right. Christians are God’s representatives here on this earth. Now David in this Psalm is not merely representing Christ, but he is prophetically speaking of Christ. You remember, this Psalm is found in Psalm 18 in the Psalter. And so with just some very minor changes to it for public worship, as we looked at in the previous study of the people of God. This Psalm, we said, contains the absolute. actual words of Christ himself. And therefore, David represents Christ here in the highest sense as a type of Christ. And the conclusion of this Psalm that we’re going to look at tonight is Christ rule over the nations. Paul quotes this Psalm in the book of Romans chapter 15 as being fulfilled in the extension of the kingdom of God to the Gentiles. And we see, of course, them being brought to faith in Christ. So this song is not merely a Psalm about Christ, but in a true sense, it contains the words of Christ. It is the song of Christ, if you would. The song expresses here, Christ’s delight in the Father, verses 2 to 4. Christ distress and dying for sinners, verses 5 to 7. Christ’s deliverance from his sufferings, and verses 8 to 20. The reasons for his deliverance, verses 21 to 30, including here, the establishment, well, I should just say that’s the deliverance. That was the reason for his deliverance is 21 to 30 under the deliverance because of his righteousness and his perfect keeping of the law. Versus 31 to 46 is the establishment of Christ’s kingly rule over the nations, and verses 47 to 51, the praise of the triumphant Christ in the everlasting kingdom of God. There’s a sense in which we see the invincibility here of Christ’s kingdom. Now, you find the power that establishes Christ’s kingdom in verses 31 to 737 that we have just read. God’s power. accomplishes his purpose. As for God, his way is perfect. We see here in verse 31. What a glorious testimony from Christ, who has been tried, who has been tested to the utmost, if you would, by the sufferings he’s undergone. The will of God required Jesus to drink deeply. of a bitter cup as he went to the cross and suffered and died. That was the cup that the father had given him. Yet there’s not a word of criticism made against God or his eternal purpose, his way is perfect. For Christ’s kingdom to be fully established, he had to endure the appointed death on the cross, and Christ did so fully assured, of God’s eternal purpose regarding an everlasting kingdom that would be granted to him. And omnipotence certainly cannot be defeated. So God’s wisdom here is praised for his plan is based upon his wise eternal counsel. Well, that you and I would also express such high views of God’s purpose in our own life, that his way is perfect. There are many times we don’t think that his way. is perfect. We complain about his way in our life. Christ here shows us how we should look at the matter, for God knows best, and we should accept it and say his way is perfect. We see also tonight God’s power guarantees his promises. The word of the Lord is tried. We read here in verse 31. God’s word is like silver that has been tried in the furnace. and there’s no dross. There’s no corruption in it whatsoever. Tens of thousands of Christ’s people in all ages and under all circumstances have trusted in God’s word and found it to be true and dependable. And Christ voices that, I think here, not only for himself, but in a sense for his people. It’s doctrine satisfied. your soul. Its commands prove to be to your best interest. Its promises you will find to be absolutely reliable. You know, many years ago, you lost a key to a drawer or cabinet or something, you would get the locksmith and he would come. I don’t know if they still do this. They have all these gadgets. They used to, but they used to come with this big ring with all these keys on it. And they would try different keys. and eventually, you know, they would find one that would open your cabinet. You know, all these keys. Well, the Bible contains thousands of keys of promise, if you would, to unlock and open the iron gates to whatever trouble that we may have in this life. God directs us to the promise that we need at that time. And we rely on God to answer that prayer and to fulfill his promise. And so, we find that he helps us and directs us in this. Christ indicates in his supreme trial, under his arrest, under the various trials that he had, both before the Romans and the Jews, and of course in his cross and his death, God’s word of promise proved true. He triumphed over all of this. We should learn the lesson from this to trust in the Lord, to trust in the promises of God. He delights in those who claim his promises and believe that he will do as he has said. So God’s power guarantees his promises. God’s power assures his protection. He is a buckler to all them that trust in him. Versus 32 to 37 sort of explains how this divine protection is provided. not only just for Christ but in the sense for his people as well. We are surrounded with God’s favor, the scripture says, as a buckler in Psalm 512, very similar to this passage here in verse 31. We might say in a sense God is behind his servant. He is a rock. God eternally undergirds, if you would, supports. sustains Christ as well as his people. He alone is the rock. There’s no one like him. He’s the eternal one, and he’s the rock of Gibraltar-like for us. The only true refuge and solid support is found in God, and all else ultimately will prove to be sinking sand, whether we trust in princes or in horses, or anything else, it will not be what we need. God is beside his servant in the time of testing in verses 33 to 36 here. God gives the strength and the guidance which is needed for victory. We read in verse 38. The imagery here speaks of the various gifts that God provides you and certainly provided Christ to overcome his enemies. He says in verse 34 here, he maketh my feet like Heinz feet. Here we have the idea of speed. We have the idea of outmaneuvering your enemy. Look at Christ who was always able to outthink, outmaneuver all the enemies that came to trip him up, to harm him. He was able to even escape from them and to walk away and not be harmed, even when it seemed like they had him, or they were going to harm him in some fashion. Notice also he seteth me up upon my high places in the second part of verse 34. Now we see the unwavering faithfulness to the Lord under trial. There’s no stumbling or falling here. He’s kept from that circumstance. Protected. The Lord Jesus Christ never sinned, but honor the Lord in all his circumstances in this life. He teacheth my hands to war, verse 35A. Here we have the skill necessary to dispatch an enemy. Watch and see how the Lord Jesus Christ in the Gospels uses the sword of the spirit to defeat everyone that tries to entrap him. A bow of steel is broken by mine arms, verse 35B. Here we have strength. that’s given to Christ to break the most formidable weapons of the enemy. Steel here, most of the commentators see this as some type of bronze bow that would take your foot to also bend. It would be very hard just to bend with your arms. So it takes a lot of extra effort to bend it. Now, just to bend it would take some strength. But to break it, would take extreme strength here. And so we see that Christ here is able to break it in half or to snap it. Satan used his most formidable weapons against Christ and his temptation in the wilderness, tempting him in areas of the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, and Christ broke his bow by using scripture each time to defeat him. Remember the Sabbath? brought forward their best argument about there being no resurrection, about the woman that had married seven brothers, and yet Christ broke their bowl very easily, and answered and left them speechless. Verse 36a, Thou has given me the shield of thy salvation, or the shield of thy victory over the enemy. They can’t overcome God’s representative. They try. but they can’t defeat him. It had to be very frustrating to them, even when they sent people to arrest him. There’s never a man that spake like this man, and they come back at the anteanted. Ultimately, Christ gains the victory, for God didn’t leave even the Savior in the grave, but resurrected him, as we know, from Scripture. For the Christian, regardless of what happens to you, the righteous man falls seven times, but he rises again, because your eternal salvation is assured in God protection. Thy gentleness hath made me great, verse 36B. This seems to be speaking about God’s discipline, training you, making you spiritually alert. The word gentleness here can be rendered goodness, condescension, or affliction. The Septuagint, version actually has the word thy discipline, the words thy discipline with the idea of affliction being used here. This seems to make the best sense, to me. Christ does not complain about God’s providences, as if he is treated him too harshly, but he extols God for the pains that had been taken with him. The wholesome discipline of the Christian soldier, the chastisements, the corrections that you and I receive from our Heavenly Father, train you up to be truly great. Christian soldiers like their great leader must be made perfect through sufferings, as Hebrews 5, 8, and 9 indicates to us. The word gentle is interesting that I think the horses that were broken, they had that word was used that would be gentle because they were made submissive by God. And here we have a sense in the discipline of God here and being made perfect in sufferings for Christ. So Christ is beside his servant in time of testing. God goes before his servant. Here, verse 37, God prepares the circumstances that lie ahead for Christ and for you and I by his providence. The has enlarged my steps under me. This is so the path you travel, God is removing the obstacles, keeping you from falling or tripping, and any rough spots. They’ve been removed. You don’t turn any ankles or anything like this. Jesus acknowledges how his 11, Heavenly Father had paved the way for his triumph and his feet would not slip. Isaiah 42.4 says, My servant shall not fail or be discouraged. You remember the statement about John the Baptist, he would go before the Lord, and he was going to prepare the way and make it straight. And every mountain, every hill shall be made low. Every crooked place shall be made. made straight in the rough places plain for Christ. That was God’s work. So God’s power assures his protection behind, beside, and before his servant. Now, looking at this, we see that God deserves all the praise here and the honor. Since God’s power establishes Christ’s kingdom, you must surely acknowledge this matter. the Godman here sets the example for us in this Psalm. W.G. Blakely refers to an incident in English history which took place after the English victory at the Battle of Agencourt in 1415 with France in the Hundred Years’ War. He said that King Henry V of England ordered the singing of Psalm 115. Henry Protestant, himself on the ground and he caused his whole army to be bowed on the ground with him. While the words peeled forth not unto us, oh Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name, give glory. It was a humble spirit that was displayed. That humble spirit is often absent in the church today. Well, Christ gives God here the glory for the estuary. of his kingdom. The Christian, can I call cockiness today, we think of our programs, our technology, our seminars, and our abilities that somehow rather we are going to advance the kingdom of God by our skill. Why is the church so slow to learn? Why can’t we learn from Christ here to give the honor to the Lord? Why are we repeatedly disillusioned? because we think we can do it ourselves. We need to get down with Henry V. We need to confess, for thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory. So you find here the power that establishes Christ kingdom here. Secondly, you find the punishment of the enemies of Christ’s kingdom in verses 38 to 43. Let’s look at that. I have pursued mine enemies and destroyed them and turned not again, until I had consumed them. And I have consumed them and wounded them. And they could not arise, yea, they are fallen under my feet. Thou hast girded me with strength the battle. Then that rose up against me, thou hast subdued under me. Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies that I might destroy them that hate me. They looked, but there was none to say, even under the Lord, but he answered them not. Then did I beat them as small as the dust of the earth. I did stamp them as the mire of the streets, or the street, and did spread them abroad. Here we have the victory of Christ as the warrior king over his enemies. For upon his death and resurrection, he ascended and he went and sat on the throne, and he reigned as king, and he reigned as king. over his kingdom. So we have a description here of the vengeance which the Lord Jesus Christ meets out on those who opposed him and were enemies and put him to death. Christ wrath pursued and destroyed them in the day of his visitation. Nor was it held back but like a deviring fire. It consumed the prey. The Jews were cast. down so they could not rise again or recover as a nation being crushed under the feet of the once despised Jesus of Nazareth. He has their necks under his feet now and he brings down judgment upon them. He conquers them. He utterly defeats them. The lamentable and miserable state of the Jews is captured in verse 42, will they will cry out to the Lord, but he will not hear them. He will not answer them. They had rejected and murdered his son. There will be no mercy, but the wrath of the lamb they will taste. The nature of Christ’s judgment on his own nation is portrayed by two images here. They would be broken in pieces. We have the idea of dispersal here throughout all the earth, by the breath of God’s displeasure like dust blowing in the wind. the Jews would be scattered to every nation under heaven. And like mire in the street, they are trodden under feet, treated with utter disregard. We find. We can certainly see in the Jewish War of 66 through 70 AD here, this judgment being meted out. But certainly it looks beyond that particular judgment. But all the enemies of Christ’s kingdom, him down through the ages until at last he comes again and puts the last enemy under his feet. But all through history, we can see this. But in this particular generation of Christ, he says that this generation was going to feel the wrath of God. And you’ll notice in Luke chapter 21, where Jesus, before he goes to the cross, here it says this to the people here. Luke 21, 20 through 24. And when you see Jerusalem, to the disciples in particular, when you see Jerusalem come past with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. Then let them which are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let them which are in the midst of it depart out, and let them not that are, let not them that are in the countries enter there into. But these, be the days of vengeance that all things which are written may be fulfilled, but woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days. For there shall be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people, and they shall fall by the edge of the sword. They shall be led away captive unto all nations, and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles be born. fulfilled. So we see here the judgment of God here falling for what they have done to Christ. But through the ages, we see this. The victory of the warrior king here over his enemies is declared. The military language is symbolic here of the spiritual warfare that the church is engaged in. The language here is not gentle, is it? It’s rather harsh. It is a reminder that not all God’s victories are happy conversions in which his former enemies repent and believe in him, but that Christ will indeed pursue, crush, destroy his foes, ultimately removing every last one of his enemies from the earth. Now this war language that we find here does not give the church the right to be militarized in any sense. It’s not that we should take up weapons to carry out this purpose. For the weapons of the church’s warfare are not carnal, but spiritual in nature according to 2. Corinthians 10 verses 3 to 5. We never make converts at the point of a sword or the bullets of a gun. You know, unlike ISIS, which tries to bring people into their group by force, we do not do such a thing. But what the church can do is the sing the Psalms. And we can pronounce God’s curse on all the enemies of Jesus Christ. We can pray and ask God to do the vengeance. Ask God to judge his enemies. Look at Psalm 145 with me. There’s so many Psalms that we could look at in this regard, but this one I think stands out in my mind. Let’s pick up with verse 5. It says here, let the saints be joyful in glory. Let them sing aloud upon their beds. That the high praises of God be in their mouth and a two-edged sword in their hand to execute vengeance upon the heathen and punishments upon the people to bind their kings with chains and their nobles with fetters of iron, to execute upon them the judgment written. This honor have all his saints. Praise ye the Lord. Singing the Psalms is a powerful weapon. against all our adversaries. Let the praises of God be like a two-edged sword in our hand. Every saint may pronounce the doom and the condemnation against all the enemies of the kingdom of God. It is not a literal sword that we use, of course. Our two-edged sword is the word of God itself. God’s curse upon the enemy. God’s pronounce judgment upon the enemy. It is what we pronounce, even against kings and nobles, even against presidents and rulers, and dictators. During Operation Desert Storm, the Iraqi Army was overwhelmed by the coalition’s ability to somehow or other very precisely bomb. I don’t know if you remember at the time, you could actually see how these bombs would go right down, you know, stairways and right into directly, hit directly where they want them to hit. Not known to the Iraqis at the time, the Allied Supreme Command had dropped special forces, operation for men, behind the lines. And they would use a laser to guide these bombs specifically to where they wanted them to hit. In much the same way, the Psalms and the prayers of the church paint the target, if you would, for the outpouring of God’s wrath from heaven above against the enemies that we have. So that we find this privilege be given to us that we can pronounce God’s judgment against these individuals through our prayers and the singing of these songs. People sometimes don’t want to sing some of these songs that are pouring out God’s wrath on the enemy. But God would have us sing these Psalms. this is the way we pronounce judgment. and so we should not shrink back from this or renounce these things, but embrace them. And this is the way God answers the prayers that we have. And our singing here is to also cause God to unveil his arm so to speak in the judgment on his enemies. So you find the punishment of the enemies of Christ’s kingdom here in these verses. Thirdly tonight, you find the peoples that serve Christ’s kingdom. Versus 44 to 46 of our passage tonight. Thou also has delivered me from the strivings of my people. Thou hast kept me to be head of the heaven. A people which I knew not shall serve me. Strangers shall submit themselves unto me. As soon as they hear they shall be obedient to me. Strangers shall fade away. They shall be afraid out of their close places. Now the Jews, my people, he’s using in a sense of John 111, he came unto his own, his own, received him not, were the first great obstacle to the spread of the gospel. They tried to oppose the gospel early on. It’s often apostate religion that is the most hostile to the gospel of Christ, believe it or not. But it is. Even in our day, this is true. However, the destruction of the Jewish nation opens up the doorway for the gospel to go forth. And the gospel is spread far and white. and Christ was delivered from his enemies by his resurrection and the nations now all submit to him as king. Jesus was made the head of the heathen, it says here. Of course, Christ is the head of the church and I think we should apply that, that the Gentiles will be brought into the church here and be part of the church. In fact, they will compose much of the church. The readiness of the Gentiles to embrace the gospel and flow into the church is foretold here in verse 45 and how they readily submit. They’re made willing in the day of God’s power, and of course he brings them into the kingdom, according to the promises that he has made. Christ is the head of the nations in two ways. First in verses 44 and 45, by way of faith, Christ conquers his elect by his sovereign grace. and they who in time passed were not a people or now the people of God. So that’s one way he does it, but he also does it subjection through condemnation in verse 46. Those who steadfastly reject the Lord Jesus Christ will eventually be made to acknowledge King Jesus. Every knee shall bow, every tongue shall confess. So there’s some cringing here on the part of some. Some will. cringingly acknowledged the truth. This is not faith, but sort of a grudging resignation of those who dig their own graves. And so you find the peoples that serve Christ’s kingdom here. Lastly, here, fourthly, you find the promise that guarantees Christ’s kingdom. Versus 47 to 51. The Lord liveth, and blessed be my rock, and exalted be the God of the rock of my salvation. It is God that avengeeth me, that bringeth down the people under me, that bringeth me forth from mine enemies. Thou hast lifted me up on high above them that rose up against me. Thou hast delivered me from the violent man. Therefore I will give thanks under the O Lord among the heathen, and I will sing praises under thy name. He is the tower of salvation for his king. and showeth mercy to his anointed under David and to his seed for evermore. The Messiah here is glorying in the perpetuity of his kingdom. There is no way that he’s going to be toppled from his position. We have a prophetic glimpse here of the relationship between the Father and the Son. Christ praises the Father here in verses 47 through 50. That God, lives as the Messiah’s rock and savior, worthy of the praise of the God man, and certainly of you and I as the people of God. Christ thanks the Father for all the blessings bestowed upon him, especially deliverance from his enemies, and the expectation that he will be exalted over all his foes eventually. Christ being worshipped by the heathen is a wonderful fulfillment of that promise in Psalm 2, I will give you the Heaths. even for thy inheritance. We see God’s word coming to pass. Christ rejoices also in His everlasting kingdom. Verse 51. He is the Tower of Salvation for His King. Showeth mercy to his anointed under David and his seed forevermore. This last verse remind you that God’s kingdom, under David, and in its final form, under the Lord Jesus Christ, does not depend on the lucky breaks of history. It depends on God’s promise and his eternal decree being fulfilled. That determines and shapes history. Such certainty is necessary for the citizens of his kingdom like you and I as we undergo various adversities and difficulties and hardships in this life, and enemies in this life. And we face these dangers and toils and snares of the Lord Jesus Christ did comforted with the knowledge that the kingdom of God will prevail and that Christ will be victorious. He is the king. He’s not going to fade from the scene. His power is unabated and he will indeed win the victory. All men shall ultimately have to answer to him. God says to all nations and men throughout his, history as we read in Psalm 2. Kiss the sun, lest he be angry, and you perish from the way. When his wrath is kindled but a little, blessed are all they that put their trust in him. That is our king. That is the message is sent forth. Well, that pastor visiting the prison was representing God. So his name tag indicated. Here David not only represents Jesus Christ, but in his name. sense, he speaks the words of Christ. He is a prophetic Psalm. This Psalm ends proclaiming the invincibility of Christ’s kingdom with the power that establish his kingdom, the punishment of the enemies of his kingdom, the peoples that serve his kingdom, and finally the promise that guarantees his kingdom. So when we sing Psalm 18, I hope this study has been somewhat helpful to you, and we should see Christ certainly in that song.