Chapter 22
Labeled David's song of deliverance in TCR ESV. The first verse says it is about David's deliverance from all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. But so many of the Psalms are David praying for deliverance from enemies, surely not all were written while he was hiding from Saul. Surely he still had enemies when he became King, and surely he had enemies when Absalom led his revolt.
vvs 8-20 are a vision of God and his power, as David envisioned God's rescuing him from his enemies. God is seen exercising total power over the skies, the heavens, the waters. Over day and night. He is a King that cannot be opposed. This is likely how God's final wrath will look also. God will pour it out on all those still on the earth, and then cast those in Sheol into the lake of fire. This is a terrifying vision of the power that God can and WILL exercise over those who refuse to worship Him, to believe in Him. It will not be pretty.
2021 - vs 10 - another place where God is associated with thick darkness. We almost always think of Him as light, but many times, He is about darkness. Wrath is a part of God's ways. When it is time for justice, it comes quickly, completely, and destructively. When the time for mercy and forgiveness is over, wrath comes in as great a measure as the mercy was. It is like the breaker trips, but instead of going back to zero, the whole current comes rushing through burning and breaking.
21 "The LORD dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he rewarded me. 22 For I have kept the ways of the LORD and have not wickedly departed from my God. [2Sa 22:21-22 ESV]
How can David say this? Better yet, how are we to understand "not wickedly departing from" God, in light of this statement by David and knowing all the things that David did? We surely cannot say that God is ok with some sin...else David would not have received the severe punishment that he did. But God does forgive sin if we sincerely repent. And there is no fooling God about sincerity. David claims clean hands too. Though he is a man of war, and though he raided Philistine towns and slaughtered man, woman and child, then lied about it to the king who was harboring him. How is that clean hands?
If we could understand the things going on between David and God, and between God and David, we would go a long way toward understanding how God deals with men in the world. But I do not pretend to understand them.
Ahhh....if this was written at the time Saul was killed, it was before Bathsheba and all the problems that came after that. Maybe that's the context to see this here. It's right there in the very first verse. Written at the time David was delivered from Saul.
26 "With the merciful you show yourself merciful; with the blameless man you show yourself blameless; 27 with the purified you deal purely, and with the crooked you make yourself seem tortuous. 28 You save a humble people, but your eyes are on the haughty to bring them down. [2Sa 22:26-28 ESV]
David's description of how God operates. Where we imitate God's attributes, he gives us a greater portion of that attribute. Many of these parallels are repeated in Proverbs. This is a specific guide to how we should live, and tells us what the results will be. Hmm...also...how is God dealing with me? If it seems He is playing bait and switch with me, perhaps it is because I am devious. If He seems unyielding in His requirements for me, then perhaps I am unyielding. We get back from God based on who we are. Oh my.... And that last verse applies this also to nations, not just to individuals.
Possible FB post noted 7/16/20
2021 - Reading this again, I think it is even more profound. This speaks to examining what is going on between ourselves and God. How are our prayers answered? That will reflect the "deals" we're trying to cut with God. Are the answers delayed? Then what is God asking from us that is also delayed. We need to step back regularly and objectively evaluate how God is dealing with us, AND then apply what we see God doing toward us with what we are doing towards God. This is not a once/year thing to be done when I read this passage. This kind of examination should be done daily, so that we can more rapidly mold ourselves to operate as God operates.
6/20/21 God's answers seem delayed. Do I delay when I am asked? When Lavayne asks? Do the kids even bother to ask? Why don't they? Do they expect a no every time. Am I an generous person, only giving where I expect to be repaid? So God gives to me the same way?