Psalm 18:25–50: Continuing a prayer about rescue.
The story of the Gospel is a story about rescue. Perhaps we look around at our world and everything seems so ordinary and normal. But that’s a lie.
There is great good happening in the world. And there is great evil happening in the world. An epic tragedy has fallen upon God’s good creation, and everyday we witness the ruin and decay that has resulted. But God is on the move.
Have we lost the power of what it means to be “saved”? Salvation is an epically good and powerful word. We are saved from the rot and decay of a sin-soaked and dying world.
God has acted. God has saved. God has delivered. Notice how many times in this poem/prayer that “God” is subject of the verb. If you want to take a minute to really dig into this psalm, mark every verb. Then mark every place the God is the one doing the action and David is doing the action. And notice that when David is acting, it’s because of what God has done first.
Rescue is not the end of this story. Transformation, empowerment, and victory all happen to David as a result of God’s initial act of salvation.
Think about that a minute. God doesn’t save us simply for the sake of saving us. He saves us so we can do something. We are saved in order to be transformed, re-created, empowered, and defeat the forces of darkness that nearly wiped us out.
The story of Psalm 18 is the story of the Exodus—the parting of the Red Sea—made personal. It’s a story that helps us make sense of the story of the cross and the empty tomb.
Just imagine these words on the lips of the resurrected Jesus, who experienced betrayal and enemies and death but ultimate vindication and rescue from God.
Now can you imagine these words on your lips?
Fiftyeight 