3/31/24:
Psalm 18 Devotional:
Psalm 18:28-50:
28 Surely thou wilt light my candle: the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness.

29 For by thee I have broken through an host; and by my God have I leaped over a wall.

30 The way of God is perfect: the word of the Lord is tried in the fire: he is a shield to all that trust in him.

31 For who is God, except the Lord? or who is a rock, except our God?

32 God girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way upright.

33 He maketh my feet like hinds’ feet, and setteth me upon my high places.

34 He teacheth my hands to war, so that a bow of brass is broken by mine arms.

35 Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath caused me to increase.

36 Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did not slip.

37 I have pursued mine enemies, and overtaken them: and I did not turn again till they were consumed.

38 I have wounded them that they were not able to rise: they are fallen under my feet.

39 For thou hast girded me with strength to battle: thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me.

40 Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies; that I might destroy them that hate me.

41 They cried, but there was none to save them: even unto the Lord, but he answered them not.

42 Then did I beat them small as the dust before the wind: I did cast them out as the dirt in the streets.

43 Thou hast delivered me from the strivings of the people; and thou hast made me the head of the heathen: a people whom I have not known shall serve me.

44 As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me: the strangers shall submit themselves unto me.

45 The strangers shall shrink away, and be affrighted from their private chambers.

46 Let the Lord live; and blessed be my strength; and let the God of my salvation be exalted.

47 It is God that avengeth me, and subdueth the people under me.

48  Oh my deliverer from mine enemies: even thou liftest me up above those that rise up against me: thou hast delivered me from the violent man.

49 Therefore will I praise thee, O Lord, among the heathen, and will sing unto thy name.

50 Great deliverance giveth he to his king; and sheweth mercy to his anointed, even to David, and to his seed for evermore.

Previously we noted the great importance of this Psalm, even of its weight and matter, and doctrinal substance teaching us to glory in God alone, to bless His name for all experienced victories, to remain upright in our walk, and even to boldly exclaim against our enemies that we have not wickedly departed from our God. This all up to verse 28 which is where we left off, and have here continued from thence to the end of the Psalm. Wherein we find the promise and foretelling of victory over the enemies of the kingdom of Christ mystically represented by David’s own exaltation and conquest. And so the Geneva preface saith of this section: “Also he setteth forth the image of Christ’s kingdom, that the faithful may be assured that Christ shall always conquer and overcome by the unspeakable power of his Father, though all the whole world should strive there against.” So we see that as David says of his enemies, “Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies; that I might destroy them that hate me.” So saith Christ unto the devil and his horde, that they might not assault and molest the church of God which is His mystical body, and with whom He suffers while we pass our time in this strange land, as He Himself saith unto Saul of Tarsus who violently persecuted the church, “why persecutest thou ME?” even so Christ wages warfare against the devil and His kingdom and reclaims as His own those whom the Father gave Him and will always come forth in His conquests as victorious. How abhorrent and absurd then to imagine Christ as a wishing wanting helper of every man, but saving none, rather than as Supreme Captain, the Lord and Savior of His people giving His life for then that they might have life? This Psalm then is a damning rebuke to those who oppose Christ’s kingdom by false doctrine, for He will have victory over them as His enemies and beat them fine as dust before the wind. Also foretold here is the calling of the Gentiles when Christ in the person of David saith, “thou hast made me the head of the heathen: a people whom I have not known shall serve me.” For the Jews knew Him by the law, but the Gentiles knew Him not, living in abject darkness. Therefore here is prophesied that the Gentiles shall be subject to Christ’s kingdom, which is a marvelous condescension of grace, and demonstrates the wonderful compassion of God towards miserable sinners. For as Ephesians saith, we were strangers from the covenants, having no hope and without God in the world. “But now in Christ Jesus,” saith he in the very next verse “ye which once were far off, are made near by the blood of Christ.” Such a kingdom hath Christ purchased with His blood and shall have dominion over all His own, and shall rule in their hearts by grace until He shall return again from heaven to save them from their present troubles, that we might be with Him where He is, as He promised. Therefore be patient, brethren uinto the coming of the Lord. Behold it is a very little time and He will come for us. Seeing He hath delivered us from everlasting death and the curse, is it not a little time? If we should live a thousand times ten thousand years for every moment in a day, so that every fraction of a second was unto us as a millenium, and then Christ should come unto us at the end of all this time, and take us to be with Him, though it appear long and toilsome for the flesh, would it not be a short time in comparison with eternity? Yes, verily. Therefore seeing our time is so short, let us ever be vigilant and watchful in the faith, fulfilling that duty which He hath called us to, and let us be very zealous for His name, for He will surely come to reward His faithful people, and will cast away the hypocrites. There shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth when Christ comes to beat them as fine as dust before the wind who thought they knew him. Yea He will profess unto them, I never knew you, depart form me ye workers of iniquity. Then shall he receive the righteous into His kingdom which shall be forever. Wait for it, then dear Christian. The time for Christ’s kingdom is at hand.

Matthew Henry,
I. David looks back, with thankfulness, upon the great things which God had done for him. He had not only wrought deliverance for him, but had given him victory and success, and made him triumph over those who thought to triumph over him. When we set ourselves to praise God for one mercy we must be led by that to observe the many more with which we have been compassed about, and followed, all our days. Many things had contributed to David’s advancement, and he owns the hand of God in them all, to teach us to do likewise, in reviewing the several steps by which we have risen to our prosperity. 1. God had given him all his skill and understanding in military affairs, which he was not bred up to nor designed for, his genius leading him more to music, and poetry, and a contemplative life: He teaches my hands to war,Psalms 18:34;. 2. God had given him bodily strength to go through the business and fatigue of war: God girded him with strength (Psalms 18:32;39), to such a degree that he could break even a bow of steel. What service God designs men for he will be sure to fit them for. 3. God had likewise given him great swiftness, not to flee from the enemies but to fly upon them (Psalms 18:33): He makes my feet like hinds’ feet,Psalms 18:36. “Thou hast enlarged my steps under me; but” (whereas those that take large steps are apt to tread awry) “my feet did not slip.” He was so swift that he pursued his enemies and overtook them, Psalms 18:37; Psalms 18:37. 4. God had made him very bold and daring in his enterprises, and given him spirit proportionable to his strength. If a troop stood in his way, he made nothing of running through them; if a wall, he made nothing of leaping over it (Psalms 18:29); if ramparts and bulwarks, he soon mounted them, and by divine assistance set his feet upon the high places of the enemy, Psalms 18:33. 5. God had protected him, and kept him safe, in the midst of the greatest perils. Many a time he put his life in his hand, and yet it was wonderfully preserved: “Thou hast given me the shield of thy salvation (Psalms 18:35; Psalms 18:35), and that has compassed me on every side. By that I have been delivered from the strivings of the people who aimed at my destruction (Psalms 18:43; Psalms 18:43), particularly from the violent man” (Psalms 18:48), that is, Saul, who more than once threw a javelin at him. 6. God had prospered him in his designs; he it was that made his way perfect (Psalms 18:32) and it was his right hand that held him up, Psalms 18:35. 7. God had given him victory over his enemies, the Philistines, Moabites, Ammonites, and all that fought against Israel: those especially he means, yet not excluding the house of Saul, which opposed his coming to the crown, and the partisans of Absalom and Sheba, who would have deposed him. He enlarges much upon the goodness of God to him in defeating his enemies, attributing his victories, not to his own sword or bow, nor to the valour of his mighty men, but to the favour of God: I pursued them (Psalms 18:37), I wounded them (Psalms 18:38); for thou hast girded me with strength (Psalms 18:39), else I could not have done it. All the praise is ascribed to God: Thou hast subdued them under me,Psalms 18:39;. Thou hast given me their necks (Psalms 18:40), not only to trample upon them (as Joshua 10:24), but to cut them off. Even those who hated David, and were enemies to the Israel of God, in their distress cried unto the Lord: but in vain; he answered them not. How could they expect he should when it was he whom they fought against? And, when he disowned them (as he will all those that act against his people), no other succours could stand them in stead: There was none to save them,Psalms 18:41. Those whom God has abandoned are easily vanquished: Then did I beat them small as the dust,Psalms 18:42. But those whose cause is just he avenges (Psalms 18:47), and those whom he favours will certainly be lifted up above those that rise up against them,Psalms 18:48; Psalms 18:48. 8. God had raised him to the throne, and not only delivered him and kept him alive, but dignified him and made him great (Psalms 18:35): Thy gentleness has increased me–thy discipline and instruction; so some. The good lessons David learned in his affliction prepared him for the dignity and power that were intended him; and the lessening of him helped very much to increase his greatness. God made him not only a great conqueror, but a great ruler: Thou hast made me the head of the heathen (Psalms 18:43); all the neighbouring nations were tributaries to him. See 2 Samuel 8:6,11. In all this David was a type of Christ, whom the Father brought safely through his conflicts with the powers of darkness, and made victorious over them, and gave to be head over all things to his church, which is his body. 

Lesson 13. The Substance of the Doctrine of Christ. Part 3. Of the covenant of grace and the promise of a redeemer.
Would parents but begin betimes, and labour to affect the hearts of their children with the great matters of everlasting life, and to acquaint them with the substance of the doctrine of Christ…

Intro.
Review.
1. Our creation for obedience.
2. The perfection required by the law.
3. Separation from God by the fall.
The wickedness of mankind.
4. The covenant of works.
5. The misery of man on account of sin. Application. Necessity of regeneration for conversion, Imputation for justification, Sanctification for the success of all good works, and all holy activity. Resisting sin, following after righteousness.

6. Christ sent for the salvation of His people.
Flavel, WLC.

Conclusion.

YouTube Audio: https://youtu.be/OXWAVq7UJzM