PSALM EIGHTEEN THE ROCK In 2 Samuel 22 it is said that David spake to the Lord the words of this psalm the day he was delivered from Saul. The Psalm itself is dated some thirty years later. Thus we are reminded that the passing years do not diminish the reality of an experience in God. We should never forget our folly nor God's faithfulness. It would be good to recall both, year by year. We may have many long battles, but however long a battle lasts, it will still have an end. Love for man is often inordinate and diminishes over the years, but love of God is never inordinate and grows constant. Like the conies, our strength is in the rock. God is our rock. He is our fortress; deliverer; buckler; high tower; shield; and horn. Consider the advantages of the Rock. A rock in a weary land is a place of shade. David as a shepherd, had often used a rock for its shadow. He would sit in its shade and lean his back against the rock. Believers never have their backs to the wall - we always have our backs to the rock. He is our shade from the heat of the day. The rock is a vantage place. Higher ground was always an advantage in ancient warfare. We are in the oldest battle of all - the battle of life; the best place to take our stand is in God. The rock was a source of refreshment. David, as a lad, must have known the story well, how God had watered a vast company of 3,000,000 by bringing water from the rock. To the world around us, our God is an inpenetrable, unscalable, smooth faced rock. To us He is the Fount of every Blessing. In Canaan there was honey in the rock. Sweetness and life were found together in the rock. Jesus is the joy of living. We taste the honey from the rock. The world presents nothing but bitterness and death. Our God is all sweetness and life to the believer. In his letter to the Corimnthians, the Apostle says that the rock, which followed Israel of old, was Christ. (2.Cor.10.4.) Christ is surely worthy to be praised. Martin Luther said, "One cannot believe what a powerful assistance such praise of God is in pressing danger. For the moment thou wilt begin to praise God, the evil will begin to abate, the consoled heart will grow strong, and then will follow calling on God with confidence." Seldom do troubles come alone and seldom does God deliver us from ONE trouble - "Many are the afflictions of the righteous, BUT the Lord delivereth him out of them ALL." The opposition will always give way to God. David never realised that the day would come when Saul would fall on his own sword. The day it happened, this psalm was born in David's heart. In the darkest hour of the reformation, Luther said, "Come, let us sing a Psalm and let them do their worst." God is indeed our refuge and strength. He is our ROCK. Copyright (c) 1995, Hedley Palmer. All rights reserved. ---------------------------------------------------- file: /pub/resources/text/hpalmer/psalms: ps-018.txt .