“Therefore I will give thanks to You, O Lord, among the Gentiles, and sing praises to Your name” (Ps 18:49).
Remember from the title that Psalm 18 is describing how a humble boy from Bethlehem, not raised to be a warrior but a shepherd, wasn’t only able to survive the relentless attacks of Saul, but also eventually defeat Israel’s foes and expand the kingdom to be the great empire it was under his son Solomon. How did it happen? It begins with confidence in the Commander-in-chief (vv 1-3). Without that, no call for help will be made (vv 4-6). Once it has, heaven’s armies move into action (vv 7-15), and deliver (vv 16-19). As noted, verses 20-30 then show the relationship between our attitude and the Lord’s actions. This new section (vv 31-50) now first describes the weapons heaven provided for David (vv 31-36). These are reminiscent of the weapons the believer today has been given, including “the shield of Your salvation” (v 35). Through God he is strong (v 32), stable (v 33), skillful (v 34), safeguarded (v 35), and slip-proof (v 36). Next is described the turning of the tide of battle (vv 37-45) and the total victory! But you can see the secret of David’s triumph, and it’s a great lesson for us today. “I have pursued my enemies and overtaken them…For You have armed me with strength for the battle; You have subdued under me those who rose up against me. You have also given me the necks of my enemies” (vv 37-40). We’ll have the victory if He gets the credit. Why? God is not egotistical. He wants other people to trust Him too; He wants us all to live on the victory side. If we claim the victory, this lesson is lost. People trust people and are defeated—every time. So let’s join David in celebrating our Victor (vv 46-50)! “The Lord lives! Blessed be my Rock! Let the God of my salvation be exalted” (v 46).