Today, on prayer Monday, I was reading Psalm 18, where David praises God for his deliverance. The first three verses brought personal encouragement as David lists nine things the Lord is to him. Here they are with definitions.
1. Strength—help; strength as having the strength to help; that which makes one able to do something or have a certain character.[1]
2. Rock refers to a cleft in a rock, thence a rock or cliff. Though the word is used of purely natural rocks (Judges 6:20) or cliffs (Jeremiah 13:4), the physical object often becomes a symbol of spiritual truths.
3. Fortress— mountain or rock fortress, i.e., a place where one resides as a hiding or defensive position, often occupying a natural land formation in the highly inaccessible rock or hill area.[2]
4. Deliverer— save another to be safe from danger or a very unfavorable circumstance, normally focusing on physical dangers and troubles on earth.[3]
5. God— the Almighty.
6. Strength— literally, rock or cliff; figuratively a place of security or refuge.
7. Buckler— a defensive weapon that protects from attack, made of a frame with a leather cover.[4]
8. Horn of salvation— to have one’s horns exalted by God is to gain victory and salvation (Ps 92:10; David’s horn is to bud, Psalm 132:17). God is the source of all true salvation; hence he is termed the horn of salvation (2 Samuel 22:3).[5]
9. High Tower— an inaccessible, secure place, possibly up high in rim-rock where one may dwell or reside, with a focus on the safety and security of the area.[6]
Seeing God in each of David’s descriptions, you may want to join me in making a list and cite specific examples of how the Lord has done the same for you. Or choose several that have a noteworthy history to them. Be sure to recognize any that may not have been overtly experienced yet and look for Him to fulfill that definition in the future—for He will.
Kindly join me in thanking Him for being all that we ever need!
[1] Swanson, J. (1997). Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains: Hebrew (Old Testament) (electronic ed.). Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
[2] IBID
[3] IBID
[4] IBID
[5] Harris, R. L., Harris, R. L., Archer, G. L., & Waltke, B. K. (1999). Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (electronic ed.) (816). Chicago: Moody Press.
[6] Swanson, J. (1997).