2 Samuel 22:1-14 – Looking Backwards and Forwards
The passage that we’re going to be looking at this week is identical to Psalm 18. It makes it into the book of Psalms. Other songs don’t. And I think that helps us answer the question as to whether we should sing songs that are in the Bible, but aren’t in the book of Psalms. Because there are other songs in the Bible. There’s Hannah’s song at the beginning of 1st Samuel. There’s Mary’s song after Gabriel meets her and she goes to visit her cousin Elizabeth. So should we sing them? First and foremost, we don’t have a command to sing these other songs, even though they’re inspired. And apart from that, the fact that some songs outside of the book of Psalms make it into the psalter and some songs don’t, tells us that if God wanted us to sing a particular song, we would find it in the book of Psalms as well.
Because here we have a song which is recorded in a historical book, but also makes it into the book of Psalms.
Imagine that the Queen, in her final months, had written down an account of her life. And in particular if she had highlighted different ways God had been with her during her life, and given all the glory and all the honour to him. That would have been quite something. In a way, that’s like what David does here. We can’t be sure whether David is approaching the end of his life as he writes these words. But it does provide a fitting conclusion to the books of 1 and 2 Samuel. Even if we have another two chapters to go. Way back in 1st Samuel chapter 2, Hannah, in her song, had looked forward to the kingdom that God was going to bring about. She had finished with the words: ‘The LORD will…give strength to his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed’. That was before Israel had ever had such a thing as a king. But she spoke prophetically by the Spirit. Now, in 2nd Samuel 22, Israel’s second – and greatest – king looks back on his reign. In some ways the two songs are like a mirror image. Hannah says: ‘the LORD will thunder in heaven’. And here in chapter 22:14 we read: ‘The LORD thundered from heaven’. Hannah looks forward. David looks back. And so what we have here is a fitting summary of David’s reign, looking back at what God has done for him, but also looking forward.
Question
- What is David doing in this Psalm?
Prayer Points
- Give thanks for all that God has done in your life so far.
- Use prayer points from your congregation.
- Pray for family matters.