2 Samuel 22:1-20  (CLICK HERE FOR BIBLE VERSES)

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Samuel 22:1-20.  As usual, I encourage you to open your Bible and read the passage yourself first.  See what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help. Then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go!

2 Samuel 22:1-20 (NIV)

David sang to the Lord the words of this song when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said:

“The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
    my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,  my shield  and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior— from violent people you save me.

“I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and have been saved from my enemies.
The waves of death swirled about me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.
The cords of the grave coiled around me; the snares of death confronted me.

“In my distress I called to the Lord; I called out to my God. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came to his ears.

 “The earth trembled and quaked, the foundations of the heavens shook; they trembled because he was angry.
 Smoke rose from his nostrils; consuming fire came from his mouth, burning coals blazed out of it.
10  He parted the heavens and came down; dark clouds were under his feet.
11  He mounted the cherubim and flew; he soared on the wings of the wind.
12  He made darkness his canopy around him– the dark rain clouds of the sky.
13  Out of the brightness of his presence bolts of lightning blazed forth.
14  The LORD thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded.
15  He shot arrows and scattered [the enemies], bolts of lightning and routed them.
16  The valleys of the sea were exposed and the foundations of the earth laid bare at the rebuke of the LORD, at the blast of breath from his nostrils.
17  “He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters.
18  He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me.
19  They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the LORD was my support.
20  He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me.

On verses 8-20:  I believe there are two levels on which we can look at these verses.

Level one:  In these verses we see how David saw the Lord, as a mighty force who shakes heaven and earth when He speaks or moves (v8-16).  Yet as mighty as He is, this same God is also full of compassion, a hero who rescues David from his enemies (v18).  He is a friend who comes to David’s support when he is being overpowered (v19).  He is a God who rescues David because He delights in David (v20).

Level two:  2 Samuel 22 can also be seen as a prophetic image of what happened when Jesus died and rose again.  Verses 1 to 4 speak of Jesus’ trust in His Father.  Verses 5 to 7 speak of the agony Jesus experienced on the cross.  Verses 8 to 16 speak of God’s wrath that landed upon Jesus as he was punished for our sins as well as the havoc that resulted, including an earthquake (v8 and Matthew 27:51, 54) and great darkness (v12 and Matthew 27:45).  Verses 17-20 speak of the Father’s saving power, how He rescued and raised His beloved Son from the grave after he died.

So if you are going through an especially difficult trial today, if you are facing enemies that seem too strong for you, know that the Lord is far stronger than anything you can imagine (v8-16).  He’s here to take hold of you and draw you out of deep waters (v17).  He’s here to rescue you (v18).  He’s here to be your support (v19).  He’s here to bring you out into a spacious place because He delights in you (v20).

Praise God!  For David, for Jesus the Son of David, and for us the children of God, the Lord is our rescuer.  He is mighty to save.

Thank You, Father God, that just as You rescued David from all his enemies, and just as You rescued Your own Son Jesus from the grave, You have also rescued me from sin and death and You will continue to rescue me from the problems I face today.  You are mighty to save, my real life rescuer.  Thank You for taking hold of me and delighting in me.  In Jesus’ name, AMEN!

opyright © 2022 Justin Lim. All rights reserved.