From a Biblical perspective, King David may have been viewed by some as a hero of sorts. After all, he defeated Goliath with a small smooth stone. Known as a righteous King (in the lineage of Christ), an acclaimed warrior, musician, and a poet, David exhibited a combination of many common qualities that aren't necessarily linked to one another. He was as unique in his gifting as he was in his calling. And even "God testified concerning him: 'I have found David, son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.'" (Acts 13:22)
As King David neared the end of his life he wrote Psalm 18. It is quite possibly the last Psalm he penned. This Psalm is known as the Grateful Retrospect, because he chronicles his journey with the Lord with a grateful heart overwhelmed with the marvelous mercies of God. I would imagine that the last words someone would pen would be the most significant--possibly their own personal epitaph that emphasizes the most significant things they have learned.
Interestingly, David had penned a very similar song prior to writing Psalm 18. It is found in 2 Samuel 22, after God delivered David from the hands of his son Absalom, who had tried to kill him. It is almost impossible to conceive of how heartbreaking it would be for your own child to try to take your life. Not only had God delivered David from the murderous hands of Absalom, but David had just gotten the horrible news that Absalom had been killed. This, also, had to be a very reflective moment during an intensely heartbreaking time.
In both Psalm 18 and 2 Samuel 22, David acknowledges particular characteristics of who God is to him. Love and gratitude flow from David's heart as he is apparently overwhelmed at the goodness of his God. David says:
"I love thee, O Jehovah, my strength.
Jehovah is my rock, and my fortress ,
and my deliverer; my God, my Rock in
whom I take refuge, my Shield.
The Horn of my salvation, my high tower.
I will call upon Jehovah, who is worthy to be
praised. So shall I be saved from mine enemies."
Psalm 18:1-3
The intense emotion in which David wrote can only be compared to the love and gratitude expressed by a mother who sees and holds her newborn for the very first time. He recognizes that it is only God that has saved, defended, and delivered him. David also realizes that his identity in God was more important than every accomplishment in his life. He addresses himself as a servant and God as the the One who graciously delivered him when he chose to trust and obey.
He describes God as follows:
My Rock
Strength, Security, and Stability
Psalm 19:14 and Psalm 42:9
My Fortress
A high place of defense
1 Samuel 22:4 and 2 Samuel 5:17
My Deliverer
Depicted as a storm that appears like a warrior in a chariot, carried swiftly by a cherub
Genesis 3:24, Exodus 25:18, Ezekiel1
My Shield
God's protection and a symbol of the King
Psalm 3:3, Psalm 28:7 and Deuteronomy 33:29
The Horn of My Salvation
Strength and Messianic connotations
Luke 1:69, Deuteronomy 33:17, 1 Samuel 2:1, 1 Kings 22:11
My Stronghold or My High Tower
Military term of protection
1 Samuel 24:22, 2 Samuel 23:14
My Place of Refuge
Safety and security in the midst of distress
Psalm 19:14, Psalm 31:2-3, Psalm 62:2
Having been exiled to a cave for ten years while King Saul pursued his life may have been the catalyst for David using these military terms. However, it is truly a song of praise and victory given in response to God in a consistent blend of worship and witness of all that God had done for him. It is a tribute that honors and glorifies the most important relationship in David's life.
Seeing God as both a Savior and a Defender, we too should extol Christ as our Savior that has defeated the ultimate villain--He did so on the cross. There are no villains now nor in our future that are more than what Christ has already defeated. Yet still, our culture yearns for a Savior. Almost every movie has both an evil villain and an heroic savior. That is epitomized in our superhero movies. The thing I appreciate the most about superhero movies is that virtually every story has an ordinary person that has something extraordinary happen to them that results in a great ending. (The exception would be the Man of Steel movie in which the hero is born with his powers and is sent here to save the world.)
Interestingly, two men (Joel Shuster and Jerry Siegel) who were children of Jewish immigrants developed the character of Superman in the late 1930's. This character was a counterpoint to what was happening in Nazi Germany. This superhero was created to challenge the Nazi's teaching of racial superiority known as the 'uberman'.
What I love about the extraordinary coming to ordinary people is that this is God's heart for each one of our lives. He is determined to reward our obedience and to enlarge the territory He has given to us. God delighted in David because even though the troubles in David's life continued to increase, David never forgot God's promises to him. He advanced from a 'tight place' into a 'large place'.
God also equips us when we are submitted to Him. He prepares us in advance for what He is calling us to do. God will take whatever time is necessary to prepare His servants: thirteen years for Joseph, forty years for Moses, and forty years for Joshua. The lessons David learned in exile helped God to shape him into a great warrior, compassionate leader, and a godly man.
When the extraordinary meets the ordinary, God is glorified. When God is glorified the impact is eternal. When our lives effect eternal significance, we have succeeded in walking in relationship with Christ by receiving love from Him and reciprocating it back to Him.
John Piper says it like this: "To love God does not mean to meet His needs, but rather to delight in Him...." David delighted in God and God delighted in David. Not because of David's works or because he never sinned but because David believed God's promises and knew who God really was. When we really know God, we know that He is unequivocally better than a superhero!
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