#DailyDevotion The LORD Rescues Us Because Of Our Righteousness
Psalm 18 16He reached down from above and took hold of me; He pulled me out of many waters 17and rescued me from my strong enemies, but from those who hated me, because they were too strong for me. 18They came against me on the day I faced disaster, but the LORD helped me 19and brought me out to a place where I was free. So He rescued me because He took delight in me.
You can almost see Jesus reaching down to pull Peter up from the deep when he began to sink as we read these words. Yet it is David who is being rescued, then by extension Jesus who fulfills all the Psalms in his own life. The LORD stretches out His hand to rescue him and Moshes-pulls or draws him from the many waters. This is one of few times this word moshe appears in the bible. It is when Moses is pulled from the Nile from almost certain death. It could be said Jesus is moshed from the grave in his resurrection just as we will be on the Last Day.
The many waters here are his strong enemies. They hated him and were too strong for him. They were attacking David when he faced disaster. Indeed, often at our weakest points in life, the enemy, the devil and his minions will come after us as well, wanting us to despair of life and of God. Instead, we should cry out to the LORD as David did and seek His intervention.
David proclaims the LORD helped him and brought him to a safe place. He rescued David because He took delight in him. The Father also lifted Jesus up from the grave and sat him at his right hand until the appointed time as we hear the Father say of Jesus, “This is my Son whom I love, in whom I am well pleased.” Know this, when you are baptized into Christ Jesus and you trust in Christ’s work of salvation, God the Father delights in you. He is pleased with you because of your faith in Jesus.
20The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness. He gave me what my clean hands deserve, 21because I’ve kept the LORD’s ways and haven’t wickedly turned away from my God. 22His laws are all before me; I don’t lay aside His rules. 23I am blameless before Him; I have kept myself from doing wrong, 24so the LORD will reward me according to my righteousness, because He sees my hands are clean. 25You are kind to him who is kind, the sincere with him who is sincere, 26pure with him who is pure, but shrewd with a crooked person.
We may think David may be boasting a bit when he says the LORD rewarded him according to his righteousness and that he has clean hands. The LORD said of David in 1 Sam. 13, “ 14But now your kingdom will not last. The LORD will look for a man who pleases Him in every way…” Saul did not do all the LORD commanded him. David would do what the LORD command him. This flowed from David’s trust in the promises of the LORD. David of course was not perfect. But in following out the LORD’s commands the prophet told him, he carried those things out. Other than David’s stint with Bathsheba, it appeared David was indeed very faithful to following the Law. Yet, Paul could also say according to the he was blameless, yet he murdered and persecuted many in the Church. Jesus though is the only one who has followed the Law completely, outwardly and inwardly. The LORD is David’s and our righteousness when we put our faith in Jesus. It is Jesus’ righteousness we appeal to in this psalm when we pray it in our times of distress. With sincere hearts we turn to the LORD in the name of Jesus and trusts in the Father to save and deliver us from all our problems.
Heavenly Father, for the sake of Jesus Christ, hear our prayers in the day of trouble and deliver us. In the name of Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.