Read Psalm 18 at Bible Gateway.
Psalm 18 forms an elegant and complex chiastic structure, and I think we will be the rest of the week unpacking its wisdom:
1a) Psa 18:1-2, I love You, O LORD, my strength and my deliverer, in whom I trust;
1b) Psa 18:3a, I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised;
1c) Psa 18:3-18, The LORD delivers David from his enemies:
–> 1a) Psa 18:3-6, I shall be saved when snares of death confront me, for I will call upon the LORD:
—-> 1) Psa 18:3, I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; So shall I be saved from my enemies;
—-> 2) Psa 18:4-5, The pangs of death + Sheol surrounded me/ Snares of death confronted me;
—-> 3) Psa 18:6, In my distress I called upon the LORD + cried out to my God/ He heard my voice;
–> 1b) Psa 18:7-8a, The foundations of the earth shook because He was angry/ Smoke went up from His nostrils;
–> 1c) Psa 18:8b, And devouring fire from His mouth [n}/ Coals were kindled by it;
–> 1d) Psa 18:9, He bowed the heavens also, and came down with darkness under His feet;
–> central axis) Psa 18:10, And He rode upon a cherub, and flew; He flew upon the wings of the wind;
–> 2d) Psa 18:11-12, He made darkness His secret place/ dark waters + thick clouds His canopy;
–> 2c) Psa 18:13-14, The LORD thundered His voice from heaven + Hailstones + coals of fire/ vanquished the foe;
–> 2b) Psa 18:15, The foundations of the world were uncovered at His rebuke/ the blast of the breath of His nostrils;
–> 2a) Psa 18:16-18, He sent from above and delivered me from those who confronted me, for He was my support:
—-> 1) Psa 18:16-17, He sent from above + drew me out of many waters + delivered me from my strong enemy;
—-> 2) Psa 18:18a, They confronted me in the day of my calamity;
—-> 3) Psa 18:18b, But the LORD was my support.
1d) Psa 18:19, He also brought me out into a broad place; He delivered me because He delighted in me;
1e) Psa 18:20-24, He recompensed me according to my righteousness, for I kept His ways and His statutes:
–> 1a) Psa 18:20, The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness + the cleanness of my hands;
–> 1b) Psa 18:21a, For I have kept the ways of the LORD;
–> 1c) Psa 18:21b, And have not wickedly departed from my God;
–> central axis) Psa 18:22a, For all His judgments were before me;
–> 2c) Psa 18:22b, And I did not put away His statutes from me;
–> 2b) Psa 18:23, I was also blameless before Him, And I kept myself from my iniquity;
–> 2a) Psa 18:24, The LORD has recompensed me according to my righteousness + the cleanness of my hands.
central axis) Psa 18:25-28, With the merciful You will show Yourself merciful; with a blameless man You will show Yourself blameless; with the pure You will show Yourself pure; and with the devious You will show Yourself shrewd. For You will save the humble people, but will bring down haughty looks. For You will light my lamp; the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness;
2e) Psa 18:29-33, He enables me, for His way + His word is perfect + proven, for He is God:
–> 1a) Psa 18:29, For by You I can run against a troop, by my God I can leap over a wall;
–> 1b) Psa 18:30a, As for God, His way is perfect; {n}
–> 1c) Psa 18:30b, The word of the LORD is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him;
–> central axis) Psa 18:31, For who is God, except the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God?
–> 2c) Psa 18:32a, It is God who arms me with strength;
–> 2b) Psa 18:32b, And makes my way perfect;
–> 2a) Psa 18:33, He makes my feet like the feet of deer, and sets me on my high places.
2d) Psa 18:32-39a, He established my feet on the high places + armed me with strength so that I prevailed:
–> 1a) Psa 18:32, It is God who arms me with strength, and makes my way perfect;
–> 1b) Psa 18:33-34, He establishes my feet on the high places + teaches my hands to make war:
—-> 1) Psa 18:33, He makes my feet like the feet of deer, and sets me on my high places;
—-> 2) Psa 18:34, He teaches my hands to make war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze;
–> central axis) Psa 18:35, You have also given me the shield of Your salvation; Your right hand has held me up, Your gentleness has made me great;
–> 2b) Psa 18:36-38, You enlarged my path so my feet did not slip + I have prevailed over my enemies:
—-> 1) Psa 18:36, You enlarged my path under me, so my feet did not slip;
—-> 2) Psa 18:37-38, I have pursued my enemies + overtaken them; they have fallen under my feet;
–> 2a) Psa 18:39a, For You have armed me with strength for the battle.
2c) Psa 18:39b-48, The LORD delivers David from his enemies:
–> 1a) Psa 18:39b, You have subdued under me those who rose up against me;
–> 1b) Psa 18:40-42, You have also given me the necks of my enemies;
–> 1c) Psa 18:43-45, You delivered me from the strivings of the people + made me the head of the nations;
–> central axis) Psa 18:46, The LORD lives! Blessed be my Rock! Let the God of my salvation be exalted;
–> 2c) Psa 18:47, It is God who avenges me, and subdues the peoples under me;
–> 2b) Psa 18:48a, He delivers me from my enemies;
–> 2a) Psa 18:48b, You also lift me up above those who rise against me; You have delivered me from the violent man.
2b) Psa 18:49, Therefore I give thanks to You, O Lord, among the Gentiles, and sing praises to Your name;
2a) Psa 18:50, Great deliverance He gives to His king, and shows mercy to His anointed.
Leave a Reply