Sermons

David’s Song of Deliverance

2 Samuel 22

During World War II, Corrie ten Boom and her sister
Betsie were arrested for hiding Jews and sent to the
Ravensbrück concentration camp—a place of
unimaginable suffering.
When they arrived in their barracks, they found it
overcrowded, filthy, and infested with fleas. The
conditions were so unbearable that Corrie could hardly
stand it.
But Betsie insisted on something that seemed almost
impossible.
She said, “We must thank God for everything—even for the fleas.”
Corrie refused at first. She could thank God for
surviving… for being together… maybe even for the Bible
they had managed to sneak in…
—but not for fleas.
Still, Betsie persisted, and eventually Corrie reluctantly
prayed, thanking God even for the fleas.
Over time, something unexpected happened.
The guards almost never came into their barracks.
Because of the fleas, the guards stayed away—leaving
Corrie and Betsie free to read their smuggled Bible, pray
openly, and hold worship services with the other women.

In a place designed to crush hope, the fleas became the
very thing that allowed God’s Word to spread and
encouraged hundreds of prisoners.
Later, Corrie realized:
what she had struggled to thank God for…
was one of the greatest gifts He had given them in that
dark place.

Today we are going to examine David’s Song of
Deliverance. It’s found in 2 Samuel 22. In these 51
verses, David praises God for all of the ways God has
been there for him over his lifetime.

This song very closely mirrors Psalm 18 that David wrote.
It’s roughly broken up into four sections.

I’m going to read the entire chapter. Please follow along
as I read.

In the first 3 verses, David Praises God:

For His Protection

David lists 8 ways God has protected him.
I’d love to go into detail for each of these, but we just
don’t have time. You may enjoy looking in your
concordance later this afternoon at each of these 8 words
that describe God’s protection.
What I do want to point out is the personal nature of
each of these words.

David says:
My God
My Rock
My Fortress
My Deliverer
My Shield
Etc.
David has personally experienced each of these
throughout his life. He is praising God for His protection.
David understands that he completely depends on God
and without Him he could do nothing.

David has faced many enemies throughout his time as
king.
Saul
The Philistines
The Ammonites
The Syrians
Thy Moabites
The Edomites
God never failed to deliver David from His enemies.

Church, I have said it many times. When you are in a
trial there are only two directions you can go. Away from
God or towards Him.
As you consider which direction to turn, consider the way
David described God: my rock, my fortress, my deliver,
my shield.

He is all those things for you and He is waiting for you to
run to His arms.

In verses 4-19 David Praises God:

For Hearing His Prayers

Verse 4 “I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be
praised, and I am saved from my enemies.”
Verse 7 “In my distress I called upon the LORD; to my
God I called. From his temple he heard my voice, and my
cry came to his ears.”

David knew that God would hear and answer his prayers.
He had experienced it so many times.
God often answered through prophets, sometimes He
used the Urim and Thummim.
God speaks in many ways. Are you comfortable knowing
when God is speaking and answering your prayers?

What do you do when you are in trouble?
Call on the name of the LORD!!

Then David describes the awesome power in which God
answered his prayer.

He mentions the smoke going up from His nostrils
The earth reeled and rocked
He rode on a cherub
He thundered from heaven

His voice sent out arrows and lightning

Then David gets personal again.
He praises God for the way he took him from the waters
and rescued him from his enemies who were too mighty
for him.

It’s good for us to admit when we need God’s help.
It’s good for us to model David’s example of crying out to
the LORD in our place of trouble and asking Him for help.

And when He answers, whether we like the answer or
not, we should give Him praise. His way is always the
best way.

David recognized that he desperately needed God and
prayer was the only option.

In verses 20-28 David Praises God:

For His Righteousness

Verses 20-25 David refers to God rewarding his
righteousness and the fact that he has kept God’s ways.
Most commentators believe David wrote this before his
sin with Bathsheba.
However, isn’t God incredible in that He forgives our sin
and separates it as far as the east is from the west?
Even after our transgressions He sees us as righteous
and holy just as He sees His Son.

Verses 26-28 describe the righteousness and justice of
God.
God is full of mercy and He deals justly not only with the
blameless and pure, but with the crooked and haughty.
God keeps His word.
Those who reject Him will suffer the consequences.
Those who accept Him will be saved and inherit eternal
life.

David mentions God saving humble people.
David was certainly humble. He went from a shepherd to
a king because God chose him and anointed him to be
king over all Israel. God uses those who are willing and
obedient.

David recognized that righteousness comes from God.
Because of God’s righteousness and David’s faith, God
made David righteous and blessed him.

In verses 29-51 David Praises God:

For His Provision

David knew that God was leading him and guiding him
throughout his life. He praised Him for this blessing.
David calls the LORD his lamp.
It reminds me of Psalm 119:105 “Your word is a lamp to
my feet and a light to my path.”

David also praises God for giving him the ability to fight.
He knows it was God who allowed him to defeat the 9.5
foot tall Philistine Goliath with only a sling and a stone.
He knows God is the one who gave him all the victories
over his enemies.
He knows his strength comes from the LORD.
David praises God for the land and for the people God put
under his leadership.

David praises God for delivering him from the foreigners
and even those in his own family who tried to usurp his
God-given authority.

David ends with praising God again for his salvation.
The OT normally refers to salvation as saving from
physical enemies.
The NT refers to salvation as God saving us from our sin.
David received salvation in both ways.

David recognized that every blessing comes from the
Father in heaven.

APPLICATION

Recall God’s Personal Protection and Provision

How has God been your rock, your fortress your refuge?
Make a list this week of the ways you have personally
experienced God as your rock, your refuge or deliver.

Try to find an example for each of the 8 things David
mentioned about God.

Turn your Testimony into Praise

It’s so easy to gripe and complain when we go through
tough times. David praised God through the good times
and the hard times.

Make time this week to share one thing that God has
done in your life with someone who needs to hear it.
Maybe it was how God was with you through a
challenging situation. Maybe it is how grateful you are for
God always providing for you.