"He delivereth me from mine enemies: yea, thou liftest me up above those that rise up against me: thou hast delivered me from the violent man. Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the heathen, and sing praises unto thy name."
Psalm 18:48-49
Part 1
David was a good man. The scriptures bear this out. No, he was not perfect, he still lived in a body of flesh and bone, in this sinful world. But God said that David was “a man after mine own heart” (Acts 13:22). So then, how can a “good man” like David have enemies? I raise the question because I wonder how many of us who are believers have enemies also? We do not go through life deliberately poking people in the eye, and generally try to be obnoxious, but we “good men and women” do find ourselves having enemies. Let me encourage you to read this psalm carefully and note David’s conclusion, our verses for today.
“He delivereth me from mine enemies:”
David’s testimony was that God has delivered. As we read of his life, we see that God delivered him many times, and from injury in many situations.
“He delivereth me – That is, he hath delivered me, and continues to deliver me, from all that rise up against me”[1] (Clarke).
“From mine enemies,” David is speaking of all his foes. But he was not overly concerned about them because he had the confidence to believe that,
“The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower” (Psalm 18:2).
“Yea, thou liftest me up above those that rise up against me:”
David said that Jehovah picked him up to a place of “safety and honor.”[2]
“Instead of being subdued by them, and trampled under their feet, I am exalted, and they are humbled”[3] (Barnes).
“Thou hast delivered me from the violent man.” (a)
Who is a “man of violence?”
“…man of violence; the man characterized by injustice and wrong; the man who endeavored to overcome and subdue me by force and arms”[4] (Barnes).
King Saul, in his jealous rage against David, is this “violent man.”
According to the Word of God, the “violent man” ultimately will not succeed! God did deliver him from Saul:
“Deliver me, O LORD, from the evil man: preserve me from the violent man” (Psalm 140:1).
“Keep me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked; preserve me from the violent man; who have purposed to overthrow my goings” (Psalm 140:4).
“Let not an evil speaker be established in the earth: evil shall hunt the violent man to overthrow him” (Psalm 140:11).
Believer, if you have a “violent man” after you, take heart, and come back tomorrow to see what David did when God delivered him.
[1] Adam Clarke, Adam Clarke’s Commentary on the Bible, the electronic version in eSword.
[2] Jamison, Fausset, and Brown. Jamison-Fausset-Brown’s Commentary, the electronic version in eSword.
[3] Albert Barnes, Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible, the electronic version in eSword.
[4] Barnes, ibid.