Please turn with me in your Bibles to Psalm 18 as we continue to work our way through the Psalms of David. Psalm 18 being the fourth largest psalm in this altar, we'll just take up verses 20 to 30 this morning. We looked at verses 1 to 19 last week. God willing, we'll take up the rest next week.
There is a common theme, and the theme is the salvation or deliverance of God's anointed King. So I'll read verses 20 to 30. The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands. He has recompensed me, for I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not widely departed from my God.
For all His judgments were before me, and I did not put away His statutes from me. I was also blameless beforehand, and I kept myself from my iniquity. Therefore, the Lord has recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in His sight. 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. For by you I can run against a troop. By my God I can leap over a wall.
As for God, His way is perfect. The word of the Lord is proven. He is a shield to all who trust in Him. Amen.
Well, let us pray. Our Father, we thank you for your word. We thank you for this time to gather together in the house of God and the day of God to praise you and to worship you with your people. We pray that your spirit would guide us now, the spirit of truth, according to that word of truth, that we may bring glory to the truth incarnate.
Forgive us for all of our sins and all unrighteousness. We pray that you would be glorified in this glad hour. And we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Well, as I said,
Introduction
Psalm 18 is the fourth largest in the Psalter, and we've looked at, last week, the deliverance of the psalmist in verses 1 to 19. This morning we're going to look at the righteousness of the psalmist in verses 20 to 30, and then, God willing, next week, the fortification of the psalmist in verses 31 to 50. But as I said, the emphasis is on the deliverance of the anointed king. And David composed the psalm, if you look at Psalm 18 at the superscription, the very beginning, to the chief musician, a psalm of David, the servant of the Lord, who spoke to the Lord the words of this song on the day that the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.
And he said, I mentioned last week that this is 2 Samuel 22 as well. So David composed this psalm, David no doubt sang this psalm often, and then David turned it over to the chief musician to be included in the book of psalms for the worship of God by his people in the church throughout all ages. David is in the psalm to be sure, but David functions as a prophet. He is ultimately speaking of his greater son. the Lord Jesus Christ.
Remember that Matthew begins his gospel by attaching or connecting Jesus to Abraham and to David. David was given a promise that a king would come from his line and his kingdom would have no end. He would reign forever and ever, world without end. And we know that that is the Lord Jesus Christ.
So David is in the psalm, but Jesus is more in the psalm, and especially here in verses 20 to 24. So
First Point: Righteousness Affirmed
let's look at the righteousness of the psalmist under two considerations. First, the affirmation of that righteousness in verses 20 to 24. And then secondly, the contemplation of his God in verses 25 to 30. But look at verse 20.
Affirmation of Righteousness (vv. 20–24)
He makes this declaration. And he says, the Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands, he has recompensed me. I think this is explanatory. I think this is the rationale.
I think this is the necessary background for the deliverance that happens according to verses 1 to 19. In other words, God vindicated his son. God raised him from the dead. God exalted him to his right hand and God blessed him.
Why? Because of his righteousness, because of what he had done, because of his function and role as mediator when he assumes our humanity, when he lives a perfect life of obedience to the Father, and then he dies as a sacrifice and a substitute on that cross. And if we ask the question, can David make this statement in verse 20, the Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands, he has recompensed me. I want to just make a couple of observations about David.
David's Limitations as the Subject
David was a great guy. I was reminded, me and Roger exchanged some texts as to who our favorite Old Testament characters were. I said last week, I wasn't sure where David lined up in that list. He was number three for me, or number two.
Okay, I'm a big fan of David, and I trust that David wouldn't have any problems with what I'm about to say. In terms of his inherent righteousness, in terms of what he was as a king, he had a decent righteousness. But you see, verses 20 to 24 do not describe a decent righteousness. They describe a perfect righteousness.
David was a good man. But as we know from the account in 2 Samuel chapters 11 and 12, David committed adultery. David committed conspiracy to murder in order to cover up that adultery. He takes Bathsheba, he goes into Bathsheba, he impregnates Bathsheba, and then he kills Uriah on the battlefield in order to cover up what he had done with Bathsheba.
David then conducts himself, almost as if nothing happened, though the Psalter gives us a view into his life at that time. He was overwhelmed, his bones ached. But when Nathan the prophet comes, he tells him the story about that man who had a little ewe lamb, and then his rich neighbor basically comes over, takes the lamb from the poor man, and barbecues it. And David gets outraged, and he gets incensed, and he says, that is horrible.
And Nathan says, thou art the man. And then David, understanding what he had done, he says, I have sinned against the Lord. And then Nathan assures him that his sin was covered, his sin was atoned for. So again, David was a righteous man in many ways, a decent man in most ways.
And covenantally, he was seen as a righteous man by Jonathan, by Abigail, and then even by God himself. God holds him up as the benchmark in terms of further kings down the monarchy. And there could be a contrast with Saul. The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands.
He has recompensed me. Saul didn't fare that well. Saul didn't measure up. Saul had a heart that was somehow divided with reference to allegiance to God.
So Matthew Henry comments, though he, David, had sometimes weakly departed from his duty, he had never wickedly departed from his God. But the words of David here in verses 20 to 24 is not a description of David. And
Christ as the True Subject
I would suggest that if they are, then that means we have two men in history that we fail miserably to imitate or emulate. The fact is, is that David as a prophet is writing of his greater son. He's writing of his blessed Redeemer. He is writing about the Lord Jesus Christ.
And if the question's asked, well, how did David know about Jesus Christ? Well, from the very beginning, the book of Genesis, Genesis chapter 3, there's a promise given by God concerning the seed of the woman who would crush the head of the serpent. That seed of the woman then is identified later in the Old Testament as the Lord Jesus Christ. He would have had access to the books of Moses, David would have.
He would have had the account in Genesis chapter 22 when Abraham is told by God to take Isaac, his son, his only son, the son whom he loves, up to Mount Moriah and sacrifice him. He would have read where Abraham was about to bury that knife into his son Isaac and the angel of the Lord stops him. And then what we see is a ram caught in a thicket that takes the place of Isaac. So substitutionary atonement.
David would have known that. David knew atonement in his own encounter with Nathan. The Lord has covered. The Lord has put away your sin.
David celebrates in the psalm that we sang, Psalm 32, blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity. David understood all too well that his righteousness was not his own, but it was received by God through faith in Jesus Christ who was to come. New Testament believers, or us, subsequent to the New Testament, look back in faith to the Lord Jesus Christ. Old Testament believers look forward to the coming of Jesus Christ, and they had a multitude of promises, a multitude of prophets, a multitude of types, a multitude of things to show them and point the way to the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
This is why John the Baptist in John 1 29 is able to say, behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world when he sees Jesus. Nobody had to scratch their heads and say, what is he talking about? What does he mean that this man is the Lamb of God? No, they had the book of Leviticus.
They understood that sinful man doesn't come to a holy God apart from blood atonement. So the Lord Jesus Christ is the subject of this particular affirmation. The Lord Jesus Christ is the subject of Psalm 1, that man who's holy, harmless, and undefiled. The Lord Jesus Christ is the subject of Psalm 2, that only begotten Son of the Father who is given universal empire.
The Lord Jesus Christ is the righteous man of Psalm 15. The Lord Jesus Christ is the Psalm 16 man, and we know that because Peter applies Psalm 16 specifically to the resurrection of Jesus. In fact, our own psalm, verse 2, is quoted in Hebrews 2.13 and applied to Christ. Verse 49 is applied by Paul to Christ in Romans 15.
This section, verses 20 to 24, is about Christ. It's about Jesus. David would affirm that. David understood all too well what the hymn writer would later write.
Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to thy cross I cling. Foul I to the fountain fly, wash me, Savior, or I die. The Lord Jesus in the book of Psalms is declaring the righteousness that he has performed. And again, if this is David, there's two men.
We fail to imitate or emulate. But if it's Jesus, Jesus was a public man. Jesus was a covenantal head. Jesus was a representative.
Jesus is the high priest of the new covenant. Jesus is the one that if we eat his flesh and drink his blood, which as our brother well explained, that means to come to him and believe in him. It is because of what he's done in accordance with Psalm 18, verses 20 to 24, that his righteousness becomes our righteousness. That's what David is highlighting by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit relative to that one who is coming to fulfill all of the promises made by God, which are yea and amen, in our Lord Jesus Christ.
It is Christ describing His righteousness here. It is Christ saying, because of this, verses 20 to 24, Psalm 18, verses 1 to 19 happen. Why was I delivered? Because I did what the Father gave me.
Why was I delivered? Because I lived, I died, and by His power I was raised again the third day. Why was I delivered to His right hand to exercise universal empire? Because I fulfilled all that was given to me by the Father with reference to the covenant.
Gil explains, Psalm 1820, In case I haven't. He says, though it is best of all to apply it to Christ and understand it of his righteousness, which he as mediator has wrought out for his people. This is perfect, pure, and spotless, and entirely agreeable to the law of God. What will bear the sight of God is satisfying to his justice, is well-pleasing to him, and is what he accepts of and imputes to them that believe in Christ, and by which they are justified from all things.
Again, verses 20 to 24 do not describe a decent righteousness. They transcend a covenantal righteousness that David bore as the king of Israel. They transcend the contrast between David and Saul, who is wicked and ungodly, but rather they describe a righteousness that is personal, entire, exact, and perpetual, which is demanded by God. Now why is this good news for us?
Because the psalm is not only David's. The psalm is not only chiefly about Jesus, but the psalm is for the church. When we look to verses 20 to 24, I hope that we find great cause for rejoicing. Turn with me to Psalm 14.
Psalm 14 gives us a picture of what we are by nature. Psalm 14 depicts for us the problems in the world. Psalm 14 describes the problems in our own lives. to the chief musician a psalm of David. The fool has said in his heart, there is no God.
They are corrupt. They have done abominable works. There is none who does good." You see, God's assessment, God's indictment, God's sort of investigation and confirmation of man's problems, it isn't socioeconomic. It isn't political.
It isn't that he needs a little bit of help. It is ethical. He has transgressed the God of heaven and earth. Notice in verse two, the Lord looks down from heaven upon the children of men to see if there are any who understand, who seek God.
They have all turned aside. They have together become corrupt. There is none who does good, no, not one. Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge who eat up my people as they eat bread and do not call on the Lord?
There they are in great fear, for God is with the generation of the righteous. You shame the counsel of the poor, but the Lord is his refuge. Now, as I mentioned, when we looked at Psalm 14, that's not a description of just the bad people out there. That's a description of all men everywhere at all times.
In Adam, all die. In Adam, all die. Not some die, not a part of the people die, but all die in Adam. Adam was a public person.
Adam was a covenant head. Adam was a representative. Because of Adam's death, we die in him. So verses 20 to 24 portray for us the righteousness of what the Bible calls the last Adam, Jesus.
You're either in Adam, hell-bound, or you're in Christ, heaven-bound. So the saint of Christ reads verses 20 to 24 and says, yeah, that's something I aspire to. That's something I hope by the Spirit and by the power of the Word of God I pursue. I don't want to continue in sin, but I'm thankful for my surety.
I'm thankful for my Savior. I'm thankful for my Redeemer. In fact, verses 20 to 24 explain for us what has been called the active obedience of Christ. I want to explain that again because I think it's absolutely crucial.
We are sinners. We are messed up. We have transgressed all of the law of God all of the time. We need to be righteous.
We need to be forgiven. We need to be righteous. You see, Jesus answers specifically those two needs. If I'm going to ask you and say, what is your greatest need?
You might say a bigger bank account. You might say more harmony in my home. You might say a new car. But God says your biggest need is the forgiveness of sins and a righteousness by which you can enter into his presence.
Enter Jesus. Why did Jesus come into this world? Sinners to save. How does Jesus save those sinners?
By being the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. By going to die for us as a substitute, as a sacrifice. But as well, the life that he lived. If you ever wonder what absolute righteousness looks like, look at the 33 years of our Lord on earth.
He never lost a student. He never stole. He never killed. He never had any malicious or sinful thoughts.
He only ever did what was pleasing to the Father. It's Jesus who's describing Jesus in verses 20 to 24. Why is that important? Again, we need our sins cleansed.
We need to be washed. We need to be forgiven. But we also need that righteousness. We need to be clothed in the righteousness of another so that we can enter into the presence of God.
And Jesus answers this in the gospel. That's why it's good news. It's not good advice. Try a little harder and perhaps you'll get there.
No, it's good news. Christ fulfilled the demands of God's law. Christ took your penalty on the cross. All those who eat his flesh and drink his blood or come to him and believe, they receive the forgiveness of sins and that righteousness by which we can stand in the presence of God.
So as we read verses 20 to 24, marvel in the Redeemer. Don't say, wow, I need to be more like David. Yeah, you need to be more like David insofar as David was faithful. You need to be more like Jesus insofar as Jesus was holy, harmless, and undefiled.
But there's only one Psalm 18, 20 to 24 man that has ever, ever lived on the face of the earth, and it's our blessed Savior.
Justification Defined
In short, I'm talking about the doctrine of justification. If you've never heard the word justification used in a religious context, it's the opposite of condemnation. Condemnation means God is going to judge you for your sins. What's the alternative?
Justification, which is an act of God's free grace wherein He pardons, forgives all of our transgressions. And then He accepts us as righteous in His sight only for the righteousness of Christ imputed to us, given to us, constituted ours, accounted to us by faith. That's why we celebrate Psalm 18, 20 to 24. That's why we rejoice in this particular man.
Again, David, great guy, but Christ, perfect. Christ, impeccable. Christ, without sin. Christ, holy, harmless, and undefiled.
The church of the Lord Jesus Christ benefits from what we find in verses 20 to 24. In fact, notice the emphasis in verses 20 to 24 on the first person personal pronoun. I and me. I and me.
I and me. Jesus is talking about Jesus in verses 20 to 24. Note then verse 27, for you will save the humble people, but will bring down haughty looks. In other words, the people benefit based on that public man that federal head, that covenantal representative, that last Adam.
In Adam the first, all die. But in Adam the last, all shall be made alive. So the people benefit based on what Jesus accomplishes according to verses 20 to 24. And there are many places in the Bible, and you probably expect New Testament texts, but
Zechariah 3: Illustration of Justification
turn to Zechariah the prophet in Zechariah chapter 3, just to give a vivid illustration of this doctrine of justification. It's justification by faith alone. In other words, when we come to the Lord, when we believe on the Lord, we receive the forgiveness of sins and we receive that righteousness of Jesus. It's imputed to us and received by faith alone.
Well, I can think of no better illustration of this whole doctrine than Zechariah 3. And of course, Paul the Apostle takes up this doctrine in great detail in the books of Romans and in Galatians. And he shows that it's justification by God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ, such that he's able to say in Romans 5.1, Therefore, Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God. Romans 8, 1, there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
How could there be condemnation? Our sins are forgiven, and we've been given a righteousness. Therefore, no condemnation, not because we're great guys and girls, but because Jesus is the Psalm 18, 20 to 24 man. Note Zechariah chapter three at verse one.
Then he showed me Joshua, the high priest. This isn't General Joshua from the conquest who went into Canaan and broke things and killed people. This is Joshua, the high priest, a public man, a representative. a priest standing before all Israel." So what everything or anything that is said here of Joshua, it includes all of the Israelites. They were in him, as it were.
Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord and Satan standing at his right hand to oppose him. That's the fundamental meaning of Satan. He's an opposer, he's an accuser. Kind of wonder how that sounds.
Sure, we've all heard it. How could you call yourself a Christian and live the way you do? Well, blessed be God for the Lord Jesus Christ. He's the accuser of the brethren.
Revelation chapter 12 tells us that. It shows us that. It underscores that. How do we combat the accuser of the brethren? by the word of God and the testimony of the Lamb.
Not, well, I read my Bible five times last week. I've done real well with my wife. I take out the trash. No, no.
You refute or resist or reject the devil and his accusations by the blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ. And that is exactly what we see here. Satan standing at his right hand to oppose him. And the Lord said to Satan, the Lord rebuke you, Satan.
The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you. Is this not a brand plucked from the fire? Notice that the devil doesn't even get to say anything. God just rebukes him.
The devil's going to say, well, you know, Joshua representing Israel, they're really dirty. They're really filthy. They're really sinful. They're really disgusting.
As if God doesn't know that. As if God doesn't recognize that. As if God would be surprised. Well, thank you, Satan.
I thought they were doing just swimmingly, but I guess they are pretty bad. Notice, now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments and was standing before the angel. As I've often explained this, the filthy here isn't you dropped a bit of cream cheese on your shirt on the way to church. We would think that filthy enough to turn around and go home and change our shirt.
Actually, most of us would soldier through. And just admit it, I dropped cream cheese on my shirt. The word filthy here is used in other contexts for feces and for vomit. In other words, as Joshua, representing the covenant people of Israel, is standing before the Most High, he's a mess.
He's in bad shape. Everything the devil could proffer concerning his guilt and wickedness is true. What shall we do? Joshua, go out and do better.
Joshua, go try harder. Joshua, add a little bit of moral reform to your life and you and those Israelites might just make it into heaven. No, no, no, that's not it. Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments and was standing before the angel.
Then he answered and spoke to those who stood before him saying, take away the filthy garments from him. Ah, the forgiveness of sins. The blood of Jesus Christ, his son, cleanses us from all sin, not some sin, not a few sins, not just the big sins, but all sin. Take away the filthy garments from him.
And to him he said, see, I have removed your iniquity from you, and I will clothe you with rich robes. You've got the forgiveness of sins, the removal of the filthy garments. You have the imputed righteousness, the placing on of good clean garments. Another good illustration is the prodigal son.
That son comes to himself and he says, you know what? I'm gonna go cast myself on the mercy of my father. Not that he'd save me, not that he would restore my heirship, not that he would exalt me to the second charge. All that the prodigal wanted was three hots and a cot.
He didn't want to crave or lust after pig food. So I'm going to go back to my father's house, I'm going to cast myself on his mercy. Again, not, I've sinned against you, I have violated your covenant, I have transgressed you, I have cast dust into your glorious face. No, he doesn't do that.
I don't like the effects or consequences of my foolish behavior. So I go back to my father, I'll do what I need to do, and then I'll get servant's quarters and three huts. What happens? That the father of the prodigal sees him when he's a long way off and the father runs to the prodigal.
If we were in that context and we heard that story, we would expect for the father to say to the prodigal, never step foot back on my property. Never, ever, ever come back to my property. You took my or your share of the inheritance and you went out and you blew it and you wasted it. You're not welcome here.
That's exactly what we don't see. He runs to the son. He falls on the son. He kisses the son.
He brings the son home. He puts a ring on his finger and he puts a robe on his back. What happened? He cleansed him from unrighteousness and he gave him a righteousness by which now he's welcome to feast with the father.
You see, if Psalm 18 verses 20 to 24 is really David, Again, two men that we have nothing in common with, but because it's of Christ, a public man, a representative, one who is able to save to the uttermost all who draw near to his Father through him, that's good news. So now after he declares or affirms his righteousness in verse 20, he then describes that righteousness in verses 21 to 24. He speaks of his commitment to the ways of the Lord in verse 21. Again, ask yourself, is this true of David?
For I've kept the ways of the Lord and have not wickedly departed from my God. Well, you know, except in that occasion with Bathsheba and Uriah. These are absolute statements. These are without equivocation.
Again, David rejoices in the forgiveness of sins in Psalm 32. David rejoices in the forgiveness of sins in Psalm 130, verses 3 and 4. In verse 30, he speaks as a covenant of works, or as a man in the covenant of works. If thou, Lord, shouldst mark iniquity, O Lord, who could stand?
Oh, but thank God for that covenant of grace. Verse 4, but there is forgiveness with thee that thou mayest be feared. This is the righteousness of our blessed Savior in full display. I have kept the ways of the Lord and have not wickedly departed from my God.
Notice Christ's obedience to the commandments of the Lord in verse 22. For all his judgments were before me, and I did not put away his statutes from me. Again, if it's David, well, except the seventh commandment with Bathsheba and the sixth commandment with Uriah. Brethren, you've read 1 and 2 Samuel enough to know that those weren't David's only sins.
Those weren't his only shortcomings. Again, great guy, heroic man, wonderful specimen of a human being. But he's describing his greater son in verses 20 to 24. Notice Christ's blamelessness before the Lord according to verse 23.
I was also blameless before him and I kept myself from my iniquity. The Lord Christ never ventured off the reservation. The Apostle Peter applies Isaiah the prophet to our Lord, who committed no sin, nor was there any deceit in his mouth. That's an incredible thing for Peter to say of Christ.
Peter, who knew Jesus three years of earthly ministry. Imagine living with somebody and they never sinned. You're kind of waiting for it at some point, aren't you? You're waiting for the hammer to drop.
I'm on my honeymoon, she's delightful, she's got no sin, it's paradise to be sure. You get a day or two in, is she ever going to sin? Imagine if she didn't. You're like, man, I'm far worse than I could ever imagine.
Peter says of Christ that he committed no sin. nor was there deceit in his mouth. This is what he's saying here. Verse 24, therefore the Lord has recompensed me. He's paid me back.
He has compensated me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands and his sight. If you had the ability to go to heaven right now and to ask King David, why are you here? He would certainly not say because I described my righteousness in verses 20 and 24. He'd say because of Jesus.
The altogether lovely, the chief among 10,000, that one whom God sent in the fullness of the time, born of a woman, born under the law to redeem those under the law. David is in heaven because of Jesus. David is writing as a prophet here concerning Jesus. We see in Luke's gospel that Jesus explains how the law and the prophets and the Psalms all speak concerning him.
This ought not to surprise us. We've already seen the Psalm 15, man. Who can ascend into the holy hill of Zion? The one who has clean hands, the one who doesn't lie, the one who doesn't deceive, the one who doesn't cheat, the one who doesn't murder, the one who doesn't break his word.
That Psalm 15, man, is no other than our Lord Jesus. Coming on the heels of Psalm 14, this is what Psalm 14 men need. They need the righteous man of Psalm 15. Well, Psalm 18, 20 to 24, function in much the same way.
This Jesus is the righteous one. Therefore the Lord has recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands and his sight. He's giving the explanation for the deliverance of verses 1 to 19. Why is he delivered?
Why is he raised from the dead? Why does he ascend on high? Why does he take that position at the right hand of the father? Because I always did what was pleasing to my father.
He says that in John's gospel. My need is to do the will of him who sent me. The Lord Jesus Christ is this man. The Lord Jesus Christ receives that deliverance from his father based on or predicated on the performance of obedience to all of God's holy law.
This is the rationale for his deliverance in terms of resurrection and ascension. This as well is the rationale for the deliverance of David in terms of military battle, but in terms of his own sin problem. And this is the rationale for our deliverance from the sin problem. It's the righteousness of Jesus Christ as spelled out vividly in Psalm 18 verses 20 to 24.
Second Point: Contemplation of God (vv. 25–30)
Now let's just look quickly then at the contemplation of his God in verses 25 to 30. He speaks of God's perfections and he speaks of God's blessings. Again, David's in the psalm. It's more Jesus than David, but it's David in the psalm.
He talks about leaping over walls and running through troops. He's talking as one who's been tried and proven in the battlefield. But notice, with reference to the perfections of God,
God's Perfections Displayed
verse 25, with the merciful, you will show yourself merciful. With a blameless man, you will show yourself blameless. I think it's important for us to remember that Psalm 14 being true, where did these merciful people come from? Where did these blameless people come from?
If God's indictment of the entirety of mankind is found in Psalm 14, that they're all corrupt, there's none righteous, no, not one. whence these merciful, whence these blameless? By God's grace, by God's power, by God's spirit, by God convicting us at some place and point in time of our sin, showing us that we have not measured up, showing us that we do deserve his wrath and his curse, both in this life and that which is to come. and Him showing us the Lord Jesus Christ as that one alone in whom there is salvation. It's God's work. It's God's grace.
It's God's Spirit who makes these merciful, who makes these blameless, who makes these pure, who makes these saved. It's the grace of God Most High through faith in Jesus Christ. And the faith itself that we exercise is a gift given to us by God Most High. So he speaks of God's mercy and righteousness.
And I think we can put this right into the lap of our Savior. With the merciful, you will show yourself merciful. Jesus, in his humanity, those 33 years, he had great communion with the Father. Never cut off.
Never thrown out. But he had communion with the Father. He understood this experientially. Verse 26, with the pure, you will show yourself pure.
Of course, Jesus was pure, holy, harmless, undefiled, pure. So of course, the Father communes with him. Of course, the Father sustains him. Of course, the Father supports him.
And of course, after the death of our Lord, he goes into the tomb and his soul shall not undergo corruption. He's raised from Sheol. He's ascended to the right hand of the Father. That second part of verse 26 speaks of God's justice.
Notice, and with the devious, you will show yourself shrewd. The ESV actually gets it more literally. It says, and with the crooked, you make yourself seem tortuous, which literally means full of twists, turns, or bends. In other words, God, in exercising this communion with his son, with reference to the merciful one, with reference to the blameless one, with reference to the pure one, takes note of the devious as well.
Who were the devious at the time of our Lord Jesus and his earthly ministry? All unbelieving Israel, for sure, the Roman Empire. You couldn't stand him. But they hated him.
Away with him, away with him, crucify him. So what we see here is with the devious, you will show yourself true. I think Luther's gloss is good here. God in dealing with the perverse man who perverts everything also perverts him by turning everything for him into the opposite of what he hoped for.
In other words, he's going to frustrate the way of the devious man, which I'm sure happened at some point in the narrative of the resurrection. The unbelieving Jews thought they were doing a great thing. How do we get rid of this Jesus? How do we get rid of this false Messiah?
How do we get rid of this pretender? Well, it just makes sense. Let's level some false charges or accusations against him. Let's bring him to Pontius Pilate.
Let's old Pilate stamp death penalty upon his head and let's see him crucified. As far as they were concerned, it was a foolproof plan, wasn't it? Guess what they didn't bank on? the twists and turns of God the Father from exalting His Son to His right hand. and the twists and turns from God the Father in his sons coming against them in vengeance and judgment in AD 70, when their city was surrounded by the Roman armies and destroyed. They didn't see that one coming.
Of course, in David's life, many a time he could see God was shrewd with the devious in the way that he confounded their efforts to kill David. And then the grace of God, again, verse 27, for you will save the humble people, those he humbles and gives graces to, but will bring down haughty looks. God in his grace and in his mercy doesn't ever stop being just judge toward the unrighteous, the ungodly, and the perverse. And then
God's Blessings: Light, Strength, Safety
he ends on the blessings of God. Notice in verses 28 to 30, the provision of light, the provision of strength, and the provision of safety. David experienced this and of course our Lord Jesus did. For you will light my lamp, the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness.
There is a blessed instance in 2 Samuel 21. So a chapter before this psalm in 2 Samuel 22. David is out battling as David did and he grew faint. Why?
Because killing people and breaking things probably saps your energy at some level. And his men said, look, we don't want you to go back out with us, lest your light be extinguished. Abishai, the son of Zariah, came to his aid, and struck the Philistine and killed him. Then the men of David swore to him, saying, you shall go out no more with us to battle, lest you quench the lamp of Israel.
But notice what David says here. The lamp that he had and he was to Old Testament Israel was given him by God. Remember last week I had mentioned that David in 2 Samuel 22 and here in Psalm 18 could have written just a great autobiography of himself. I'm a great guy, not a perfect guy, but a decent guy, more decent than most.
I've had mighty exploits, I've conquered many foes, I resisted the enmity of Saul, but he doesn't do that. In his psalm of deliverance, he gives all glory and praise to God. No doubt David learned a lot when he was a shepherd, killing bears and lions to protect his flock. No doubt David learned a lot as he witnessed the exploits of other military leaders and learned battle for himself.
But to whom does he give the glory? It's God. It's not an autobiography written by, you know, a man of history that had mighty exploits and was a great guy who wants to shine the light only upon himself. It's a psalm of deliverance.
The deliverance is the foil of the background for him to praise his God. And it's this God who has lit my lamp. It's this God who has shone through me. It's this God who has blessed Israel as a result of my kingship amongst them.
And then the provision of strength, again, verse 29. For by you I can run against a troop, by my God I can leap over a wall. You say, well, that sounds weird. Brethren, fighting Philistines and escaping Saul probably requires a degree of physical ability and strength.
You don't just become a great military leader, right? Think of Alexander the Great. He was tutored early on by a man named Leonidas. Strict, regiment, bootcamp-ish life.
Hardcore, we might say. There's another man who taught him literature and education and all that. And then the third man was Aristotle. As Dan Carlin says, before he achieved rock star status, Aristotle was a private tutor to Alexander the Great.
How does Alexander the Great get to the point where he goes out and conquers the Persian Empire? I just looked it up. Did he give credit to these men? Did he give credit to his gods?
And it said, yeah, he did early on. But as time went on, he took the credit for himself. He took the glory to himself. David isn't that man.
David isn't Alexander the Great. David's exploits were amazing, but David says, for by you I can run against a troop. By my God, I can leap over a wall. This is gonna be developed further in the following part of the psalm that God willing we'll see next week.
And then notice the last bit, the provision of safety. As for God, his way is perfect. The word of the Lord is proven. He is a shield to all who trust in him.
The psalmist has alluded to that pure Word of God in Psalm 126. The next psalm is going to focus on that pure Word of the Lord. It is that sustaining, blessed provision from God to nurture, to encourage, to build up, and to strengthen His people in the midst of the battle. The Lord Jesus fed Himself Scripture.
David, King of Israel, fed Himself Scripture. Such that David and Jesus can say, as for God, His way is perfect. The Word of the Lord is proven. He is a shield to all who trust in Him.
By God's grace, the church says the same thing. The church is nourished on the same scriptures. The church knows the same God, and the church has tried and proven this God to be a shield to all who trust in Him.
Application
In conclusion, the psalmist, the righteousness of the psalmist, it's Jesus. It is Jesus described in verses 20 to 24. It is Jesus, and that is why David rejoices in Psalm 32. You can just turn there, verses 1 and 2.
We sang it, but that seems like it was 10 years ago. Notice in Psalm 32, verse 1, blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. He's talking about Christ.
We know that authoritatively because Paul tells us he is in Romans 4. When Paul gets to explaining the justification by faith, to whom does he appeal? Abraham and David. These men looked forward in faith to the coming son of David who would save them from their sins and give them this righteousness such that they could enter into the presence of God.
Second, in terms of the deliverance of the psalmist, I don't think it's accidental that Psalms, Psalm 18 verses 20 to 24 follow Psalm 18 verses 1 to 19. the best theological commentary in my head. Turretin would say, no, it's actually this one, and he'd be right. Hands down, he'd be right. It's Romans 5, 18 and 19.
In fact, turn there. It is that important. So you've got this connection between deliverance and righteousness. Deliverance and righteousness.
We're not delivered because of our righteousness. We're delivered because of his righteousness. So notice in Romans 5 at verse 18. Therefore, as through one man's offense, this is Adam, Adam the first in the garden, a public person, federal representative, covenant head.
Through his offense, judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation for all those men. Even so, through one man's righteous act, the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one man's obedience many will be made righteous." The people in Psalm 18 27 benefit from the person of the man described in Psalm 18 verses 20 to 24. Our deliverance, our salvation, our forgiveness, the righteousness given to us is because of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
By grace when we believe, by grace when we look, by grace when we lay, as it were, the hand of faith upon the head of the surety, Our sins are forgiven. The righteousness of Christ is given to us. We're like Joshua, the high priest, standing guilty before God Most High, the devil right there to condemn us. And God says, strip the old dirty garments off of him and put new clean ones on him.
That is the man to celebrate in this psalm. Well, may God encourage our hearts, may He build us up in our most holy faith, and may He never let us wander from how glorious this Jesus is, the one in whom we have everlasting life. Well, let us pray.
Closing Prayer
Our Father, we thank you for your word. We thank you for this wonderful affirmation concerning the righteousness of our Lord Jesus Christ. We thank you as well for the many blessings that you give to your church, this light and this strength and this safety. We know that you never leave us and that you never forsake us.
And again, that's tied very intimately to what Christ has done on behalf of his church. I pray that you would go with us, that you would build us up in our most holy faith, that you would be gracious to us and cause us to know that wonderful communion with you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And we pray in Jesus' name, amen.