“DAVID” Not the King of Israel, BUT, the Servant of the LORD” A Higher Honor
David the servant of the Lord spoke to the Lord the words of this song on the day the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul: written after Saul’s death when at peace with his enemies. In it David’s life and Christ life is seen in parallel. “I will love Thee”, begins with an expression of deepest affection, even more intimate than that of a man and woman truly in love. But how? “The carnal mind is enmity against God: not subject to the law of God, neither can be” (Rom.8:7). When the Lord saves, He saves from a heart of enmity, the stony heart is removed and a soft and pliable heart is implanted. The new heart is penetrable, He makes it receptive to His drawing love, thus causing our love to Him; “we love Him because He first loved us” (I John 4:19); “the Lord hath appeared of old, saying Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: with lovingkindness I have drawn thee” (Jer. 31:3); “Draw me and I will run after Thee: the King hath brought me into His chambers: I will be glad and rejoice in Thee, I will remember Thy love more than wine: the upright love Thee” (SOS). In salvation we’re saved from enmity to love, from sin to holiness. See David’s seven expressions descriptive of salvation and causes of that deep affection. He says Jehovah is my Rock, my Fortress, my Deliverer, my Strength, my Buckler, my Horn, my High Tower. And in the midst of this expression he says ‘My God’, embracing them all. As a servant David could say, “the longer I serve Him, the sweeter He grows; the more that I love Him more love He bestows.” And He does! “The Lord is my Rock”, who comes to mind when he says this? Christ! The Rock is emblematic of Christ and redemption (Ex.17:6, I Cor.10:1-4). Daniel envisioned Christ as he saw the ‘stone kingdom cut out of the kingdoms of man (Dan.2:44-45). Peter understood it meaning Christ in divine revelation (Matt.16:13-18). Here it is taken as an emblem of salvation; concealment, a hiding place. To David the rock was a vivid illustration of God’s deliverance and power to safely keep His chosen ones (I Sam.23:25-28). He was reminded of that physical experience, therefore used it here applied to the spiritual. Christ and Christ alone is the sinner’s hiding place! He is my ‘Rock of concealment.’ ‘Rock of divisions’ (Sela-hammah-le-roth) Christ divides the believer from his enemies, sin, Satan, the world, the flesh, death and grave. ‘My Fortress’, my citadel; again David sees an illustration in his experimental deliverance at Engedi, “And David went up from thence, and dwelt in strong holds at Engedi” (I Sam.23:29). ‘My Stronghold’, He promises an everlasting protection from our enemies. ~~Terry Worthan, 1938-2022
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