Similar Verses
There are quite a few verses similar to Psalm 18:2. For instance:
- Psalm 23:1
- “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not be afraid”
- Psalm 144:1-2
- “Praise be to the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle. He is my loving God and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield, in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me.”
About David
- David was the youngest of the eight sons of Jesse
- As the youngest son, the responsibility of taking care of his father’s sheep came upon his shoulders and he did it willingly and faithfully
- In the course of time, God anointed him as the King over His people Israel. Thus, David was lifted up from the sheep pen to the throne of Israel – that is, from the least respected position (shepherd) to the most respected position (king) in Israel
- The practical principle here is that as it stated in Luke 16:10, “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much …”
- Thus, ever since he was a boy, David maintained a day-to-day relationship with God
- It is certain that David spent most of his time out in the field with his father’s sheep, which resulted in spending more of his private time with his Heavenly Father
- David experienced much of his life in the presence of God. Over the course of time, he had many testimonies to share, like in Psalm 23:1 (The Lord is my Shepherd), and also in Psalm 18:2 and 144:1-2
Psalm 18:2
The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold
In this single verse (Psalm 18:2), God was manifested to king David in six different ways. It is very personal for him – he uses the phrases:
- The Lord is my Rock
- The Lord is my Fortress
- The Lord is my Deliverer
- The Lord is my Shield
- The Lord is my Salvation
- The Lord is my Stronghold
1. The Lord is my Rock
A rock is a solid non-metallic mineral substance. What is this rock made up of? Rocks are made up of hard mineral materials which form the part of the crust exposed on the surface or under the surface. A rock represents ‘incalculable strength and immeasurable power.’
Have you ever seen a large rock – a comparatively large stone? Usually, we do not find very many large rocks in cities and towns, but there are plenty of huge rocks in remote places like forests, mountains, and hills.
Whenever one finds a medium-sized rock, there is often an urge to climb up onto it and take a chance to relax or enjoy the enhanced view that it provides.
Here, king David is testifying that The Lord is my Rock (Psalm 18:1a). Our God is not like a small stone, rather, He is like a Rock – the source of incalculable strength or immeasurable power. He is able to provide safety and security to each one of us. We, His children, perhaps, are like small stones (small but strong and powerful when we are attached to God).
In our spiritual journey, when we pass through some remote and solitary places like the wilderness, forests, and wastelands there is a possibility of experiencing spiritual dryness, spiritual weakness, spiritual powerlessness, and the enemy’s attacks. In such situations, the Lord will be our Rock and will provide us immeasurable strength and power.
Psalm 27:5, “For in the day of trouble He will hide me in His shelter; He will conceal me under the cover of His tent; He will set me high upon a rock.”
Psalm 114:7-8, “Tremble, earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob, who turned the rock into a pool, the hard rock into springs of water.”
1 Corinthians 10:1-4, “For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. They all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ”
In Matthew 16:18, Jesus says, “on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.”
2. The Lord is my Fortress
A Fortress is a place of refuge. When children play outside their homes, if they see something suspicious and are afraid, they will run into their home where their parents or guardians are present. For these children, their house is like a fortress – a place of refuge.
Unlike rocks, fortresses are found mostly in the cities, towns, and inhabited areas, and rarely found in the wilderness, wastelands, or mountains. If we are lost in the hustle and bustle of this world, such fortresses will be a shelter for us, for a period of time. Similarly, in our spiritual journey if we are lost in the middle of unexpected life-situations and end up in danger, we can run to God and He will be our fortress and refuge – not a finite period of time, but forever.
Where is our shelter of Refuge? Psalm 91:1-4 states, “Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust. Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.”
Psalm 55:8, “I would hurry to my place of shelter, far from the tempest and storm”
Proverbs 18:10, “The name of the LORD is a strong tower; The righteous run to it and are safe.”
3. The Lord is my Deliverer
Deliverer means, protector, liberator, or one who sets free from danger. God is our ‘Active Protector.’ Psalm 121:3-4 says, “He who watches over you neither slumber nor sleep.” No one can snatch us away from His hands
There are times where we unknowingly will end up in danger, just like many people in the Bible:
- Job went through so many sufferings in his life not because of his own faults:
- He lost his livestock
- He lost his property
- He lost his servants
- He lost all of his seven sons and three daughters along with their families,
- He lost his wealth, health, and almost lost his life
- He was afflicted more than one could bear
- All this happened through no fault of his
- He was a blameless and upright man; he feared God and shunned evil (Job 1:1)
- Joseph was thrown into the well by his own brothers (Genesis 37:23-24)
- Joseph was sold to Ishmaelite traders by his own brothers (Genesis 37:28)
- Joseph was thrown into the prison in Egypt by Potiphar, his Egyptian master (Genesis 39:19-20)
- All these troubles happened to Joseph through no fault of his
- The Prophet Jeremiah was put in the prison and later put in a cistern for obeying God’s command
- “So they took Jeremiah and put him into the cistern of Malkijah, the king’s son, which was in the courtyard of the guard. They lowered Jeremiah by ropes into the cistern; it had no water in it, only mud, and Jeremiah sank down into the mud” (Jeremiah 38:6)
- Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
- They were thrown into the fire for obeying God’s command and only worshiping the God of their fathers (Daniel 3:22-23)
- Daniel
- He was thrown in to the Lions’ den for worshipping God of his fathers (Daniel 6:16)
Although, all of these men were helpless when they faced troubles, God was there to help them and in the end they were rescued and honored by God, and people respected them
John 10:28, “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand”
2 Thessalonians 3: 3 “… The Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one”
4. The Lord is my Shield
What is the use of a shield? A shield is used to protect. For instance, windshields of cars protects the occupants from wind, heat, cold, dust, insects, rain, extreme climates, or small-scale dangers. A shield is placed between us and the enemy to protect us from harm and danger. In much a larger way, David acknowledges that God is his shelter.
David testifies that many times God stepped in-between him and the enemy and saved his life from many dangers. To name a few: a Lion, a Bear, Goliath, king Saul, his own son Absalom, and even foreign kings and rulers. Although all of these enemies were stronger than David, God protected David by destroying his enemies. God Himself became the shield that saved David from dangers.
Psalm 28:7, “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me.”
5. The Lord is my Salvation
What does ‘the horn of salvation’ mean? A horn is used to protect life, or to tear down the enemy.
David testified that the Lord is his horn of salvation, meaning that God is able to protect him (us) and save his life (our lives) from all kinds of life-threatening situations.
Luke 1:68-69, John the Baptist’s father, Zechariah prophesied by the Holy Spirit, “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come to his people and redeemed them. He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David”
6. The Lord is my Stronghold
When David testified that the Lord is his Stronghold, it is understood that God is our Stronghold – a place where we can take refuge from danger. Yahweh is all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-present at the same time. This means that Yahweh is Sovereign. Our God is Almighty and He is able to deliver us from all kinds of dangers.
Nahum 1:7, “The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble, and He knows those who take refuge in Him.”
Conclusion
Psalm 91:14-16, “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”
In our lives, we are often overwhelmed by the struggles we face and the obstacles we must overcome. In these situations, let us always remember that:
- The Lord is our Rock
- The Lord is our Fortress
- The Lord is our Deliverer
- The Lord is our Shield
- The Lord is our Salvation
- The Lord is our Stronghold
