◄ What Does Psalm 18:46 Mean? ►

The LORD lives, and blessed be my rock; And exalted be the God of my salvation,

Psalm 18:46(NASB)

Verse of the Day

David had a long life which was filled with untold blessings. As he reflected on his many exploits, he found himself rejoicing that God had rescued him from his enemies on many occasions. The Lord was the Rock in Whom David took refuge. He was the Horn of his salvation. The Lord had freed David from the cords of death and rescued him from the torrents of ungodly men. And David rejoiced in the God of his salvation.

David was quick to identify God's authority over the lightning's flash. He acknowledged His control in the quaking of the earth. He recognised His power in the darkness of the waters and the thick canopy of clouds, and David blessed the Lord as he recalled elements of God's work in his life, during his kingly reign. David admitted that it was the Lord Who brought him forth into a broad and fruitful place. It was God Who had rescued him, because He delighted in his servant.

Psalm 18 is a long and poetic hymn. It is a psalm in which David rejoices in God, his Saviour. It recalls the many times the Lord protected David from His enemies and it rejoices in the way He displays the might of His power. And perhaps the climax of his jubilant song is captured in verse 46, where he writes, "The LORD lives, and blessed be my Rock; and may the God of my salvation be exalted".

On many similar occasions and in some of his other writings David rehearsed the same theme of rejoicing in God and exalting His holy name. For instance, in Psalm 21 he wrote, "Be exalted, O Lord, in Your strength. We will sing and praise Your power", while in Psalm 57, we read, "Be exalted above the heavens, O God. Let Your glory be above all the earth."

We are told in Psalm 18, that this song of exaltation was written, "in the day the Lord delivered David from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul." It touches on the death of Saul, David's own enthronement, and his many deliverances from the hand of his enemies. It was dedicated to, "the Chief Musician - a Psalm of David the servant of the Lord, who spoke to the Lord the words of this song, in the day of his deliverance." It is interesting that the identical psalm is also to be found in 2 Samuel 22.

This psalm details some of the trials David faced as God's anointed. It recalls the many times that God protected His servant from various enemies and displayed His power through His mighty acts. It appears that this psalm was written early on in David's life, and yet it seems to be one upon which the elderly king reflected, as the time of his death drew nearer.

It is the Lord Himself Who has life within Himself. It is God Who is being exalted, for He the Giver of life and the Sustainer of life. Every man born of Adam's race, faces his approaching death from the day of his birth. But the Lord our God is immortal. He is the deathless One, Whose endless life stretches from eternity past into the ages to come and eternity future. And He gives life to ALL who believe on His name, and trust in the redeeming blood of His only begotten Son. For just as the Father has life in Himself, He gave to the Son also, to have life within Himself.

It is no wonder that David opened his hymn of praise, proclaiming, "the Lord LIVETH," for all who believe are transferred from the kingdom of death into His eternal kingdom of life. All who are credited with righteousness through faith, have the new life of Christ breathed into our soul, for though Adam became a living soul, Jesus became a life-giving spirit. And through faith in Him, we have newness of life, and are granted His everlasting life within.

No doubt, as David reflected on life and living, in the knowledge that the Messiah was coming one day to sit on his throne and establish an everlasting kingdom, that David cried out, "blessed be my Rock and exalted be the GOD of my salvation." David knew his Saviour was coming one day, and together with all Old Testament saints, he looked forward to that day of redemption and rejoiced in the God of their salvation, Who was to come.

We on the other hand, look back to Christ's sacrifice on the cross and His glorious resurrection. And we know Him as our Redeemer, in Whom are the words of eternal life. Through Christ, we are redeemed and by His Holy Spirit, we are regenerated. By God's grace we are born anew into His new and perfect creation.

May we ponder on the blessings of this life, the eternal life we have in Christ, and the abundant life that He has given to all who believe. May we bless the Lord at all times and exalt the God of our salvation, for He is our Rock and He is our strong Tower. He is our Good Shepherd and our Blessed Hope. And soon, very soon, we are going to be with HIM.

My Prayer

Heavenly Lord, how I praise and glorify Your holy name, for You alone are worthy of all praise and honour. Thank You, that You are my Rock, my Fortress, and my great Deliverer. Thank You, that You the Horn of my salvation, in whom I place my trust. I exalt Your holy name and bless You for my creation, preservation, and all the many blessings of this life. But above all, I thank You, Father, for Your inestimable love in the redemption of the world through our Lord Jesus Christ, for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory. In Jesus' name, I pray, AMEN.