David sings this song after his victories over his enemies. This is placed chronologically by most scholars as being after chapter 8. This is also repeated as Psalm 18 in the book of Psalms.
David says that the Lord is his rock, his fortress, his deliverer, his refuge, his shield, his salvation, his stronghold, his savior.
Have you figured out yet that the only safety in this world is in our Lord? What a blessing to know Him who is our safe place!
David thought for sure that he would die. There were times when he felt defeated and despairing, but would turn to the Lord in his distress. And the Lord heard his cry, just as He hears our cry.
God made Himself known in power by delivering David from enemies that were far too strong for him.
Why did God rescue David? Because He delighted in David. Because David, although far from perfect, delighted in righteousness. Though David sinned, he confessed that sin and lived with a heart after God.
God loves everyone, regardless of how badly they live in sin. But our sin prevents us from being blessed by God in the way He desires to. That's why Jude wrote,
Jude 21 keep yourselves in the love of God...
It is so important that we keep our hands clean, our lives free from sin, that God can demonstrate how much He loves us.
David was too weak for his numerous enemies, but with the Lord, he knew he could do anything. Jesus told us,
John 15:5 "...apart from Me you can do nothing."
And the apostle Paul wrote,
Phil. 4:13 I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.
Apart from the Lord, we are weak and helpless. But with the Lord's strength, we can do all things.
In God's strength, David had victory over his enemies. He recounts these victories in these verses, remembering what the Lord enabled him to do. It is important for us to remember the victories that God has given us. They are reassurance during times of discouragement. They are faith builders during times of doubt.
David again praises the Lord for His strength in David's life.
Although David's death will not be told of until 1Kings 2, the writer of the book of Samuel gives us his last words in regards to what he wrote, or lyrics that he composed.
David's last words spoke of God's covenant with him and his descendants.
The worthless, those who continue in their sin and rejection of the Lord, are like thorns. Thorns are not picked up, but thrust away. The only contact you can have with them is with armor and a spear. This is how the Lord will be with these men described as thorns - dressed for battle, burning them with fire.
2Sam. 23:8-12 These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: Yaw-SHAB-Bas-SHEH-beth a Takh-KEM-o-nite, chief of the captains, he was called Ad-ee-NO the AY-tsen-ite, because of eight hundred slain by him at one time; and after him was El-aw-ZAWR the son of Dodo the AKH-o-khite, one of the three mighty men with David when they defied the Philistines who were gathered there to battle and the men of Israel had withdrawn. He arose and struck the Philistines until his hand was weary and clung to the sword, and the LORD brought about a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to strip the slain. Now after him was Sham-MAW the son of Aw-GAY a HAH-raw-rite. And the Philistines were gathered into a troop, where there was a plot of ground full of lentils, and the people fled from the Philistines. But he took his stand in the midst of the plot, defended it and struck the Philistines; and the LORD brought about a great victory.
El-aw-ZAWR won a battle with the Philistines by clinging to the sword. Sham-MAW won his battle with the Philistines by standing firm in defense. The Bible says that we also are in a battle, and that the methods of our victory will be the same.
Eph. 6:10-17 Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, and having shod YOUR feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming missiles of the evil one. And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
In these eight verse, Paul tells us over and over to stand firm. You can't give ground, you cannot make compromises in this battle. Stand your ground, as Sham-MAW did in the field of lentils.
James 4:7 ...Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
Now, your offensive weapon in this battle is your sword - the Word of God. A perfect example of this kind of battle is in Matthew 4, when Jesus battled against the devil's temptations in the wilderness. Each time the devil launched a temptation at Jesus, he countered with a swing of the Word of God, "It is written..."
How can you have victory in Spiritual battle? Use the Word of God. Cling to the sword. Learn to use your Bible, read your Bible, memorize your Bible, and don't go anywhere without your Bible.
Even when you become weary, be like El-aw-ZAWR and cling to the sword - the Lord will bring about a great victory on that day.
While David was in the cave of Ad-ool-LAWM, the Philistines had set up a garrison in Bethlehem. He longed for a drink of the water from the well of Bethlehem. These three mightiest of David's mighty men took it upon themselves to fight the Philistines and get their leader a drink of water from the well.
But when David received it, he could not drink of it, because it could have cost such a high price. Instead, he poured it out as a sacrifice to the Lord.
David had longed for this, craved it, thirsted for it, and now gave it to the Lord, rather than drinking it himself. Worship of God is expensive and sacrificial. For David, it cost water in his thirst. For Mary, it cost perfume worth nearly a year's wages. For you, it may cost a summer Sunday morning, your reputation for being cool, or something else. Are you a worshiper of God that sacrifices expensively and sacrificially to your Lord?
2Sam. 23:18 And Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of the thirty. And he swung his spear against three hundred and killed {them,} and had a name as well as the three. He was most honored of the thirty, therefore he became their commander; however, he did not attain to the three. Then Ben-aw-YAW the son of Yeh-ho-yaw-DAW, the son of a valiant man of Kab-tseh-ALE, who had done mighty deeds, killed the two {sons of} Ar-ee-ALE of Moab. He also went down and killed a lion in the middle of a pit on a snowy day. And he killed an Egyptian, an impressive man. Now the Egyptian {had} a spear in his hand, but he went down to him with a club and snatched the spear from the Egyptian's hand, and killed him with his own spear. These {things} Benaiah the son of Jehoiada did, and had a name as well as the three mighty men. He was honored among the thirty, but he did not attain to the three. And David appointed him over his guard. As-aw-ALE the brother of Yo-AWB was among the thirty; El-khaw-NAWN the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, Sham-MAW the KHAR-o-dite, El-ee-KAW the KHAR-o-dite, KHEH-lets the PAL-tite, Ira the son of Ik-KASHE the Tek-O-ite, Ab-ee-AY-zer the An-THO-thite, Meb-oon-HAH-ee the Khoo-SHAW-thite, Tsal-MONE the AKH-O-khite, Mah-har-AH-ee the NET-o-faw-thite, KHAY-leb the son of Bah-an-AW the NET-O-faw-thite, Ee-THAH-ee the son of Ree-BAH-ee of Ghib-AW of the sons of Benjamin, Ben-aw-YAW a Pir-aw-THO-nite, Hid-DAH-ee of the brooks of GA-ash, Ab-ee-al-BONE the Ar-BAW-thite, Az-MAW-veth the Bar-KHOO-mite, El-yakh-BAW the Shah-al-BO-nite, the sons of Yaw-SHANE, Jonathan, Sham-MAW the Hah-RAW-rite, Akh-ee-AWM the son of Shaw-RAWR the Hah-RAW-rite, El-ee-FEH-let the son of Akh-as-BAH-ee, the son of the Mah-ak-aw-THITE, El-ee-AWM the son of Akh-ee-THO-fel the Ghee-LO-nite, Khets-RO the Carmelite, Pah-ar-AH-ee the Arbite, Yig-AWL the son of naw-THAWN of Tso-BAW, Baw-NEE the Gadite, TSEH-lek the Ammonite, Nakh-ar-AH-ee the Be-AY-ro-thite, armor bearers of Yo-AWB the son of Tser-oo-YAW, Ee-RAW the YITH-rite, Gaw-RABE the YITH-rite, Uriah the Hittite; thirty-seven in all.