Psalm 18 is a dramatization of a near-death experience. There seems to be evidence of God intervening in battle in verse 11. David (the supposed narrator) is saved by a fiery God that comes down and fights by his side, “He mounted a cherub and flew, and he soared on the wings of the wind.” In the following verse the previous statement is obscured, “He set darkness His hiding-place round him.” David does not actually see God, but believes that God is present in the powerful signs of weather: thunder, strong wind, and dark clouds. God becomes represented by power. If David thought that the thunder was a sign that God was there, then there was no need to fear the storm … the enemies of David were enemies of God and would be the only ones in fear. Another way to describe the scene is David giving a raspberry and taunting his enemies with a “nah-nah-nah-nah-nah-nah.”
The psalm is sectioned into three parts. The first part is a scene where God is personified through weather, second is a thanksgiving prayer away from the battlefield, and third is a scene where God is “in” David while fighting (verses 33 onward), imbuing him with a strength not seen. With the exception of verses 21-32, the psalm metaphorically describes God and his works. The underlying message is that God is a source of support to those who believe in his power and that he deserves thanksgiving, “my God, my rock where I shelter, my shield and the horn of my rescue.” The horn is a call to arms, but also a call to faith. The mystery brings trust. He created the world and can take you out just as easily. Better to be on his side.
5 years ago
What makes you say that David does not "see" god. He says he sees god fly down on a cherub. That doesn't seem like a personification of the weather to me. I thought god was supposed to be physically there, and not simply the weather.
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