Divine Deliverance: Psalm 18

You're listening to The Bible Guys, a podcast where a couple of friends talk about the Bible in fun, in practical ways. Hey, everybody, welcome to the Bible Guys. And today is Friday, Friday, f y Friday t G I F yes, yes, And so this is Kyle. Kyle, this is your last day with us. You've been with us all week. Yes, thank you so much for being part of it. I hope I get the invite back, you know, but maybe next time it'll be so far. Maybe next time it'll be the Bible Guys with Chris and Kyle instead of with Kyle and Chris. Maybe I'll get the money and says the sign above us says with Kyle and Chris, which you know, Hey, that's fine. Yes, I'm all about helping those of the next generation. Look at you. Yes. So we're gonna start with a segment for the Desiree put together for us, and it is who is most likely. I'm used to doing this with Jeff. So in order for us to uh have consensus on this, we'd have to know each other really well. So we know each other sort of kind of right, So we're gonna have to do our best. The goal of this is to say really quickly, who's most likely to do this? All right? And then hey, you know what, if anybody, even people want to throw stuff on YouTube, I feel like this is the opportunity if you're watching on YouTube or whatever, just to just to throw your thoughts in there too. Trash talk us if you want. Trash talk us. Yep, all right, so we'll we'll every other one. Ready, I'll do the first one, all right. Number one, who's most likely to have a secret identity as a superhero in their mind? I would say you. I'd say me too, tell me why. I just think you have a really big imagination. Yep, and I think that's a really good trait. But I think your imagination, I think you are very creative, and yeah, I think that's why you'd have a super I think you probably could describe what the name like. And you're also very particular, very detailed, Whereas I think I have a good imagination, but it's like it's not quite to the level that yours is. So I think this one will be you. Yeah. Well, and then and then you've left. I think what you said is true, but it's also you've left out the biggest part, which is I grew up as a comic book nerd. Oh okay, yeah, yeah. So my brother Jimmy was the comics nerd in the family. He's the one who draws, right. Yes, yes, And so consequently all of us read all the comic books that he would get, and so I was sort of like one level removed from a true comic book nerd. Right, but I consider myself combook nerd. H Okay, yep, all right. Second one is who's most likely to be overly competitive in a casual setting. I would actually say, I think we're both probably a little too competitive. I have I'm going to go with me on this one because I have had too many instances, okay, where I in casual settings have gotten a little too competitive. I would say, ten years ago, I would probably rival you, but I would also actually probably slightly give the nod to you, only because you've matured. I'll be there ten years Yeah. No, it's probably true you sort of care less, you. Know what I mean, your competitiveness and not in everything like if we're playing a game of like volleyball, I'm going to be right there with y. Yeah yeah, yeah, But in things that are less important. I'm just like, I don't really care. Doesn't many? Yeah. I Actually is funny because we had our because I'm a campus pastor at our Stony Creek campus that just opened a couple of months ago. Shout out. But the youth pastor from our from our main campus, Connor Meat, actually came out and spoke at our first every youth event which we had last night, which was great. Yeah. By the way, forty two students showed up. Eighteen of them had never been to Heritage before. That wasn't that amazing? Sixty something people with all our volunteers and everybody there was a great event, great kickoff. But Connor, in his uh message, shared a couple of stories of times where I was overly competitive to him just to mess with me. One of them being him being like a seventh or eighth grader and we were playing a flag football thing and he alleges that I tackled him. I remember it differently, but either way, alleges that I tackled. Either way, that's awesome. Okay, Number three, who's most likely to accidentally join a cult because they were cured? Oh, I'm gonna dude, this is a tough one. I'm gonna probably go with me on this one, Okay, although I don't think that's very probable. Yeah, we had to choose one of them, right, Yeah, yeah, I'm gonna choose me only because of one reason. I could be sometimes blissfully unaware of things. Okay, okay, And so although I don't think I've ever been unaware of a cult, but I think. The only thing is I mean, and I agree. I think it might be you a slight edge of me, But I think you and I both are like kind of like skeptical. Yeah, so I think it would be tough to sell us both. Yeah, yeah, that's true. That's true. Yes, all right. Fourth one who's most likely to invent a ridiculous game for their friends? That's an easy answer. That's you, Chris arm that's for sure. And it's funny because even some of these I'm like, among my group of friends who I grew up with, we still hang out, our wives get along like I am that guy because it's the youth pastor and me is like, come up with a game like I am that guy. But I think you actually operate like that on a normal basis. Oh, you have no idea actually actually who's most like to invent a ridiculous game for their friends. I do this currently all the time. So I don't know if you know this or not, but we have a you know, the tzar Ba Annual. Golf out photos. Our whole family invents golf ridiculous things for golf, right, So, like, for instance, uh, you know, on the back nine. I'll just give you one example. There was the pirate hole where you had to play that particular hole with an eye patch, which really messed up your depth perception. And then when you're on the green, if you say one word outside of pirate sayings, you're you have a stroke penalty. So you could only talk pirate on the green, so you have to say it was like six phrases like very bury treasure I made there, she blows, you know, things like that or right, and that was it and and so anyway, so yeah, I mean we do that stuff all the time continually in my family's fun all right, right, And then the last one is who's most likely to end up with an unusual pet like a tarantula? Be honest, I think I would, and I think that one may be me. And it actually has nothing to do with me has to do with my kids. Yes, they'm there are still at that phase where any animal we see, and even my wife, honestly, she's brought animals home that I'm like, are you kidding me? Is this is this our new? Is this our life? Yeah? I would have definitely leaned more towards you, only because your kids are younger. Yes. And it's funny because people ask me this all the time that we have bunnies, we have like a dog, we've had animals. They're like, oh, are you how did you end up with that? And I'm like they're like, oh, you don't want a bunny. I'm like, no, we don't. This would be our last bunny. And then they're like how many of you had? I'm like we've had five? Like how I'm like I don't know. Somehow they just keep showing up at our house. So whenever people ask like, Kyle, do you like having pets, I'm like, I don't mind it, but somehow I keep having more and more pets, it seems like every year. So blame my youngest, who is a huge has a ton of empathy for every animal. So that's really great. Well, hey, that was fun. Yes, that was fun. And you know what, we actually didn't have a disagreement. Yeah, disagreement. I think we're on the same page. We had a consensus the whole time. Yep, all right, should we get into us Psalm. Did I almost said we consensused, We consensused. Yes, we had a consensus. Hey, you cut, you cut to the chase. It's it's twenty twenty four. That's how we text, right, just cut to the chase. True, all right, Psalm eighteen. So we're wrapping up this week. You just let auto correct take care of. Yes, exactly, That's what I do. And sometimes I talk to text, which I know you do as well. And I sometimes when you reread your auto text, it's you're like, I cannot believe I just said this. I'm embarrassed. Ye, all right, back to this. So Psalm eighteen, we're in the final uh uh verse or section of verses of this week. And throughout this week we've been talking about David and some of the struggles he's gone through. Is he's been been, you know, back into the throne after Abslom had kind of taken over, and so we're in Psalm eighteen where he's kind of crying out to God. The theme here says that gratitude for deliverance and victory the only shirt. Uh yeah, the only sure way to be delivered from surrounding evil is to call upon God for help and strength. So that's the context behind what we're going to be reading in the psalms. As Chris mentioned a couple of days ago, David is the writer of the most of the psalms, and then these ones we've read this week in particular. So I'm gonna read thirty verses today. And by the way, this one he actually wrote for a choir director. Yes, that's awesome, that's neat. Yeah, So for the choir director, a psalm of David the servant of the Lord. He sang this song to the Lord on the day of the Lord rescued him from all his enemies and from Saul. He's saying this, I love you, Lord, You are my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior. My God is my rock in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me and my place of safety. I called on the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and he saved me from my enemies. The ropes of Death entangled me. Floods of destruction swept over me. The grave wrapt that's rope around me. Death laid a trap in my path, which, by the way, this is amazing. We should just next three thirty worship song off of this. But in my distress, I cried out to the Lord. Yes, I prayed to my God for help. He heard me from his sanctuary. My cry to him, My cry to him reached his ears. Then the earth quaked and trembled. The foundations of the mountain shook. They quaked because of his anger. Smoke poured from his nostrils. Now here would be an epic song. Smoke poured from his nostrils. Fierce flames leaped from his mouth. Glowing coals blazed forth from him. He opened the heavens and came down. Dark storm clouds were beneath his feet. Mounted on a mighty angelic being, he flew soaring on the wings of the wind. He shrouded himself in darkness, darkness, veiling his approach with dark rain clouds. Thick clouds shielded the brightness around him and rained down hail and burning coals. The Lord thundered from heaven, the voice the most high resounded amid the hail and burning coals. He shot his arrows and scattered his enemies. His lightning flashed, and they were greatly confused. Then at your command, O Lord, had the blast of your breath. The bottom of the sea se could be seen. The foundations of the earth were laid bare. He reached down from heaven and rescued me. He drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemies, from those who hated me and were too strong for me. They attacked me in a moment when I was in distressed, but the Lord supported me. He led me to a place of safety. He rescued me because he delights in me. The Lord rewarded me for doing right. He restored me because of my innocence. For I have kept the ways of the Lord. I have not turned from my God to follow evil. I have followed all his regulations. I have never abandoned his decrees. I am blameless before God. I've kept myself from sin. The Lord rewarded me for doing right. He has seen my innocence. To the faithful, you show yourself faithful to those with integrity. You show integrity to the prayer you show yourself pure, but to the wicked, you show yourself hostile. You rescue the humble, but you humiliate the proud. You laid a lamp for me. The Lord, my God lights up my darkness and your strength. I can crush an army with my God. I can scale any wall that's epic. And then that we're closed with this these last two verses. God's way is perfect, All the Lord's promises proved true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection. For who is God except the Lord who? But our God is a solid rock. It's good. Wow. Well, so here's here's the main question that's on everybody's mind. Is this an event or is this a vision? What happened here? Yeah? I know, it's very interesting because it feels like you're reading like the Book of Daniel or. You're reading a. Yeah yeah, yeah, And it's and it's really interesting because I've come across this psalm obviously several times throughout my lifetime, and I'm not sure that I know anybody who has taken a strong stance on whether or not this actually happened or whether or not this was a vision. But I would definitely say most of which I've heard scholars talk about, is this is a metaphor, like, in other words, David again, there's no proof, right, and we can get to heaven and all be wrong, right, But most scholars belief I think that this is a way for David to describe how God swoops in and delivers him, in this case, from the enemies of Saul, right because it's written in the Bible that he sang the song to the Lord on the day the Lord rescued him from all his enemies and from Saul. Right now, when we read about how God rescued him from Saul, we don't read about God coming in the clouds. We don't read about an actual event of like and then you're, you know, like Elijah on the top of Mount Carmel, you know where God where Elijah calls for fire and all of a sudden, God demonstrates him self with fire. Like, that's not what happened when God delivered David from Saul. So most people would say, uh, this is David describing God in power and saying, you know, fire blew. From his nostrils. Well, come on, I mean, there's there's no other time in scripture where God is compared to like a. Dragon dragon yet right, yes, I. Mean I guess there is, you know, I mean there's a bunch of weird looking beasts and revelation right and in Daniel. But but but but not a literal dragon with fire breathing out of his nose and so uh you know, cold blazed from his eyes and. It rained down coal. You know, he comes down in. The clouds and uh, you know, but again it can feel like uh, God doing miracles. Now let me let me, let me say this. Have you ever been around. A miracle where you prayed for something and something miraculously happened, or God shows up in a mighty way to where it feels as if God himself has just miraculously swept down and he was right there physically. Right, I've seen that happen. Yeah, oh yeah, yeah, I mean I've shared it before on the Bible guys. In fact, probably not even to you know. It was actually just recently. But the time where we ran over that cow and then there was and then there was a guy who spoke Swahili talking to a guy who only spoke pocot, and then there was an injured cow on the side of the road that was dying, and the and the driver who spoke Swaheli came over, who spoke English, because he spoke English, but those guy who spoke pocot didn't speak English. And the guy came over the driver and said, stay in the car. These guys will kill you. And then and then we just sprayed and said, God, send us a miracle. So here's five white guys who are missionaries sort of in the car, and here we are, you know, the ones who ran over the cow. And we actually thought to ourselves, God, if you don't send us a miracle, we're going to be smoke. We're gonna be dust. We're gonna be killed right here in the middle of this field somewhere. And then what we get done praying? And then in the distance the smoke. We see the smoke. And we had not seen a single vehicle in seven full days, not one vehicle. And here comes a motorcycle guy stops, knocks on the window and says, hey, can I be of assistance. Turns out he's a veterinarian who speaks English, Swahili and Pokon. So he literally walks over. Invests you know, you know, he tends to the cow and then communicates to all of us and then we solve it. We ended up buying the cow. You know. Anyway, the guy, the guy who was selling the cow whose cow we ran over, he needed the money because his mom was sick, and we ended up giving him more than it was worth and then we let him keep the cow, so then he had the meat of the cow. So then he was like crying because now this guy was about to kill us, now has money for his mom for medicine, and he. Has the cow. Meet all because God sent us a veterinarian who spoke, who spoke, by the way, the only three languages that were barriers between us. Yeah, I mean it was crazy. Yeah, So I gotta just because I want to. I want to tack onto this because I have a story. I think you'll you'll enjoy this because you've been in Tanzania before. Yeah. I went to Tanzania in May on a Timothy Initiative vision trip. And it's it's related because it speaks to God providing the right person, which is kind of what you're talking about, God providing in these ways. But a friend of mine, when he knew I was going to Tanzania, he said his last experience. He's a pastor, local pastor in the area. He went there and he said he just saw crazy things. I was like, well, what type of crazy things? He said that one time he went in, he was brought as a pastor and a few other staff members of his brought into this home with this woman who had been big the same claiming she was possessed by the devil. Demon possessed and in that area there's a lot of witchcraft and things like that. They opened the door up to a lot of spiritual attack there in certain parts of these villages. So they go visit this home, and he said he knew from the moment he walked in there was a there was a dark spiritual force in this place. There was definitely demonic activity going on. So then sure enough, this this this, this person is speaking and they would would like their voice would change, like slipping between her and then this demon like deeper to whatever. And they were having this conversation back and forth, and he's like, I have never seen this ever. He's like, in my thirty five years on this planet. Yes, so like the voice is changing. Well, then sure enough, his coworker, who's an American spoke up boldly and started rebuking the demon in the name of Jesus and just going like going on right and then and then they hear the voice like voice of this the devil talking back, voice getting deeper. There's this stuff happened. Well, then sure enough they end up praying for this woman. They all walk out of the house and they're like, that was absolutely, like insane. They're applauding this girl who's with them, who normally isn't bold like that, but she's like, I was filled with the Holy Spirit. I just started rebuking the demon. Oh. They thought it was wild. They were like, that was the life changing kind of moment for them. The next day, the translator who was there, who's from Tanzania, he's talking and he said he he was talking to her. He said, you know, that was incredible last night, and she said, yeah, yeah, thank you. He goes, I had no idea you spoke Swahili. She goes, I don't speak Swahili, because yeah, you did, you did last night. She goes, no, I was I was speaking English. He goes, no, no, you were speaking Swahili when you were rebuking the devil. Something happened between what they what she said. She doesn't speak Swahili. She spoke English to this woman rebuking the devil, and they and and the woman heard everything that was going on was speaking back, which they thought was odd. Turns out the translator hurt her speaking in Swahili. I don't know, man, your story like that, And you're like, okay, okay, that is amazing wild right, yeah, yeah, And it's And the reason I brought that up is for one you you've had a really great story there, but also your. Story no no, no, no no. But it's just one of those things where God sends a like when you see the God send in providing, right, God is providing what's needed. And even in these verses, I love the fact that Installmatina talks about. He says, You're my strength, my rock, my fortress, my savior. My God is my rock and whom I find protection. And that's the point of what he's trying to say. There is no matter what he's been through, no matter what David has encountered, that God is the rock, He's the protector, he's the fortress, which is what we need in our lives. Right. Well, let's go back to the idea of like, okay, is it a vision or an event? Well, so if you were to poetically, like David describe that miracle, Let's pretend like that was you. Right, Let's say you were the gross from Swahili. Okay, Let's say that happened to you, and you were to sit down and reflect on that like David as a musician who writes poetry and music, and you were to just give praise to God because you found yourself in a situation where you were terrified, you were confronting this demon, and all of a sudden, God swoops in and does this amazing miracle. You could metaphorically write something like David wrote. You can say, God, you swept in in that moment. You you swept an angel like an angel, right, you know, you you you whatever. And so I didn't want to pretend to even come up with things. But but and I could do the same thing. Yeah, I can say, you know, here, here we are in the midst of fear. You know, in one hundred and fifty degree heat. It seemed like anyway in that car with the air off, that that God you sent this motorcycle, this this angel who left the heavens and swept down and took on the form of this you know, uh person on a motorcycle, you know, those kinds of things. And I could definitely write a metaphorical, uh, you know thing that talked about God's strength and his might and his and his and his mercy and his wisdom and everything else, which I think is what David is doing here. Yeah, yeah, And I agree with that. And it comes down to like what even our question we had about who would be most likely to have a comic book superhero that they came up with, right, Like, I think that David would be the type of guy who was so creative, Right, And then I mean, how long after this has so this is this event happened three thousand years ago, this this writing was three thousand years ago. How much after the event these events did he write? Right, he's obviously writing this, but he's reflecting back. So you're right. I think it's it's very possible that he's he's referring back. To God in this. I think he said he wrote it on the day, on the day that it happened, Okay, but I mean hid the events that had led up to that though. He said the servant he sang this song to the Lord on the day the Lord rescued him from all his enemies and from soul. So is this specific day he wrote it and sang it on that day, but. So still reflecting though on his life and how God had swooped in and saved him on many occasions. Yeah, I mean think about it. I mean, you know, when everything's over, the great battles over, and you go into your tent and you sit down and you're just almost weeping because of you know, seeing God's hand once again. Be faithful in your life, you know, and the first thing you want to do is give praise. And what does David do. He does what he always does, right. He takes out a parchment probably and in a pen, and he writes songs and poetry, and he organizes a feast and a celebration. And what does he do. He gives us to the choir director. Yeah, and he says, hey, I've spent. The last five hours writing this piece, and I want you to sing this at the celebration tonight. And that's what David does. Yeah. And you know one point I want to say before we wrap up here, and the footnote in the Life Application study Bible and Psalm eighteen thirteen. It says the most High. The way he describes God was an important designation for David to make. Pagan Idol worship was deeply rooted in the land, and each region had its own deity, but these images of wood and stone were powerless. David was placing the Lord alone in a superior category. He is by far the most high. And I don't know, man, I feel like that's a really great way to look at that verse and look to you, really look at the world we live in, the life around us. Is the fact that he is saying that the most high. That David is saying, God, you are the most high. All these other pagan idols that people worship, these false gods, they're there, they believe that they're but no, there's one who is most high above all those. That's awesome. And hey, by the way, I can't sign off without saying, we only read half the chap. Yes, but in verse number forty six, we didn't get to the song that I memorize this versus a kid and if you grew up in Sunday school, you probably know this song. But VERSU for forty six says the Lord lives blessed, Praise to my Rock, may the God of my salvation be exalted. But in the King James version where I learned it, it goes the Lord liveth and blessed be the Rock. Bless it. Oh, I remember that. My salvation, the Lord liveth. And actually there's a second version of that, and I'm not sure if that's the one that my Sunday School teacher always used to modify songs, but I think it was the Lord liveth and blessed be the Rock and let the God. Of my salvation be exalted. Anyway, that is uh, that's exactly how people wanted to end their Friday, right, That. Is exactly correct. They're like, you know what, Chris, you know what I need for Friday. I need to sign us off with Sunday School. That's right. That'll be stuck in their head to. Hey, who knows, maybe maybe David's Army sang his songs just like I remember this song. That's really cool. So hey, I have a great day today and hopefully we'll see you next time. On the Bible guys, see it