Except Our God

“Fix on an attribute of God. In Him, there is more than we need, more than we desire, more than we can imagine, infinitely more!” (David Clarkson)[1]

There are several places from our travels that I haven’t known how to describe because they were so incredible. We take LOTS of pictures, but pictures don’t do these places justice. I can try to compare the places we’ve been to a place that might be more familiar, but those familiar places often pale in comparison. I wasn’t sure where to begin today. As quoted above from David Clarkson, a Puritan minister, in God is more than we can imagine, infinitely more!

Psalm 18 is one of many Psalms and passages of Scripture that fix on attributes of God. The first three verses alone contain the longest set of assertions in the Psalms about God’s character. Psalm 18 is too long to cover in entirety today, but I want to work through a few of the verses that fix on some of God’s attributes or “God is…” truths.

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, the servant of the Lord, who addressed the words of this song to the Lord on the day when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. He said:

1 I love you, O Lord, my strength.

2 The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,

my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,

my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

3 I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised,

and I am saved from my enemies. [2]

25 With the merciful you show yourself merciful;

with the blameless man you show yourself blameless;

26 with the purified you show yourself pure;

and with the crooked you make yourself seem tortuous.

27 For you save a humble people,

but the haughty eyes you bring down.

28 For it is you who light my lamp;

the Lord my God lightens my darkness.

29 For by you I can run against a troop,

and by my God I can leap over a wall.

30 This God—his way is perfect;

the word of the Lord proves true;

he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.

31 For who is God, but the Lord?

And who is a rock, except our God?— [3]

Psalm 18:1-3, 25-31

We learn the background for this Psalm from the introduction. It is written by David after God delivered him from all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul particularly. David addresses this Psalm to God. In this Psalm, David trusts God’s sovereign rule over his circumstances even when those circumstances seem to contradict this truth. All of us can learn from David. Often our circumstances seem to contradict what we know is true of God, but like David, we need to hold fast to the truths about God.

David begins with “I love you, O Lord...” How often do we tell God we love Him? We use “I love…” for a variety of people and things, but more than any created person or thing, God deserves to be loved and worshiped. David also used God’s name YHWH, which emphasized His position as covenant maker and keeper, His self-existence, and His eternality. From David’s opening words, He declares that God is holy, holy, holy, completely set apart, completely other.

If you look back at verses 1-3, you will notice that before each description of God, David uses the word my. Covenantal, holy, self-existent, eternal God is personal not distant or aloof. And He is not just personal to David, but He is personal to you because in Christ, you belong to Him.

As already mentioned, verses 1-3 contain the longest set of “God is…” truths. God is your strength, your rock (repeated twice), your fortress, your deliverer, your refuge, your shield, the horn of your salvation, and your stronghold. He is also worthy to be praised. As we digest these “God is…” truths, is it any wonder David Clarkson said about God, “there is more than we need, more than we desire, more than we can imagine, infinitely more!”

One of our sweet youth group girls has had severe back pain for quite a while. She recently had surgery to repair a break in her back. The doctor told her for two weeks after the surgery, the pain from the surgery would be so bad she would wonder why she had the surgery. As I prayed for her today, I thought of how her circumstances seem to contradict what she knows is true about God, but like David she can cling to the truth that God is her strength when she is weak, her rock, her fortress, her deliverer, her refuge to run to and cry to, her shield, her salvation, and her stronghold. She can call upon her God, who is worthy to be praised. “I Choose To Worship” by Rend Collective reflects this truth.

I will praise You through the fire Through the storm and through the flood There is nothing that could ever steal my song In the valley, You are worthy You are good when life is not You will always and forever be my song

Now let’s jump down to verses 25-30. There is much we could study in these verses, but we will focus on the “God is…” truths. He is merciful, blameless (or perfect and righteous), pure, saves the humble, is just (brings the haughty down), His way is perfect (or blameless), His Word proves true (He is faithful), and He is a shield for those who take refuge in Him. We also learn that God outwits the crooked (vs 26b) and equips us (vs 29).

I love how David says in verse 30, “This God – His way is perfect…” (emphasis added). David emphatically underscores God’s completely otherness. This takes us back to David’s opening words in verse 1 that declare God is holy, holy, holy, completely set apart, completely other.

If this has not taken hold of our hearts and minds yet, David asks two rhetorical questions: “For who is God, but the Lord? And who is a rock, except our God?” (vs 31). We already learned that Lord is the Hebrew YHWH depicting God’s position as covenant maker and keeper, His self-existence, and eternality, but in verse 31, David additionally uses the Hebrew word Elohim or God in English. Elohim depicts God’s position as Creator. There is no one and nothing that can even begin to compare to God. “In Him, there is more than we need, more than we desire, more than we can imagine, infinitely more!” (David Clarkson)

Reflection

1. What circumstance are you in that seems to contradict what you know is true about God? Have you believed what your circumstances are telling you or what God’s Word tells you?

2. What “God is…” truths do you need to meditate on to remind and assure your weary heart and mind that in God, there is more than you need, more than you desire, more than you can imagine, infinitely more?

3. When was the last time you told God you loved Him? Take time to praise the One who is worthy to be praised.

[1] Rushing, Richard (editor). Voices From the Past Volume 1. Edinburgh, The Banner of Truth, 2009. [2] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ps 18:title–3. [3] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ps 18:25–31.