The God Who Saves
by Henry Morris, Ph.D.
"The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower" (Psalm 18:2).
What a testimony given by David to his God! In this single verse, there is a sevenfold ascription of praise to the Lord for His great salvation. Each testimony can be appropriated also by all who trust Him.
- My Rock: The word used here does not mean a stone or even a boulder, but a mighty monolith, immovable and impregnable.
- My Fortress: This word refers to a great bulwark--a stronghold. The Hebrew word is essentially the same as Masada, the high butte where the Jews resisted the Roman armies after the destruction of Jerusalem.
- My Deliverer: "Our God is able to deliver," even from the fiery furnace, the den of lions, and from the armies of Saul.
- My Strength: This is another word often translated "rock," this time a rugged, craggy one, most appropriate as a symbol of great strength.
- My Buckler: The small, movable shield used to "quench all the fiery darts of the wicked" (Ephesians 6:16).
- The Horn of Salvation: This striking Old Testament symbol is even repeated in the New Testament (Luke 1:69) and applied to the coming Savior, referring either to the "horns of the altar" where fleeing sinners could cling for refuge, or to the fighting horns of a strong beast.
- My High Tower: Here the word is not for a man-made tower, but for a natural, high, topographic eminence, suitable both for watching and for defense.
The great promises of salvation and security in Christ are timeless. The words that brought such hope to David are still a comfort to believers today. He is still "the God of all grace" (I Peter 5:10) to all who trust Him. HMM
This article was originally published January, 2006. "The God Who Saves", Institute for Creation Research, http://www.icr.org/article/2548/ (accessed November 22, 2008).
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