The LORD is My Rock, My Fortress, and My Deliverer

By Dan & Brenda Cathcart

The Video Version is available at: https://youtu.be/5JToVZWLkCc

The scripture reading is 2^nd Samuel 22:1-51

We examined this haftarah once already this year during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. At that time, we focused on God’s deliverance of David. This was an appropriate message corresponding to the deliverance theme of Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread and the opening verse of this passage.

2 Samuel 22:1 NKJV 1 Then David spoke to the LORD the words of this song, on the day when the LORD had delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul.

The theme of the upcoming Feast of Sukkot is rejoicing. So, this teaching will focus on David rejoicing in God. Notice that David directs the words of his song to God. He wrote these words so that he could sing them to God! A famous poem by Elizabeth Barret Browning begins “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.” This song is David’s version of counting the ways he loves God. David describes the character traits of God that he experienced and loved.

David opens his song by describing three specific traits about God—that He is David’s Rock, his Fortress and his Deliverer.

2 Samuel 22:2-3 MKJV 2 And he said, The LORD is my Rock, and my Fortress, and my Deliverer. 3 The God who is my Rock, in Him will I trust. He is my Shield, and the Horn of my salvation, my High Tower, and my Refuge, my Savior. You save me from violence.

These two verses demonstrate the Hebrew poetic structure of parallelism. In parallelism, the first line is repeated in slightly different terms in the second line. In this case, the first line is repeated twice for a total of three statements of God’s character traits that David experienced. Three is the number of divine completion unique to God. In these opening lines, the number three appears twice!

The first trait that David mentions is that God is his Rock. In verse two, the word “rock” is “she’-lah,” number 5553 in Strong’s Concordance meaning to be lofty such as that of a craggy rock or cliff. In verse three the parallel word, also translated as “rock” is a different Hebrew word. It is the word “tsuwr,” number 6697 meaning a cliff, rock or boulder. In the third repetition, David uses the phrase “High Tower.” This is the Hebrew word “misgah,” number 4869 meaning a cliff or other high inaccessible place.  All three of these terms depict a God that is a strong, secure boulder. David states that He can trust in the God who is his Rock!

The second trait that David mentions is that God is his Fortress. The parallel phrases are that God is his shield and His refuge. The Hebrew word for “fortress” is “metsuwdah,” the feminine form of number 4686 meaning a net, castle or fortress. That craggy rock would be a great place to build a fortress! The name Masada, for the fortress that King Herod built, comes from this same word. The word “shield,” is the Hebrew word “magen,” number 4043, meaning a shield or protector. This fortress is a refuge, a safe place to which one can flee and receive the protection of God.

Finally, David describes God as His deliverer. The Hebrew word is “palat,” number 6403 meaning to deliver or cause to escape. God is the one who enables David to escape! The first parallel phrase for deliverer is the “Horn of my Salvation.” The word “horn” is “qeren,” number 7161 which means a horn or other projection such as a peak or corner. Figuratively it represents power or strength. God is the power or strength that brings salvation! The last parallel for deliverer is My Savior. Both salvation and Savior come from the same Hebrew word, “yaw-shaw’, number 3467 meaning to be open or wide, to be safe, or to cause to be free. The Rock is a physical structure that just is. There is no moving it and no changing it. The Fortress built upon the rock is for protection during battle and during times of rest. The Horn of my Salvation is active protection. An animal’s horn is a means of offense and defense against its enemies. As David’s Deliverer and Savior, God actively saves him from violence!

Yeshua refers to these same three traits when He describes where a wise man builds his house.

Matthew 7:24-25 MKJV 24 Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on a rock. 25 And the rain came down, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house. And it did not fall, for it was founded on a rock.

The wise man builds his house on the rock of Yeshua and His words! Yeshua again refers to this rock when He states that Peter is built upon it and the gates of Hell cannot prevail against it.

Matthew 16:16-18 YLT 16 and Simon Peter answering said, `Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.' 17 And Jesus answering said to him, `Happy art thou, Simon Bar-Jona, because flesh and blood did not reveal it to thee, but my Father who is in the heavens. 18 `And I also say to thee, that thou art a rock, and upon this rock I will build my assembly, and gates of Hades shall not prevail against it;

Once again, the rock is Yeshua whose identity is the Son of the living God!

Another trait that David praises about God is His availability. David states that God was always there when he called out to God.

2 Samuel 22:4-7 NAS95 4 "I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, And I am saved from my enemies. 5 "For the waves of death encompassed me; The torrents of destruction overwhelmed me; 6 The cords of Sheol surrounded me; The snares of death confronted me. 7 "In my distress I called upon the LORD, Yes, I cried to my God; And from His temple He heard my voice, And my cry for help came into His ears.

David uses two different metaphors to describe the situations he was in when he called out to God. The first imagery that David uses is being surrounded by waves and torrents of water. He compares the water to death and destruction. I think of the time of Noah and the flood as well as Jonah being thrown into the sea. God was with Noah and his family, and God was with Jonah through the storm tossed seas. The second imagery is that of the prey being captured by a hunter with cords and snares. David was constantly being hunted by Saul, and capture would have meant death. When David was in deadly peril, God heard and responded to David’s cry.

The next verse describes God’s response. And oh what a response!

2 Samuel 22:8-16 NAS95 8 "Then the earth shook and quaked, The foundations of heaven were trembling And were shaken, because He was angry. 9 "Smoke went up out of His nostrils, Fire from His mouth devoured; Coals were kindled by it. 10 "He bowed the heavens also, and came down With thick darkness under His feet. 11 "And He rode on a cherub and flew; And He appeared on the wings of the wind. 12 "And He made darkness canopies around Him, A mass of waters, thick clouds of the sky. 13 "From the brightness before Him Coals of fire were kindled. 14 "The LORD thundered from heaven, And the Most High uttered His voice. 15 "And He sent out arrows, and scattered them, Lightning, and routed them. 16 "Then the channels of the sea appeared, The foundations of the world were laid bare By the rebuke of the LORD, At the blast of the breath of His nostrils.

The entire creation is at God’s disposal to answer the cry of His people! In the midst of the response of all creation, God appeared! He rode on the wings of the wind! First Fruits of Zion in Torah Club Volume Three: The Haftarah, explains that the Canaanite gods included Baal, the god of thunder and the rider of the clouds; Yam, the god of the sea; and Mot, the god of the underworld.

“We can see already that in this psalm David speaks about all of these forces—thunderstorms, the sea, and death—in terms of God’s use of them or defeat of them. In a sense, we have many hints that David’s deliverance, therefore, was not merely a personal one, but a spiritual one as well.”[i]

Just like God took on and defeated the gods of Egypt in the plagues and the exodus, God takes on and defeats the gods of Canaan! When Yeshua returns, He will take on and defeat all false gods!

Matthew 24:29-30 NKJV 29 "Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 "Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

David tells us that the results of God’s response from heaven is that God delivers David from the water that surrounds him and the enemies that hunt him.

2 Samuel 22:17-18 NAS95 17 "He sent from on high, He took me; He drew me out of many waters. 18 "He delivered me from my strong enemy, From those who hated me, for they were too strong for me.

God’s response to David’s call for help was deliverance both physically and spiritually. But why would God choose to answer David’s call? The next verses explain that God is the one who made David worthy of help. David explains that God chose to deliver him because God delighted in him.

2 Samuel 22:20 NKJV 20 He also brought me out into a broad place; He delivered me because He delighted in me.

The word “delight” is from the Hebrew word “kwaw-fates’,” number 2654 meaning to incline, bend, to be pleased with. In our teaching on September 25^th covering Isaiah sixty two, we learned that God would change Jerusalem’s name from Forsaken to Hephzibah. Hephzibah is from this same word “kwaw-fates’” and means “My delight is in her.” God will delight in Jerusalem because of her righteousness.

Isaiah 62:2 NKJV 2 The Gentiles shall see your righteousness, And all kings your glory. You shall be called by a new name, Which the mouth of the LORD will name.

David said that God rewarded him according to his righteousness. But how could David claim to be righteous? He committed adultery with Bathsheba and conspired to have her husband murdered. David says that his righteousness is that which is seen through God’s eyes.

2 Samuel 22:25 NKJV 25 Therefore the LORD has recompensed me according to my righteousness, According to my cleanness in His eyes.

David explains that it is through another of God’s traits, that of mercy, that he is seen as righteous.

2 Samuel 22:26-28 NKJV 26 "With the merciful You will show Yourself merciful; With a blameless man You will show Yourself blameless; 27 With the pure You will show Yourself pure; And with the devious You will show Yourself shrewd. 28 You will save the humble people; But Your eyes are on the haughty, that You may bring them down.

It is through God’s mercy that the darkness of David’s sins is turned to the light of righteousness.

2 Samuel 22:29 NKJV 29 "For You are my lamp, O LORD; The LORD shall enlighten my darkness.

It is through God’s mercy that He empowers David to act physically and spiritually.

2 Samuel 22:30-31 NKJV 30 For by You I can run against a troop; By my God I can leap over a wall. 31 As for God, His way is perfect; The word of the LORD is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him.

David declares that he has experienced that God and His word are trustworthy. He asks who else could possibly be God?

2 Samuel 22:32-35 NKJV 32 "For who is God, except the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God? 33 God is my strength and power, And He makes my way perfect. 34 He makes my feet like the feet of deer, And sets me on my high places. 35 He teaches my hands to make war, So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

God is the rock that makes David’s way perfect. He is the strength to enable David to accomplish seemingly impossible tasks. He is the power given to David to make war against his enemies and be victorious. David’s enemies were not just the soldiers from the opposing armies that he faced. Some of his enemies were those from his own people who hated him.

2 Samuel 22:40-41 NKJV 40 For You have armed me with strength for the battle; You have subdued under me those who rose against me. 41 You have also given me the necks of my enemies, So that I destroyed those who hated me.

In all these trials and challenges, David states that he can rely on God to deliver him either by direct intervention through God’s creation, or by giving David the power to defeat his enemies. God is firmly on David’s side! Even when his enemies seemingly abandon their own gods and call out to the one true God, God did not abandon David.

2 Samuel 22:42-44 NKJV 42 They looked, but there was none to save; Even to the LORD, but He did not answer them. 43 Then I beat them as fine as the dust of the earth; I trod them like dirt in the streets, And I spread them out. 44 "You have also delivered me from the strivings of my people; You have kept me as the head of the nations. A people I have not known shall serve me.

The writer of Hebrews expresses his faith in the steadfastness of God and encourages his readers to do so as well.

Hebrews 13:5-6 NKJV 5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." 6 So we may boldly say: "The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?"

God’s availability, mercy and steadfastness lead David to declare that no other god could really be God. David rightly credits God for all his successes. There is only one God that lives and that is the God who is David’s rock!

2 Samuel 22:47-49 NKJV 47 "The LORD lives! Blessed be my Rock! Let God be exalted, The Rock of my salvation! 48 It is God who avenges me, And subdues the peoples under me; 49 He delivers me from my enemies. You also lift me up above those who rise against me; You have delivered me from the violent man.

David’s response to God as his Rock and Salvation is to praise God’s name throughout all the nations of the world.

2 Samuel 22:50-51 NKJV 50 Therefore I will give thanks to You, O LORD, among the Gentiles, And sing praises to Your name. 51 He is the tower of salvation to His king, And shows mercy to His anointed, To David and his descendants forevermore."

In another Psalm, David says that he will praise God’s name in the Great Assembly of his own people.

Psalms 22:22 NKJV 22 I will declare Your name to My brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will praise You.

David thanks and praises the LORD because God readily answered his calls of help. God extended mercy to David when he sinned. God proved that He would always be with David. As a result, David called God His Rock, His Fortress, and His Deliverer. Yeshua embodies all these same traits of the Father because He is the Son of God! He does what the Father does!

John 5:19 NKJV 19 Then Jesus answered and said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.

When we put our trust in Yeshua, the Son of God, we put our trust in God! Yeshua’s name, of course, means salvation. He is our Rock and Tower of Salvation! Let us, like David, sing praises to God among our friends and neighbors. Let us thank God for all the times He has been and continues to be available when we call, to extend mercy when we sin, and to be with us through every trial we face! He is our Rock, our Fortress, and our Deliverer!

Study Questions:

1.      Discuss the connection of this teaching to the Torah Portion Ha’azinu Deuteronomy 32:1-52

2.      David refers to being saved out of the torrents of water. How is this like the situations with Noah and Jonah?

3.      2 Samuel 22:8-16 alludes to God’s triumph over the Canaanite gods. How is this a bigger picture of God triumphing over all false gods?

4.      In 2 Samuel 22:20, David says that God brings him to a “broad place.” Then, in verse 37, he says that God “enlarges” the path. What is this “broad place?”

5.       We frequently look at David as a shadow of our Messiah Yeshua. However, Yeshua is the Son of God and does what the Father does. In what way does David’s description of the Father in this song also describe the Son?

6.      What new insight did you gain from this teaching? How do you respond to this new insight? How will you realign your life based on this new understanding?

Bonus: How has your imagery of God as your Rock, Fortress, and Deliverer changed or grown?

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[i] First Fruits of Zion. Torah Club Volume 3: The Haftarah. ©1999 First Fruits of Zion, Inc. Page 825