2 Samuel 22:50-51 - David's Psalm Of Thanksgiving.

Praising God among the nations.

In bringing to a close this grand psalm of praise, the royal writer looks around and forward. He reveals a purpose and expectation that his song will be heard among the nations at large, and he expresses his assurance that the kindness of God which he had experienced would be extended to his family down to the latest ages, yea, forevermore. The two verses are closely connected. Translate "nations" instead of "heathen;" and instead of "He is the Tower of salvation for his king," read, "Effecting great salvations [deliverances] for his king." Thus the verses will run. "Therefore I will give thanks unto thee, O Lord, among the nations, and to thy Name will I sing praises; who effecteth great deliverances for his king, and showeth loving kindness to his anointed, to David and to his seed forevermore."

I. THE GROUNDS OF THE PSALMIST 'S PRAISE .

1 . His position. God's "king," "his anointed," the messiah (Christ) of God. David was literally anointed by Samuel as the future king of Israel, and had been prepared for and brought to the throne in marvellous ways. He recognized, as Saul had failed to do, that he was God's king and representative, ruling God's people in subjection to him. The position was far more honourable than that of any heathen monarch, however much wider his dominion.

2 . His experience of the goodness and power of God. Protecting, delivering, giving victory, exalting to the throne, and preserving in it. "Therefore," because of all that I have hem recorded of the Divine favour to me, "I will give thanks," etc. Note the value of experience as a help and incentive to praise. It gives reality to our thoughts of God, and personal knowledge of his power and goodness. It stirs the heart to gratitude, and to a desire that all should know and praise him. It furnishes interesting subjects for praise.

3 . The assurance be had of the future kindness of God to himself and his family. This assurance sprang from the promise of God by Nathan ( 2 Samuel 7:12-16 ), and which finds its ultimate and complete fulfilment in the exaltation of the Christ, the Son of David, to be King of all men, of all beings and things in heaven as well as earth. It was a great honour conferred on David and his family to be made rulers for many generations of the people in and through whom true religion was preserved, to be at length diffused through all the earth; it was a far greater for HIM to spring from them who should be the Saviour of all men, and the eternal King. For consider:

II. THE SPHERE OF HIS PRAISE . "Among the nations."

1 . The fulness of his gratitude moved him to make known God's goodness as widely as possible.

2 . He desired to instruct other nations, and bring them to worship a God so able and willing to bless his worshippers. He may have felt a special obligation to instruct and benefit the peoples who had been brought into subjection to himself.

3 . The interest which the nations at large had in what God had done and promised to him. See Romans 15:9 , where verse 50 is quoted by St. Paul in proof that it was the purpose of God that the Gentiles should "glorify God for his mercy."—G.W.