2 Samuel 22:16

2 Samuel 22:16 says, And the channels of the sea appeared, the foundations of the world were discovered, at the rebuking of the LORD, at the blast of the breath of his nostrils.  David said that God could shake the foundations of the earth and even dry up the seas with His breath alone.  God did not need David in order to defeat His enemies, but He chose to work through Him.  The same is true for Christians today.  Verse seventeen adds, He sent from above, he took me; he drew me out of many waters;  I believe that David is acknowledging that it was God from above who gave him victory over his enemies at all times.  We need to let the world know that as followers of Christ our victory over sin in the world comes from Jesus Christ alone.  Verse eighteen continues,  He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them that hated me: for they were too strong for me.  David continued to give God credit for his victories, saying that his enemies were too strong for him to defeat on his own, and as Christians, our enemies will never be too strong for God to defeat if we put our faith in Him.  Verse nineteen states,They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the LORD was my stay.   David said that when his enemies kept him from victory that God was his stay, his source of strength and peace.  God has already given Christians victory over sin and death, so we should live at peace secure in our everlasting salvation.  Verse twenty adds, He brought me forth also into a large place: he delivered me, because he delighted in me.  I believe that David was saying God gave him authority over Israel because God delighted in him.  I believe that as long as we as Christians are doing what God has called us to do that He will delight in us and that is all that should matter.  Verse twenty-one continues, The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness: according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.  David said that God rewarded him for his righteousness according to how well he obeyed God, but we know that our own righteousness will only bring us condemnation.  The righteousness is Jesus Christ is all that can save us.  Verse twenty-two says, I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God.  David said that he had kept the ways of the LORD, and he may have kept many, but he failed in some.  We cannot find salvation by our own following of God's commandments, because we all rail to keep them all.  Verse twenty-three adds, For all his judgments were before me: and as for his statutes, I did not depart from them.  Again David said he kept God's statutes before and did not deviate from them.  Again, this was not true of all of God's commandments or there would have been no purpose in Jesus coming to die for the sins of all mankind.  If David had perfectly kept all of God's laws he could have been saved by the law, and no one can.  Verse twenty-four continues,, I was also upright before him, and have kept myself from mine iniquity.  David continues to speak about his faithfulness  in keeping God's commandments, and we should try to keep them, but we cannot be saved by doing so.  Verse twenty-five states, Therefore the LORD hath recompensed me according to my righteousness; according to my cleanness in his eye sight.  Again, I don't believe that God chose David because of his own merit but because of what God knew He could do through David as long as David was faithful to Him.  Our usefulness to God comes from our relationship to Jesus Christ and not from our own righteousness.  Verse twenty-six adds, With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful, and with the upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright.  David said God would show mercy to the merciful and would be upright with those who were upright, but we can never earn God's forgiveness by our own actions, other than accepting Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord.  Verse twenty-seven continues, With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself unsavoury.  I do believe that once we accept Jesus Christ we are made pure through His shed blood and we should live in purity before God, but we often fail.  Verse twenty-eight states, And the afflicted people thou wilt save: but thine eyes are upon the haughty, that thou mayest bring them down.  David said God would save the afflicted and bring down the haughty, but this is true only if we accept Jesus Christ.  Being afflicted does not save us, nor does being haughty condemn us.  Verse twenty-nine adds, For thou art my lamp, O LORD: and the LORD will lighten my darkness.  As Dassid then, God is our light as Christians and He will brighten our darkness.  Verse thirty concludes, For by thee I have run through a troop: by my God have I leaped over a wall.  David said that God was the One Who empowered him, and as Christians,  God is still the One Who empowers us today as long as we are obedient to Him.