Readings for today: 2 Samuel 22-24, Psalms 93
Salvation is real. It’s based on real events within human history. It’s an accurate record of God’s miraculous intervention on behalf of His chosen people which is why it retains such a hold on our imaginations. When I was in seminary, I remember debating fellow students and even some of my professors over the nature of salvation. They believed the events of the Bible to be largely mythological. They believed salvation to be a spiritual metaphor describing the basic human longing for freedom or liberation. They couldn’t conceive of a God who would act within history. They rejected the historicity of events like the Exodus or people like David or even the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ. They began with the a priori philosophical assumption that miracles were impossible and therefore the Bible must be wrong or using hyperbole when it describes them. Everything must have a naturalistic or humanistic or scientific explanation. The problem with this approach is it doesn’t adequately explain why events like the Exodus remain so influential over the centuries.
In today’s reading, David composes a song of thanksgiving. It’s a song commemorating his victories over all his enemies. David is finally at peace. He has won all his wars. He has secured his line of succession. He has united the nation of Israel under his rule. And he rightfully gives God all the glory. As he writes his poetry, he draws on the image of the Exodus to describe all God has done for him. “The Lord thundered from heaven; the Most High made his voice heard. He shot arrows and scattered them; he hurled lightning bolts and routed them. The depths of the sea became visible, the foundations of the world were exposed at the rebuke of the Lord, at the blast of the breath of his nostrils.” (2 Samuel 22:14-16 CSB) He goes on to talk about God lifting him out of the deep waters to bring him to a safe place. He talks about God’s deliverance from all his enemies and how God gave him victory after victory everywhere he went. Clearly, David has in mind specific battles in specific places against specific people. These are not abstract ideas. David isn’t just talking about spiritual metaphors. He is talking about salvation in the literal sense. A real God acting on behalf of His people within real time and space. And David relates his own experiences to the experiences of God’s people throughout their history.
The question I often posed to my fellow students and professors when we would debate is how we could honestly talk about God as “Savior” if He never actually saved anyone? Why would we call Him names like “Deliverer”, “Rescuer”, “Liberator”, etc. if He wasn’t actually engaged in the business of deliverance, rescue, and liberation? It’s baffling to me that people would worship a god who never actually does anything. I am honestly stumped why anyone would seek to follow such a god? Why would we believe or trust anything this supposed god actually said? How is this not just wishful thinking? How is this not just blind hope? No, I worship a God who saves. I worship a God who delivers. I worship a God who parted the Red Sea, saved David from all his enemies, and raised Jesus Christ from the dead. I worship a God who still intervenes miraculously to save His people even today.
Readings for tomorrow: 1 Kings 1-3, Psalms 94