He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters.
God sends from above to take hold of the one in distress who cries to Him and to draw him out of overwhelming waters, rescuing him from enemies too strong for him because He delights in him and upholds him in love. It is David's song of triumph and thanksgiving for deliverance from the hand of Saul, given with slight changes also in 2 Samuel 22 where its historical connection is set forth. The many waters are the overwhelming stream and proud waters that would go over the soul when enemies rise up to swallow it alive as prey, from which escape is as a bird out of the broken snare of the fowlers. The psalm reveals Christ's inner experience in His life-and-death struggle and resurrection, winning victory for His people and in them over sin and spiritual foes by the same power displayed in creation, a teaching that belongs to Christians and not to Israel as a nationality alone. It is to give courage and be brought into personal experience, for when one in deep trouble cries in faith God reaches down to pull him out, since faith is a lever that moves heaven because it rests on the throne of God, even lifting one sunk in the sea of heathenism to a life of grateful, faithful service and kindness toward others.
Words, Context, and Setting
God sending from above to take the speaker and draw him out of many waters pictures divine rescue from overwhelming danger, trouble, and distress. In its setting the speaker is in distress, cries to God, and is heard from heaven. The danger is enemies too strong for the speaker, a strong foe and those who hated him. The Lord supports him and brings him into safety because He delights in him and through His love.
The many waters are the overwhelming stream and proud waters that would go over the soul when men rise up against God's people and their wrath is kindled. They are the flood in which enemies would swallow the soul alive and have it as prey to their teeth.
The verse belongs to a psalm presented as David's song of triumph and thanksgiving celebrating God's deliverance, specifically for deliverance from the hand of Saul. With very slight changes the psalm is also found in and strongly paralleled by the song in 2 Samuel 22, without being exactly alike. The Samuel account gives its historical connection while the psalm account stands as part of the collection of David's writings.
Prophecy and Doctrinal Teaching
The psalm gives a prophetic picture of Christ's inner experience in struggle and suffering, opening what He felt during life-and-death conflicts with the enemy that even His disciples often missed. It stands among Christ's resurrection psalms. The rescue of David from overwhelming danger, pictured as being drawn out of many waters, points beyond itself to Christ's victory won for His people and wrought in them over sin and spiritual foes.
The rescue shows God reaching down from above to draw David out of overwhelming trouble pictured as many waters, with the surrounding verses identifying that danger as enemies too strong for him, whom the Lord withstands while supporting His servant and bringing him into safety because He delights in him. That same reaching from above to take His people and draw them out of many waters meets the time when men rise up against them and their wrath is kindled, when the overwhelming stream and proud waters would go over the soul and enemies would swallow it alive and hold it as prey to their teeth. In this, the power God displayed in creation is exerted again for those who need help in their struggle against sin and evil, so that help is in the name of the Lord who made heaven and earth.
The verse belongs to the Old Testament's teaching that remains relevant to Christians and is not confined to the people of Israel as a nationality. The deliverance it describes is escape as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers when the snare is broken.
Personal Faith and Application
The psalm gives courage and is to be brought into personal experience through faith. When a person in deep trouble cries to the Lord in faith, God reaches down from above to take hold of him and pull him out of overwhelming waters. This proves faith is a lever that moves heaven as well as earth, because its resting-place is the throne of the eternal God.
God sends from above to take a person sunk at the bottom of the sea of heathenism and draw him out of many waters. That deliverance frees him from those who hated him, even brutal kinsmen, through loving rescuers at the last moment. The one so rescued owes his life to God and serves faithfully from gratitude. He grows kindly even toward those he was taken from, and may become a chosen vessel living a useful, good life, proving that gentleness and love draw reluctant souls to a better life.
God sends from above to take hold of the one in distress who cries to Him and to draw him out of overwhelming waters, rescuing him from enemies too strong for him because He delights in him and upholds him in love. It is David's song of triumph and thanksgiving for deliverance from the hand of Saul, given with slight changes also in 2 Samuel 22 where its historical connection is set forth. The many waters are the overwhelming stream and proud waters that would go over the soul when enemies rise up to swallow it alive as prey, from which escape is as a bird out of the broken snare of the fowlers. The psalm reveals Christ's inner experience in His life-and-death struggle and resurrection, winning victory for His people and in them over sin and spiritual foes by the same power displayed in creation, a teaching that belongs to Christians and not to Israel as a nationality alone. It is to give courage and be brought into personal experience, for when one in deep trouble cries in faith God reaches down to pull him out, since faith is a lever that moves heaven because it rests on the throne of God, even lifting one sunk in the sea of heathenism to a life of grateful, faithful service and kindness toward others.
Words, Context, and Setting
God sending from above to take the speaker and draw him out of many waters pictures divine rescue from overwhelming danger, trouble, and distress. In its setting the speaker is in distress, cries to God, and is heard from heaven. The danger is enemies too strong for the speaker, a strong foe and those who hated him. The Lord supports him and brings him into safety because He delights in him and through His love.
The many waters are the overwhelming stream and proud waters that would go over the soul when men rise up against God's people and their wrath is kindled. They are the flood in which enemies would swallow the soul alive and have it as prey to their teeth.
The verse belongs to a psalm presented as David's song of triumph and thanksgiving celebrating God's deliverance, specifically for deliverance from the hand of Saul. With very slight changes the psalm is also found in and strongly paralleled by the song in 2 Samuel 22, without being exactly alike. The Samuel account gives its historical connection while the psalm account stands as part of the collection of David's writings.
Prophecy and Doctrinal Teaching
The psalm gives a prophetic picture of Christ's inner experience in struggle and suffering, opening what He felt during life-and-death conflicts with the enemy that even His disciples often missed. It stands among Christ's resurrection psalms. The rescue of David from overwhelming danger, pictured as being drawn out of many waters, points beyond itself to Christ's victory won for His people and wrought in them over sin and spiritual foes.
The rescue shows God reaching down from above to draw David out of overwhelming trouble pictured as many waters, with the surrounding verses identifying that danger as enemies too strong for him, whom the Lord withstands while supporting His servant and bringing him into safety because He delights in him. That same reaching from above to take His people and draw them out of many waters meets the time when men rise up against them and their wrath is kindled, when the overwhelming stream and proud waters would go over the soul and enemies would swallow it alive and hold it as prey to their teeth. In this, the power God displayed in creation is exerted again for those who need help in their struggle against sin and evil, so that help is in the name of the Lord who made heaven and earth.
The verse belongs to the Old Testament's teaching that remains relevant to Christians and is not confined to the people of Israel as a nationality. The deliverance it describes is escape as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers when the snare is broken.
Personal Faith and Application
The psalm gives courage and is to be brought into personal experience through faith. When a person in deep trouble cries to the Lord in faith, God reaches down from above to take hold of him and pull him out of overwhelming waters. This proves faith is a lever that moves heaven as well as earth, because its resting-place is the throne of the eternal God.
God sends from above to take a person sunk at the bottom of the sea of heathenism and draw him out of many waters. That deliverance frees him from those who hated him, even brutal kinsmen, through loving rescuers at the last moment. The one so rescued owes his life to God and serves faithfully from gratitude. He grows kindly even toward those he was taken from, and may become a chosen vessel living a useful, good life, proving that gentleness and love draw reluctant souls to a better life.