God as the Divine Warrior
Introduction:
As you listen to our passage of scripture for today, 2 Samuel 22:8-20, I want you to make a real effort to visualize what you are hearing. What pictures come to your mind? What do you see?
2 Samuel 22:7-20 NLT (repeating verse 7 from the previous lesson)
7 But in my distress I cried out to the Lord;
yes, I cried to my God for help.
He heard me from his sanctuary;
my cry reached his ears.
8 “Then the earth quaked and trembled.
The foundations of the heavens shook;
they quaked because of his anger.
9 Smoke poured from his nostrils;
fierce flames leaped from his mouth.
Glowing coals blazed forth from him.
10 He opened the heavens and came down;
dark storm clouds were beneath his feet.
11 Mounted on a mighty angelic being, he flew,
soaring on the wings of the wind.
12 He shrouded himself in darkness,
veiling his approach with dense rain clouds.
13 A great brightness shone around him,
and burning coals blazed forth.
14 The Lord thundered from heaven;
the voice of the Most High resounded.
15 He shot arrows and scattered his enemies;
his lightning flashed, and they were confused.
16 Then at the command of the Lord,
at the blast of his breath,
the bottom of the sea could be seen,
and the foundations of the earth were laid bare.
17 “He reached down from heaven and rescued me;
he drew me out of deep waters.
18 He rescued me from my powerful enemies,
from those who hated me and were too strong for me.
19 They attacked me at a moment when I was in distress,
but the Lord supported me.
20 He led me to a place of safety;
he rescued me because he delights in me.
What did you visualize?
Share with the group what you saw.
David describes God’s coming in power from heaven to earth.
This is a picture of a Warrior-King is descending from heaven to earth.
Here we have a vivid, poetic description of God’s majestic and powerful intervention to rescue David from his enemies when David is in utter distress.
These images present God as being angry with David’s adversaries as he intervenes in David’s crisis.
The primary message is that God responded with spectacular, cosmic force to David’s cry for help.
- Define theophany.
David describes God’s rescue as a theophany.
A theophany is a vivid poetic description of God’s appearance in power and glory.
A theophany in the Bible is a tangible manifestation of God, an encounter with God.
Theophanies are appearances of God in the Bible.
Theophanies are events where God visibly manifests Himself to people.
There are other theophanies in the Bible.
Here are two examples,
Exodus 19:16-20 NLT
16 On the morning of the third day, thunder roared and lightning flashed, and a dense cloud came down on the mountain. There was a long, loud blast from a ram’s horn, and all the people trembled. 17 Moses led them out from the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. 18 All of Mount Sinai was covered with smoke because the Lord had descended on it in the form of fire. The smoke billowed into the sky like smoke from a brick kiln, and the whole mountain shook violently. 19 As the blast of the ram’s horn grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God thundered his reply. 20 The Lord came down on the top of Mount Sinai and called Moses to the top of the mountain. So Moses climbed the mountain.
Habakkuk 3:3-15 NLT
Habakkuk’s Prayer
3 I see God moving across the deserts from Edom,
the Holy One coming from Mount Paran.
His brilliant splendor fills the heavens,
and the earth is filled with his praise.
4 His coming is as brilliant as the sunrise.
Rays of light flash from his hands,
where his awesome power is hidden.
5 Pestilence marches before him;
plague follows close behind.
6 When he stops, the earth shakes.
When he looks, the nations tremble.
He shatters the everlasting mountains
and levels the eternal hills.
He is the Eternal One!
7 I see the people of Cushan in distress,
and the nation of Midian trembling in terror.
8 Was it in anger, Lord, that you struck the rivers
and parted the sea?
Were you displeased with them?
No, you were sending your chariots of salvation!
9 You brandished your bow
and your quiver of arrows.
You split open the earth with flowing rivers.
10 The mountains watched and trembled.
Onward swept the raging waters.
The mighty deep cried out,
lifting its hands in submission.
11 The sun and moon stood still in the sky
as your brilliant arrows flew
and your glittering spear flashed.
12 You marched across the land in anger
and trampled the nations in your fury.
13 You went out to rescue your chosen people,
to save your anointed ones.
You crushed the heads of the wicked
and stripped their bones from head to toe.
14 With his own weapons,
you destroyed the chief of those
who rushed out like a whirlwind,
thinking Israel would be easy prey.
15 You trampled the sea with your horses,
and the mighty waters piled high.
Other theophanies in the Bible.
God appearing to Abraham – Genesis 18:1–2
The burning bush
The pillar of cloud and fire
The cloud over the tabernacle
The angel of the Lord appearing to Gideon
Isaiah’s vision in the temple
Ezekiel’s vision of God’s glory
Examine the Scriptures
Read (review) 2 Samuel 22:1-7 NLT
David’s Song of Praise
22:1 David sang this song to the Lord on the day the Lord rescued him from all his enemies and from Saul. 2 He sang:
“The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior;
3 my God is my rock, in whom I find protection.
He is my shield, the power that saves me,
and my place of safety.
He is my refuge, my savior,
the one who saves me from violence.
4 I called on the Lord, who is worthy of praise,
and he saved me from my enemies.
5 “The waves of death overwhelmed me;
floods of destruction swept over me.
6 The grave wrapped its ropes around me;
death laid a trap in my path.
7 But in my distress I cried out to the Lord;
yes, I cried to my God for help.
He heard me from his sanctuary;
my cry reached his ears.
2 Samuel 22:8-20 NLT
God as the Divine Warrior
(This song is nearly identical to Psalm 18:7–19.)
- David poetically recounts how God’s power shook creation itself to come to his aid. The imagery is vivid—earthquakes, storms, thunder, and lightning—revealing God’s majesty and wrath against evil.
8 “Then the earth quaked and trembled.
The foundations of the heavens shook;
they quaked because of his anger.
This verse describes the cosmic disturbance that accompanies God’s intervention.
9 Smoke poured from his nostrils;
fierce flames leaped from his mouth.
Glowing coals blazed forth from him.
Here God’s power is portrayed in terms similar to those applied to the awesome beast, the leviathan.
Job 41:19-21 NLT
19 Lightning leaps from its mouth;
flames of fire flash out.
20 Smoke streams from its nostrils
like steam from a pot heated over burning rushes.
21 Its breath would kindle coals,
for flames shoot from its mouth.
- This theophany is a picture of God’s righteous anger.
God’s wrath is not arbitrary—it arises from His justice and love for His chosen ones.
“Smoke” and “fire” symbolize God’s burning anger and purifying power.
10 He opened the heavens and came down;
dark storm clouds were beneath his feet.
11 Mounted on a mighty angelic being, he flew,
soaring on the wings of the wind.
12 He shrouded himself in darkness,
veiling his approach with dense rain clouds.
13 A great brightness shone around him,
and burning coals blazed forth.
God as Divine Warrior
He rides upon the storm, commanding creation to act in defense of His people.
- This passage describes God descending from heaven as a Divine Warrior in a storm to rescue David.
14 The Lord thundered from heaven;
the voice of the Most High resounded.
15 He shot arrows and scattered his enemies;
his lightning flashed, and they were confused.
Other similar passages.
Psalm 77:18 NLT
18 Your thunder roared from the whirlwind;
the lightning lit up the world!
The earth trembled and shook.
Psalm 29:3-4 NLT
3 The voice of the Lord echoes above the sea.
The God of glory thunders.
The Lord thunders over the mighty sea.
4 The voice of the Lord is powerful;
the voice of the Lord is majestic.
Job 37:2-5 NLT
2 Listen carefully to the thunder of God’s voice
as it rolls from his mouth.
3 It rolls across the heavens,
and his lightning flashes in every direction.
4 Then comes the roaring of the thunder—
the tremendous voice of his majesty.
He does not restrain it when he speaks.
5 God’s voice is glorious in the thunder.
We can’t even imagine the greatness of his power.
1 Samuel 2:10 NLT
10 Those who fight against the Lord will be shattered.
He thunders against them from heaven;
- God revealed His power audibly and visibly.
God’s voice commands attention and reverence.
16 Then at the command of the Lord,
at the blast of his breath,
the bottom of the sea could be seen,
and the foundations of the earth were laid bare.
- God’s commands shake creation.
This verse describes an earth-shaking divine rebuke.
The forces of nature serve God’s will.
Nature and nations alike yield to God’s voice; His rule is absolute.
17 “He reached down from heaven and rescued me;
he drew me out of deep waters.
18 He rescued me from my powerful enemies,
from those who hated me and were too strong for me.
19 They attacked me at a moment when I was in distress,
but the Lord supported me.
20 He led me to a place of safety;
he rescued me because he delights in me.
- God reached down from heaven to rescue David from his powerful enemies.
God is not distant: He powerfully moves creation itself to rescue those who trust Him.
God rescues not because of human merit, but because He delights in His children.
For believers, this passage reminds us that God’s power is not distant or abstract. The same God who shook heaven and earth to save David still acts for His people today. When we are surrounded by “many waters,” we can trust that God hears our cry, moves heaven and earth for our good, and delivers us because He delights in us through Christ.
