2 Samuel 22:31

"But as for God, His way is perfect; the word of the LORD is tried: He is a shield to all them that trust in Him."

After many years of running David was finally free from the wrath of King Saul. This was because Saul had gone into battle and was killed. David's first response to the turn of events was to sing a song or praise unto the LORD. This song is recorded in 2 Samuel 22 and Psalm 18. Throughout this song David gives glory to God for what had come to pass. David extolls God's hand in his life, calling Him his rock, his fortress, his shield, his high tower, his refuge, and his savior. In this verse David speaks of God's person, referring to His way, His word, and that He is a shield.

Firstly, David says that God's way is perfect. Perfection can be seen in a couple of ways. It would mean that His ways are without flaw. There has never been any time in which Gods ways have failed. They are flawless in that they are always right, and always the best. God’s way in David’s life was that he should wait on Him. And so, when an opportunity came for David to take matters into his own hand, when Saul was vulnerable, and David had it in his ability to assassinate him, David refused. He told his men, "It is not right to touch the LORD’s anointed." He saw that in spite of what Saul was doing to him, the LORD had made Saul king. And David knew the best way to handle the matter was to leave it in the LORD’s hands. David’s patience was rewarded, because God cannot lie. He followed God’s way in the matter, and found it to be perfect.

Another way to see the perfection of His ways is to see that they are complete. Nothing can be added to or should be taken from them. Again, David learned by experience that following the LORD’s ways in this matter brought a complete end, not a partial one. David was now uncontested king of Israel. God had promised him this position, and now it came. Not only did Saul die in the battle, but his first-born son, Jonathan, who would have had a legal claim on the throne, also died. Aan even greater evidence of the completeness of God’s ways can be seen in that the salvation that He has wrought through Christ is entirely complete. Nothing can be added to it. Hebrews 10:14 reminds us, "... By one offering He hath perfected forever them that are sanctified."

The perfection of His ways can also be seen in that they have integrity. His ways are always the best, and as Abraham asked the LORD in Genesis 18:25, "Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?" Of course he will, for His ways are perfect! Again, the great salvation that He has provided is evidence. What integrity would God have if He were to declare punishment against sin, and then not apply the judgment? As much as we might like it to be so, He cannot simply ignore our transgressions against Him. We would consider earthly judges that did not apply judgment to convicted criminals to be without integrity. Especially if they simply let the convicts go free. God ways are perfect in that they have integrity. He punished His Son for our crimes. Justice is satisfied, and on that basis God declares His children to be righteous.

Secondly, David says that God’s word is tried. The Hebrew word that is translated "tried" speaks of testing and refining. After seven long years of running from Saul David knew that the LORD was dependable. What the LORD had said would come to pass certainly had. It had happened time and again in David’s life. And this very event was a prime example, for the LORD told David that he would be king in Israel. As long as Saul was king, David could not be. But now Saul was dead and so the LORD’s word would come true. David had tested God at His Word, and found it to be dependable. It was tried in David’s experience and found by him to be trustworthy. David also would remember the great deliverance that God had given him from the hand of Goliath. David knew God’s presence in delivering his sheep from bears and lions. And on that basis he knew that God would defeat Goliath, which God did. David knew by experience that God’s word was dependable.

That which is refined is pure. Nothing could be added to it, for that would reduce its purity. God’s word is the purest thing that mankind can encounter. The most pure element that mankind can produce is still a little bit impure. Nothing we can do is perfect. No refining process that we can develop can completely purify. But God’s word is absolutely pure, and therefore absolutely trustworthy. And exactly what is it? It is pure truth. In His high priestly prayer in John 17:17 Jesus said, "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth." It is an interesting thing about the truth of God’s word. In every other case of which we are aware, adding something to something that is pure will only sully the purity of it. But what Jesus says here is God’s word, which is truth, which is pure, can sanctify those that are touched by it! We who are anything but pure are sanctified, made pure, by His Word. Instead of the "natural" process that would degrade the pure thing, the supernatural process is that the pure thing can purify that which comes in contact with it. God’s word is that kind of pure truth.

Finally, God is a shield to all them that trust in Him. To match the other two thoughts in the verse, one might say that God’s defense is sure. Not only does He tell us of His ways and His Word, He promises His presence in our lives. A shield is a device that the soldier holds closely to himself for defense. It is not ever more than arms length away. So God is a shield, always near, always dependable, always in the thick of things. Never far off, uninterested, or preoccupied. Psalm 121:2-4 tell us, "My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep." And Hebrews 13:5 reminds us, "... he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." God is a shield, and a dependable one at that. Which leads to Paul’s rhetorical question in Romans 8:31, "What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?"

God’s ways are perfect, God’s word is pure, God’s defense is sure. To God be the glory!

HJK