Psalm 18 is the only Psalm that also occurs in the Book of Samuel, which recounts King David’s life. This Psalm of fifty-one verses evokes questions:

• Did David recite this Psalm at the end of his life (as described in the Book of Samuel) or the middle of his life (as noted in the opening verse)?
• What are the significances of the slight variations between the two recordings?
• Is the vivid imagery of a warrior God a product of a mystical dream or is it just poetic metaphor?
• Does God save David directly or only serve to give him the strength to fight?

We will spend two sessions on this soaring Psalm, traditionally knows as “The Song of David.” We will examine closely its artful weave and stirring imagery and look at King David as a poet in the Book of Samuel, which gives context to the King who united the twelve tribes amidst a life of warfare as the premier Psalter..