GOD COMING ON THE CLOUDS IN THE OT
Part 1: Psalm 18 / 2 Sam 22
Saul is jealous.
Saul sets out to kill David.
Saul chases David everywhere to try to kill him.
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Yet none of that literally, physically occurred.
It's very dramatic to create an impact on the heart.
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God came out of heaven.. with flaming fire.. with a shout..
DARK CLOUDS WERE UNDER HIS FEET.
He mounted the cherubim and flew;
he soared[d] on the wings of the wind."
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I did not turn back till they were destroyed.
they fell beneath my feet.
you humbled my adversaries before me.
and I destroyed my foes.
to the Lord, but he did not answer.
I pounded and trampled them like mud in the streets."
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He was writing about YHVH coming on the clouds to protect him.
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It was just poetry from David to give YHVH honor for his victories.
Context
David has been declared the successor of Saul.
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Psalm 18 is David's record of Saul attempting to kill him, David's appeal to God to deliver him, and God's response to David.
Take careful note of the poetic visualizations that David uses.
4 The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid.
5 The sorrows of hell(Sheol) compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me.
6 In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.
7 Then the EARTH SHOOK and TREMBLED; the FOUNDATIONS also of the hills MOVED and were SHAKEN, because he was wroth.
8 There went up a SMOKE OUT OF HIS NOSTRILS, and FIRE OUT OF HIS MOUTH devoured: coals were kindled by it.
9 He bowed the heavens also, AND CAME DOWN: and darkness was under his feet.
10 And HE RODE UPON A CHERUB, and did fly: yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind.
11 He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.
12 At the brightness that was before him his thick clouds passed, hail stones and coals of fire.
13 The Lord also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice; hail stones and coals of fire.
14 Yea, he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; and he shot out lightnings, and discomfited them.
15 Then the channels of waters were seen, and the foundations of the world were discovered at thy rebuke, O Lord, at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils.
16 He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters.
17 He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me.
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Wow, that was super poetic wasn't it?
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You can read 2 Samuel 22, the entire account of Saul chasing David, and you'll find the same poetic visualizations there.
This is just poetic apocalyptic language.
David says..
riding/flying upon a cherub..
and he SHOOK heaven and earth..
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Keep in mind,
David said God CAME down.. and was 'flying upon a cherub'..
2 Sam22:10-11
even says God came down ON THE CLOUDS RIDING A CHERUB:
"He parted the heavens and came down;
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David is speaking about YHVH freeing him from his enemies and from Saul's seeking to kill him.
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That's the entire context of Psalm18 and 2 Sam22:
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"38 I pursued my enemies and crushed them;
39 I crushed them completely, and they could not rise;
40 You armed me with strength for battle;
41 You made my enemies turn their backs in flight,
42 They cried for help, but there was no one to save them—
43 I beat them as fine as the dust of the earth;
49 "from a violent man you rescued me."
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The point is to show poetic apocalyptic language being used to simply describe warfare.
God coming down on the clouds, riding a cherub or whatever, just meant one army would be destroying another army.
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In this case, David was fending off enemies and Saul.
Adapted from David King
