What does it mean that God is my strength and my Redeemer (Psalm 19:14)?
What does it mean that God is my strength and my Redeemer (Psalm 19:14)?
Answer
Following a magnificent exposition of God’s general and special revelation, David prays, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, OLord, my strength and my Redeemer” (Psalm 19:14, NKJV).
Psalm 19 can be divided into two main sections. The first section emphasizes God’s general revelation(verses 1–6) and states that God’s existence can be known through nature, reason, and conscience (cf. Romans 1:20). The second section shifts to God’s special revelation and refers to God’s oral (i.e., prophecy), written (i.e., Scripture), and personal communication (i.e., Christ) with humanity. David concludes Psalm 19 by praying for God to accept his words and thoughts (Psalm 19:14). In the prayer, David calls God his “strength” and “Redeemer.”
The Hebrew word translated as “strength” means “rock.” God is like a rock in that He provides safety, security, and protection for whoever seeks refuge in Him. In another psalm, David uses some different metaphors: “He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings, you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler” (Psalm 91:4, NKJV). God shields us from danger like a bird defending its babies from predators.
God defends and delivers us from trouble. For this reason, David refers to Him as the “Redeemer” (Psalm 19:14). The Hebrew word translated as “Redeemer” is gaal. A * gaal*is a kinsman redeemer. This concept is fleshed out in the book of Ruth, where Boaz redeems Naomi’s family line. His role as a kinsman redeemer foreshadows that of Christ, the ultimate Redeemer who rescues us from sin’s bondage: “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28, NKJV).
God is our Redeemer who saves us from sin and misery. When we repent, the apostle John says, “He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9, NKJV). God is a loving, gracious, and forgiving Redeemer. We can trust Him to restore our souls and lead us “in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake” (Psalm 23:3, ESV).
David uses the possessive pronoun my in Psalm 19:14 to emphasize his personal and intimate relationship with God. Instead of speaking abstractly, David declares that God is his strength and Redeemer. Faith is about cultivating a deep and abiding relationship with God. The Lord is “ my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold” (Psalm 18:2, NKJV, emphasis added). He is ours, and we are His (Romans 8:17).
In his book Knowing God , J. I. Packer reinforced the truth that we belong to Him: “What matters supremely, therefore, is not, in the last analysis, the fact that I know God, but the larger fact which underlies it—the fact that he knows me. . . . All my knowledge of him depends on his sustained initiative in knowing me. I know him, because he first knew me, and continues to know me. He knows me as a friend, one who loves me; and there is no moment when his eye is off me, or his attention distracted from me, and no moment, therefore, when his care falters” (InterVarsity, 1993, p. 41–42).
While understanding God’s attributes is essential, we must know Him personally. In John 17:3 Jesus states, “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent” (NKJV). We should seek God not only for His blessings but to experience Him as our strength and Redeemer.