Psalm 18:4  
Mortal danger!
    There is a parallel passage to these verses, in 2 Samuel 22:5, that speaks of waves of death rather than cords of death. Whichever words are correct we get a mental picture of a man who sees his life slipping away, the clutches of death are reaching out and grasping hold of him and he has experienced the sense of being pulled down from life into the grave or a premonition of drowning under the waves of his impending doom. David is writing after he had conquered the foreign armies of the surrounding nations and after he had escaped the attempts by Saul to kill him. He had known what it felt like to be in mortal danger. Death here is depicted as a stormy, possessive force, like nature at its most threatening, its clutches more demanding and compelling as every moment passes. David speaks of torrents of destruction overwhelming him and we wonder how it was possible for someone to sink so low, to be so close to the gates of Sheol and yet live to tell the tale! This is colourful language and there are many comparable pictures throughout the Scriptures. Death is described as the pit, silence, darkness, destruction, decay, dust, mud, mire, the realm of the dead. All of these images are frightening and disturbing and speak of a passing from life that is to be avoided. Thank God that the Christian has a far more positive hope and good reason to anticipate a triumphant, joyful expiry from this life. Though our bodies must die, the essential me and you that inhabits them is anticipating a new body, an indestructible body, death has no fear for us, the gates that await our parting from this world are the gates of life.  Hallelujah!

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