Psalm 18

As in most of the Psalms, in Psalm 18, God is represented as a healer, and as a guide.  God is very powerful in this Psalm, as he is capable of granting a multitude of various requests.  Of course, these requests come with qualifications, as is expressed in verse 21: The LORD dealt with me by my merit,/ for my cleanness of hands He requited me.  As long as we are free of sin, God will protect us and grant our requests.  Not only does God repay those who do good, but he punishes those who sin.  To me, it kind of seems like God was manifesting himself in the whomever the speaker is.  It is as the he is becoming human and coming down to Earth.  

This is very powerful, and through the humans actions and power he gains from God, we see what it is that God is capable of doing.  For this week's blog, you ask the question: is the image of God as a fighter and aid in battle scary?   I do not think this is scary, rather I see it as a very influence song.  It's as though the message conveyed in this Psalm is, if I am to believe in God, and if I am to follow the proper requirements that keep me from being a sinner, God will grace me with his power and protect me from all evil.  This Psalm gives me the image of God giving me special powers that turn me into Hercules, but I just have a weird imagination. 

Also, to answer the question: is it problematic that elements of this FOd have been borrowed from other religious traditions? my answer is no.  I think every interpretation comes from an influence of some other interpretation.