Psalm 35
Pastor Mark Hudson

It is fairly easy to see the sections in this Psalm, but Kidner provides the easiest outline to remember.

1-10             The scheming

11-18           The mobbing

19-28           The gloating

For the Psalmist, we often find that calling people their enemy and wishing destruction upon them is somewhat normal.  This author knows enemies who want to kill him.  They actively work against all he tries to do.  But He pleads with God to fight on his behalf.  Contend with those, fight against those, he pleads.  I need Your help; they are planning against me so put to shame those who are trying to kill me.

While all that poetry says should not be taken literally, clearly there are those who want him dead.  The angel of God can be one who protects the godly (Ex 14:190 or the angel working against the ungodly (Ex 33:2).  When the Psalmist prays against his enemies, this is an all-out request for God to mightily come to his aid.  Kidner comments on ‘almost the gurgling liquidity of the word for slippery’ in v. 6.  He wants the angel of the Lord to pursue his enemies.  He requests that all the evil they had planned against him come back on their own head.

In verse, he asks, ‘who is like You?’ which echoes Ex. 15:11 in the song of Moses.  This is such a great question.  There is no one like God.  We could search for all eternity and find there is none like God.  God is on the side of the poor and needy when they are oppressed and treated unjustly.  The salvation the writers speaks of in v. 9, is one of deliverance from an evil that is trying to end his life.

Now, the mobbing in vs. 11-18.  David says that the very ones who were happy in his misfortune (schadenfreude – a common word for ‘word of the day’ entry) were the ones who David showed compassion over when they were sick (vs. 13-14).  That made it that much worse.  “They repay me evil for good” since he never rejoiced in their misfortune.  Just the opposite.  He wore sackcloth, fasted, grieved because of their affliction.

How often do we hear Biblical author ask, ‘How long, O Lord?’

Ps. 13:1        How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever?

How long will you hide your face from me?

Psa. 79:5      How long, O LORD? Will you be angry forever?

Psa. 94:3      O LORD, how long shall the wicked,

how long shall the wicked exult?

Is. 6:11         Then I said, “How long, O Lord?”

Hab. 1:2       O LORD, how long shall I cry for help,

and you will not hear?

Rev. 6:10     They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”

If that wasn’t enough, now comes the gloating in vs. 19-28.  First it was the scheming, then the mobbing, now the gloating.  They rejoice over my weakness, they wink, they devise words of deceit, they say Aha, Aha!  They do speak peace.  These are not good people. It is hard not to see parallels in our society.  We hear so many lies.  We hear so many things that are mean, hateful, and intended to hurt.  This is such a wicked country and society.  We need to be every vigilant.  The people who do this are enemies of God.  They are not innocent but actually enemies of truth, the gospel, us, and God.

Yet, tempting as it, might be, we do not physically fight against them.  We turn to God and ask Him to fight on our behalf.  That is a significant difference.  Our response is to plead with God, to pray and ask for His help.  We never are violent or plan or wish evil to those who do not believe.  In v. 22, the Psalmist knows God has seen what he is describing.  He even says, “Awake and rouse Yourself for my vindication, for my cause” as if God needs to pushed and prodded.

Near the end, while most of his attention has been on the unrighteous enemies, he turns his attention to the godly.  The writer pleads on behalf of all those who delight in God’s righteousness.  The author wants them to say, “Great is the Lord, Who delights in the welfare of his servant.”  If God acts, God will be praised.  Finally, this same person will also praise God.

Dear heavenly Father, fight for Your church around the world.  So many evil people persecute our brothers and sisters.  Governments in many countries are the worst persecutors.  Come to the aid of Your people and protect Your own children.  Rise up now to defend.  But we know that there is coming a day when every evil person will stand before You.  As terrible as that day will be for them, for our day before You as we point to Jesus’s death and resurrection, ours will be pure joy.  We will say, “Great is Lord” on that gloriously joyful day.  And we will owe it all to Christ!.  In His perfect name.  Amen.