Beloved, I am glad to share with you today the above theme from Ps 35:1-2 and following. Indeed, the Angel of the Lord who “camped around those who fear him and delivered them” (Ps 34. 8), is called here to hunt and pursue the enemies of the righteous. “After a time of patience and tireless grace, of a grace that has remained fruitless, instead of taking revenge on himself, the residue will rely on God to obtain deliverance.” This deliverance of the Jewish believer will be infallibly accompanied by the judgment of the wicked.
We know that as far as Christians are concerned, it is not through the destruction of the unjust that their deliverance will be accomplished, but by their own rapture in the encounter with the Lord! Christians and inconverts will not always stay together. When the Lord comes on the cloud, the first will be removed from the earth, and the others will be left there for the terrible “hour of trial”… (Rev 3. 10). On the contrary, at His appearance in glory, the believers of that time will be left for the reign, while the wicked will be taken away (Luke 17. 34-36).
What ingratitude that of the natural man! David talks about it from experience, he who has experienced it so often. But Christ knew and felt this ingratitude so much more deeply. “They have returned evil to me for good, and hatred for my love” (Ps 109. 5). If we are hardly dealing as the faithful of this psalm to the wickedness of men, let us not forget that persecution has been, and still is today, the share of many Christians. How grateful we can be that freedom of conscience and assembly continues to be granted to us in our country! To celebrate the Lord in the midst of His redeemed people is the righteous desire of the believer. Do we appreciate this privilege, we who still possess it?
In John 15:18-25, Jesus refers to this causeless hatred of Him. Without cause certainly!… and yet the world’s hatred of Christ and His own should not surprise us (1 John 3:11-13). It is the one that Satan inspires in men against the One who defeated him. Can we imagine more awful feelings than those in verses 21, 25, 26? Few expressions are so strong to expose in all their horror the depths of wickedness of the human heart: Perverse joy of seeing an innocent suffer… who was the Son of God who came to save men. “Ah, Ah! Our eye has seen it” – the mockers cries. “Every eye will see him, even those who have pierced him,” announces Rev 1:3-8 – no longer on the cross, but in all its judicial glory.
This psalm is understood much better as the silent meditation of Jesus Christ, in the affliction of his soul, as he appeared before Pilate: He pleads with God, asking for both help for himself and the judgment and confusion of his persecutors. The “violent witnesses” are heard in Mat 26:59; the “slanderers” are seen in Luke 23:1; the phrase “I did not know” corresponds to the Lord’s attitude in Luke 22:64; the character of the “peaceful men of the land” is seen in him in Mat 12:19 and Mat 22:21; and this proves that the accusations made against him in Luke 23:2 are those “deceptions” alluded to in verse 20 by our adorable Savior, suffering as a victim and witness.
One thing particularly worthy of note here is that its author calls for judgment on his persecutors and enemies. But this should not surprise us in any way, for we find in the Gospels something similar, when at one point we hear these words on the lips of the Lord: “Just Father, and the world has not known you.” If he does not express this request in the complete form that we sometimes find in the psalms, he nevertheless leaves the world clearly, given his unbelief and contempt for grace, under the just sentence of judgment. So that these words of John 17 are spoken in the spirit of those psalms where the Messiah appeals to judgment. And if in the Psalms we even hear him pronounce judgment, it does not exceed the scope of his words in the Gospels – “Behold, your house is left deserted”; “Woe to you, Chorazin, woe to you, Bethsaida.” Or as he expresses it even more fully, and with the solemnity emanating from a throne of judgment, in Matthew 23. His words to Caiaphas in Mat 26:64 have the same character. Furthermore, it is written that the Lord relied on the just Judge (1 Pet 2:23), without uttering insults or threats. This psalm appears to illustrate a similar communion and we find the same thing in Ps. 69, with the commentary given to us in Romans 11 (Ps 40:15-16).
But the Spirit of Christ in the residue will be heard more forcefully in his appeals to judgment, as the iniquity of the world reaches its height in the days of these faithful. We find this in the psalms, but also in Luke 18:1-8, Rev 6:10, etc. Let us notice that in the preceding psalm all “his bones” are kept (Ps 34:21) and in this one they are presented as praising God and giving thanks to Him.
Thus, Ps 35 is an urgent request for Jehovah to intervene in judgment against the treacherous and ruthless persecutors who pursue the soul of the righteous. Insults, cunning, violence, everything was used against him: his enemies wanted to surprise him. He sought deliverance so that Jehovah might be praised in the great congregation, knowing in the complete assembly of restored Israel. Verses 13 and 14 show us the grace that pious man (Christ himself) used towards these enemies; and the whole Psalm in general applies to the pious man, but Christ in particular is introduced here in spirit.
“May those who promote my just cause rejoice and be happy.” David was the object of an almost universal hatred among the simple and unsuspecting, which were imposed by false and unjust reports made about him; but it is certain that there were among the people some who formed a just and impartial assessment of things, and who were deeply distressed than a holy man, and a man also whose benevolence was well known, would have been so unjustly and so unjustly oppressed.
The following verses have been compiled for your edification and grouped together for your better understanding.
Supplication of an innocent man dragged to justice:
· Divine help, God helps his people
Ps 28:7 The Lord is my strength and shield; In him my heart trusts, and I am rescued; I have joy in my heart, and I praise it with my songs. Ps 40:18 I am poor and destitute; But the Lord thinks of me. You are my helper and my liberator: My God, don’t delay! Isaiah 41:10 Fear not, for I am with you; Do not walk with worried looks, for I am your God; I strengthen you, I come to your rescue, I support you with my triumphant right. Isaiah 50:9 Behold, the Lord, the Lord, will rescue me: Who will condemn me? Behold, they will all fall to shreds like a garment, The ringworm will devour them. Hb 13:6 So we can confidently say: The Lord is my helper, I will fear nothing; What can a man do to me?
· Harmful plans
Ps 36:5 He meditates on injustice on His bed, He stands on a path that is not good, He does not repel evil. Pr 14:22 Don’t those who meditate on evil go astray? But those who meditate on the good act with kindness and fidelity. Pr 24:8 He who meditates on doing evil is called a man full of malice. Esa 32.7 The weapons of the deceitful are pernicious; He forms guilty designs, To lose the unfortunate by false words, Even when the cause of the poor is just. Jer 18:12 But they say: It is in vain! For we will follow our thoughts, We will each act according to the inclinations of our evil heart. Ez 11:2 And the Lord said to me, Son of man, it is men who meditate on iniquity, and who give bad counsel in this city. Mi 2.1 Woe to those who meditate on iniquity and forge evil on their diaper! At the point of the day they execute it, when they have the power in hand.
· Walking in the dark, the experience of the wicked
Dt 28:29 and thou shalt grope in the middle of noon like the blind man in the darkness, thou shalt have no success in thy endeavors, and thou shalt be oppressed every day, robbed, and there shall be no one to come to your aid. Ps 35:6 May their path be dark and slippery, and may the angel of the Lord pursue them! Isaiah 59:9 That is why the judgment of deliverance is far from us, and salvation does not reach us; We wait for the light, and here is the darkness, the light, and we walk in the darkness. Mt 15:14 Leave them: it is blind people who lead blind people; if a blind man leads a blind man, they will both fall into a pit. 1 John 1:6 If we say that we are in communion with Him, and that we walk in darkness, we lie, and we do not practice the truth.
· Human sympathy, examples
2 S 15.23 The whole country was in tears and loud cries were uttered as all the people passed. The king passed the torrent of Kidron, and all the people passed vis-à-vis the path that leads to the desert. Ps 35:14 As for a friend, for a brother, I dragged myself slowly; As if for the mourning of a mother, I bowed with sadness. Lk 23:27 He was followed by a great multitude of common people, and women who beat their chests and lamented over him. John 11:19, 35 many Jews had come to Martha and Mary, to console them with the death of their brother. 35 Jesus wept.
From all of the above, we note that the common feelings of humanity require that when we see men unjustly oppressed and afflicted, if we cannot help them, we should at least pity them. When David uses the words ” Jehovah be magnified,” his purpose seems to be to contrast this with the pride of the wicked, which he mentioned. As they claim in pride, with their hearts, and by their insolent and domineering conduct, to obscure the divine glory, so the faithful on the contrary, with good reason God would shine in the majesty of his character and demonstrate in deeds that he exercises special care over all his servants and takes special pleasure in their peace. Finally, the psalmist again declares, in the conclusion of the psalm, his resolve to celebrate appropriately the righteousness of God, by which he had been preserved and delivered. Our prayers are with you all.
PRAYER OF ACCEPTANCE OF JESUS CHRIST AS LORD AND PERSONAL SAVIOR
I now invite every person who wants to become a new creation by walking in the truth, to pray with me the following prayer:
Lord Jesus, I have long walked in the lusts of the world ignoring your love for humans. I admit to having sinned against you and ask your forgiveness for all my sins, because today I have decided to give you my life by taking you as Lord and personal Savior. I recognize that you died on the cross of Calvary and rose from the dead for me.
I am now saved and born again by the power of the Holy Spirit. Lead me every day to the eternal life that you give to all who obey your Word. Reveal yourself to me and strengthen my heart and faith, so that your light may shine in my life right now.
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for accepting me into your divine family, so that I may also contemplate the wonders of your kingdom.
I will now choose a nearby waterpoint to baptize myself by immersion, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
All adoration, power and glory are yours, now and forever and ever. Amen!
I would be happy to respond to any questions and comments you may have, before sharing with you tomorrow ” the prayer for the restoration of Israel.”
May the Lord Jesus Christ bless you abundantly.
David Feze, Servant of the Almighty God.