A Prayer For Protection From Enemies
September 20, 2020
Commentary
We find in this Psalm the cry of distress, in the petition of a man falsely accused. It may well date from the time when David was being pursued by Saul. We see David as a warrior, a witness and a worshiper. He first realizes that it is almost impossible to fight against gossip. People he had thought to be his friends were telling lies about him. A person can be destroyed by a malicious tongue easier than by a bullet. David intercedes with God to overthrow his enemies and rescuehim from their evil devices. Despite David’s kindness and sympathy his enemies hated and dealt deceitfully and cruelly with him. David tells the Lord that he wants his foes to be:
- Defeated (vv. 1-3). He asked the Lord to stand between him and his enemies. A buckler was a small, light shield, easily maneuvered. A javelin is a spear for throwing at your enemy. Basically, David is asking God to be his defense and offence in every situation.
- Destroyed (vv. 4-8). David asks that his enemies be dishonored & disappointed (v. 4), driven away like chaff (v. 5), on a dark and slippery path (v. 6), and ensnared by the very pits they dug (vv. 7-8).
David wants his fears to be dissolved by the joy of the Lord (vv. 5-9) & by the Justice of the Lord (v. 10). In the day that he was running from Saul he never knew when Saul might overtake him. He was always on the run and often with fear gnawing at his heart. He had discovered that joy in the Lord was the greatest antidote for fear. He expresses how his bones will even thrill when he sees the injustices of life corrected. This is what he wants done to his fears. David says there are liars that accuse him of doing things he knows nothing about (v. 11). He feels all alone because they even repay evil for good (v. 12). He prayed for them and went without food when they were sick just like he would for a friend or relative (vv. 13-14).
Application
It is so useless for me to fight against my enemies in this life. It is so much better to just turn them over to the Lord and let Him take care of them in His own time and in His own way.
Psalms 35:1–14 (NET)
1 O Lord, fight those who fight with me. Attack those who attack me.
2 Grab your small shield and large shield, and rise up to help me.
3 Use your spear and lance against those who chase me. Assure me with these words: “I am your deliverer.”
4 May those who seek my life be embarrassed and humiliated. May those who plan to harm me be turned back and ashamed.
5 May they be like wind-driven chaff, as the angel of the Lord attacks them.
6 May their path be dark and slippery, as the angel of the Lord chases them.
7 I did not harm them, but they hid a net to catch me and dug a pit to trap me.
8 Let destruction take them by surprise. Let the net they hid catch them. Let them fall into destruction.
9 Then I will rejoice in the Lord and be happy because of his deliverance.
10 With all my strength I will say, “O Lord, who can compare to you? You rescue the oppressed from those who try to overpower them, the oppressed and needy from those who try to rob them.”
11 Violent men perjure themselves, and falsely accuse me.
12 They repay me evil for the good I have done; I am overwhelmed with sorrow.
13 When they were sick, I wore sackcloth, and refrained from eating food. (If I am lying, may my prayers go unanswered.)
14 I mourned for them as I would for a friend or my brother. I bowed down in sorrow as if I were mourning for my mother.
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