A Prayer For Protection From Enemies

Topic: Rescue
Passage: Psalms 35:1–10

September 20, 2020

Commentary

In this Psalm we see David as a warrior, a witness and a worshiper. He first of all realizes that it is almost impossible to fight against gossip. People he had thought were 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 rescue him from their evil devices. In spite of his kindness and sympathy his enemies hated and dealt deceitfully and cruelly with him.

David tells the Lord that he wants his foes to be:

  1. Defeated (vv. 1-3) – He asks the Lord to stand between him and his enemies. The shield was the smaller hard weapon of war and the buckler was that  which covers the whole body.
  2. Destroyed (vv. 4-8) – He asks that his worthless enemies be blown away as chaff. Imagine praying that a man’s path might be not only dark but slippery (v. 6).

David then expresses how he wants his fears to be dissolved by:

  1. The Joy of the Lord (vv. 5-9). In the day that he was running from Saul he never knew when Saul might over take 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.
  2. The Justice of the Lord (v. 10). 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.

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– 10 (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.”