Episode Transcript
Psalm 35 (NIV)
1 Contend, Lord, with those who contend with me;
fight against those who fight against me.
2 Take up shield and armor;
arise and come to my aid.
3 Brandish spear and javelin
against those who pursue me.
Say to me,
“I am your salvation.”
4 May those who seek my life
be disgraced and put to shame;
may those who plot my ruin
be turned back in dismay.
5 May they be like chaff before the wind,
with the angel of the Lord driving them away;
6 may their path be dark and slippery,
with the angel of the Lord pursuing them.
...
17 How long, Lord, will you look on?
Rescue me from their ravages,
my precious life from these lions.
18 I will give you thanks in the great assembly;
among the throngs I will praise you.
19 Do not let those gloat over me
who are my enemies without cause;
do not let those who hate me without reason
maliciously wink the eye.
20 They do not speak peaceably,
but devise false accusations
against those who live quietly in the land.
21 They sneer at me and say, “Aha! Aha!
With our own eyes we have seen it.”
...
26 May all who gloat over my distress
be put to shame and confusion;
may all who exalt themselves over me
be clothed with shame and disgrace.
27 May those who delight in my vindication
shout for joy and gladness;
may they always say, “The Lord be exalted,
who delights in the well-being of his servant.”
28 My tongue will proclaim your righteousness,
your praises all day long.
CONSIDER THIS
Today’s post is from A Meditative Journey Through the Psalms by Timothy and Julie Tennent. He holds the Methodist Chair of Divinity at Beeson Divinity School and served as president of Asbury Theological Seminary for fifteen years. She is a gifted musician and was one of the driving forces that helped bring to fruition the Seedbed hymnal, Our Great Redeemer’s Praise. We will share some of their writing on the Psalms on Sundays.
This is a prayer of desperation in the face of the unyielding assaults of the enemy. One of the first lessons we learn when reading the Psalms is that they were written for those engaged in conflict, not for the noncombatant. The Psalms cannot imagine a world where the people of God do not see themselves engaged in conflict. We have already observed that 125 of the 150 Psalms make reference to enemies or the wicked who stand in opposition to those seeking to walk in righteousness. This psalm, in particular, uses very graphic language to describe the onslaught of the wicked. They “fight against me” (v. 1). They “seek my life” (v. 4). They “hid their net” and “dug a pit” for me (v. 7). They put forth a false narrative or a false witness against me (v. 11), “maliciously mocked [me]” (v. 16), and falsely accuse me (v. 20). "They repay me evil for good” (v. 12). They rejoiced when I stumbled (vv. 15, 26) and “slandered me without ceasing” (v. 15). The psalmist (in this psalm, King David) feels free to express the depth of his anguish directly to God and seek his vindication. This psalm encourages a vibrant and honest prayer life which clearly and forthrightly sets forth before God our circumstances, however dire.
It is interesting to note the two ways the psalmist anticipates God’s answer to this prayer of desperation. The first is that God himself would take action and do something. For example, verse 17 says “O Lord, how long will you look on? Rescue my life from their ravages.” Verse 23 says, “Awake, and rise to my defense! Contend for me, my God and Lord.” These prayers are asking for a decisive resolution whereby his foes are overturned by the power and might of God’s sovereign intervention. Sometimes this happens, and we should rejoice when it does.
However, the psalmist also understands that sometimes it is only over a painfully long period of time that God renders his judgment against the wicked, by allowing the seeds of their own deceit and wickedness to take root and be revealed for what they are. In this psalm, David uses a very popular image that is found more than a dozen times in the Psalms. He prays that the wicked will themselves fall into the pit they have dug for him. Alternatively, may they be trapped in the very net they have spread to trap David. The psalmist says, “They hid their net for me without cause and . . . dug a pit for me” (v. 7). “May the net they hid entangle them, may they fall into the pit, to their ruin” (v. 8). This is a common theme in the psalms written by David that serves to remind us of the two ways God judges those who oppose him. The first, and the one we think of most, is the direct judgment of God against someone. However, the second way, which is highlighted here, is God allowing the natural course of events to play out, which ends up becoming an act of self-judgment. The seeds of evil grow up and entrap the very one who planted those seeds. (The prayer that the wicked will be trapped by their own schemes, and fall into the very pit they dug for others can be found in Psalms 5:10; 7:15–16; 9:15–16; 35:7–8; 37:15; 54:5; 57:6; 59:12; 64:8; 140:9; and 141:10.)
As Christians, we understand that, in the end, those who have put their faith in Christ will be vindicated. We will be victorious. Jesus faced the full brunt of opposition and quoted this psalm and applied it to himself when he said, “They hated me without reason” (John 15:25, quoting Ps. 35:19). Yet, Jesus secured our ultimate victory. What we do not know is how this victory will unfold in our own experience in the world. God deals with the wicked in his own way and in his own time. Some of us may live to see the overthrow of the forces arrayed against us. Others of us may have to wait for generations and, indeed, may never see in this life, the public overthrow of the wicked. However, in either case, we must learn to trust in the Lord!
For the Awakening,
Timothy and Julie Tennent
THE HYMN
SSing Psalm 35 with the Seedbed Psalter today. We suggest the tune SOUTHWELL ("Lord Jesus, Think on Me") for vv. 1–26; and tune TERRA BEATA ("This Is My Father's World") for vv. 27–28. You can hear the tunes played online by Julie here and here, respectively. If you listen to the podcast audio version, we will sing the psalm using these tunes. For your convenience, the words from the Psalter are printed below.
1 Contend, O LORD, with those who do contend with me;
And fight against all those who fight against me constantly.
2 Take up Your shield and spear; arise, come to my aid;
3 Stop those who chase me; Say to me, “I am your salvation.”
4 May those who seek my life now be disgraced and shamed.
May those who plot my ruin, Lord, be turned back and dismayed.
5 Like chaff before the wind, may angels drive them on;
6 May their path dark and slipp’ry be—God‘s angel driving on.
7 Because they hid their net, dug pits without a cause,
8 May nets they hid entangle them; in their pits let them fall.
9 Then my soul will rejoice in the LORD’s salvation,
10 My bones will say, “Who’s like You, LORD? You save the poor from them.”
11 The ruthless testify; pose questions filled with scorn;
12 They repay evil for my good and leave my soul forlorn.
13 And yet when they were ill, I fasted and I prayed;
14 I mourned as for my friend in grief, tears as for family made.
15 But when I fell, they came, attacked with sland’rous glee;
16 Like wicked, they with malice mocked, and gnashed their teeth at me.
17 How long will You look on? O Lord, come rescue me!
And save my life from ravages of lions who stalk me.
18 Then, I will give You thanks; Your praises I will sing,
And in the congregation great, exalting praise I’ll bring.
19 Don’t let my foes rejoice, who hate me without cause;
Don’t let them gloat and wink their eye with malice, without cause.
20 They do not speak in peace, but plan their wicked lies;
21 Against the peaceful, they say, “Ha! We’ve seen with our own eyes!”
22 But You, O LORD, have seen; don’t be far off, O Lord.
23 Awake and rise to my defense; contend for me, my God.
24 LORD, in Your righteousness, don’t let them gloat o’er me;
25 Don’t let them think, “Aha, we won! We’ve conquered him wholly.”
26 May those who gloat o’er me and the distress I face,
Who lift themselves o’er me be clothed with shame and with disgrace.
27 May all who take delight that vindication’s mine;
May they with joy and gladness shout, and say, “The glory’s Thine!
The LORD delights as those, His servants, are made strong.”
28 My tongue will sing Your righteousness and praises all day long.
