CHAPTER 35

A PSALM OF DAVID: A PRAYER FOR DELIVERANCE

¹Plead my cause, O LORD, with them who strive with Me: fight against them who fight against Me. (Even though written by David, more than all it presents Christ, the Lamb of God, surrounded by the wolves of Satan and his followers [Jn. 15:2025]. This Psalm, which is more a Prophecy than a petition, relates to His rejection and Crucifixion. It reveals the love of Gods Heart to man, and the hatred of mans heart to God.)

²Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for My help.

³Draw out also the spear, and stop the way against them who persecute Me: say unto My soul, I am Your Salvation.

⁴Let them be confounded and put to shame who seek after My soul: let them be turned back and brought to confusion who devise My hurt (they who persecute Christ and His followers can ultimately expect the following Verses to apply to them).

⁵Let them be as chaff before the wind: and let the Angel of the LORD chase them.

⁶Let their way be dark and slippery: and let the Angel of the LORD persecute them (it would be improper for David or any other sinful man to present such petitions to God; but, in such Psalms, the Petitioner is the Sinless Man, Christ Jesus, and He fittingly calls for the Divine Judgment upon those who hate Him, for, in hating Him, they hate God and His People, and also Goodness, Righteousness, and Truth).

⁷For without cause have they hid for Me their net in a pit, which without cause they have digged for My soul (when people rebel against the Lord or against true followers of the Lord, it is always, and without exception, without cause).

⁸Let destruction come upon him at unawares; and let his net that he has hid catch himself: into that very destruction let him fall (while it is not fitting for any Believer to pray accordingly, it is definitely fitting for Christ to cry for vengeance upon His tormentors, and it is most fitting for Him to do so in our interests, as well).

⁹And My soul shall be joyful in the LORD: it shall rejoice in His Salvation.

¹⁰All My bones shall say, LORD, who is like unto You, Who delivers the poor from him who is too strong for him, yes, the poor and the needy from him who spoils him? (As in Verse 6 of Psalm 34, likewise, the Messiah, along with David and the Believer, are called the poor; and they who are arrayed against us are too strong for us; however, the Lord will help us, and we will praise His Name.)

¹¹False witnesses did rise up; they laid to My charge things that I knew not (as David was accused, Christ was also accused; the very name Satan means slanderer; it should be wisely considered that when Christians accuse other Christians, they are becoming tools of Satan).

¹²They rewarded Me evil for good to the spoiling of My soul (as David had done nothing but good for his enemies and for Israel, likewise, the Son of David).

¹³But as for Me, when they were sick, My clothing was sackcloth: I humbled My soul with fasting; and My prayer returned into My own bosom (who this was that David was speaking of is not known).

¹⁴I behaved Myself as though he had been My friend or brother: I bowed down heavily, as one who mourns for his mother (likewise, the Lord Jesus Christ clothed Himself in sackcloth [the Incarnation] over Israel and the lost world; His fasting included the denial of all that He had previously known, in order that He might humble Himself for the souls of man).

¹⁵But in My adversity they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together: yes, the abjects gathered themselves together against Me, and I knew it not; they did tear Me, and ceased not (Why? They do no less presently! All true followers of Christ can basically expect the same):

¹⁶With hypocritical mockers in feasts, they gnashed upon Me with their teeth (when David needed help, these for whom he had cried to God on their behalf turned against him and rejoiced over his suffering; they did the same with Christ; as they hurled at David every accusation, even more so they hurled at Christ the venom of the pit).

¹⁷LORD, how long will You look on? rescue My soul from their destructions, My darling from the lions (the lions refer to the demon powers of darkness, who registered themselves in the lives of the Pharisees and Sadducees, who would destroy Christ).

¹⁸I will give You thanks in the great congregation: I will praise You among much people (David is saying that he will not allow such to stop his praises to God, and the Messiah claims the fact that His Victory is in His Praises to God and so is our victory!).

¹⁹Let not them who are My enemies wrongfully rejoice over Me: neither let them wink with the eye who hate Me without a cause (the horror is this: those who did this to Him were not the harlots or the thieves, but those who called themselves religious, and thereby righteous; however, they were self-righteous; this was the Church of Jesus day; it also characterizes the modern Church).

²⁰For they speak not peace: but they devise deceitful matters against them who are quiet in the land.

²¹Yes, they opened their mouth wide against Me, and said, Aha, aha, our eye has seen it (our eye has seen his downfall, which probably spoke of David at the time of Absaloms rebellion; it would have been the same with Jesus and Judas).

²²This You have seen, O LORD: keep not silence: O LORD, be not far from Me.

²³Stir up Yourself, and awake to My judgment, even unto My cause, My God and My LORD.

²⁴Judge Me, O LORD My God, according to Your Righteousness; and let them not rejoice over Me.

²⁵Let them not say in their hearts, Ah, so would we have it: let them not say, We have swallowed Him up.

²⁶Let them be ashamed and brought to confusion together who rejoice at My hurt: let them be clothed with shame and dishonour who magnify themselves against Me. (The entirety of this Petition, from Verse 17 through Verse 26, was answered regarding both David and the Messiah. It will be honored regarding every true Child of God, as well.)

²⁷Let them shout for joy, and be glad, who favour My righteous cause: yes, let them say continually, Let the LORD be magnified, which has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant (this Passage is powerful; it is saying that only those who favor His righteous cause will shout for joy, and be glad).

²⁸And My tongue shall speak of Your Righteousness and of Your praise all the day long.