Psalm 35 - The poor and needy

Read: Psalm 35 vs 1-28

Psalm 35 is a conflict Psalm. Most of us don’t like conflict. People find conflict upsetting, unnerving, intimidating. Conflict leaves people wounded and hurt. But Psalm 35 is nonetheless a Psalm where an ongoing, sustained, and serious battle is the background to what is said and sung. 

There are evil forces fighting against David (vs 1), people are seeking to take his life and plotting his ruin (vs 4). A net has been dug for David to fall into (vs 7). He knows his enemy and in all honesty the one opposing him is ‘too strong’ for him (vs 10). Those who are lined up against David are ‘ruthless’ (vs 11), and there is nothing they will stop at to try and destroy him (vs 12). These opponents rejoice when misfortune comes David’s way (vs 15) and they are quick to accuse him of things he has not done (vs 20). Like someone caught behind enemy lines David calls in urgently for the LORD his God to awake, rise, and come to his defence.

Reading Psalm 35 is a real wake up call for Christian people. The New Testament teaches that we are in a battle. It is a spiritual battle and we have an opponent. He is named in Scripture as ‘the devil’, Satan. We easily forget about him but we do so at our peril. He prowls around looking for people to devour (1 Peter 5:8), he wants to outwit us (2 Corinthians 2:11), he lays traps for us (2 Timothy 2:26), he tempts us (1 Corinthians 7:5), and he seeks ways to frustrate the plans of God’s people (1 Thessalonians 2:18). Perhaps the best known New Testament passage that exposes the battle we are in is Ephesians 6 vs 10-20. The daily struggle we are in is real, but God wants to equip us to ‘be strong in the Lord’ (vs 10), and to keep standing (vs 13). We need to be alert, we need to be switched on, but we need to remember that our Defender is greater than the one who comes against us (1 John 4 vs 4).

Prayer: Father it is a very sobering truth to hear life described as a struggle and a battle. Lord Jesus I look to you for daily protection. You are my shield and my defender.