Psalm Chapter 35

A Psalm of David.

• Psalm 35:1 Plead my cause, O LORD, with them that strive with me: fight against them that fight against me.

David, when he knew that his cause was right and just, would ask the Lord to help him get victory over the enemies that tried to prevent righteousness. Many times David was innocent and enemies like King Saul who was consumed with jealousy, would fight against David.

• Psalm 35:2 Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for mine help.

David trusted in God to deliver him from the power of those who fought against him unfairly.

• Psalm 35:3 Draw out also the spear, and stop the way against them that persecute me: say unto my soul, I am thy salvation.

David was persecuted for being a good person. God chose David to be the king of Israel. David was persecuted by King Saul and his own son, Absalom and perhaps many others who wanted to overthrow his kingdom. Absalom tried to overthrow the kingdom from his own father by using flattery to sway the people to his side.

In Absalom we get a glimpse of future politicians who say anything to get elected to office. We as people should not be easily swayed by flattery and polished speakers. Just because a person has charisma and can speak well does not mean that his heart is right.

• Psalm 35:4 Let them be confounded and put to shame that seek after my soul: let them be turned back and brought to confusion that devise my hurt.

Although David had natural enemies, the real enemy is the enemy of our souls. Satan tries continually to keep people from hearing the gospel, believing the gospel and after they believe, he tries to get them to give up and quit believing the gospel.

Satan is defeated and is doomed to an eternity in hell. He desires to take as many with him as possible. He is the true enemy of every soul. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the only way of salvation. Satan tries his best to stop the gospel.

The gospel is forbidden to be preached in many religious countries with false religious systems, communist countries and many other places. The devil has done this because he does not want them to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved.

Those that wanted prayer out of the public schools of American, really were agents of Satan to hinder the children from finding out there was a God and then finding out about Jesus Christ and the way of salvation. Madeline O'Hare had no idea that she was the agent of the wicked one who not only used her to accomplish this but also hated her soul and destroyed her in the end. She was murdered by those in her own organization.

That poor lady had no clue that Satan was using her to bring evil upon this nation and lack of fear of God in the land. Anti God organizations that appear to be for justice on the surface are another tool of Satan. In the name of freedom they are do evil and unknowingly might destroy the souls of many except for the mercy and power of God that can save through all the evil purposes of mankind.

• 2Peter 2:17 These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever. 
• 18 For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. 
• 19 While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.

They promise liberty but become servants of corruption.

Right now evil agents of Satan are promising liberty by fighting to overthrown God's divine order in marriage. This will bring confusion and much evil. In recent months especially around 2016 some young people are having gender confusion. The president at that time wanted to force public schools to allow those that identified with a certain gender to use bathrooms according to their inclination instead of what gender they really were. Mass confusion got worse.

What that really is about though is Satan trying to overthrow God's divine order which would end up destroying the whole human race if he succeeded.   

Evil is called good and good evil. If we warn against this, we are called bigots and hate-mongers. We are actually seen to be evil in their eyes. Those that go along with their evil are called good.

• Isaiah 5:20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

The same thing is true of abortion. If we speak out against it, we are considered evil people trying to rob a woman of their right to choose. If we go along with the flow, we are considered good. Everything is upside down and confusing. That is why the the enemy hates the gospel and the name of Jesus because Jesus exposes sin and opens the heart up to the truth of the word. Jesus came to free us from sin so that we may be saved and have eternal life. Satan does not want this so he tries his best to shut up those that preach against sin and turn many to Jesus Christ.

• Psalm 35:5 Let them be as chaff before the wind: and let the angel of the LORD chase them.
• 6 Let their way be dark and slippery: and let the angel of the LORD persecute them.
• 7 For without cause have they hid for me their net in a pit, which without cause they have digged for my soul.
• 8 Let destruction come upon him at unawares; and let his net that he hath hid catch himself: into that very destruction let him fall.

This will actually happen to those who oppose righteousness and godliness. They will be caught in the snare that they have laid to catch men's souls. Judgment will come upon those that hinder the gospel, persecute the innocent, and those that work against holiness.

Be very careful also in opposing holiness believers. Do not accuse them of legalism if they are trying to live holy because they have lost their desire for the world and love God more than anything. If they try to force their standards of holiness onto people and make it necessary for salvation thereby adding to the simple gospel of faith in Jesus Christ that is one thing, but if they simply live holy lives because they love God with all their hearts, then leave them alone. We must not add to the gospel and put commandments of men in place of commandments of God but there is also much to be said about living holy lives before God.

• 1John 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 
• 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 
• 17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. 

We serve who we listen and yield to. We can choose to follow God or follow the ways of the enemy of our souls.

• Romans 6:19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.

• Romans 6:22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.

• 2Corinthians 7:1 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

• Hebrews 12:14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:

We see here that without holiness, we can't even see the Lord so there is much to be said about living a holy life after we receive God's gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. We cannot be saved from sin and then return to sin and live any way we want. We've changed masters and must follow our new master in everything.  

People are afraid of the doctrine of holiness because they fear legalism or going back under the bondage of the law. Real holiness however, is not legalism. It is part of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Jesus did not just come to forgive sins but to free us from sin.

• Psalm 35:9 And my soul shall be joyful in the LORD: it shall rejoice in his salvation.

When one finds peace through the salvation God provides through His Son, Jesus Christ, giving over all our lives to Him, we lose our desire for the things we once trusted and hoped in, and we find someone new to trust in. We then desire to live holy because we have the Holy Spirit living within us. We are sanctified by the blood of Jesus. We are a new creature in Christ Jesus giving ourselves to holiness as opposed to the way we were before, ungodly.

• Psalm 35:10 All my bones shall say, LORD, who is like unto thee, which deliverest the poor from him that is too strong for him, yea, the poor and the needy from him that spoileth him?

Although God will deliver us from natural enemies in the flesh, our real enemy is sin. Jesus Christ came to "FREE US FROM SIN."

• Psalm 35:11 False witnesses did rise up; they laid to my charge things that I knew not.
• 12 They rewarded me evil for good to the spoiling of my soul.

 Many times throughout history, false accusers rise up and accuse the innocent, God will repay any injustice done to His people or people who stand for His word.

• Psalm 35:13 But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into mine own bosom.
• 14 I behaved myself as though he had been my friend or brother: I bowed down heavily, as one that mourneth for his mother.
• 15 But in mine adversity they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together: yea, the abjects gathered themselves together against me, and I knew it not; they did tear me, and ceased not:
• 16 With hypocritical mockers in feasts, they gnashed upon me with their teeth.

This happened to our Lord by those that were mocking Him. This may happen to all who present the gospel especially if they preach holiness and live godly lives.

• 2Timothy 3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.

• Psalm 35:17 Lord, how long wilt thou look on? rescue my soul from their destructions, my darling from the lions.

Sometimes it may seem that God allows our suffering to continue but we must have patience and not faint because God sees and will recompense those that oppose what is good.

• 2Thessalonians 1:5 Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer: 
• 6 Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; 
• 7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, 
• 8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: 
• 9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; 
• 10 When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.

The bible has an answer for almost anything. How we sometimes neglect what has been available to us for years. The righteous and those that trust in the Lord will be the victorious ones in the long run.

• Psalm 35:18 I will give thee thanks in the great congregation: I will praise thee among much people.
• 19 Let not them that are mine enemies wrongfully rejoice over me: neither let them wink with the eye that hate me without a cause.
• 20 For they speak not peace: but they devise deceitful matters against them that are quiet in the land.
• 21 Yea, they opened their mouth wide against me, and said, Aha, aha, our eye hath seen it.
• 22 This thou hast seen, O LORD: keep not silence: O Lord, be not far from me.
• 23 Stir up thyself, and awake to my judgment, even unto my cause, my God and my Lord.
• 24 Judge me, O LORD my God, according to thy righteousness; and let them not rejoice over me.
• 25 Let them not say in their hearts, Ah, so would we have it: let them not say, We have swallowed him up.
• 26 Let them be ashamed and brought to confusion together that rejoice at mine hurt: let them be clothed with shame and dishonour that magnify themselves against me.
• 27 Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the LORD be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.
• 28 And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long.

We see from David's experiences that even though he was surrounded by enemies, God brought deliverance and justice. David would end up singing praises to God continually for God would deliver Him.

Rejoice in the Lord and sing unto Him the praise do unto His name. For God sees the suffering of those that are faithful to Him. God will not keep silent for long. The days of justice and vengeance soon approach us. Right now there are mockers, and workers of evil. The closer you live by God's word, the more you will be mocked. If you claim to be a Christian and live no different from the rest of the world, you will be accepted by them but you will not be accepted by God.

• John 12:42 Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: 
• 43 For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.

Some believed in Jesus Christ but because they feared men more than God, they kept quiet.

• Matthew 10:32 Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. 
• 33 But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.

We must choose to obey God rather than men.

• Acts 5:29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.

• Matthew 16:25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. 
• 26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

I will not promise you an easy life full of financial prosperity if you receive Jesus Christ. This is not true and whoever teaches this is not speaking the gospel that Jesus taught. Choosing Jesus may cause you to suffer persecution. It may depend on the country you live in and whether or not you have religious freedom. Yet, if we do not choose to come to God through faith in Jesus Christ, we will die eternally and have no way to be saved. Our sins will take us to hell where we suffer eternally.

Jesus Christ is the only way to escape the punishment in hell for sins. Jesus is the one God sent to us to pay the penalty for sin. To believe in Him is to have eternal life, to reject Him is to be lost forever in hell. Choose Him and receive the Holy Spirit to abide with you forever or reject Him and there is no other way to be saved. We must obey God rather than please men. Men do not love our eternal souls, God does. 

Psalm 36

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