Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Adult Sunday School Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/bb/bb19960714.htm
PSALMS: DIARIES OF GODLY OLD TESTAMENT SAINTS
Psalm Thirty-Five: Handling Irreconcilable Oppressors
(Psalm 35:1-28)
- Introduction
- Scripture commands the believer to try living at peace with all men, Rom. 12:18. If we are wronged, we should not avenge ourselves, but give way to wrath, leaving it up to God to take vengeance, Ro. 12:19-21.
- However, some parties are irreconcilable, and that makes even trying to live peaceably with them an impossible task. What happens then?!
- Psalm Thirty-Five is David's example of dealing with irreconcilable oppressors as follows:
- Handling Irreconcilable Oppressors, Psalm 35:1-28.
- Psalm 35:1-10 records David's call to God for help from his oppressors.
- David asks God to do battle with those who are doing battle against him, Ps. 35:1-3.
- He asks for these opponents to be humiliated in shame, v. 4.
- He also asks God to catch them in their opposition efforts against David so that they will be overthrown in said efforts in surprise, Ps. 35:5-8.
- Upon being thus delivered, David intends to rejoice in God's deliverance, Ps. 35:9-10.
- Just why David would pray this strong a prayer about his opponents is revealed in Ps. 35:11-17: David notes his oppressors to be irreconcilable toward him, Ps. 35:11-17:
- First of all, David's oppressors were incredibly unjust in their dealings with him, Ps. 35:11-16.
- These oppressors did evil towards David, Ps. 35:11-12: they put forth ruthless witnesses to condemn David by innuendo in asking him leading questions on matters about which he knew nothing, v. 11; they repay David evil for his good to them, leaving him really smarting in the process, v. 12.
- Yet, all of this was done after David had done good unto them, 35:13-16: when these oppressors had been ill, David grieved and interceded to God on their behalf, Ps. 35:13-14; but when David had a setback, these same people gathered to gether in glee in secret to malign and mock him in sheer hatred, Ps. 35:15-16.
- Second, this unjust relationship had gone unchecked and unchanged for a long time, Ps. 35:17!
- Thus, with such injustice with David's one-sided effort to help these people, and with it going on for such a long time, it was clear that he was dealing with irreconcilable people!
- The RESOLUTION to this crisis was handled by David's simply turning to God for help, Ps. 35:18-28.
- In faith, anticipating divine intervention, David promises to give thanks to God for deliverance in his current crisis with these irreconcilable oppressors, Ps. 35:18.
- David then appeals in prayer to the Lord for help, Ps. 35:19-27:
- David asked the Lord to hinder these oppressors from being allowed to gloat in victory over him, 19.
- This appeal is justified due to the unrest and deceit in his oppressors' hearts, v. 20-25.
- Rather, David asked God to put such enemies to shame in their opposition efforts, v. 26.
- On the other hand, he asked that his supporters be able to rejoice in his deliverance, v. 27.
- Again, David closes the psalm with an expressed hope of being able one day to praise God, v. 28.
Lesson: (1) If we have done our best to be considerate and helpful toward a difficult party, and we have been treated in turn with contempt or destructive, censorious politiking responses over a very long period of time, we must conclude th at we are dealing with IRRECONCILABLE people. (2) In this case, our hope is to look to the Lord alone, cf. 2 Tim. 3:3a,5b: (a) pray for divine intervention to stop the damage by these oppressors not only to ourselves, but to other innocent people related t o us; (b) ask God to check the damage by tripping up the needless wreckage by such oppressors by tripping them up in their false efforts; (c) rejoice in God's deliverance instead of taking vengeance, cf. 2 Timothy 2:24-26. SUCH A PARTY IS IN THE HANDS O F GOD, AND WE MUST BE CAREFUL TO FOCUS ON GOD'S INTERESTS IN THE MATTER, NOT OURS!