#DailyDevotion Who Do You Turn To For Help?
Psalm 35 O LORD, oppose those who are opposing me; fight those who are fighting me; 2grab small and large shields and come to help me; 3draw a spear and a battle axe to meet those who pursue me. Give me assurance that you will save me.
Here we have another imprecatory (cursing) psalm of David. We often have trouble with these because Jesus tells us to bless those who curse us and to love our enemies. But David is upholding the command which is to let the LORD be his vengeance. Whatever the LORD is going to do in this situation to rectify it, David humbly will accept.
When David asks the LORD to oppose those opposing him and fight those who are fighting him, he is invoking the promises of the LORD: Gen. 12:3 “I will bless those who bless you, and curse anyone who curses you,…” Ex. 14:14 “The LORD is fighting for you, so be still.” On top of these, David is the LORD’s anointed. He stands in the place of the LORD to rule Israel. Whatever anyone does to him they are doing to the LORD, as Jesus tells us in Matt. 25:40, “’I tell you the truth, anything you did for one of My brothers here, however humble, you did for Me.”
Now I do not know if David’s opponent here is Saul or his son Absalom and those who supported him. But from the rest of the psalm we can tell they are people who should have supported David. There is no doubt why David uses such vivid language here. What an image of the Almighty he invokes for us as he calls the LORD to rescue him. He wants Him to pick up a small and large shield at the same time to help him. No doubt, David is asking for the LORD to protect him against these people who are seeking his life. That is on the defensive side. Then he calls on the LORD to take up the weapons of destruction, a spear and a battle axe (some translations have javelin) to meet with those who want him dead. Perhaps David is remembering the song of Moses and the Israelites after the LORD defeated the Egyptians in Ex. 14, ‘3The LORD is a warrior; His name is YHWH [the LORD].”
David appeals to the LORD to save him. Indeed, he has every reason to go to the LORD to have Him save him. Salvation belongs to the LORD. The Israelites were commanded to the LORD to save them in battle. David is in a battle for his life. We too should look to the LORD Jesus Christ for salvation. Jesus prayed this psalm. We should have no problem praying it with Him. We have as His holy people no lack of enemies on every side. Paul tells us in Eph. 6, “12You’re not fighting against flesh and blood but against the rulers, authorities, and lords of this dark world, against the evil spirits that are above.” We should remember when attacked by fellow humans that behind their evil actions are the enemies which are not flesh and blood. Jesus died for these flesh and blood enemies who seek our harm. When we pray this psalm against them, we are praying they would repent and cease being our enemies and become fellow believers.
Ultimately, we place ourselves in the hands of our heavenly Father who loves us. We trust in His divine mercy and grace to do for us what is needed. We trust Him to get us through these tough times and to help us overcome those who wish us harm. While we may pray this psalm against them we listen to our LORD Jesus Christ who calls us to love our enemies and overcome evil with good. We let the LORD our God and Father be our vengeance. We put ourselves in His merciful hands.
Heavenly Father, when the forces of evil wage against us, take up Your sword and shield to protect us and defend us against our adversaries. Turn their hearts so they are no longer our enemies but our beloved brothers and sisters in Christ. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.