Sundays in the Psalms (35)

Big Idea: When God's people are attacked, wounded, and betrayed, they can confidently take their case to the Lord, trusting Him to defend, sustain, and vindicate them.

The Suffering Cry of the Righteous

Psalm 35:1–18

Introduction

Everyone experiences opposition at some point in life.

Sometimes the attack comes from obvious enemies or through false accusations,

unfair criticism, or deliberate attempts to harm our reputation.

But, Perhaps the deepest wounds come from attacks of those we once loved, helped, and trusted.

Psalm 35 is David's testimony of what a believer should do when facing both opposition and betrayal.

David does not lash out on social media or file a law suite,

He takes his case to God.

This psalm teaches us that when we are attacked, our first response should not be retaliation—it should be prayer.

Over the next two Sunday nights, we will walk through this Psalm with David and see how he deals with being betrayed and accused.

I. David’s Petition for the Battle

He takes His Battle to the Lord

(Psalm 35:1–10)

A. God Is His Advocate (vv. 1–3)

"Plead my cause, O LORD, with them that strive with me: fight against them that fight against me."

David begins with a prayer.

The word "plead" is a legal term.

David pictures himself standing in a courtroom where accusations are being made against him.

His enemies are prosecuting him, but David calls upon God to serve as his defense attorney.

David understood something many believers forget:

When people attack God's servant, the servant does not have to defend himself alone.

Throughout Scripture, God repeatedly presents Himself as the defender of His people:

When Israel stood trapped between Pharaoh and the Red Sea, Moses declared:

"The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace." (Exodus 14:14)

David is asking God to do exactly that.

Notice how quickly the imagery changes:

"Fight against them that fight against me."

The courtroom has become the battlefield.

God is not only David's Advocate;

He is also David's Warrior

Verses 2–3 portray God taking up shield, buckler, and spear.

pictures heaven mobilizing on behalf of one of God's children.

Yet the most beautiful request in the entire section is found at the end of verse 3:

"Say unto my soul, I am thy salvation."

David is asking for more than victory.

He wants assurance.

Before he asks God to change his circumstances,

he asks God to speak peace to his heart.

Many believers spend all their time asking God to remove the problem while neglecting the greater blessing of God's presence in the midst of the problem.

The greatest comfort is not knowing that God will remove the battle.

The greatest comfort is knowing that God is with us in the battle.

A. God Is His Advocate (vv. 1–3)

B. God Can Reverse the Situation (vv. 4–8)

David next prays that the plans of the wicked will fail.

Several powerful images appear.

Chaff Before the Wind

"Let them be as chaff before the wind."

To the farmer, chaff was worthless.

It appeared substantial until the wind blew.

David is reminding himself that no matter how powerful evil appears, it cannot stand against God's breath.

Many enemies seem strong until God intervenes.

The Pursuers Become the Pursued

Twice David mentions "the angel of the LORD."

The picture is dramatic.

The hunters suddenly become the hunted.

The pursuers suddenly become the pursued.

The same people who chased David now find themselves running from divine judgment.

Their Trap Becomes Their Downfall

Verses 7 and 8 present a principle seen throughout Scripture: “Let his net that he hath hid catch himself."

Haman built gallows for Mordecai and died on them himself.

Daniel's enemies were thrown into the fire and the lion's den they intended for him.

The wicked often become victims of their own schemes.

God has a way of turning evil back upon itself.

Application

Never assume the enemy has the final word.

God specializes in reversals.

He can:

Change circumstances.

Expose lies.

Frustrate evil plans.

Turn apparent defeat into victory.

A. God Is His Advocate (vv. 1–3)

B. God Can Reverse the Situation (vv. 4–8)

C. God's Deliverance Leads to Worship (vv. 9–10)

After prayer comes confidence.

"And my soul shall be joyful in the LORD."

Notice David's focus.

He does not say: “My soul shall be joyful because my enemies are gone."

He says: “My soul shall be joyful in the LORD."

The blessing points him back to the Blesser.

Too often we rejoice in answered prayer and forget the God who answered it.

David goes further: “All my bones shall say, LORD, who is like unto thee?"

Every part of his being joins in worship.

Application

The purpose of deliverance is worship.

God does not rescue us merely so we can enjoy relief.

He rescues us so that His greatness might be displayed through our lives.

At this point, David has described the battle through Petition.

But beginning in verse 11, he reveals why the pain runs so deep.

II. David’s Pain of Betrayal

Psalm 35:11–18

One of the hardest truths in life is that not every wound comes from an enemy.

Some wounds come from people we trusted.

Some of the deepest scars are not left by strangers but by friends, family members, coworkers, fellow church members, or people we once helped and loved.

The pain of betrayal is often greater than the pain of persecution.

David shows us three realities about betrayal.

A. Betrayal Often Begins with False Accusation (vv. 11–12)

"False witnesses did rise up; they laid to my charge things that I knew not."

David is facing a coordinated attack on his reputation.

People are speaking against him.

Stories are being told.

Accusations are being made.

Evidence is being twisted.

The tragedy is that the charges are false.

David says they accused him of things he knew nothing about.

This was not misunderstanding.

misrepresentation.

or confusion.

This was character assassination.

Then David adds: “They rewarded me evil for good to the spoiling of my soul."

The phrase "spoiling of my soul" speaks of deep emotional devastation.

David is not just frustrated.

He is hurt.

The attack has penetrated directly into his heart.

You know:

when people repay goodness with hostility.

When you've tried to help someone.

When you've prayed for someone.

When you've invested in someone.

And then they turn against you.

That is the kind of pain David is describing.

Biblical Illustration

Joseph experienced this in Egypt.

After serving faithfully in Potiphar's house, Potiphar's wife falsely accused him.

Joseph lost his reputation, his position, and his freedom because of lies.

Yet God was still working behind the scenes.

The same God who saw Joseph's innocence saw David's innocence.

And He sees ours as well.

Application

People may misunderstand you.

People may misrepresent you.

People may even deliberately lie about you.

But there is comfort in knowing that while others may believe false reports, God knows the truth.

The court of public opinion is often wrong.

The court of heaven never is.

A. Betrayal Often Begins with False Accusation (vv. 11–12)

B. Betrayal Hurts Most When It Comes from Those We Loved (vv. 13–14)

These verses reveal something beautiful about David's character.

"But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth..."

David recalls how he treated these same people before they became his enemies.

When they suffered:

He mourned.

He fasted.

He prayed.

He humbled himself before God for them.

This was not a superficial concern

This was genuine compassion.

David cared about their pain.

Then he says: “I behaved myself as though he had been my friend or brother."

David treated them like family.

He invested in them emotionally.

He loved them deeply.

He continues: “I bowed down heavily, as one that mourneth for his mother."

For an Israelite, few losses were more painful than the loss of a mother.

David is describing the deepest level of compassion possible.

In modern language, David is saying:

"When they hurt, I hurt."

"When they cried, I cried."

"When they suffered, I prayed."

And yet these same people turned against him.

That is why betrayal cuts so deeply.

Enemies can only attack from the outside.

Friends have access to the heart.

Illustration

The greatest example is found in the life of Jesus.

Jesus healed people who later cried for His crucifixion.

He washed Judas' feet knowing Judas would betray Him.

He fed multitudes who later abandoned Him.

No one understands betrayal better than Christ.

Because He experienced it Himself, He is able to comfort those who experience it today.

Application

Some of us carry wounds from betrayal.

Perhaps it was:

A friend.

A family member.

A spouse.

A church member.

Someone you trusted.

The pain is real.

David does not minimize it.

Neither does God.

The good news is that God understands wounds that come from trusted hands.

A. Betrayal Often Begins with False Accusation

B. Betrayal Hurts Most When It Comes from Those We Loved

C. Betrayal Reveals the Difference Between Righteousness and Unrighteousness (vv. 15–18)

David now contrasts his response to their suffering with their response to his suffering.

"But in mine adversity they rejoiced."

When they suffered:

David prayed.

When David suffered:

They celebrated.

What a contrast.

Instead of compassion, they showed cruelty.

Instead of comfort, they offered mockery.

Instead of loyalty, they gathered against him.

Verse 15 says: “The abjects gathered themselves together against me."

The attack became public.

Others joined in.

David suddenly finds himself surrounded by people eager to watch him fall.

Verse 16 paints an even darker picture: “They gnashed upon me with their teeth."

This is a picture of intense hatred.

Their opposition was not accidental.

It was deliberate.

Persistent.

Personal.

David reaches the point where he can no longer carry the burden himself.

So he turns again to God.

"Lord, how long wilt thou look on?"

This is not a cry of unbelief.

It is a cry of faith under pressure.

David knows God sees.

What he struggles with is why God seems to delay.

Many believers have prayed the same prayer.

"Lord, how long?"

How long will the sickness continue?

How long will the injustice remain?

How long will the hurt last?

How long before You intervene?

Yet even in the question, David demonstrates faith.

He directs the question to God because he still believes God is the answer.

Then he prays: “Rescue my soul from their destructions, my darling from the lions."

David recognizes that only God can save him.

His confidence is not in revenge.

His confidence is not in vindication from people.

His confidence is in divine intervention.

And then, remarkably, before God has answered, David makes a promise:

"I will give thee thanks in the great congregation."

Faith begins thanking God before the answer arrives.

David is so certain of God's faithfulness that he speaks of future praise as though it has already happened.

Application

When betrayal wounds your heart:

Take your pain to God.

Refuse to become bitter.

Continue trusting while you wait.

Remember that God sees what others overlook.

Praise God in advance for His faithfulness.

The same God who heard David hears His children today.

Conclusion

David has shown us the reality of suffering.

He has been falsely accused.

He has been betrayed by those he loved.

He has been mocked in his adversity.

Yet through it all, he keeps bringing his burden back to God.

That is the lesson of Psalm 35.

The righteous sufferer does not run from God in pain.

He runs to God with his pain.

And because David knows who God is,

he can move from heartbreak to hope, from betrayal to trust, and from tears to praise.