The God Who Contends, Protects, Rescues, and Vindicates
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Intro
Intro
Psalms 35
All of the Psalms are God’s Word..... every word.... We established that in Psalm 1 ..... the wise person meditates on it day and night.
We can sing them to worship God.... we can pray them to worship God.
They are full of joy and rejoicing.... exuberant singing praise and worship to God
Psalm 118 - This is the day!..... This is the Day!
They are full of deep sorrow and sadness
why have you forsaken me?.... last week
Prayers and words to God in the hardest of times and the best of times before him......
Confession of sin and God’s greatness!
This morning… you probably have never sung a song like this in church..... but what I am after this morning is to say that we absolutely can and should pray these words of God in the right context of our lives.
I do not think we need to overlook these as uninspired Word of God
I do not think we put this in the poetry of allegory and explain it away
I do not think the Psalmist were sinning when writing these words.
I believe we can pray these words with the right heart to God at specific moments in our life.
What is an imprecatory psalm? - It literally means a curse… a prayer to see vindication from someone and their downfall.
This morning.... we must wrestle with the words of this Psalm where David and others pray a prayer to God to show his judgment and justice.
Does our prayer to God to cursing enemies fit within our Christian life? Can we pray these prayers?
In Psalm 35..... there are three things that are going to mark David’s song to God that we can learn from.... THERE ARE THREE SETS
His imprecatory prayers to God
His Complaints
His Promise of Praise
Prayers
Prayers
Psalms as prayers to God - They are songs but they are prayers!
Prayer 1
1 Contend, O Lord, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me!
2 Take hold of shield and buckler and rise for my help!
3 Draw the spear and javelin against my pursuers! Say to my soul, “I am your salvation!”
4 Let them be put to shame and dishonor who seek after my life! Let them be turned back and disappointed who devise evil against me!
5 Let them be like chaff before the wind, with the angel of the Lord driving them away!
6 Let their way be dark and slippery, with the angel of the Lord pursuing them!
2. Prayer 2
17 How long, O Lord, will you look on? Rescue me from their destruction, my precious life from the lions!
3. Prayer 3
22 You have seen, O Lord; be not silent! O Lord, be not far from me!
23 Awake and rouse yourself for my vindication, for my cause, my God and my Lord!
24 Vindicate me, O Lord, my God, according to your righteousness, and let them not rejoice over me!
25 Let them not say in their hearts, “Aha, our heart’s desire!” Let them not say, “We have swallowed him up.”
26 Let them be put to shame and disappointed altogether who rejoice at my calamity! Let them be clothed with shame and dishonor who magnify themselves against me!
27 Let those who delight in my righteousness shout for joy and be glad and say evermore, “Great is the Lord, who delights in the welfare of his servant!”
The importance of David
a. God’s annointed King
13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day forward. And Samuel rose up and went to Ramah.
b. Represented God’s people and kingdom on Earth through Israel
They were chosen and protected by God
c. King David was responsible to provide law and justice, peace and security for the citizens of his kingdom—he could not turn a blind eye to evil. “A policeman, judge, governor, or president must deal with the violent differently from how you and I might deal with them.” - Boice Commentary via Kent Hughes Commentary
On your life resume.... you are not a king over Israel.... not chosen to lead God’s chosen people on Earth… no one in this room falls into that human category......
But I do think we can still pray like David prays.... he sees God correctly.....
The importance of God’s Character
a. Contend - God stands in the courtroom on our behalf
b. Warrior Fighter - God is the LORD of HOSTS of the Angel Army
c. Vindicator - Come and wipe the blame against me.... no blame for me
d. Great is the Lord -
3 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable.
That Game was great..... That time in the pool was great...... but our words can describe the “Greatness” that we experience in life.... but declaring that the LORD is GREAT means we truly understand how GREAT God is......we can never stop talking about His greatness!
You cannot Google search God’s greatness......
What have you seen and taken in...... how much more is there to experience, know, and learn about God! He is unsearchable.... never ending in his greatness!
The motive of prayer.... a Curse that invokes misfortune upon someone..... but what is the motive....?
David sought vindication on God’s behalf as much as his own… This wasn’t a person vindication but God moving and acting based on His Character and for His Glory established in His King and His People....
God is All Powerful, All knowing, Ever Present, Love, Merciful, Gracious, Wrathful against sin and enemies....
1 An oracle concerning Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum of Elkosh.
2 The Lord is a jealous and avenging God; the Lord is avenging and wrathful; the Lord takes vengeance on his adversaries and keeps wrath for his enemies.
3 The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, and the Lord will by no means clear the guilty. His way is in whirlwind and storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet.
4 He rebukes the sea and makes it dry; he dries up all the rivers; Bashan and Carmel wither; the bloom of Lebanon withers.
5 The mountains quake before him; the hills melt; the earth heaves before him, the world and all who dwell in it.
6 Who can stand before his indignation? Who can endure the heat of his anger? His wrath is poured out like fire, and the rocks are broken into pieces by him.
7 The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him.
6 The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness,
7 keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.”
Nahum focussed on the Biblical truth that God reserves his wrath for the wicked and sinful..... Exodus 34:6-7 is the full picture. Psalm 35 gives us David calling out for God to “if He wills it” to show the wrath against sin towards His enemies.... not just David’s enemies.
Complaints
Complaints
First Complaint - The Battle Trap
7 For without cause they hid their net for me; without cause they dug a pit for my life.
8 Let destruction come upon him when he does not know it! And let the net that he hid ensnare him; let him fall into it—to his destruction!
2. The hypocrite relationship
11 Malicious witnesses rise up; they ask me of things that I do not know.
12 They repay me evil for good; my soul is bereft.
13 But I, when they were sick— I wore sackcloth; I afflicted myself with fasting; I prayed with head bowed on my chest.
14 I went about as though I grieved for my friend or my brother; as one who laments his mother, I bowed down in mourning.
15 But at my stumbling they rejoiced and gathered; they gathered together against me; wretches whom I did not know tore at me without ceasing;
16 like profane mockers at a feast, they gnash at me with their teeth.
3. They are divisive, liars, and deceptive.
19 Let not those rejoice over me who are wrongfully my foes, and let not those wink the eye who hate me without cause.
20 For they do not speak peace, but against those who are quiet in the land they devise words of deceit.
21 They open wide their mouths against me; they say, “Aha, Aha! Our eyes have seen it!”
This was most likely written when David was fleeing from King Saul (possibly his son Absalom)..... David is
A trap is set for him in the midst of BATTLE language
False Witnesses and Hypocrisy from family and trusted friends
They rejoice out of my downfall...
Shared by a real person sharing real life to God in prayer
Emotions and human life experience are allowed by a follower of Christ -
Walking in this room this morning.... you did not have to be perfect - I think we see this played out in our american church.... you have to be a certain way before walking into church......
Life as a Christian means to be fully human.... and to be fully human means a relationship with God and others where you experience all of the human emotions before and with God!
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.
11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,
Promises of Worship
Promises of Worship
9 Then my soul will rejoice in the Lord, exulting in his salvation.
10 All my bones shall say, “O Lord, who is like you, delivering the poor from him who is too strong for him, the poor and needy from him who robs him?”
18 I will thank you in the great congregation; in the mighty throng I will praise you.
28 Then my tongue shall tell of your righteousness and of your praise all the day long.
We worship God as our Creator
We worship God for his mercy
We worship God for His Grace
We Worship God for our Salvation in Jesus
We Worship God for His providence
We worship God for His Power
Why does David promise to rejoice and worship God at the downfall of others?
look to revelations worship of God.....
1 After this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, crying out, “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God,
2 for his judgments are true and just; for he has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality, and has avenged on her the blood of his servants.”
3 Once more they cried out, “Hallelujah! The smoke from her goes up forever and ever.”
4 And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who was seated on the throne, saying, “Amen. Hallelujah!”
All of the evil, sinful representation against God is defeated.... and Heaven responds in worship! David did in the OT.... We do the same in eternity because in the end..... God wins for his Glory!
What are we to do with imprecatory psalms? and David’s words here?
Check our hearts motivation -
Driving down the road and getting cut off is not a moment to declare a prayer of vindication to God
Turning in your taxes.... also not one of those moments
Seeking the justice and eternal judgment of God against sin and it’s impact in this world.... Satan and his schemes..... YES!
God is the ultimate judge, rescuer and vindicator for His People
Even if we pray for God’s enemies to recieve the wrath due towards sin and the devil.....
Jesus provides the Christians heart to see all men to come to saving faith....
Prayer for our enemies
God is to be glorified when His will is done.
Enemies of God will receive the due punishment for their sins...
Best and simplest NT imprecatory prayer you can pray as a Christian..... Matthew 6:11
10 Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Jesus experiences to the fullest extent what David feels here.... what we feel now....
Mocked
Trapped
Tricked
Crucified
He dies for God’s enemies so that those enemies might become friends of God.
10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.
When we pray for God’s judgment to come on His enemies..... it moves us to worship because He deserves all the glory and praise.......
1. He sent Jesus to be our savior to move us as enemies of God who deserve HIS JUDGMENT, THE LORD OF HOSTS WRATH, AND THE DECREE OF GUILTY BEFORE A HOLY AND RIGHTEOUS GOD..... BUT WE ARE NOW FRIENDS! CHILDREN OF GOD!
Conclusion
Are you an enemy of God? Do you this morning need to find salvation in Jesus Christ alone?
Will you be wise with your use of imprecatory prayers in the Bible? Do you desire to see God’s kingdom come?
Do you want to be baptized or join the church?