THE WARRIOR LAWYER ~ Psalm 35

They say, “You find out who your real friends are when you’re involved in a scandal.”  Or, “Hard times always reveal true friends.”

Jesus was falsely accused, endured a sham trial by a kangaroo court, and was crucified at the hands of men who hated Him for the truth He spoke. Immediately prior to dealing with this agony, He had to endure an even more personal heartache. We have no greater picture of the above quotes than when we think of Judas. Judas was a professed friend who turned traitor. Which pain cut deeper? Who had the greater sin? Psalm 35 seems to weave both scenarios together for us. From the moment I read it in 2006, it became my psalm.

While the world at large, it seemed, was closing in on my family, the far greater pain was in realizing that most who had claimed to love us in our prosperity became cruel adversaries. In this psalm, David turns to the only friend who sticks closer than a brother. In our trial, the Lord brought new friends who were willing to put on their fishing boots and wade through the muck and mire of our lives alongside us. I will always be grateful to the Lord for them.

The language of this psalm portraying a legal battle are unmistakable. David is being falsely accused as king over Israel by some foreign power with whom he had previously entered a covenant, according to the John MacArthur Study Bible notes. David presents his “case” before the Divine Judge offering his “complaint”, then a prayer, and finally bold, confident praise for when the Lord would intervene in a just response.

In David’s very strong pleading to the Divine Judge of the Court of heaven, we begin by looking at all the imperatives or commands upon which David implores the Judge to make a just ruling. They are strong action words giving us a sense that he is pleading to the only Judge who can bring justice and full vindication in his case. Contend, fight, take hold of, rise up, draw, say to my soul, let this happen and do not let this happen (all the way throughout), rescue, stir up Yourself, awake, and judge me. Do you see the balance, the humility, and the dependence by a king upon his God? If David, the King of Israel and a man after God’s own heart, needed to look to God for justice, then this is where we must look as well.

This psalm is an imprecatory psalm. Christians today may be uncomfortable praying imprecatory prayers. Imprecatory psalms invoke judgment or call for God’s curses upon the believer’s enemies and His. The imprecatory psalms call us to join with God in this spiritual battle while remembering that we were once His enemies, too. That enables us to pray for our enemies, recognizing the need to see the spiritual as well as the physical at the same time.

It is important to note that these psalms were not written from a vindictive heart or by one seeking personal vengeance. These psalms help us keep God’s full character in view. He is not just a “god of love” as the world wants to believe. He is also just, sovereign, and fiercely protects His own. In the imprecatory psalms, the psalmist seeks God’s vindication as much as his own.

The chord of balance between praying for God’s vindication from His enemies and ours while loving our enemies and praying for them is always to remain taut. It is to be able to “see” the spiritual warfare against God and His children but, at the same time, seeing the people who are held captive by Satan to do his will. The best outcome is vindication or justice for the believer in God’s name and release of all the captives in the enemy’s camp with whom the believer has had to deal. This includes those, especially, who were driving the deepest knives into their backs—those they had trusted. As we will see in this psalm, we are to seek the Lord’s will and His greatest glory in all we do (David pleads, “Judge me.”) When we are wronged, we must leave the ultimate outcome to the Lord and rest in His sovereign care and providence. Romans 12:19 says, Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,” SAYS THE Lord.

The heart of the imprecatory psalms is a deep longing for justice by those who had been severely oppressed. God’s promise to His children is that divine vengeance is coming. (See Luke 18:7-8 and Revelation 19:2)

Contend, O LORD, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me. Take hold of buckler and shield and rise up for my help. Draw also the spear and the battle-axe to meet those who pursue me. Say to my soul, “I am your salvation.” (Psalm 35:1-3) Let’s begin to unpack this very bold, yet humble prayer.

Contend, O LORD, with those who contend with me…This word contend has the idea of a legal case behind it. It can literally mean plead my cause. It means to conduct a case or legal suit against another, to sue, to make a complaint, to defend against an adversary, to debate, to plead. It is to persuade by argument or supplication as to plead for the life of a criminal, to urge reasons why he should be acquitted or pardoned. It is to contend before a judge. Some (not unlike the prosecution) had risen up against him with false accusations meant to condemn David. To contend or to plead is to fight with words. David was calling on the Lord to be his defense counselor. David knew that only a divine advocate could deliver him from his current trial. In Psalm 18:43 made the statement that it was the Lord who had delivered David from the contentions of the people. And do not think for a moment a cross-reference in Isaiah 49:25-26 did not leap off the page for me during my own legal battle. Surely, thus says the LORD, “Even the captives of the mighty man will be taken away, and the prey of the tyrant will be rescued; for I will contend with the one who contends with you, and I will save your sons. I will feed your oppressors with their own flesh, and they will become drunk with their own blood as with sweet wine; and all flesh will know that I, the LORD, am your Savior and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.” Do you think that sounds extreme? Does that make you uncomfortable? Or does it make you bow in greater fear and reverence before our holy God?

Fight against those who fight against me. Fight here literally means to do battle with or make war with. David wanted the Lord to exert power over his enemies. It can even mean to eat or use as food. It can mean to feed on, to consume, to devour, overcome, prevail. The added color of this word ties it to the verse in Isaiah above, but also paints a vivid picture for us recalling to mind Revelation 19:15-18—From His (Jesus) mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.” Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds which fly in mid-heaven, “Come, assemble for the great supper of God, so that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of commanders and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them and the flesh of all men, both free men and slaves, and small and great.” Exodus 15:3 says: The LORD is a warrior; the LORD is His name. The Lord speaking in Deuteronomy 32:41-43 says: If I sharpen My flashing sword, and My hand takes hold on justice, I will render vengeance on My adversaries, and I will repay those who hate Me. I will make My arrows drunk with blood, and My sword will devour flesh, with the blood of the slain and the captives, from the long-haired leaders of the enemy. Then Moses said, “Rejoice, O nations, with His people; for He will avenge the blood of His servants, and will render vengeance on His adversaries, and will atone for His land and His people.”

The idea here in the first two imperatives of Psalm 35 is that the oppressors would reap what they have sown by the Lord’s hand. The psalmist is calling on the Lord to fight his battle for him. It is a call for the Lord to take action against God’s enemies and his. One quick story about the verses I hope to look at tomorrow.

My family was sitting at the breakfast table the second time federal agents descended upon our home. My husband had heard something outside and went to the front door to see what it was. He saw men kneeling behind full body shields surrounding our home. Before he could say anything, he had opened the door, and they had swarmed into our kitchen. My actual words were: “Why are you doing this to us?” No one answered me. Their only answer came as they were walking out the door with my husband in chains, “Oh, by the way, you and Jesse need to report to the Courthouse by 10:00 a.m.” I said, “For what?” They said, “You are being arrested.” I hadn’t said the words that first came into my mind when I saw them standing in my kitchen. While it’s not intended to be a joke, my very first thought was, “Wow! Really? You should see my shield!” Was Psalm 5:12 behind that thought? For it is You who blesses the righteous man, O LORD. You surround him with favor as with a shield. I’m sure it didn’t appear to the world that was true, but it was.