Of David.
1Contend, O LORD, with those who contend with me;
fight against those who fight against me.
2Take up shield and buckler;
arise and come to my aid.
3Brandish spear and javelin against those who pursue me.
Say to my soul, "I am your salvation."
4May those who seek my life be disgraced and put to shame; may those who plot my ruin be turned back in dismay. 5May they be like chaff before the wind,
with the angel of the LORD driving them away;
6May their path be dark and slippery,
with the angel of the LORD pursuing them.
7Since they hid their net for me without cause
and without cause dug a pit for me,
8May ruin overtake them by surprise
--may the net they hid entangle them,
may they fall into the pit, to their ruin.
9Then my soul will rejoice in the LORD
and delight in His salvation.
10My whole being will exclaim,
"Who is like You, O LORD?
You rescue the poor from those too strong for them,
the poor and needy from those who rob them."
11Ruthless witnesses come forward;
they question me on things I know nothing about.
12They repay me evil for good
and leave my soul forlorn.
13Yet when they were ill,
I put on sackcloth and humbled myself with fasting. When my prayers returned to me unanswered,
14I went about mourning
as though for my friend or brother.
I bowed my head in grief
as though weeping for my mother.
15But when I stumbled, they gathered in glee;
attackers gathered against me when I was unaware.
They slandered me without ceasing.
16Like the ungodly they maliciously mocked;
they gnashed their teeth at me.
17O Lord, how long will You look on?
Rescue my life from their ravages,
my precious life from these lions.
18I will give You thanks in the great assembly;
among throngs of people I will praise You.
19Let not those gloat over me
who are my enemies without cause;
Let not those who hate me without reason
maliciously wink the eye.
20They do not speak peaceably,
but devise false accusations
against those who live quietly in the land.
21They gape at me and say,
"Aha! Aha! With our own eyes we have seen it."
22O LORD, You have seen this; be not silent.
Do not be far from me, O Lord.
23Awake, and rise to my defence!
Contend for me, my God and Lord.
24Vindicate me in your righteousness, O LORD my God;
do not let them gloat over me.
25Do not let them think, "Aha, just what we wanted!"
or say, "We have swallowed him up."
26May all who gloat over my distress
be put to shame and confusion;
May all who exalt themselves over me
be clothed with shame and disgrace.
27May those who delight in my vindication
shout for joy and gladness;
May they always say,
"The LORD be exalted,
who delights in the well-being of His servant."
28My tongue will speak of your righteousness
and of Your praises all day long.
Once again, as in many psalms, David in righteousness seeks the Lord for help in his conflict with the wicked. The occasion of this psalm seems to be his fleeing from Saul, for in I Sam. 24:15, David expresses to Saul similar sentiments that are expressed to God in this psalm. David there says to Saul: "May the LORD be our judge and decide between us. May He consider my cause and uphold it; may He vindicate me by delivering me from your hand" (I Sam. 24:15).
This psalm contains three parallel sections (vss. 1-10; vss. 11-18; vss. 19-28). Each section contains a lengthy prayer for God's help against the wicked. Each prayer includes an enumeration of the wicked deeds of David's adversaries. Then, each section ends with a promise of praise by David.
1Contend, O LORD, with those who contend with me;
fight against those who fight against me.
2Take up shield and buckler;
arise and come to my aid.
3Brandish spear and javelin against those who pursue me.
Say to my soul, "I am your salvation."
4May those who seek my life be disgraced and put to shame; may those who plot my ruin be turned back in dismay.
5May they be like chaff before the wind,
with the angel of the LORD driving them away;
6May their path be dark and slippery,
with the angel of the LORD pursuing them.
7Since they hid their net for me without cause
and without cause dug a pit for me,
8May ruin overtake them by surprise
--may the net they hid entangle them,
may they fall into the pit, to their ruin.
9Then my soul will rejoice in the LORD
and delight in His salvation.
10My whole being will exclaim,
"Who is like You, O LORD?
You rescue the poor from those too strong for them,
the poor and needy from those who rob them."
In this first section, David prays for the Lord to take up his fight against the wicked. He begins: "Contend, O LORD, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me" (vs. 1). Note that in asking the Lord to take up his fight, David is just asking for justice: that his adversaries receive from the Lord what he (David) has received from them. David's adversaries have "contended" with him, so David asks: "Contend, O LORD, with those who contend with me." David's adversaries have "fought" with him, so David asks: "[F]ight against those who fight against me." David's goal "is to commit his cause to God as Advocate, Judge, Avenger."[11] Those who contend and fight against God's people are foolish. They are like bullies who pick on the little brother of the captain of the High School wrestling team. Eventually, they will find themselves facing an unbeatable adversary. The Lord of the universe will take up the cause of His people.
David asks the Lord to take up defensive weapons on his behalf: "Take up shield and buckler; arise and come to my aid" (vs. 2). Then, David asks the Lord to take up offensive weapons on his behalf: "Brandish spear and javelin against those who pursue me" (vs. 3). But David does not only ask the Lord for physical help. He also asks for peace of mind: "Say to my soul, `I am your salvation'" (vs. 3). What a blessing that God speaks to our souls! Be thankful for this! David here asks God to speak to his soul concerning His "salvation". God already speaks to us concerning His salvation in many ways: through His ministers and prophets, through His Word; through His Son; through His works; and even through His own voice directly to our hearts.
Next, David enlists the help of the "angel of the LORD": "May those who seek my life be disgraced and put to shame; may those who plot my ruin be turned back in dismay. May they be like chaff before the wind, with the angel of the LORD driving them away; may their path be dark and slippery, with the angel of the LORD pursuing them" (vss. 4-6). In the previous psalm, David taught us: "The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, and He delivers them" (Ps. 34:7). So, for the people of God, the "angel of the LORD" is a Great Protector. However, in this psalm, we learn that, for the enemies of God, the angel of the Lord is a Great Adversary, and the bringer of judgment.
David again appeals to God's justice: "Since they hid their net for me without cause and without cause dug a pit for me, may ruin overtake them by surprise--may the net they hid entangle them, may they fall into the pit, to their ruin" (vss. 7-8). David asks that his enemies be caught in their own net. This prayer is certainly within God's will, for it is promised in the Word of God: "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life" (Gal. 6:7-8). The law of sowing and reaping is valid, not only in the agricultural realm (for there you certainly reap what you sow), but also in the spiritual realm. "It not unfrequently happens, that when a man is preparing sorrows for his fellow creatures, he is only, in reality, framing a weapon for his own chastisement, and whetting the edge of those miseries which shall afflict his own soul!"[12]
David promises that, once he is delivered, he will praise the Lord for his deliverance: "Then my soul will rejoice in the LORD and delight in His salvation. My whole being will exclaim, `Who is like You, O LORD? You rescue the poor from those too strong for them, the poor and needy from those who rob them'" (vss. 9-10). David will rejoice, not in the punishment of his enemies (for it is unfortunate that they must undergo judgment), but in his own deliverance and salvation. When delivered from trouble, many ascribe their deliverance to fate, or to luck, or to destiny, or (worse) to their own abilities. We must be careful to ascribe our deliverance to the true source: to the work of the Lord on our behalf, to His love and care for us.
11Ruthless witnesses come forward;
they question me on things I know nothing about.
12They repay me evil for good
and leave my soul forlorn.
13Yet when they were ill,
I put on sackcloth and humbled myself with fasting.
When my prayers returned to me unanswered,
14I went about mourning
as though for my friend or brother.
I bowed my head in grief
as though weeping for my mother.
15But when I stumbled, they gathered in glee;
attackers gathered against me when I was unaware.
They slandered me without ceasing.
16Like the ungodly they maliciously mocked;
they gnashed their teeth at me.
17O Lord, how long will You look on?
Rescue my life from their ravages,
my precious life from these lions.
18I will give You thanks in the great assembly;
among throngs of people I will praise You.
David strengthens his own case that he is righteous in the situation by detailing how he acted when his (now) adversaries faced affliction: "Ruthless witnesses come forward; they question me on things I know nothing about. They repay me evil for good and leave my soul forlorn. Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth and humbled myself with fasting. When my prayers returned to me unanswered, I went about mourning as though for my friend or brother. I bowed my head in grief as though weeping for my mother" (vss. 11-14). David showed genuine concern for his adversaries when they faced affliction. And his concern was not mere lipservice. He not only prayed, but also "put on sackcloth and humbled [him]self with fasting." He mourned "as though for [his] friend or brother", and wept as through for his mother.
Despite all this, David was sorely treated by them: "But when I stumbled, they gathered in glee; attackers gathered against me when I was unaware. They slandered me without ceasing. Like the ungodly they maliciously mocked; they gnashed their teeth at me" (vss. 15-16). David's treatment by his enemies is similar to our Lord Jesus' treatment by those He came to save. "For the good David did in killing Goliath, and slaying his ten thousands of the Philistines, and thereby saving his king and country, Saul and his courtiers envied him, and sought to slay him: so our Lord Jesus Christ, for all the good He did [for those He came to save], by healing their bodies of diseases, and preaching the gospel to them for the benefit of their souls, was rewarded with reproaches and persecutions, and at last with the shameful death of the cross."[13]
Given his own past graciousness with his current adversaries, David cannot understand God's delay in delivering him: "O Lord, how long will You look on? Rescue my life from their ravages, my precious life from these lions" (vs. 17). Though we know that we will face affliction and persecution, they nearly always last longer than we expect. At first, we feel confident as we face affliction, bravely enduring it for the cause of the Lord. But we quickly tire of affliction and our previous patience turns to anger at God. "How long, O Lord?" we cry. But, "divine delays prove divine forbearance."[14] Just as God treated us with patience when we were in rebellion against Him and gave us an opportunity to repent, so He also gives our enemies an opportunity to repent. Peter teaches: "The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance... Bear in mind that our Lord's patience means salvation" (II Pet. 3:9,15).
Again, as in verse 10, David promises to praise the Lord once he is delivered: "I will give you thanks in the great assembly; among throngs of people I will praise you" (vs. 18). This time, David promises to praise the Lord publicly, "in the great assembly." "It is admitted that public mercies call for public thanks; but in some cases even personal mercies call for public thanks. Our religion should not be ostentatious, but it ought not to be clandestine."[15]
19Let not those gloat over me
who are my enemies without cause;
Let not those who hate me without reason
maliciously wink the eye.
20They do not speak peaceably,
but devise false accusations
against those who live quietly in the land.
21They gape at me and say,
"Aha! Aha! With our own eyes we have seen it."
22O LORD, You have seen this; be not silent.
Do not be far from me, O Lord.
23Awake, and rise to my defence!
Contend for me, my God and Lord.
24Vindicate me in your righteousness, O LORD my God;
do not let them gloat over me.
25Do not let them think, "Aha, just what we wanted!"
or say, "We have swallowed him up."
26May all who gloat over my distress
be put to shame and confusion;
May all who exalt themselves over me
be clothed with shame and disgrace.
27May those who delight in my vindication
shout for joy and gladness;
May they always say,
"The LORD be exalted,
who delights in the well-being of His servant."
28My tongue will speak of your righteousness
and of Your praises all day long.
In the final section of the psalm, David emphasizes vindication in his prayer to God. David is righteous in the situation, and so he appeals to God's righteousness in praying for vindication. He prays for God to rise up against those who are his enemies "without cause" (vs. 19), those who hate him "without reason" (vs. 19), those who "devise false accusations" against him (vs. 20). God always judges righteously. On a case before Him, we don't have to worry about the whims of the jury. In fact, many results of juries and judges here on earth will be overturned in heaven, because God will always judge righteously.
But then, why did David, who was righteous in the situation, face persecution? Why did not God intervene immediately on David's behalf, before he experienced affliction? In general, why does God (who is in control of all things) allow His people to face persecution and affliction? I will let Zephaniah Smyth answer:
"As all things work for the best to them that love God, so this works for the good of God's people. God doth permit it for the good of His people, and thus He frustrates the hopes of the wicked: they intend evil against the godly, and God disposes of it for good. As Joseph said to his brethren, `You intended evil against me, and God disposed of it for good' (Gen. 50:20); so we may say to such as falsely slander God's people, `You intended evil against the people of God, but God disposes of it for good.' There is a fivefold good that God brings out of it to His people. First, God doth by this means humble them, and brings them to examine what is amiss: so that though they be clear of that crime laid to their charge, yet they will then search their hearts, and walk more humbly, and cleave more close to the Lord. Secondly, God doth by this means bring them oftener upon their knees, to seek unto Him, to plead their cause, and to clear their innocency. How oft did the prophet speak unto God when the wicked did falsely accuse him; how did he make his moan at the throne of grace unto God, beseeching Him to plead his cause, and to keep Him close in his way, that the wicked might not rejoice at his downfall! So when God's people see that it is that which the wicked would have, that which is their joy, to see the godly fall into such and such a sin; then the godly will pray more earnestly with David, `Lord, lead me in a right path because of my observers'; then they will be earnest with God to keep them from falling into that sin that the wicked desire they might fall into; and this is a second good that comes of it. Thirdly, God doth use the reproach of the wicked as a preventing medicine against that crime which the wicked lay to their charge. The godly have unrenewed nature as well as renewed, and if God should leave them never so little to themselves, they are not their own keepers, they might fall into that sin which the wicked lay to their charge: and every godly man and woman may say when they are falsely accused, `It is God's mercy that I did not fall into that sin that lay to my charge.' God doth use wicked peoples' tongues as a warning against such a sin, that when they see how the wicked joy at a brat of their own hatching, then they consider, if the wicked thus joy without a cause, what would they do if they had just cause? Well, by the help of God this shall be a warning to me forever to watch against that sin: for the time to come I will pray more against that particular sin than I have done, and watch more against that sin than I have done; through God's help they shall never have occasion to rejoice over me in that kind. Truly, I verily believe many a child of God can say by experience, I never should have prayed and watched against such a sin so much, had not God used the tongues of the wicked as preventing physic: I knew not my own heart, but that I might have fallen into such and such a sin had not God by this means hedged up my way with thorns; and this is the third good comes of it. Fourthly, God doth by this means exercise the graces of His people by letting them undergo bad report as well as good report: He tries whether they will cleave close to Him in all conditions, as Ps. 44:15-17. Fifthly, God doth by this means teach them how to judge of others when they are falsely accused. For the time to come they will not receive a false report against their neighbor; they will know the truth of a thing before they believe it, and they know how to comfort others in the like condition; and thus God disposes of it for good, and thus God makes the wicked the servant of His people in that very thing which the wicked think to wrong them most in; for He uses the wicked as the rod and wisp, to scour off the rust of their graces and to correct their security; and when the rod has done its office then it is thrown into the fire: and thus you see how God disposes of the wicked's false accusations of His people for good."[16]
And so Father, we praise You that You do not send affliction and persecution as a whim, but for our good, for our growth, to improve our relationship with You. We praise You for Your righteousness. We praise You that we can look forward to Your perfect justice being fulfilled in all things. And most of all, we praise You that You have provided Your Son as a sacrifice for our sins so that we may be clothed in His righteousness, so that we may know You and approach You in Your holiness. In His name we pray these things, Amen.
