Psalms 35

1 Contend, O LORD, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me.

2 Take up shield and buckler; arise and come to my aid.

3 Brandish spear and javelin against those who pursue me. Say to my soul, "I am your salvation." 

 Real freedom

The scariest truth to most people when you talk to them about the gospel is that they have been freed by Christ. So I believe that all the opposition to our salvation is to try to describe salvation by putting us back under bondage. I think this comes from our fallen condition. And I believe that it so ingrained in our Adamic nature that we naturally prevent each other from being completely free in Christ. Not just actively trying to place someone in bondage but because we share in corruption it is impossible for us to allow this total freedom in other people. 

This is why the Psalms teach that we should not put our trust in man. Each man has a corrupted view of the other guy. We always excuse ourselves while at the same time accuse others. We are always lenient to ourselves and hard on others. So I purposely do not tell someone what to do or how to do something unless it is for their benefit. I mean I will explain why the danger is not as bad as everyone says it is because we are free in Christ. I find that it makes people uncomfortable. This whole chapter of Psalms has helped me obtain a sense of freedom through fighting against my flesh. You see the flesh always teaches us to do the opposite of what grace has made us. But the problems with corruption are so bad that we must fight to understand just how free we have been made. 

We hear so much that the christian life is two lines... Gods sovereignty and mans responsibility. That we must think both theologically and practically if we are gonna accept counsel. But if you were to memorize this Psalm and think deeply about it you would find that given an equal choice between doctrine and practice you always gonna have a disposition that lives by the law. Your gonna talk as if the law keeps grace from being good enough to give you just enough rope to be tempted. 

But psalm teaches that corruption has made us all kind of like zombies who cannot help but try to control someone else. We are unable to allow someone enough freedom to feel that we have encouraged them to sin. But our first urge is to speak as if the danger is there to keep the person from sinning. 

But the byproduct of this Psalm is that we change when we are so free that we have become careless about our personal protection and we lose ourselves so much that we are madly in love with Christ. You see freedom in Christ is being so pleased with Him that we feel controlled when the sorrow from our sin and corruption keeps us from focusing on Christ. In other words the kind of freedom this Psalm teaches is seldom obtained or demonstrated because it takes a violent fight with our flesh to come to this kind of self forgetfulness. But the only way that we are gonna love someone completely is when we experience this kind of freedom and they find it easy to be human in the relationship.   

 

4 May those who seek my life be disgraced and put to shame; may those who plot my ruin be turned back in dismay.

5 May they be like chaff before the wind, with the angel of the LORD driving them away;

6 may their path be dark and slippery, with the angel of the LORD pursuing them.

7 Since they hid their net for me without cause and without cause dug a pit for me,

8 may ruin overtake them by surprise-- may the net they hid entangle them, may they fall into the pit, to their ruin.

9 Then my soul will rejoice in the LORD and delight in his salvation.

10 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."

11 Ruthless witnesses come forward; they question me on things I know nothing about.

12 They repay me evil for good and leave my soul forlorn.

13 Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth and humbled myself with fasting. When my prayers returned to me unanswered,

14 I went about mourning as though for my friend or brother. I bowed my head in grief as though weeping for my mother.

15 But when I stumbled, they gathered in glee; attackers gathered against me when I was unaware. They slandered me without ceasing.

16 Like the ungodly they maliciously mocked; they gnashed their teeth at me.

17 O Lord, how long will you look on? Rescue my life from their ravages, my precious life from these lions.

18 I will give you thanks in the great assembly; among throngs of people I will praise you.

19 Let not those gloat over me who are my enemies without cause; let not those who hate me without reason maliciously wink the eye.

20 They do not speak peaceably, but devise false accusations against those who live quietly in the land.

21 They gape at me and say, "Aha! Aha! With our own eyes we have seen it."

22 O LORD, you have seen this; be not silent. Do not be far from me, O Lord.

23 Awake, and rise to my defense! Contend for me, my God and Lord.

24 Vindicate me in your righteousness, O LORD my God; do not let them gloat over me.

25 Do not let them think, "Aha, just what we wanted!" or say, "We have swallowed him up."

26 May 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.

27 May 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."

28 My tongue will speak of your righteousness and of your praises all day long