A hard case-a very hard one-laid before God.
This is one of those psalms in which the writers often meet with much scolding and with scant sympathy. It has been said that this psalm is not worthy of David. We are not prepared to say so: but we are prepared to contend that many of the criticisms passed on it are utterly unworthy of those who thus criticize. £ If we will but study the whole psalm in all its bearings while we may not feel called on to justify every expression therein, we shall feel bound to regard fairly those circumstances of extreme hardship by which such expressions were called forth. We may have the case before us, if we "open up' the contents of the psalm in the following threefold order.
I. THE CASE SHOULD BE ADEQUATELY STUDIED. Beyond all question, it is a hard one, almost more than flesh and blood could bear. We will look at it:
1. As between David and his enemies. A bare enumeration of its main features (of which there are seven) will suffice. He was waylaid without cause (Psalms 35:7). False witnesses spake maliciously against him (Psalms 35:11). They actually rewarded evil for good (Psalms 35:12). In their trouble David had behaved himself as their friend or brother (Psalms 35:13, Psalms 35:14). In his trouble the enemies manifested a malicious joy (Psalms 35:15, Psalms 35:16). £ Their malice was not against him only, but against others also (Psalms 35:20). And not only so, but against the entire cause of righteousness of which David was the representative, their rage and hatred were directed (Psalms 35:22). Now let us look at the case:
2. As between David and his God. How does he plead with Jehovah? He prays that God himself would interpose, and come into conflict with those who thus afflicted him (Psalms 35:1, Psalms 35:2, Psalms 35:3, Psalms 35:17, Psalms 35:22, Psalms 35:23); that God would manifest himself as David's Deliverer (Psalms 35:3); that the wicked might be thoroughly put to shame; that their way might be dark and slippery, etc. (Psalms 35:4, Psalms 35:5, Psalms 35:6, Psalms 35:8, Psalms 35:26); that God would reveal his delivering grace (Psalms 35:10); that David and those who favoured his righteous cause might rejoice in God's salvation (Psalms 35:9); that God would execute righteousness and judgment (Psalms 35:24); that he would not permit the malicious joy of the enemy to continue (Psalms 35:19, Psalms 35:25); that the righteous might yet shout for joy at the triumph of their cause (Psalms 35:27); and that with their joy David himself might blend his own (Psalms 35:28). Now, when we thus set the whole psalm before us, and note how grievous is the case which was thus laid before God, and how varied are the forms of petition in which that is done, we cannot but feel amazed at the harsh estimate of David in which some of his critics have indulged. If David was too harsh in speaking of the wicked, his critics are afortiori far too harsh in their treatment of him. Let us therefore note
II. THE CASE SHOULD BE FAIRLY ESTIMATED. Let us look at it:
1. Negatively.
2. Positively.
III. THE CASE MAY BE HELPFULLY UTILIZED. We gather from it:
1. How great is the mercy that wronged saints can look up to God as the Avenger of their cause (Luke 18:1-8)!
2. There is a very great difference between a private feeling of vindictiveness, and the indignation felt at a great public wrong. It would be wicked of us to cherish the first; it would be wicked of us not to cherish the second.
3. Whatever the case of wrong we have to lay before God, we may tell it to him just as we feel it. He is a loving Friend to whom we may unburden everything without any danger of being misunderstood.
4. If in our putting of the case before God, we say anything wrong or wrongly, God will forgive what is wrong in our prayers, and will answer them in his own way, often doing "exceeding abundantly above all we can ask or think."
5. Hence we may leave the method of vindicating the right and of shaming the wrong, entirely in the hands of God. Such expressions as those in Verses 4, 5, 6, 8 would ill become us (cf. Romans 12:19, Romans 12:20).
6. Nevertheless, it is perfectly true that severity to evil-doers is sometimes the greatest mercy to the Church of God (Acts 5:1-11).
7. God, even now, very often answers the agonizing prayers of saints by "terrible things in righteousness" (Psalms 65:5; Revelation 8:3-5).
8. If we do not so far sympathize with the spirit of this and other imprecatory psalms as to yearn to see righteousness triumphant and wickedness put to shame, we are fearfully guilty before God, and are sinking immeasurably below the morality and public spirit of those very psalms which are so unfairly criticized and so thoughtlessly condemned. To plead for the victory of righteousness and for the crushing and shaming of iniquity is a necessity of a good man's nature. He cannot help it. Yea, one petition in the Lord's Prayer involves the whole, "Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven." And more than this, no one understands the redemption which is in Christ Jesus, who looks at it as providing only for the present forgiveness of individual souls: it is a grand and glorious plan for the inbringing of universal and everlasting righteousness; and when the Saviour's blood moistened earth's soil, it guaranteed that earth should be rescued from the destroyer, that the hosts of ill should be exposed and put to shame, and that Christ should wear the everlasting crown.—C.
HOMILIES BY W. FORSYTH