Psalm 35 – Oppose Those Who Oppose Me
In Psalm 35 – Oppose those who oppose me, the psalmist cries out to God. Who are those people and what are they doing? And what does the writer want God to do?
Psalm 35
Psalm 35 – oppose those who oppose me – is a plea for help that joins three lament section. It begins with the writer asking God to take up arms against the writer’s enemies?
“Oppose those who oppose me, Lord, and fight those who fight against me!
Take your shield and armor and come to my rescue.
Lift up your spear and war ax against those who pursue me.
Promise that you will save me.” (1-3)
He asks for God’s promise of safety and then lays down four curses against his enemies, asking that they be defeated, disgraced, confused, and chased by the angel of the Lord:
“May those who try to kill me be defeated and disgraced!
Let those who plot against me be turned back and confused!
May they be like straw blown by the wind as the angel of the Lord pursues them!
May their path be dark and slippery while the angel of the Lord strikes them down!” (4-6)
What did they do? They laid a trap for him:
“Without any reason they laid a trap for me and dug a deep hole to catch me.
But destruction will catch them before they know it; they will be caught in their own trap and fall to their destruction!” (7-8)
Then he rejoices in typical lament fashion, giving thanks in advance for God answering his request:
“Then I will be glad because of the Lord; I will be happy because he saved me.” (9)
He goes on to repeat this pattern of complaint, cursing, and praising God two more times.
Complaint Against those Who Spread Lies
The second complaint is that evil people spread lies about him:
“Evil people testify against me and accuse me of crimes I know nothing about.
They pay me back evil for good.” (11-12)
His attackers are former friends. When they were sick, he mourned for them. This is how they treated him in return.
“But when they were sick, I dressed in mourning; I deprived myself of food;
and prayed with my head bowed low, as I would pray for a friend or a brother.
I went around bent over in mourning, as one who mourns for his mother.
But when I was in trouble, they were all glad and gathered around to make fun of me.” (13-15)
He asks God to rescue him from their attacks, then he will praise God in the assembly:
“Rescue me from their attacks; save my life from these lions!
Then I will thank you in the assembly of your people; I will praise you before them all.” (17-18)
Third Complaint
In the third complaint his enemies are again spreading lies and half-truths:
“They do not speak in a friendly way; instead they invent all kinds of lies about peace-loving people.
They accuse me, shouting, “We saw what you did!”
But you, O Lord, have seen this. So don’t be silent, Lord; don’t keep yourself far away!” (20-22)
Again, he prays that his attackers be defeated and confused:
“May those who gloat over my suffering be completely defeated and confused;
may those who claim to be better than I am be covered with shame and disgrace.” (26)
But those who want to see him acquitted are to shout for joy:
“May those who want to see me acquitted shout for joy and say again and again,
“How great is the Lord! He is pleased with the success of his servant.” (27)
He ends praising God:
“Then I will proclaim your righteousness, and I will praise you all day long.” (28)
Contend, Oppose, or Plead
Depending on the translation, the opening line of this psalm begins with plead (KJV), or contend (NIV), or oppose (GNT). All are viable options with subtle differences. In the first case, the writer is asking God to plead his case with his enemies, like an attorney fighting for a client. The choice of the word contend speaks to me of a struggle. However, I prefer oppose as found in the Good News Translation. It is a stronger word and speaks to me of a battle, not just a struggle. No weakness implied.
When confronted with evil, we need to fight, no holds barred, in order for good to prevail. Such is the case when people spread lies and slander others. There is no compromise, no negotiating. Lies are lies. They hang around even after proven wrong, leaving their stain on innocent victims.
The writer is in pain because he has been betrayed by those he thought of as friends. He is being publicly humiliated by this betrayal. Quiet foes, working behind the scenes, are spreading lies, and taking away his good name – a form of identity theft. Slandered and helpless to respond, his very being cries out to God: “With all my heart I will say to the Lord, “There is no one like you. You protect the weak from the strong the poor from the oppressor.” (10, Good News Translation) In other translations, his bones cry out, “All my bones will say, “LORD, who is like You?” (10 NAMS) Such is the pain of being betrayed.
Psalm 35 – Oppose Those who Oppose Me
If you have ever been a victim of identity theft or other’s lies, then you can appreciate the words of this Psalm 35 – oppose those who oppose me. The imagery befits the wrong done to its victim – images of war and distress. Your assailants hide under the cover of anonymity, gloating at getting away with their lies. Yet the writer trusts in the Lord, that God will fight for him, and that truth will prevail.
Such is the message of hope within this psalm, a message we need in our world where it is hard to know who or what to believe. Through it all the writer reminds us that our God “protects the weak from the strong, the poor from the oppressor.” And so, God protects us.
Have you ever been the victim of identity theft or slander? How did you feel? What did you do to cope?
(For another take on this psalm, see Psalm 35 – All About Me! – Patricia M Robertson)
This post is part of a series of blog posts on the Psalms. Sign up to follow this blog and and receive a free copy of Still Dancing the second book in my Dancing through Life Series. click here to sign up
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