1. Plead my cause, O Lord,
with them that strive with me.
Plead against those who plead against me; beat them at their own weapons. Every
saint of God will have this privilege: the accuser of the brethren will be met
by the Advocate of the saints. Fight against them that fight against me.
If my adversaries try force as well as fraud, be a match for them; oppose thy
strength to their strength. Jesus does this for all his beloved; whatever aid
they need they will receive from him. Let us not fail to leave our case in the
Lord’s hand. Vain is the help of man, but ever effectual is the interposition
of heaven.
2. The Lord
is pictured armed for battle, and interposing himself between his servant and
his enemies. The greater and lesser protections of providence may be here
intended by the two defensive weapons, and by the Lord’s standing up is meant
his active and zealous preservation of his servant in peril. The psalmist
thought of God as a real personage, truly working for his afflicted.
3. Draw out also the spear, and stop the way against them
that persecute me. Before the enemy comes to close
quarters, the Lord can push them off as with a long spear. To stave off trouble
is no mean act of lovingkindness. As when some valiant warrior with his lance
keeps back a host until his weaker brethren have made good their escape, so
does the Lord often hold the believer’s foes at bay until the good man has
taken breath, or clean fled from his foes. He often gives the foes of Zion some
other work to do, and so gives rest to his church. Say unto my soul, I am
thy salvation. The Lord can also calm the mind of his servant by express
assurance from his own mouth that he is, and will be, safe under the Almighty
wing. An inward persuasion of security in God is of all things the most
precious in the furnace of persecution.
4. There is nothing
malicious here; the slandered man simply craves for justice, and the petition
is natural and justifiable. Guided by God’s good Spirit the psalmist foretells
the everlasting confusion of all the haters of the righteous. Shameful
disappointment will be the portion of the enemies of the Gospel, nor would the
most tender-hearted Christian have it otherwise: viewing sinners as men, we
love them and seek their good, but regarding them as enemies of God, we cannot
think of them with anything but detestation.
5. Let them be as chaff before the wind. They were swift enough to attack; let them be as swift to
flee. Let their own fears unman them so that the least breeze of trouble will
carry them hither and thither. Ungodly men are worthless in character, and light
in their behavior; those who make themselves chaff should be treated as such.
When this is fulfilled, they will find it an awful thing to be forever without
rest, without peace of mind, hurried from misery to misery. And let the
angel of the Lord chase them.
Fallen angels will haunt them, good angels will afflict them. To be pursued by
avenging spirits will be the lot of those who delight in persecution.
6. Let their way be dark and slippery. What terrors are gathered here! No light, no foothold, and
a fierce avenger at their heels! What a doom is appointed for the enemies of
God! They may rage and rave today, but how altered will be their plight ere
long! And let the angel of the Lord
persecute them. He will follow them hot-foot, never turning aside,
arresting them in the name of unflinching justice. Their destruction is both
swift and sure.
7. The
psalmist brings his charge against the servants of the devil. For without
cause—without my having injured or provoked them; out of their own
spontaneous malice—have they hid for me their net in a pit, as men hunt
for game with cunning and deception. Innocent people have often been ruined by
traps set for them, into which they have fallen as guilelessly as beasts which
stumble into concealed pits, and are taken as in a net. It is no little thing
to be able to feel that the enmity which assails us is uncaused by any willfull
offense on our part. Twice David asserts that his adversaries plotted against
him without cause. Net-making and pit-digging require time and labor,
and both of these the wicked will expend cheerfully if they may overthrow the
people of God. The assailants of God’s church prefer mean, ungenerous schemes,
and so prove their nature and their origin. We must all be on our guard.
8. Let destruction come upon him at unawares. This tremendous imprecation is frequently fulfilled. God’s
judgments are often sudden and signal. Death enters the persecutor’s house
without pausing to knock at the door. And let his net that he has hid catch
himself: into that very destruction let him fall. Men set traps and catch
their own fingers. How often Satan outwits himself, and burns his fingers with
his own coals! This will doubtless be one of the aggravations of hell, that
they curse and are cursed, kick the pricks and tear themselves.
9. And my soul shall be joyful in the Lord.
Thus rescued, David ascribes all the honor to the Judge of the right. He turns
away from his adversaries to his God, and finds a deep unbroken joy in Jehovah,
and in that joy his spirit revels. It shall rejoice in his salvation. We
do not triumph in the destruction of others, but in the salvation given to us
of God. Prayer heard should always suggest praise. It were well if we were more
demonstrative in our holy rejoicings. We rob God by suppressing grateful
emotions.
10. As if the
tongue were not enough to bless God with, David makes every limb vocal—All
my bones shall say, Lord, who is
like unto thee? Those bones which were to have been broken by my enemies
shall now praise God; every one of them shall bring its tribute, ascribing
unrivaled excellence to Jehovah, the Saviour of his people. Even if worn to
skin and bone, yet my very skeleton will magnify the Lord, which deliverest
the poor from him that is too strong for him, yea, the poor and the needy from
him that spoileth him. God is the champion of all oppressed ones. Where
there is so much condescension, justice, kindness, power, and compassion, the
loftiest songs should be rendered. Have you not been delivered from sin, Satan,
and death, and will not you bless the Redeemer? You were poor and weak, but in
due time Christ sought you, and set you free. O magnify the Lord today, and
speak well of his name.
11. False witnesses did rise up. This is the old device of the ungodly, and we must not
wonder if it be used against us as against our Master. To please Saul, there
were always men to be found mean enough to impeach David. They laid to my
charge things that I knew not. He had not even a thought of sedition; he
was loyal even to excess; yet they accused him of conspiring against the Lord’s
anointed. He was not only innocent, but ignorant of the fault alleged. It is
well when our hands are so clean that no trace of dirt is upon them.
12. They rewarded me evil for good. This is devilish; but men have learned the lesson well, and
practice it most perfectly. To the spoiling of my soul. They robbed him
of comfort, and would have taken his life had it not been for special rescues
from the hand of God. The wicked would strip the righteous naked to their very
soul; they know no pity. There are only such limits to human malice as God
himself may see fit to place.
13. But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was
sackcloth. David had been a man of sympathy;
he had mourned when Saul was in ill-health, as though he were a near and dear
friend. I humbled my soul with fasting. He prayed for his enemy, and
made the sick man’s case his own, pleading and confessing as if his own
personal sin had brought on the evil. This showed a noble spirit in David, and
greatly aggravated the baseness of those who now so cruelly persecuted him. And
my prayer returned unto mine own bosom. Prayer is never lost: if it bless
not those for whom intercession is made, it will bless the intercessors. Clouds
do not always descend in showers upon the same spot from which the vapors
ascended, but they come down somewhere; and so do supplications in some place
or other yield their showers of mercy. If our dove find no rest for the sole of
her foot among our enemies, it shall fly into our bosoms and bring an olive
branch of peace in its mouth. How sharp is the contrast all through this psalm
between the righteous and his enemies!
14. I behaved myself as though he had been my friend or
brother. This may refer to those days when
David played on the harp, and chased away the evil spirit from Saul. I bowed
down heavily, as one that mourneth for his mother. The strongest natural
grief was such as he felt when they were in trouble. The mother usually wins
the deepest love, and her loss is most keenly felt: such was David’s grief. How
few believers in these days have such compassion; and yet under the gospel
there should be far more tender love than under the law.
15. But in mine adversity they rejoiced. In my halting they were delighted. Danger was near, and
they sang songs over my expected defeat. And gathered themselves together,
like vultures around a dying sheep. They found a common joy in my ruin, and
therefore met together to keep the feast. Yea, the abjects gathered
themselves together against me. Those who deserved horsewhipping came
together to plot. Like curs around a sick lion, the mean wretches taunted and
insulted one whose name had been their terror. How unanimous are the powers of
evil; how heartily do men serve the devil; and none decline his service because
they are not endowed with great abilities! I knew it not. It was all
done behind my back. What a fluster the world may be in, and the cause of it
all may not even know that he has given offense. They did tear me, and
ceased not. When slanderers have their hand in they are loath to leave off.
That lovers of the Gospel are not at this time torn is to be attributed to the
providence of God.
16. With hypocritical mockers in feasts, they gnashed upon
me with their teeth. Like professional buffoons who grin
around the banquet, so they jeered at the good man; not, however, out of mirth,
but from violent, insatiable hatred. Like cake-scoffers, or men who will jeer
for a bit of bread, these hireling miscreants persecuted David in order to get
a bellyfull for themselves from Saul’s table, having moreover an inward grudge
against the son of Jesse because he was a better man than themselves.
Very forcibly might our Lord have used the words of these
verses! Let us not forget to see the despised and rejected of men here painted
to the life. Calvary and the ribald crew around the cross seem brought before
our eyes.
17. Lord, how
long wilt thou look on? Carest
thou not that we perish? We may thus reason with the Lord. He permits us this
familiarity. There is a time for our salvation, but to our impatience it often
seems to be very slow in coming; yet wisdom has ordained the hour, and nothing
shall delay it. Rescue my soul from their destructions. From their
multiplied assaults, please set me free. Rescue my darling, my lovely,
only, precious soul from the lions. His enemies were fierce, cunning,
and strong; God only could deliver him from their jaws.
18. I will give thee thanks in the great congregation. Notable deliverances must be recorded. All the saints
should be informed of the Lord’s goodness. The theme is worthy of the largest
assembly. Most men publish their griefs; good men should proclaim their
mercies. I will praise thee among much people. Among friends and foes
will I glorify the God of my salvation. Personal praise should be the daily
revenue of the King of heaven. Thus, for the second time, David’s prayer ends
in praise, as indeed all prayer should.
19. He
earnestly prays that as they have no cause for their enmity, they may have no
cause for triumph either in his folly, sin, or overthrow. Neither let them
wink with the eye that hate me without a cause. The winking was the
low-bred sign of congratulation at the ruin of their victim, and it may also
have been one of their scornful gestures as they gazed upon him whom they
despised. To cause hatred is the mark of the wicked; to suffer it causelessly
is the lot of the righteous. God is the natural Protector of all who are
wronged, and he is the enemy of all oppressors.
20. For they speak not peace. They love it not; how can they speak it? They are such
troublers themselves that they cannot judge others to be peaceable. Out of the
mouth comes what is in the heart. They devise deceitful matters against them
that are quiet in the land. David would have been an ordinary citizen, but
they labored to make him a rebel. He could do nothing aright; all his dealings
were misrepresented. Unscrupulous partisans could even charge Jesus with
seeking to overturn Caesar; much more will they thus accuse his household.
Those who stand up for the crown rights of King Jesus are called enemies of the
church, friends of atheists, red republicans, and it were hard to say what
besides.
21. Yea, they opened their mouth wide against me. As if they would swallow him. Uttering great lies which
needed wide mouths. And said, Aha, aha, our eye hath seen it. Glad to
find out a fault or a misfortune, or to swear they had seen evil where there
was none. Malice is blind to all virtue in its enemy. Eyes can generally see
what hearts wish. How like a man is to an ass when he brays over another’s
misfortunes!
22. This thou hast seen, O Lord. Our Heavenly Father knows all our sorrow. A father will not
long endure to see his child abused. Will not God avenge his own elect? Keep
not silence. Rebuke thine enemies and mine, O Lord. A word will do it.
Clear my character, comfort my heart. O Lord,
be not far from me. Stand in the pillory at my side. The sweet presence of
God is the divine cordial of the persecuted; his painful absence would be their
deepest misery.
23. Stir up thyself.
Be upon thy mettle. Prove that thou art no indifferent witness to all this
infamy. Awake to my judgment. Take the scepter and summon the great
assize; vindicate justice, avenge oppression. Do not tarry as men do who sleep.
Even unto my cause, my God and my Lord. He claims a nearness to his God,
he holds him with both hands; he leaves his case with the righteous Judge. He
begs that the suit may be heard and verdict given. Well is it for a man when
his conscience is so clear that he dares to make such an appeal.
24. The
appeal is here repeated; the plaintiff feels that the joy of his accusers will
be short-lived as soon as impartial justice rules.
25. Disappoint
them of their prey when their mouths are ready to swallow it. God will not give
his sheep over to persecutors. Little do they dream of the end which will be
put to their scheming. The prayer of this text is a promise. Even before they
can frame a speech of exultation, they will be disappointed.
26. Here is
the eternal result of all the devices of the Lord’s enemies. God will make
little of them, though they magnified themselves; he will shame them for
shaming his people. Truly, the saints can afford to wait.
27. Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favor my
righteous cause. Even those who could not render him
active aid, but in their hearts favored him, David would have the Lord reward
most abundantly. Jesus also prizes those whose hearts are with his cause. The
day is coming when shouts of victory will be raised by all who are on Christ’s
side, for the foes will be routed. Yea, let them say continually, Let the Lord be magnified. They are not to
shout to David’s praise, but for the honor of Jehovah. Such acclamations may
fitly be continued throughout time and eternity. Which hath pleasure in the
prosperity of his servant. They recognized David as the Lord’s servant, and
saw with pleasure the Lord’s favor to him. We can have no nobler title than
“servant of God,” and no greater reward than for our Master to delight in our
prosperity. What true prosperity may be we are not always best able to judge.
We must leave that in Jesus’ hand; he will not fail to rule all things for our
highest good.
28. Unceasing
praise is vowed to God. May such a resolve be ours!
Excerpt from:
The Treasury of David
By Charles H Spurgeon
