28 Dec Meditations on the Psalms #72
Day 72
Psalm 35 part 3
Twice David prayed for the intervention of God’s special messenger, (v4-8) ‘the angel of the LORD.’ Knowingly or not, he called upon God the Son for his help. This figure was a pre-incarnate manifestation of the second person of the Trinity, the Lord Jesus Christ, which is why he is regularly called ‘the LORD. (see below).
We should pray against our spiritual adversaries. The devil has snares (1Tim.3:7, 2Tim.2:26) and strategies (2Cor.2:11) set against us.
When David wrote v12 I can think of none other than Jesus when standing before Pontius Pilate, he received no return from the Jews for all the gracious words which he had spoken, and all the merciful works which he had done among them, than that of being slandered, and put to death. All this to the “bereavement of His soul.” This is the mobbing of one who has suddenly become vulnerable v15-16, whose goodness has put men to shame. This was eagerly re-enacted at the trial of Jesus. Jesus identified with those who suffer without apparent cause v15 because he applies the words of v.19 to himself (John.15:25).
The 3 titles for God appear in the next 2 verses (22-23): LORD, with small capital letters, Yahweh – the covenant name of God. Lord, with regular letters, is Adonai – the ancient Hebrew word for lord. In v23 David used the word Elohim – commonly translated as God. This is the plural for the generic word for God.
This verse was the cry of Thomas (John 20:28), when he saw the wounds of Jesus. If he did not count our Lord to be divine, neither does David here ascribe Deity to Yahweh, for there is no difference except in the order of the words and the tongue in which they were spoken, the meaning is identical.
David spoke much of his own need and trouble in this Psalm. Yet he ended with a strong focus on God and His praise. He thought of the people of God enlarging the LORD in their heart and mind, and of his continual praise to God.
No Comments