Psalm 35

This song is made up of 3 parts.....each begins with a complaint, or lament, then ends with a sure hope found only in God.

David uses war terms......fight, shield, buckler, spear.  
And legal terms:  contend (plead), witness, vindicate.

He asks God to step in and fight for him.....to stand for him as his defender and salvation.  He asks God to make it boldly known that He is David's champion.

He describes in detail how he thinks their demise should look:  shame and dishonor, confusion, retreat, instability, darkness (lack of 'light' or wisdom?),  sudden destruction,  and defeat.

In joyful anticipation of what God will do, He praises God for his salvation.  Only He can rescue when the enemy is stronger than you!

In part 2, David describes false witnesses and false friends that have come against him.  Things are told of him that 'he does not know'.  He is innocent.  The friends for whom he had 'sacrificially pursued...well being", now turn on him in his time of need.  He had sympathized with them, come alongside them and supported them, but they turn malicious on him, setting traps with their words to undo him.  They were relentless.

But, again, David cries to the Lord.  this time in a different tone.  He knows rescue is coming, and anticipates praising God for it.  But, as the NKJB study note says, "he has no qualms about telling God He should have acted before now."   But conversely, he has no qualms about whether  God will act.  There is no question in his mind about it.  God will act!   And David anticipates the opportunity to praise God's name to many people.

Part 3:  Again, David bemoans the liars who have come against him.  They  falsely accuse, then swear that it is true.  They are deceitful troublemakers, who do not seek peace.  (recall last time David says to seek peace and pursue it? Psalm 34:14)

And once again, David, sure of His God's steadfast love and sure promises, declares that God sees it all and asks Him to act according to His righteousness.  Act, and vindicate me!  Let them not win!

David's words, " let them be ashamed......who exalt themselves against me,"  reminded me of the converse statement in Psalm 31:1, where he asked to never be put to shame.  He is asking God, in 35, to shame the wicked by the failure of their own plans, schemes, and plots.   But in 31, he is asking to never be put to shame himself, because he trusts in God, and has said so to many. He is asking God there to be true to Himself, so to speak, so that there will be no shame in failure.

In short, the plans of those who do not fear and obey God will fail, often by their own schemes.  But if God is for us, who can be against us?  

Praise Him for His faithfulness to His covenant of love with His children!