Day 160. Psalms 35-37

Psalm 35
We have had occasion to note before that the society of early Israel—much like the modern state of Israel—was very militaristic. War and battle figure very largely in the imagery of the psalms, and violence is a fact of life taken for granted. The commands of Jesus to forgive your enemies and turn the other cheek, which are so central to Christian ethics, would be very foreign to the mindset of the psalmist. So we should not try to read the teachings of Jesus about revenge back into the psalms. And although for us revenge would not be a proper theme for prayer, we hear the psalmist say—"Contend, O LORD, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me" (35:1). It reflects the psalmist's unshakable belief that the only way to save him from the circumstances in which he finds himself is for the LORD to reduce his enemies to "chaff before the wind, with the angel of the LORD driving them on" (35:5). They are
ingrates, after all. They did not return the psalmist's goodness toward them; he prayed for them and mourned for their sorrows. But now they hunt him like lions (35:17). Apparently lions of the Asiatic variety—now hunted to extinction--were still fairly common in Israel in Old Testament times and constituted a lively danger to those who lived there. In our psalm when the voice prays for rescue from the ungrateful and treacherous enemies, he compares their ferocity to that of lions. They seek to devour him, but if the LORD will deliver him, he will "thank [the LORD] in the great congregation," and "in the mighty throng he will praise" him (35:18). He asks for vindication so that "those who exalt themselves [will] be clothed in shame and dishonor" (35:26). There again is that word "shame"—the Old Testament world, like most traditional societies, placed the highest value on personal honor. The psalmist asks the LORD to "save his
face," and he will respond with "praise all day long" (35:28).
Psalm 36
Why are bad people bad?—that is the question that lies at the heart of this psalm. The voice prays for the LORD's help against the "wicked," who have given themselves over to the power of evil. They are possessed by an evil spirit called "transgression," which has worked its way "deep in their hearts" (36:1). It is that spirit of transgression that urges them to act without reference to any fear of the LORD's judgment. They have given themselves over to transgression, rejecting the God who shows "steadfast love" and faithfulness, reaching out to "save humans and animals alike" (35:6).He gives refuge and guidance to all who seek him—"With you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light" (36:9), the psalmist says. To the righteous God gives his own light to those who love him—we would call that light the Holy Spirit—so that they do not stumble. But the wicked reject his guidance and live and act as if he did not
exist. So the real opposition is not between those bad people and the psalmist himself; the real opposition is between them and God. God is the one who has "a bone to pick" with them. So when he prays that the LORD will not "let the foot of the arrogant tread" on him, he is really praying that God will vindicate himself by laying those bad people in dust once and for all (36:12).
Psalm 37
This long instructional psalm is intended to impart the traditional wisdom that the good are rewarded and the evil punished. The voice of the psalm is that of a wise elder, who says, "I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread" (37:25). This elder tells his younger listeners not to envy the wicked, because they will get theirs, but rather "trust in the LORD, and do good" (37:3). If they do they will "enjoy security." And when they see the evil prosper momentarily they are not to "fret"—this word is said twice for emphasis (37:7, 8). Do not worry about it--let it go. The LORD is just and will reward the humble. Jesus quotes verse 11—"The meek shall in inherit the land"—among his beatitudes—Matthew 5:5. The wise voice tells his younger listeners to "wait patiently" (37:7) and believe God's promises—even when their fulfillment is delayed. The LORD is
faithful, however, and his steadfast love will not fail. And those who wait upon the LORD will "not be put to shame in evil times" (37:19)—there is that word "shame" again. Even in bad times, the righteous will experience honor, not shame. Even though they may "stumble," they will "not fall headlong," for the LORD will hold them "by the hand" (37:24)—this is a tender image of a loving parent caring for a small child so that it does not fall. And those who have "the law of their God . . . in their hearts" will not "slip" (37:31) and fall. The wicked stand like a tall tree one day, and the next day they are not there (37:35-36)—you look for them and they are gone forever. But in the LORD's help the righteous find permanence and peace (37:37).