Psalm 35

1 Plead my cause, O LORD, with them that strive with me: fight against them that fight against me. 2 Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up to help me. 3 Draw out the spear, and stop the way against them that persecute me: say to my soul, I am your salvation.

• Isaiah 51:22… God that pleads the cause of his people.

• Psalm 33:20 Our soul waits for the LORD: he is our help and our shield.

4 Let them be confounded and put to shame that seek after my soul: let them be turned back and brought to confusion that devise my hurt. 5 Let them be as chaff before the wind: and let the angel of the LORD chase them. 6 Let their way be dark and slippery: and let the angel of the LORD persecute them. 7 For without cause have they hid for me their net in a pit, which without cause they have dug for my soul. 8 Let destruction sneak up on him; and let his net that he has hid catch himself: into that very destruction let him fall.

• Psalm 141:10 Let the wicked fall into their own nets, while that I completely escape.

• Romans 8:31-33 If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He that did not spare his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him freely give us all things?

9 And my soul will be joyful in the LORD: it will rejoice in his salvation. 10 All my bones will say, LORD, who is like you, who delivers the poor from him that is too strong for him, yes, the poor and the needy from him that plunders him?

• 2 Samuel 7:22… you are great, O LORD God: for there is none like you, neither is there any God beside you, according to all that we have heard with our ears.

11 Witnesses of violence rise up; they accused me of things that I did not know. 12 They rewarded me evil for good to the grief/miscarrying of my soul. 13 But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into my own bosom. 14 I behaved myself as though he had been my friend or brother: I bowed down heavily, as one that mourns for his mother. 15 But in my adversity they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together: yes, the defamers that I did not know gathered themselves together against me; they tore me and were not silent: 16 With hypocritical mockers in feasts, they gnashed on me with their teeth. 17 Lord, how long will you look on? Rescue my soul from their destructions, my darling/my only one from the lions. 18 I will give you thanks in the great congregation: I will praise you among strong/much people. 19 Do not let my lying enemies rejoice over me: and do not let them wink with the eye that hates me without a cause. 20 For they do not speak peace: but they devise deceitful matters against those that are quiet in the land. 21 Yes, they opened their mouth wide against me and said, Aha, aha, our eye has seen it.

The Lord has pleasure in the prosperity of His servants

22 You have seen this, O LORD: do not keep silent: O Lord, do not be far from me. 23 Stir yourself up and awake to my judgment, to my cause, my God and my Lord. 24 Judge me, O LORD my God, according to your righteousness; and do not let them rejoice over me. 25 Do not let them say in their hearts, Ah, so would we have it: do not let them say, We have swallowed him up. 26 Let them be ashamed and brought to confusion together that rejoice at my hurt: let them be clothed with shame and dishonor that magnify themselves against me.

• Proverbs 15:3 The eyes of the Lord are in every place beholding the evil and the good.

• Acts 17:28 For in Him we live and move and have our being.

• James 4:8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.

27 Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favor my righteous cause: yes, let them say continually, Let the LORD be magnified, who has pleasure in the prosperity of his servant. 28 And my tongue will speak of your righteousness and of your praise all day long.

• Psalm 1:1-3 Blessed is the man that does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly, or stand in the way of sinners, or sit in the seat of the scornful. 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law he meditates day and night. 3 And he will be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that brings forth his fruit in his season; his leaf will not wither; and whatever he does will prosper.

                                            Psalm 36

1 The transgression of the wicked says within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes. 2 For he flatters himself in his own eyes, until his iniquity is found to be hateful. 3 The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit: he has stopped being wise, and doing good. 4 He plans wickedness on his bed; he sets himself in a way that is not good; he does not abhor evil.

• Psalm 111:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all those that do his commandments: his praise endures forever.

• Psalm 34:14 Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.

The Lord Preserves man and Beast

5 Your love, O LORD, is in the heavens; and your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. 6 Your righteousness is like the mountains of God; your judgments are a great deep: O LORD, you preserve man and beast.

• We can’t easily get around great mountains; we can’t go over them.
• They are majestic, imposing, and beautiful.
• We can’t get around God’s great righteousness; we can’t go over it. It is majestic; it is imposing; it is beautiful.

With Him is the fountain of life

9 For with you is the fountain of life: in your light we will see light. 10   O draw out at length your love to them that know you; and your righteousness to the upright in heart. 11 Do not let the foot of pride come against me, and do not let the hand of the wicked remove me. 12 There the workers of iniquity have fallen: they are cast down, and will not be able to rise.

• God is better than a fountain of youth, infinitely better.

• John 10:28 I give to them eternal life; and they will never perish, neither will any man pluck them out of my hand.

                                           Psalm 37

1 Do not fret yourself because of evildoers or be envious against the workers of iniquity. 2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.

• Evildoers are all the ones on earth who solve their problems and meet their needs by following evil’s suggestions, like Adam and Eve, rather than by following God and meeting their needs by God’s provision.

The Lord gives the desires of their heart

3 Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shall you dwell in the land, and in truth you shall be fed. 4 Delight yourself also in the LORD; and he shall give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. 6 And he shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your judgment as the noonday. 7 Be silent in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: do not upset yourself because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who brings wicked devices to pass. 8.Abstain from anger, and cease from fury: do not inflame yourself in any way to do evil.

• The Lord gives the earth as an inheritance to those who wait on Him

9 For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait on the LORD, they shall inherit the earth. 10 For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yes, you shall diligently consider his place, and it shall not be. 11 But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. 12 The wicked plot against the just, and gnash on him with his teeth. 13 The Lord shall laugh at him: for he sees that his day is coming. 14 The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, and to kill such as are of upright behavior.

• Islamic Jihad is a big example of this. Their followers are taught that to kill a Jew or Christian will bring the reward of heaven and ten virgins.

The Lord upholds the righteous

15 Their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bows shall be broken. 16 The little that a righteous man has is better than the riches of many wicked. 17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the LORD upholds the righteous. 18 The LORD knows the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be forever.19 They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied. 20 But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the LORD shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away. 21 The wicked borrows, and does not repay: but the righteous show mercy, and gives. 22 Those that are blessed of him shall inherit the earth; and they that are cursed of him shall be cut off.

• The wicked do it all to themselves by their choices and doings in this life. They each reap what they have sown (Galatians 6:7).

23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delights in his way. 24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholds him with his hand. 25 I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken or his seed begging bread. 26 He is always merciful, and lends; and his seed is blessed. 27 Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore. 28 For the LORD loves judgment, and does not forsake his saints; they are preserved forever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off. 29 The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell in it forever. 30 The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom, and his tongue talks of judgment. 31 The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps/goings shall slide. 32 The wicked watch the righteous and seek to kill him. 33 The LORD will not leave him in his hand, or condemn him when he is judged.

• The righteous are those who seek God and follow His ways in this life.
• Today the world is full of good causes that leave out Jesus Christ.
• Good based on pride leads to hell.

• John 14:6 Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes to the Father, but by me.

34 Wait on the LORD, and keep his way, and he shall exalt you to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, you shall see it. 35 I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree. 36 Yet he passed away, and, look, he was not: yes, I sought him, but he could not be found. 37 Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace. 38 But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off. 39 But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD: he is their strength in the time of trouble. 40 And the LORD will help them, and deliver them: he will deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.

• The word ‘perfect’ means complete. In Matthew 4:4 Jesus said, Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.
• Completing this is a work of God in man because all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).
• These people in this Psalm are not able to do as God requires of themselves but they are humble and willing.
• God provides the rest.

                                              Psalm 38

God disciplines because He loves

1 O LORD, do not rebuke me not in your wrath or chasten me in you fury. 2 For your arrows sink in me, and your hand passes heavily on me. 3There is no soundness in my flesh because of your anger; there is no rest in my bones because of my sin.

• Revelation 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

4 For my iniquities have gone over my head: as a heavy burden they are too heavy for me. 5 My wounds have putrefied and rotted because of my foolishness. 6 I am troubled; I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long. 7 For my loins are filled with a burning: and there is no soundness in my flesh. 8 I am numb and crushed: I howl from the groaning of my heart.

• James 3:2 in many things we offend all. If any man does not offend in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to control the whole body.

• 1 Peter 2:24-25 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes you were healed. 25 For you were as sheep going astray; but have now returned to the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.

9 Lord, all my desire is before you; and my groaning is not hid from you. 10 My heart pants, my strength fails me: as for the light of my eyes, it also is gone from me. 11 My loved ones and my friends stand aloof from my plague; and my relatives stand far off. 12 They also that seek after my life lay snares for me: and they that seek my evil speak destruction and utter lies all the day long. 13 But I, as a deaf man, did not hear; and I was as a dumb man that does not open his mouth. 14 So I was as a man that does not hear and in whose mouth are no rebukes. 15 For in you, O LORD, do I hope: you will hear, O Lord my God. 16 For I said, Hear me, lest otherwise they should rejoice over me: when my foot slips, they magnify themselves against me. 17 I am ready to fall, and my sorrow is continually before me. 18 I will declare my iniquity; I will be sorry for my sin.

• I John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

• James 4:8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double minded.

19 But my enemies are lively, and they are strong: and they that hate me wrongfully are multiplied. 20 They also that render evil for good are my adversaries; because good follows me. 21 Do not forsake me, O LORD: O my God, do not be far from me. 22 Hurry to help me, O Lord my salvation.

• She woke in the night. It was hard to breathe. A sound of hissing, like a serpent grew louder. Then crackling and popping flames ate through the wall of her bedroom like licking ice cream off a cone. Her name was Jenny. She was seven. She began to cry. As she started to cough a crash shattered her window. A fireman appeared and scooped her up in his strong arms. She was delivered.

• Hebrews 13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as you have: for he has said, I will never leave you, nor forsake you.

• Isaiah 33:2 O LORD, be gracious to us; we have waited for you: be their arm every morning, our salvation also in the time of trouble.

                                           Psalm 39

1 I said I will guard my ways so that I not sin with my tongue: I will guard my mouth with a muzzle while the wicked are before me. 2 I became dumb, keeping still; I held my peace, even from good; and my pain was stirred. 3 My heart was hot within me, while I was musing the fire burned: then spoke I with my tongue. 4 LORD, make me to know my end, and what is the measure of my days; let me know what time I have here.

The Lord is our only hope

5 Behold, you have made my days as handbreadth; and my age is as nothing before you: truly every man at his best is altogether vanity. Rest on it. 6 Surely every man walks about as a shadow: surely they are in an uproar for nothing: he heaps up riches, and does not know who will gather them. 7 And now, Lord, what do I wait for? My hope is in you.

• Psalm 90:2 Before the mountains were brought forth or you had formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, you are God.

• Psalm 16:8-9 I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I will not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices: my flesh also will rest in hope.

8 Deliver me from all my transgressions: do not make me the reproach of the foolish. 9 I was dumb, I did not open my mouth; because you did it. 10 Remove your stroke away from me: I am consumed by the blow of your hand. 11 When you with rebukes correct man for iniquity, you consume what he loves like a moth: surely every man is a mere breath. Selah. 12 Hear my prayer, O LORD, and give ear to my cry; do not be silent at my tears: for I am a foreigner with you, and a sojourner, as all my fathers were. 13 Turn your gaze away from me that I may be cheerful again before I go away and am no more.

• The Lord corrects us because He loves us.
• He hears our cries.

• Revelation 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

• Psalm 34:4, 19 I sought the Lord and He heard me and delivered me from all my fears. 19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivers him out of them all.

• Romans 8:18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that will be revealed in us.

SUMMARY: Psalms 35-39

• The LORD has pleasure in the prosperity of His servants
• He preserves man and beast
• With Him is the fountain of life
• The LORD gives the desires of the heart to those who delight in Him
• He gives the earth as an inheritance to those who wait on Him
• He upholds the righteous
• He disciplines us because He loves us
• He is our only hope