{Disclaimer: these are my rough teaching notes I use in my Mishkan Katan weekly broadcasts. There will be "typos". Proceed at your own risk, lol.You can find all my Mishkan Katan video teachings on my YouTube channel: genahood2818 . Look on the playlist called Messianic LAMB TV Network.}
Boker Tov! Welcome back to Mishkan Katan. This morning we are going to continue our study of the psalms by looking at Psalm 35.
When we ended psalm 34, we were looking at a belief of David’s that Hashem does, indeed redeem the souls of his servants. As we move into Psalm 35, we see him begging God to rescue him from the clutches of his many enemies. There’s a divergence of opinion, as to what was happening in David’s life when he wrote psalm 35. Some say, like our a DAK, that he wrote this song while he was on the run from Saul. Others, like, SFORNO, believe that when he wrote this he was fleeing from his son, Absalom.
Do we see any quotes of Psalm 35 in the Brit Chadasha? Not directly. However, the overarching idea of this psalm is that, here we have a faithful servant, who is being pursued and persecuted by enemies, for no valid reason (emphasis on the last phrase). This true believer, this faithful follower of Hashem, is crying out for deliverance. Many New Testament scholars believe that David was not merely referring to his own troubles when he wrote this psalm, but that it pointed forward in time prophetically to Yeshua, the final, faithful servant, who was also hated baselessly. And, the biggest enemy Yeshua was delivered from? Death. Look with me at John 15:25. I’m quoting from TAW (The Apostolic Writings) version. These are the words of Yeshua.
“That the Word might be completely understood, which is written in their Torah, that ‘They hated me without a cause.’
I’ll show you in just a bit where in this Psalm those same words are taken.
Have you ever been in this position? I doubt many of us have ever felt we were so baselessly hated that our lives were in danger. But, have you ever been targeted, either by mistake or intentionally, and persecuted or hated?
In this Psalm, as he cried out for deliverance, David also called on Hashem to “blow his enemies to kingdom come”. He not only wanted deliverance. He wanted retribution! Although Yeshua was similarly hated, however, this was not His response. In the sermon on the mount, Matthew five, verse 44, Yeshua, and joined the listeners to pray for those who hate them, and to do good to those who despitefully use them. Here it is from the Aramaic, TAW translation:
“But I say to you love your enemies, bless those that curse you, do that which is pleasing to those who hate you. And pray for those that take you by foe and persecute you.”
I’ll have more commentary on this verse later. For now, let’s delve into Psalm 35.
In verse one, in the Hebrew, the verbs are in the imperative voice. David is, in a way, giving Hashem an order! It’s pretty cheeky and bold, if you ask me.
1 Adonai, oppose those who oppose me; fight against those who fight against me.
Opposition is one thing. In our world today, you can expect to be opposed in just about any endeavor, to some extent. When I was an assistant principal and studying to be a principal, I was taught that, in the very best scenarios, at least 8% of the people will be against any initiative you take. Universal agreement is a fallacy. Some opposition is expected.
What you really have to contend with, if you’ll pardon the pun, is those who actively fight against you. Usually, it’s not overt. Usually, it is in the form of a “whisper campaign”, misrepresentation, undermining trust, questioning one’s abilities to be in a position of decision-making, etc. Sowing doubt in the hearts of those who are in the project with you. Just because someone fighting against you is covert, rather than being forthcoming, honest and overt about it, doesn’t make the harm they can cause any less problematic. Often, such tactics are MORE problematic. When someone publicly and boldly questions or confronts, you know more precisely what you are dealing with. In the cases of covert tactics, you know something is afoot, but you can’t get a clear picture of what it is. It’s at times like this you need supernatural wisdom, in order to respond effectively. David’s opposition was clearly both. He had fools like Doeg involved in a slander campaign, to turn Saul against him. And, then, he knew his life was in danger - - that either Saul or Absolom was out to kill him. That’s about as overt as you can get. So, he is asking for supernatural intervention.
2 Grasp your shield and protective gear, and rise to my defense.
3 Brandish spear and battle-axe against my pursuers; let me hear you say, “I am your salvation.”
In these verses, David is referring euphemistically to various war tools of his day. In various versions, they are translated as “shield”, “armor”, “protective gear”, “spear”, “battle-axe”, “barricade”, etc. But, in the Hebrew, in verse 2, we have two distinct words: “shield” (mah-GAIN) and “armor” (tsee-NAH). The mah-GAIN was a shield that protected on 3 sides. Psalm 84:12 refers to the Magen when it says it is a sun and a shield. The sage Rashi said that the Tsee-NAH was a form of “encircling armor”, or a shield that encircled the soldier from almost 4 sides. The
Targum describes it as “a round, encircling armament”. We see a reference to this in Psalm 91:4. “Like encircling armor is His truth”.
Honestly, in human, physical terms, it is impossible to 100% protect ourselves from our enemies. Only God’s “armor” can do that.
At this point, you may be thinking of the six-pointed star on the flag of the nation of Israel. It is called “the Magen David” or, the Star of David. It is so-called because it resembles a star. However, the actual word, you have learned, is magen, which means shield. Isn’t it awesome that the very banner of the nation of Israel bears testimony to the patronage of Hashem? The flag testifies that it is not man that guards Israel, but Hashem Himself, who neither slumbers nor sleeps “on the job.” As David affirmed in verse 3, Hashem was David’s salvation, as He is Israel’s even today.
4 May those who seek my life be disgraced and put to confusion; may those who are plotting harm for me be repulsed and put to shame.
In this verse, David is calling upon Hashem to take his enemies through ever-increasing levels of humiliation.
First, there is shame, which is inner and self-generated.
Second, there is disgrace, which is more severe and involves others knowing about one’s shameful deeds.
Third, is the word translated here as “repulsed” or turned back or put into retreat or falling back, which implies loss of honor, loss of dignity, etc.
And, finally, fourth is humiliation, which is the most severe and intense form of shame and embarrassment. The root of the word translated as humiliation at the end of verse 4 has as its verb root khah-FAR, which means “to dig”. This suggests the person is so very embarrassed that he wishes to dig himself a pit and bury himself in it alive. We’ll see some of these same “shame descriptors” again, in verse 26 of this psalm.
Let’s move on to verses 5 through 9: (CJB)
5 May they be like chaff before the wind, with the angel of Adonai to drive them on.
6 May their way be dark and slippery, with the angel of Adonai to pursue them.
7 For unprovoked, they hid their net over a pit; unprovoked, they dug it for me.
8 May destruction come over him unawares. May the net he concealed catch himself; may he fall into it and be destroyed.
9 Then I will be joyful in Adonai, I will rejoice in his salvation.
So, I mentioned earlier that we would see in this psalm that David is not praying for mercy for his enemies, even though in other psalms he did. For example, in Psalm 104:35 he prayed that sins would cease to be, on the earth, not that the sinners themselves would be destroyed. Here though, he states that he will be filled with joy at their destruction and will rejoice in the salvation of his God!
The sages offer the following explanation - - that being that the wicked people David is praying against here are SO wicked that they are basically irredeemable, that their path to repentance has been “cut off.” The Brit Chadasha speaks of something similar when it speaks of “grieving the Ruach HaKodesh”, the Holy Spirit of HaShem, and calls this “the unpardonable sin”. These people’s hearts are so consumed by hatred that they hate for no good reason at all! Incurable hatred.
The Talmud records the experiences of a teacher called Mar (Aramaic: teacher) Ukava. He was repeatedly cursed and threatened by violent men. Rabbi Elazar counseled him to pray for their destruction morning to night.
I would add that David’s life was in danger, and when a person is in such desperate straits, you pray “survival prayers”. I think these verses fall into that category. It’s like the reaction of some people when they see a snake, any snake. Their reaction is, regardless if it is a good snake or a poisonous snake, “kill it! Kill it asap!”
I think that there was some of that in play, at this time in David’s life.
10 All my bones will say, “Who is like you? Who can rescue the weak from those stronger than they, the poor and needy from those who exploit them?”
Have you ever felt something so deeply that you felt it “in your bones?” To the very depths of your marrow of your bones? That is the depth of feeling David is expressing here when he says, “Hashem, Mi KhaMOkah? Hashem, WHO is like you??
{Spoiler alert: no one!}. The name, Michael, is similar to this question, Mi KhaMOkah? The name Michael means, “Who is like God?” Again, the answer is “no one.”
The Jewish sages say that the reference to “the weak” here is to the people/nation of Israel. (In Hebrew, the word for “nation” and also translated “people” is “ahm”.). They are constantly surrounded and opposed by nations stronger than they, nations that oppress them. I think about how 0.2% of the world’s population is Jewish and that in the Middle East, the nation of Israel is a mere 0.25% of the Middle East. The only explanation for why that tiny nation is so coveted, yet so lied about and persecuted and attacked is a supernatural wickedness, countered by the supernatural protection of Hashem.
11 Malicious witnesses come forward, asking me things about which I know nothing.
Here in this verse, verse 11, we see the Hebrew word “KhaMAHS”. It is an adjective, translated here as “malicious” in the CJB. However, the most common translations of this word in Scripture are “violent”, “cruel”, with occasional translations being “unjust”, “false”, and “malicious”. Who do we know in our present day that bears that same name? That’s right. The so-called Palestinians, HAMAS. I saw a video yesterday, while preparing this lesson. Some Gazans had flocked to the aid truck to get the humanitarian aid. As they left with it, they were set upon by HAMAS thugs, who stripped them of their clothes, beat them, took their provisions and threatened them with death for being sympathizers with the Jew enemies. Yet, the world portrays Israel as depriving the Gazans of aid. Sick and demonic behavior.
12 They repay me evil for good; it makes me feel desolate as a parent bereaved.
This verse hurts my heart because of David’s own heart feelings and also because of the analogy he used. The Hebrew word used here, Sh’VOHL, usually refers to the death of children in their parents’ lifetimes. I have good friends who have lost a child to death. I have seen how deeply they have grieved, for years and years and years. I have grieved and felt desolation over the rejection of my own children, over the years. Many of my godly friends have seen their children grow up to reject Hashem. I was having lunch with one such friend earlier this week. So many. I think a large part of this is the spirit of this evil age, a sign that we are nearing the return of Mashiach.
Anyway, this is a deep bereavement David spoke of here. He had felt it more than once. First of all, his son, Ammon, raped his half-sister, Tamar. Then, there was the open rebellion of Absolom, who sought to take his father’s throne by force. And, then, although David had died by this time, David’s fourth son, Adonijah, threatened to usurp his father’s legacy by taking the throne from Solomon through deceit and trickery. I pray you never have to feel the depths of such child-centered desolation in your own life.
13 But I, when they were ill, wore sackcloth; I put myself out and fasted; I can pray that what I prayed for them might also happen to me.
14 I behaved as I would for my friend or my brother; I bent down in sorrow as if mourning my mother.
In these two verses, David affirmed that he had treated these enemies of his well. He had prayed and fasted for them when they were sick. He had asked God that their affliction be transferred onto him, onto David himself, so that they would not have to bear it or suffer under it. He had treated them like family that he loved.
A couple of these enemies, Doeg and Achitophel, were Torah scholars. The Talmud states that if you don’t pray for divine mercy for your friends, you are committing a sin. And that it is even more important to do this, if your friend is a Torah scholar, or as we might say today, in Christianity, a minister of the gospel. In fact, the Talmud goes on to say, in Berachot 12b, that one should become sick with misery over such a plight!
So, you see, David’s initial reaction to these enemies was holy and righteous. It was only after he realized they had become hopeless in their wickedness that he prayed for their destruction.
Have you ever had to divorce a friend? I’m blessed by having many wonderful friends and family members. About 10 years ago however, I had to divorce myself from a lady who had been a friend of mine for about 20 years. I had gone through times where she had been very emotionally abusive toward me and my husband, whom she did not like at all. But, I had convinced myself that she needed my stability in my life. However, it reached a point where I realized that the friendship was not healthy, was, in fact, highly toxic to the point of being dangerous, and I just told her we could not longer be friends. The only time that has ever been necessary in my life. It was hard and painful. But, it was for the best, for both of us, in the long run.
In verse 14, there is another heart-wrenching analogy, the mourning for one’s mother. I imagine that, by the time this psalm was written, particularly if it referred to Absolom, that David had lost his mother to death. So, not only had he felt the pain of losing a child, he had also felt the pain of losing his mother.
The ArtScroll commentary points out that mourning for one’s mother, in whose body a person is conceived and nurtured, and who cares for him as he grows, is more deep and intense than the mourning for one’s father, who usually leaves behind some material inheritance to soften the blow somewhat. I thought that was interesting commentary. In today’s world, the material aspect can flow from both parents, or not.
Let’s read the next five verses:
15 But when I stumble, they gather in glee; they gather against me and strike me unawares; they tear me apart unceasingly.
16 With ungodly mocking and grimacing, they grind their teeth at me.
17 Adonai, how much longer will you look on? Rescue me from their assaults, save the one life I have from the lions!
18 I will give you thanks in the great assembly, I will give you praise among huge crowds of people.
19 Don’t let those who are wrongfully my enemies gloat over me; and those who hate me unprovoked — don’t let them smirk at me.
I told you near the start of this teaching that we would return to the New Testament links to this psalm, namely in John 15, where Yeshua quoted this psalm. The most direct link is here in verse 19, translated here as “who hate me unprovoked”. But, there are also allusions to this same theme in verse 7, if you want to look back at that one. Many times, the ruling class of priests in Jerusalem, as well as other priestly groups, laid traps for Yeshua to fall into. But, other than when He allowed Himself to be captured in the Garden of Gethsemane, beaten, tried unlawfully, and crucified, He escaped all those traps. Then, they thought they had finally triumphed over Him, only to learn three days later that He had risen from the dead, to become many times more powerful and influential than their earlier assessments had been of Him. Literally, His life and ministry, and that of His followers, “turned the world upside down”. They, becoming grafted in to spiritual Israel have done amazing works of righteousness, shining the light of God into the darkest places and fulfilling the Torah’s calling to bring light unto the nations. Have followers of Yeshua throughout history also done some heinous, reprehensible things? Yes, indeed they have. I will freely admit that. They have at times behaved in as depraved a fashion as did the Hebrew nation from which they were birthed.
We, the people of God, need to stop throwing stones at each other, and seek the Lord Hashem, in order to become “one faith, one people”. That is how it will be in the end days, according to the Bible, and not just the Brit Chadasha either. It is prophesied in both so-called “testaments.”
20 For they don’t speak words of peace but devise ways to deceive the peaceful of the land.
21 They shout to accuse me, “Aha! Aha! we saw you with our own eyes!”
If you subscribe to the thinking that says David wrote this psalm in reference to Absolom’s revolt, then there could be a play on words here in verse 20. David named his son Avshalom. In Hebrew, Av means father and shalom means peace. Father of peace. Perhaps David did this in hopes that Absolom would become a great military leader, who would subdue the pagan nations roundabout Israel in God’s Name, and in so doing bring about universal peace. Unfortunately, Absolom disgraced his name.
It could be successfully argued that verse 21 was a Messianic prophecy verse. Do you remember reading about the scene at Yeshua’s illegal, mockery of a trial, when the false witnesses testified against Him? It’s recorded in Mark 14:56. Here is that verse from TAW:
“For while many were testifying against him, their testimony was not consistent.”
On to the remaining verses:
22 You saw them, Adonai; don’t stay silent. Adonai, don’t stay far away from me.
23 Wake up! Get up, my God, my Lord! Defend me and my cause!
24 Give judgment for me, Adonai, my God, as your righteousness demands.
Don’t let them gloat over me.
25 Don’t let them say to themselves, “Aha! We got what we wanted!” or say, “We swallowed them up!”
26 May those who gloat over my distress be disgraced and humiliated. May those who aggrandize themselves at my expense be covered with shame and confusion.
27 But may those who delight in my righteousness shout for joy and be glad! Let them say always, “How great is Adonai, who delights in the peace of his servant!”
28 Then my tongue will tell of your righteousness and praise you all day long.
Again, the theme of this psalm is that David’s enemies are likewise the enemies of Hashem. Not only do they hate David; they hate Hashem also. If they had loved Hashem, they would not have hated His chosen king, and they would have realized that it would be only through David that God would glorify His Name.
Let’s move on to Psalm 36 now. The sages consider this psalm and the one following it as part one and part two. But, this morning we will only have time for what we might call “part one”. The sequel will have to wait for next week.
The theme of this psalm is what is called in Judaism “the good inclination” versus “the evil inclination”. It’s sort of like how we used to see in cartoons, where on one shoulder of the character would sit an angelic being, who would counsel the person to make the right decision, whereas on the opposite shoulder would sit a little devil, slyly tempting the character to do wrong. Our physical heart is used to illustrate both the good and the evil inclinations. One chamber receives deoxygenated blood from the body. This symbolizes the evil inclination. The other chamber pumps out to the body blood rich in oxygen, symbolizing the good inclination. It is for this reason that, in Hebrew, the word for heart, LAVE, is spelled with two side-by-side “bayt” letters, alluding to the double-mindedness of the heart of man.
Usually, the most successful tactic of the evil inclination, or we might say the tempting thoughts sent by HaSatan, his minions, or our own sinful flesh, is that there will be no heavy consequences for our sins. David exposes this as heresy, and paints himself as a totally devoted servant of Hashem, a man totally devoted to His will.
Are there direct quotes of Psalm 36 in the other Scriptures? Yes, Romans 3:18 is taken from the first verse of this psalm. Let’s get started and look at that. Here is verses 1-4.
1 Crime speaks to the wicked. I perceive this in my heart; before his eyes there is no fear
of God.
2 For, the way he sees it, crime makes his life easy — that is, until his wrongs are discovered; then, he is hated.
3 His words are wrong and deceitful; he has stopped being wise and doing good.
4 He devises trouble as he lies in bed; so set is he on his own bad way
that he doesn’t hate evil.
So, here we have the wicked, those who habitually listen to the evil voice, the tempter, the evil inclination, described. Romans 3:18 says this: (TAW)
“And the fear of Elohim is not before their eyes.”
Paul likewise in Romans 3 describes those who follow the evil inclination, and he uses a series of OT scriptures to do this, with Psalm 36:1 being the last in the list. We went over these verses in detail when we studied the book of Romans together.
Some of the sages believe David was thinking of his former friend/advisor, Achitophel here. Achitophel is the one who cunningly persuaded Absolom to flaunt his rebellion by having sex with his father, David’s, concubines, whom David had left behind at the palace after he fled from his treacherous son. Here, in this context then, Achitophel epitomizes The Evil Inclination. He is the very personification of it. Why did Achitophel do this? Because….although he had formerly been a Torah scholar, at this point there was no fear of God before his eyes. You may remember when we studied Psalm 5, in verse 6, there was a reference to men like this, whose hearts are full of “roistering wildness”. At first, Achitophel was unsuccessful in tempting Absolom to do evil against his father’s concubines. However, we in 2 Samuel 16:21 that he made the evil deed more attractive by saying the more repulsive the deed the more powerful its effect.
21 Achitofel answered Avshalom, “Go in, and sleep with your father’s concubines, the ones he left to take care of the palace. All Isra’el will hear that your father utterly despises you, and this will strengthen the position of all those who are on your side.”
Heinous indeed! Other sages believe the evil subject of this psalm was not Achitophel, but rather was Goliath, who symbolizes all of David’s human enemies. Goliath certainly had “no fear of God before his eyes”. He stood brazenly and blasphemed the God of Israel. He taunted the Israeli army morning and night. Some of the sages say he did this when the army would have been reciting the Shema, in order to disrupt that practice, a practice that affirms the Jew’s acceptance of Hashem’s rule over his life. The 40 days Goliath did this corresponded to the 40 days Moses was on Mt. Sinai, receiving the Torah. The number 40 in Scripture often bespeaks “completion”. Yeshua spent 40 days being tempted in the wilderness, as another example.
Achitophel and Goliath aside, the world is full of people who are ruled by the god of this world, in our lingo of this psalm, the evil inclination, although they are not as sensational as the two evildoers just mentioned. These “ordinary” people may do good works, but their deeds are performed as routines, without any inner conviction. No fear of God enters into their minds or hearts. Therefore, when confronted with temptation to do evil, they are enticed, succumb and transgress. Their sin then, afterwards, does not worry them or harass them. They don’t sigh or give even a second thought. Again, there is no fear (dread) of Hashem before their eyes.
Verse 4 of this psalm describes the wicked person as being so thoroughly steeped in evil that he cannot even rest on his bed at night from it. As he lies and attempts to sleep, he continues to plot evil deeds. Radak also points out that when a person is lying on his bed, the other distractions of the day are absent. So, then, it is an excellent time to think, scheme and devise evil. Malbim, another sage, points out that a person who has come fully under the sway of sin has ceased to contemplate Hashem’s sovereignty. He fails to realize that it is for his own good that he is commanded to do God’s will. Jeremiah 4:22 says this in reference to God’s chosen people, when they have tripped into such an evil pattern:
22 “It is because my people are foolish — they do not know me; they are stupid children, without understanding, wise when doing evil; but they don’t know how to do good.”
Wicked people lose the ability to do good, whereas the pure heart will despise evil. Let’s move on to the next few verses. I’m about tired of talking about the wicked, aren’t you? Fortunately for us, David in next few verses extols Adonai, His abundant grace and the benefits that accrue to the righteous.
5 Adonai, in the heavens is your grace; your faithfulness reaches to the skies.
6 Your righteousness is like the mountains of God, your judgments are like the great deep.
You save man and beast, Adonai.
7 How precious, God, is your grace! People take refuge in the shadow of your wings,
8 They feast on the rich bounty of your house, and you have them drink from the stream of your delights.
(9) For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.
Regarding verses 5 and 6, the sage Malbim explains that in Judaism two types of heavens are found, the lower, which contains earth’s air and the planetary systems, is shaMYeem in Hebrew. And the upper, which is the immaterial realm of Hashem, is Sh’KhahKEEM. Some people believe the heresy that Adonai’s supernatural lovingkindness, His Chesed does not touch the lower heaven, that it is exclusive to the upper. Or, that one may do as one pleases in the earthly realm, the lower heaven, because Hashem does not intervene in our natural world. Ramban points out that even in our daily, human existence, we are given a series of hidden miracles, as pictured here in vs. 6 by the deep waters. Hashem’s governance of our world is sometimes evidenced as revealed miracles as well, pictured by the mighty mountains. Amen.
Let’s hurry on to verse 9 now, as our time this morning is nearing its end. I love this verse. The phrase “fountain of life”, also translated “source of life” is the Hebrew phrase M’Kohd Chaim. Chaim you will probably recognize as “Life”, but the first word means “a fountainhead, the source of a flowing spring”. There is no life apart from Hashem. He is its source, for all creation. Man’s eternal spirit is pictured by this flowing spring, because he will live on forever, either forever with our Redeeming God, or forever in torment, apart from Him entirely. David goes on to make another beautiful analogy with the remainder of that verse.
We humans cannot see light, unless it is provided to us. In the dark, we cannot see. We have been allowed to “create” artificial light, to illuminate our spaces here. But, scientists will tell you that it is a poor substitute for “the real thing.” This morning, shortly after I awoke, I had to “turn on a light” in order to be able to see to perform routine tasks. This was so even though the daylight had sprung. The effect of the artificial light was jarring to my system. All of you have experienced that. I read a book recently that said we all ought to get outside and be “in the light” within the first hour that we awaken each day. There is something about our internal “clocks” that responds positively to the natural light. We were literally created to walk in His light, a light that will never be extinguished by darkness.
Let’s read the remaining 3 verses of this psalm, where David returns to put the final nail in the coffin of the wicked. David brings us back again to the theme of this psalm, which is Hashem’s provision of supernatural triumph over David’s enemies.
10 Continue your grace to those who know you and your righteousness to the upright in heart.
11 Don’t let the foot of the proud tread on me or the hands of the wicked drive me away.
12 There they lie fallen, those evildoers, flung down and unable to rise.
So in our next session together, we will look at the so-called “sequel” to Psalm 36, which is Psalm 37. I look forward to that. May the rest of your week be full of miracles. May you recognize them when they appear, and may your Sabbath rest this weekend be sweet. Shalom, shalom l’hitraot!
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