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How Long Oh Lord - Psalm 35
How Long Oh Lord - Psalm 35
In our reading we have come to the part of David's life where he lives as a fugitive, running and hiding in the wilderness as a wanted man (Psalm 17, 35, 54, and 63). As the days turn into weeks, what goes on in David's mind?
He, like any normal person in those circumstances, wondered: "Lord, how long will You look on? (35:17) Such question was not a doubt concerning IF God would act, but longing for God to respond. Even great faith longs for deliverance from unjust persecution. David is confident that God knows what is going on: You have seen it, O Lord, do not keep silent; O Lord, do not be far from me (vs. 23).
This is a plea for justice and vindication of the righteous. David can call upon God for such for he has conducted him righteously: Judge me, O Lord my God, according to Your righteousness, (vs. 24). He is persecuted 'without cause' (vs. 7, 19). He is able to recount how he has treated those who are now persecuting him: he prayed for them, he sorrowed for their misfortune, he befriended them as a brother (vs. 13-14).
Even though he can cite a long and diverse list of unjust treatments by these 'enemies' (cp. 11-12, 15-16), yet he refused to lower himself to respond in kind. Their sinful actions against him was simply not an excuse for him to do evil in return.
In all of this, David retains his faith in God's character: He is righteous (28), He is worthy of praise (18), He delights in His servants good (27), and He comes to the deliverance of the righteous (2-3). This was not a new way of thinking for David but was developed as he has walked with God from his youth.
We all have dark days that test our faith. We need to be prepared by making sure we are not deserving of such evil treatment: "Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler; but if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name" (1Pet. 4:15-16).
We need to have prepared our faith as a foundation so that it can sustain us through such dark times. We need to have deeply learned of God's eternal character, righteousness, and faithfulness. If we have not cultivated such faith and understanding BEFORE we encounter such trouble, how can we expect to endure? Hugh DeLong
