[0:00] to ask you to take your Bibles, turn with me to the book of Psalms, Psalm 35, we'll be in the 35th Psalm or 35th Psalm, whatever you say it, I don't even know, I know there's like a way to saying this, but I don't even know, so take your Bibles, turn with me to the 35th Psalm, Psalm 35. Before we get there, about a thousand, two thousand, three thousand, about three thousand years ago, there was a man who was wrongfully cast off from society. At one time he was the hero, but those in power viewed and portrayed him now as a man, as the public enemy number one. He once socialized with the most influential people of his country, but now he's a vagabond, he's a transient, he's a drifter on the run for his life, he's dwelling in the wilderness, running from those, get this, whom he cared for, those who he had loved, those who he had put his life in jeopardy for.
[0:52] He had no crime, he was mistreated, and he was lied about. His people, his society, had done him a severe injustice. He lost his wife, he lost his job, he lost his friends, he lost his family, he lost his self-respect, all because those in power were insecure, they were jealous of this man. You all know this man's name is David, and David is now living in the wilderness in Psalms 35. Hatred has been poured out against him, and get this, it's without cause. Psalms 35 verse 19, this is what the scripture says, let not them that are my enemies wrongfully rejoice over me, neither let them wink the eye that hated me without a cause. David was hated, and there was no reason for it. And when others spoke of David, it was only lies and deception. In Psalms 35 verse 11, this is what the scripture says in the Bible in this passage that we're going through. David says this, false witnesses did rise up. They lay to my charge things that I knew not. In verse 20 in the same chapter, David says, for they speak not peace, but they devise deceitful matters against them that are quiet in the land. David was being lied about.
[2:21] David was being deceived, or in talking deception, David was hated without a cause. But not only that, get this, in verse 12, when David is making his request and letting God know, this is what he says.
[2:32] In verse 12 of Psalm 35, he said this, they reward me evil for good, to the spoiling of my soul. In 1 Samuel chapter 24, there's a picture that's painted. David is hiding in a cave. 3,000 of Saul's men just returned from fighting against the Philistines. Now they're going to the sheepfolds, and they're trying to seek out David. Saul had some needs that were needed to be met. He goes inside the cave. When he goes inside the cave, David's men says, David, now's the time. Saul's out there. And so David creeps up on Saul. He cuts his skirt. The Lord says, or actually what it says in the scripture is that the Lord begins to impact his heart, impact his heart. He's like, I can't, I can't raise my hand against God's anointed. So he waits till Saul's done. Saul goes out there. Get this, in Samuel chapter 24, David bows down to the one that's seeking after his life. David looks at Saul, and he pleads this case.
[3:29] He says, I could have killed you. God gave you into my hand. Look at this. Look what I've done. But I'm not going to do anything. I'm not going to fight my cause. I'll let God judge. When Saul realizes what David has said, and what just happened in verse 16 of 1 Samuel chapter 24, this is what the scripture says, and it came to pass when David had made an end of speaking these words unto Saul, that Saul said, is that the voice of my son David? And Saul lifted up his voice and he wept. In verse 17, he speaks to David, and this is what Saul admits to David. This is what he says. He says to David, in verse 17, thou art more righteous than I, for thou hast rewarded me good, whereas I have rewarded thee evil. In Psalms 35, 12, this is what David said when he's crying out to the Lord, they have rewarded me evil for good. It's not fair what happened to David. He was an innocent man. I'm afraid that it wasn't right that David to be treated like this. David's case, when he makes it before the Lord, this is what he says in verse 7, this is what he says to God in Psalms 35, 7, he says this, for without cause, there is no reason. This isn't right. They hid for me their nets in a pit.
[4:59] They're setting up traps for David, and David's done nothing wrong. He says this at the end of verse 7, which without cause, they have digged for my soul. This wasn't fair for David. This wasn't right.
[5:16] And so now we are faced with the question, the question that actually is very relevant in this day and age and this time, a question that's always been relevant. It was relevant a hundred years ago.
[5:27] It was relevant in all beginning of time. What do we do when we are wrongfully mistreated? What is a Christian supposed to do when they're in the right and people are treating them wrong?
[5:43] What do we do? Well, I want to give you several things out of Psalms 35, and I'm going to do real quick where we see what David did during this trial. In verse 1, I want you to notice things.
[5:54] Notice, who does David go to? Look what it says in verse 1. Plead my cause, O Lord, with them that strive against me. Fight against them that fight against me.
[6:05] Look what he says in verse 17. Look who he's talking to. Lord, how long are you going to look on? Rescue my soul from their destruction, my darling from the lions. Verses 22 through 24, Psalms 35. This is what David says, Thou hast seen, O Lord. Keep not silence, O Lord. Be not far from me.
[6:27] Stir up yourself. Stir up thyself. Awake to my righteousness, even to my cause, my God and my Lord. Judge me, O Lord my God, according to thy righteousness, and let not them rejoice over me.
[6:41] In the moment of David's trial, when David is being wrongfully mistreated, who does David run to? Who does David go to when his back is against the wall? David doesn't run to his men and rally his men.
[6:57] David doesn't go down to Egypt and recruit a whole bunch of new allies. No, no, David doesn't do that. Actually, when it comes to David being mistreated, and when it comes to David being wrong, David knew somebody that could honestly take care of the problem. You know, we often have an inflated and a wrong view of ourselves and our other people, our friends here on earth. You think about it.
[7:21] When you get in trouble, when things happen to you, who do you run to? Maybe if you're a wife, you run to your husband. Maybe if you're a guy around here, you maybe run to a friend. Maybe you run to somebody on staff. But when David was in trouble, when his life was in jeopardy, David runs to God.
[7:40] He runs in the one that he can trust. You see, I think of myself, I think of myself, when somebody does me wrong, what do I do? I try to get as many people as I can on my team. I go to the people that are higher ups, my closest ones. I try to get their help. I got to realize something. You know, Nebuchadnezzar, one of the most powerful men in history, he was made like a beast. He was eating grass like a cow, living like an animal, because God had to teach him a lesson. Daniel speaks to Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel chapter 4 verses 24 through 25. He speaks to Nebuchadnezzar and he says, this is the interpretation, O king. This is the decree from the Most High. This is what God has to say for you, King Nebuchadnezzar. Verse 25, that they shall drive you, thee, from men. Nebuchadnezzar, you will be removed from men. You will be dwelling like the beast of the field. They shall make you to eat grass like oxen, and they shall wet thee with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over thee till you, till thou know that the Most High ruleth the kingdom of men. And he give it to whomsoever he will.
[8:53] Nebuchadnezzar needed to learn something. He wasn't in charge. He had the most powerful, he was the most influential man in the world during that time, and he had a lesson that he needed to learn. He wasn't in control. There was somebody that was powerful, more powerful, more greater than he could ever be. And he needed to learn a lesson that he wasn't in charge. When David was in trouble, when David's soul was being hated, when David was being lied out against, when David was being deceived, and when David was having all these problems, David knew somebody was greater. He knew someone greater than Saul. He knew someone greater than his enemies. Someone that he could commit his cause to. Someone he could commit himself to. Someone that would do right. And that was his Lord.
[9:43] So what do you do when you have problems and you're mistreated wrongfully? Who do you run to when you're being mistreated? You got an enemy that has you on the run. Who are you going to?
[9:59] You got thoughts that keep creeping up in your mind. You got sin that keeps beating you. Who do you run to? David shows us in this passage, when there is an enemy greater than himself, when he is the poor man and the strong man is afflicting him, he doesn't run to his friends. He doesn't run to his family.
[10:14] He runs to the one person that can change it. And that is his Lord. The second thing is this. In David's situation, this hard time that he was facing, this blows my mind what David does.
[10:27] He begins to command God to do something. In this passage, in Psalms 35, you'll find verbs, commanding verbs, imperative verbs. And it's not God commanding man, it's David man commanding God.
[10:43] God's not speaking to David. Instead, it's David commanding God. Look what it says in verse 1. If you like to underline things, I'll give you the commands that he says. Plead! Plead! That's the command. Plead my cause, O Lord, with them that strive against me.
[11:00] Fight against them that fight against me. Take hold of shield and buckler. And stand up for my help. Draw out your spear and stop the way against them that persecute me.
[11:12] Say to my soul, encourage me that you are my salvation. Verse 17, this is what he says. Lord, how long wilt thou look? Rescue. That's his command. Rescue my soul from their destruction.
[11:28] Verse 23 through 24. Stir up yourself. Stir up thyself. That's telling God, wake up, do something. Even unto my cause, my God and my Lord. Verse 24. Judge me, O Lord my God, according to thy righteousness, and let not them rejoice over me.
[11:46] I have a hard time wrapping that point around my mind. But David was in trouble. And what do you do when you're in trouble? You cry out and you beg and you ask for help.
[12:01] David was in serious trouble. And when believers are in trouble, they run to the Lord and they make their request known unto him. I'm pretty sure that's happened.
[12:13] I know it's happened in my life, especially in this last month. I've asked God to do stuff. David was in need of help and he's crying out and he's asking his God to do something because there's nothing that he could do in and of himself.
[12:28] Ever been in that time? Ever had a time where you needed God to work and you begged him and you asked him and you told him, you commanded him? That's what David said. He said, plead my cause.
[12:40] Take my case. Take my case from those that accuse me. God, Lord, fight. Fight. Go to war against these people, God. Go to war against these people that are hurting me, God.
[12:52] God, God, take hold of your shield and your buckler. God, be my defense. That's what he's saying. Be my defense. Guard me from the arrows that are being shot at me. Take the blows that are coming after me.
[13:05] He says, stand up. Rise up, God, and come to my help. Draw out your spirit. Unholster the gun. Run. It's time to attack, God. I need you to do something that persecute me.
[13:18] He says this in verse 3. Say, speak to my soul that you are my deliverer. I am in need of help, Lord, and I'm running to you and I'm begging you.
[13:31] I'm commanding you. I'm asking you to do something. When David was in trouble, he runs to his Lord and he makes his request known unto him.
[13:43] But not only that, but after he makes his request and those requests that he makes, at the end of each request, David says, God, I'm going to rejoice. I'm going to worship.
[13:55] I'm going to worship you. I'm going to rejoice. I'm going to praise you. In Psalms 35, verse 9 through 10, this is what he says, And my soul shall be joyful in the Lord.
[14:10] During difficult times, I often try to remind myself, rejoice in the Lord. Rejoice in the Lord. There's one thing that can go beyond our circumstances.
[14:22] It's the Lord. Rejoice in him. And David says, my soul will rejoice in the Lord. But not only that, but get this, what he says at the end. It shall rejoice in his salvation.
[14:36] That's why we were singing today. We were rejoicing that the Lord heard our prayers these past few weeks, these past few months, right? This past month. The Lord has heard our prayers, heard our petitions.
[14:49] And he says, I will take your pastor and I will get him off that ventilator. He has heard. So we rejoice in his deliverance today. David says in verse 10, All my bones shall say, Lord, who is like unto you which delivers the poor from him that is too strong for him?
[15:09] Yea, the poor and the needy from him that spoileth him. Verse 18, David says, I will give you thanks in the great congregation. I will praise you much.
[15:20] I will praise you among the much people. Verse 27 through 28, Let them shout for joy. Let them be glad that favor my righteous cause.
[15:32] Yea, let them say continually, Let the Lord be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servants. Verse 28, And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long.
[15:49] David knew that after he ran to the Lord, after he made his petition, that there would be a time of rejoicing and praise. Don't ever forget that, believer.
[16:00] Whenever you go through struggles and trials, whenever you're treated wrongfully, whenever you're mistreated and you're on the right, always remember that you can run to the Lord. Always remember that you can make your request be known unto him.
[16:10] And then thank him. And then know that one day you will be delivered from it, and you will praise him. In times of trouble, David knew what to do. Get this.
[16:23] David knew the pattern before the Creator God put on flesh and set our example. You talk about being wrongfully mistreated.
[16:35] You talk about being hurt and having injustice done. This is what Peter says. In 1 Peter 2, verses 21, For even hereunto were ye called.
[16:50] Because Christ also suffered for us, leaving an example that we should follow in his footsteps. Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth. Who, when he was reviled, he reviled not again.
[17:02] When he suffered, he threatened not. But guess what he did? In verse 23, this is what the Scripture says. Jesus Christ committed himself to him, that means the Lord, that judgeth righteously.
[17:19] Jesus took his cause and himself and said, Lord, this is what I need. I'm giving myself over to you. And because of that, Jesus' name is exalted, and will be worshipped and praised above all other names.
[17:39] Christian, when you're mistreated, done wrong, you need somebody to go for you, I want to read what it says in verse 20 of 1 Peter 2.
[17:52] What glory is it? If when ye buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? Should you glory whenever you do something wrong, and you just take it?
[18:03] No. But if when you do well, when you're in the right, and you suffer for it, you take it patiently. This is acceptable with God.
[18:19] What do we do? When we are mistreated and wrongfully misused, we run to our Lord, we make our petitions known unto him, and we praise him afterwards.
[18:30] Heavenly Father, thank you for this day. Thank you for your flock. Lord, I ask that you would just be with them, be with Pastor, be with Miss Betty. Lord, I thank you for what you've done. God, you are wonderful.
[18:41] You have answered my prayers, Lord. You continue to answer my prayers. And God, you're just too gracious for me. You're just too good for us. Lord, help us when we need help to run to you, make our requests known, Lord, and praise you whenever we get the results.
[18:55] In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.