Psalm 34 — 35
19–20) until our work is finished. The word KEEP means "to exercise great care over," as when Adam cared for the garden (Gen. 2:15) or Jacob cared for his sheep (Gen. 30:31). The apostle John quoted verse 20 in John 19:36 and applied it to Jesus, the Lamb of God (Ex. 12:46; Num. 9:12). The Lord is able to keep our enemies in check, and their own evil deeds will destroy them, for sin is its own executioner (v. 21; see 7:14–16; 9:16; 10:2; Prov. 5:22; Rom. 12:17–21). "Desolate" in verses 21–21 (kjv) means "condemned." The wicked are condemned, but the righteous face no condemnation because they trust the Lord (Rom. 8:1, 33–34). God redeemed David, just as He had redeemed Israel from Egypt, and He is able to redeem us from our troubles.
youths around him to teach them the secret of real living. Peter quoted verses 12–14 in 1 Peter 3:10–12, and his instructions are wise and workable.
Desire what is good (v. 12). To be one who "desireth life" means to desire a full life, the abundant life Christ came to give (John 10:10). This kind of life has little to do with possessions, status, or fame, but it has a lot to do with character, faith, and a desire to honor the Lord. They seek the Lord and want nothing less than His will for their lives. Solomon had wealth, knowledge, fame, and power, yet he wrote, "Therefore, I hated life …" (Eccl. 2:17–20). To cultivate a heart that desires what is good, a heart that delights in the Lord (37:4), is the first step toward the life that overflows with the blessing of the Lord.
Speak what is true (v. 13). If we can control the tongue, we can control the body (James 3:1–12); "whoever guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from troubles" (Prov. 21:23 nkjv). To speak the truth in love (Eph. 4:15) and to speak nothing evil is not easy in today's competitive and corrupt society, but it can be done. Note David's prayer in 141:3–4.
PSALM 35
Once again, David was being hounded by Saul and slandered by Saul's men, many of whom had been David's friends. David was championing the right cause, for he was God's chosen king, while Saul was trying to destroy him so that one of his own sons would become king. Instead of managing the affairs of the kingdom, Saul was driven by his paranoia to pursue David and seek to kill him, and his zeal was fueled by the lies of his officers. (For the background, see 1 Sam. 19:5; 20:1; 23:25; 24:9–15; 25:29; 26:18–19.) This is classified as an imprecatory psalm (see Ps. 5 for discussion). David made three requests of God, and eventually He granted all of them.
Pursue what is right (v. 14). This means abandoning sin once and for all, doing good as God gives strength and opportunity, and being a peacemaker and not a troublemaker. Christians don't seek "peace at any price," for peace depends on purity (James 3:13–18; Isa. 32:17), but they do make every effort not to make enemies (Matt. 5:9; Rom. 14:19; Heb. 12:14–21). Sometimes our best efforts seem to be in vain, but at least we obeyed the Lord (Matt. 5:21–26; 18:15–35). "Pursue" means that we have to work at it, with the help of the Lord.
Protect Me (vv. 1–10) David merged two images in verse 1—the law court ("plead my cause"; see 43:1; 74:22; Jer. 2:9; Mic. 6:1) and the battlefield. Saul chose the battlefield, but David turned to the Lord and asked Him to be Advocate and Judge in the dispute. "The Lord is a man of war" (24:8; 45:3–5; Ex. 15:3; Josh. 5:13–15), so if Saul wanted a fight, God would accept the challenge (see 18:25–27). A soldier himself, David envisioned the Lord dressed in armor and wielding His weapons. The buckler was a large shield that covered most of the body. The enemy hated David (v. 19), lied about him (v. 11), persecuted him (v. 2), and wanted to hurt him and kill him (vv. 4, 26), so the conflict was a matter of life and death; but there was no just cause for this opposition. (See vv. 7, 19; 38:19; 69:4; 109:3; 119:78, 86, 161.) David asked the Lord to block the way and stand between him and Saul and his army (v. 3), just as He had done at the exodus (Ex. 14:19ff.). Then he asked that the angel of the Lord (34:7) confuse the enemy, turn them around, and chase them (v. 4). This would lead to their disgrace, defeat, and eventual destruction (v. 8). In verse 26, he repeated the prayer of verse 4. David frequently mentioned that he was a man with a price on his head (37:32; 38:12; 40:14; 54:3; 63:9;
Expect what is best (vv. 15–16). We must live by faith, trusting the Lord to guide us, care for us, and help us do the right thing. We need not fear because His eyes are upon us (32:8) and His ears are attentive to our prayers. God's face is against those who would do evil to us. This promise is illustrated in Acts 12, when Peter was in prison awaiting execution, the church was praying, and King Herod seemed to be having his way. God saw Peter's plight, He heard the prayers of the saints, and He delivered Peter but destroyed Herod.
Trust the Lord (vv. 17–22) Nowhere in this psalm does David suggest that the life of faith and obedience will exempt the child of God from trouble (see vv. 4, 6, 17, 19). He does promise that, if we trust Him and call on Him, the Lord can see us through our troubles and make them a blessing to us and through us to others. (See 28:7; Isa. 41:10; Heb. 13:6.) He is also able to help us with our feelings (v. 18). The assurance is that God is near us when our hearts are broken and our spirits are crushed, whether we feel like it or not. This is not a promise with conditions attached to it; it is a fact. (See 69:20; 119:151; 147:3; Isa. 50:8; 61:1; Luke 4:18.) The Lord will take care of our physical safety (vv.