PM Sermon 09 November 2025
Psalm 35 Great Is the LORD
Text: Psalm 35:1–28 (ESV)
Introduction: When the Righteous Suffer
Brothers and sisters, have you ever been falsely accused? Have you ever tasted betrayal or mockery at the hands of those you once helped? Have you ever been wronged and felt powerless to defend yourself?
Psalm 35 is God’s gift for such seasons.
This psalm is a prayer of the righteous sufferer—David, God’s chosen king—pleading for deliverance, lamenting injustice, and ultimately praising the Lord who vindicates His servants. It is what we call an imprecatory psalm—it contains cries for God’s judgment on enemies. But this is not a psalm of sinful vengeance. It is a psalm of faith, entrusting everything to the righteous Judge.
And as we hear David’s voice, we also hear a deeper voice—the voice of Christ, the greater David—who perfectly fulfills this psalm. Jesus, betrayed and mocked, falsely accused and condemned, entrusted Himself to the Father who judges justly, and was vindicated in glory.
As we walk through this psalm, we will see that its heartbeat is captured in verse 27:
“Great is the LORD, who delights in the welfare of his servant!”
I. Plea for Divine Intervention (vv. 1–10)
David opens the psalm with urgency:
“Contend, O LORD, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me!” (v. 1)
This is no quiet, whispered prayer. This is the desperate cry of a man hemmed in on every side, a man who knows that unless the Lord rises up for him, he will fall. From the very first line, the psalm teaches us what to do when we are opposed, slandered, and helpless—we cry to the Lord.
Notice something important: David does not turn inward for strength. He does not marshal his allies, sharpen his weapons, or plot his own defense. He turns upward. He calls upon the Lord.
This is the reflex of faith. The one who belongs to God runs to God when the storm rages. The child runs to the Father. The servant runs to the Master. The soldier runs to his Captain. And that is what David does here.
A. The Divine Warrior (vv. 1–3)
Look again at the language in verses 1 through 3:
“Contend, O LORD, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me! Take hold of shield and buckler and rise for my help! Draw the spear and javelin against my pursuers! Say to my soul, ‘I am your salvation!’”
It is bold. It is vivid. David sees the Lord as a warrior, fully armed, rising up to do battle on behalf of His servant. He pictures God taking up a shield and buckler—a small defensive shield and a larger, full-body shield—and then grasping a spear and javelin to drive back the enemy.
This is not a man talking to himself, trying to psych himself up. This is a man who knows his God. He knows the Lord as the God who fought for Israel at the Red Sea, the God who brought down Pharaoh’s armies, the God who promised in Exodus 14:14:
“The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.”
This is the same Lord who is called in Exodus 15:3:
“The LORD is a man of war; the LORD is his name.”
This is the same God Isaiah praises:
“The LORD goes out like a mighty man, like a man of war he stirs up his zeal; he cries out, he shouts aloud, he shows himself mighty against his foes.” (Isa. 42:13)
Do you see the comfort here? Beloved, you do not fight your battles alone. Whatever the opposition—whether it’s the hostility of an unbelieving world, the slander of false accusations, or even the assaults of the evil one—your God is not passive. He is the divine warrior. He takes up His armor for His people.
Think of Elijah’s servant at Dothan in 2 Kings 6. Terrified at the sight of the enemy army, the servant cried out in fear. But Elisha prayed, and the Lord opened his eyes to see the mountains full of horses and chariots of fire—the armies of heaven surrounding and protecting God’s prophet.
So it is for you, Christian. You may not see the armies of heaven, but you have the Lord of hosts as your shield and defender.
B. Assurance of Salvation (v. 3)
Did you notice David’s request at the end of verse 3?
“Say to my soul, ‘I am your salvation!’”
What a tender, personal plea. David longs not only for God to act in power but also for God to speak to his heart. It’s as if David says, “Lord, I know You can defend me, but remind me again that I belong to You. Tell me again that You are my salvation.”
Isn’t that our need too? In times of fear, confusion, or opposition, what calms our hearts is not simply a change in circumstances but the quiet assurance that God is near and that He has claimed us as His own.
The Spirit of God does this through the Word. He takes the promises of Scripture and presses them into our hearts so that, like David, we can say, “I know that my Redeemer lives” (Job 19:25).
Beloved, do you long for that assurance today? Then pray as David prays: “Say to my soul, I am your salvation.”
C. The Prayer for Justice (vv. 4–8)
David’s plea continues in verses 4 through 8:
“Let them be put to shame and dishonor who seek after my life! Let them be turned back and disappointed who devise evil against me! Let them be like chaff before the wind, with the angel of the LORD driving them away!” (vv. 4–5)
This is strong language, isn’t it? But it is not the language of personal revenge. David is not lashing out in sinful anger. He is entrusting justice to God.
Look at the imagery: his enemies are like chaff before the wind, blown away and scattered. They are like hunters falling into their own traps (v. 8). This is the language of divine justice—the wicked falling into the very pits they have dug for others (cf. Ps. 7:15–16).
And this matters because David is God’s anointed king. Opposition to David is opposition to God’s purposes. To vindicate David is to vindicate God’s covenant promises.
For us, this reminds us that when we pray for God’s justice, we are not asking Him to indulge our bitterness but to uphold His glory and His righteousness in the world.
Romans 12:19 echoes this truth:
“Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’”
D. Anticipation of Praise (vv. 9–10)
Notice how David anticipates the outcome:
“Then my soul will rejoice in the LORD, exulting in his salvation. All my bones shall say, ‘O LORD, who is like you, delivering the poor from him who is too strong for him, the poor and needy from him who robs him?’” (vv. 9–10)
Even as he prays for deliverance, David already looks forward to worship. His faith is not passive resignation but active expectation. He knows that when God delivers, his whole being—“all my bones”—will erupt in praise.
This is what faith looks like. It sees the deliverance before it comes. It rehearses the doxology before the answer arrives.
Can you see the pastoral application here? When you are waiting for God’s help, let your heart rehearse the song of gratitude. Let your soul say, “Who is like You, O Lord?”
E. Christ and Application
This section of the psalm finds its perfect fulfillment in Jesus Christ.
In the Garden of Gethsemane, surrounded by enemies and facing the agony of the cross, Jesus prayed: “Not my will, but yours be done.” (Luke 22:42) He entrusted Himself to His Father, the righteous Judge. On the cross, He bore the full weight of injustice, and in His resurrection, He was vindicated as the Righteous One.
And because of Christ, these words belong to you. You, too, can pray, “Contend, O Lord, with those who contend with me,” knowing that your Defender has already triumphed over every enemy—sin, death, and Satan.
So when you face hostility for your faith, or when lies are told about you, or when opposition rises that you cannot overcome, do not strike back in your own strength. Cry to the Lord. Trust His defense. Rest in His assurance. And begin, even now, to rehearse the song of praise that one day you will sing in full:
“O LORD, who is like You, delivering the poor from him who is too strong for him, the poor and needy from him who robs him?”
II. Lament Over Betrayal and Injustice (vv. 11–18)
The psalm now moves from an urgent plea for help to a deep lament over injustice and betrayal. The imagery grows more personal, more painful.
David has prayed, “Contend, O Lord,” in verses 1–10. Now, in verses 11–18, he lays out his grief before the Lord—not only the danger he faces but the sorrow of being wronged by those he once loved.
A. The Pain of False Accusation (v. 11)
“Malicious witnesses rise up; they ask me of things that I do not know.”
David has been slandered. Lies are spoken. His reputation is attacked. He is accused of things entirely foreign to him.
The language here suggests a courtroom, where “malicious witnesses” testify falsely. David stands condemned in the court of public opinion, powerless to clear his name.
Have you ever been there? When someone twists your words, questions your motives, or spreads falsehoods about you? When what people believe about you bears no resemblance to the truth? Few pains cut deeper than that.
This is not a small offense. In Israel’s covenant society, reputation mattered. To be slandered was to be treated as an outcast.
And this is the path Christ Himself walked. At His trial, the religious leaders brought forward false witnesses. Matthew 26:59–60 records:
“Now the chief priests and the whole council were seeking false testimony against Jesus that they might put him to death, but they found none, though many false witnesses came forward.”
The Righteous One was accused of blasphemy, treason, and rebellion—all lies—yet He opened not His mouth.
Christian, when you are slandered, remember your Savior. When the lies sting, know that He understands. And like David, like Jesus, you can bring your pain to the Father who judges justly.
B. The Agony of Betrayal (vv. 12–14)
“They repay me evil for good; my soul is bereft. But I, when they were sick—I wore sackcloth; I afflicted myself with fasting; I prayed with head bowed on my chest. I went about as though I grieved for my friend or my brother; as one who laments his mother, I bowed down in mourning.”
These verses are some of the most heartbreaking in the psalm. David is not talking about strangers here. He is talking about people he cared for—people for whom he fasted, prayed, and mourned when they were in distress.
Do you feel the depth of that sorrow? These were not distant acquaintances. These were friends, almost family. He prayed for them as though they were brothers. He mourned for them “as one who laments his mother.”
And yet, when the tables turned, they repaid his love with hatred, his kindness with cruelty, his prayers with betrayal.
This is what makes betrayal such a sharp wound: it comes not from enemies far away, but from those close to you. The pain is multiplied because it comes from those you trusted.
This, too, points us straight to Christ.
- Judas, one of the Twelve, betrayed Him with a kiss.
- Peter, one of His closest disciples, denied Him three times.
- The others fled in fear and left Him alone.
Psalm 41:9 prophesied this very pain:
“Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me.”
Beloved, betrayal is bitter. But your Savior knows that bitterness. He has walked that road before you. And because He has, you can run to Him when you taste it.
C. Mockery and Scorn (vv. 15–16)
“But at my stumbling they rejoiced and gathered; they gathered together against me; wretches whom I did not know tore at me without ceasing; like profane mockers at a feast, they gnash at me with their teeth.”
The picture is ugly and humiliating. David describes a mob gathering to mock him, strangers joining in the cruelty, like drunk partiers at a feast, laughing and jeering as they tear at him with words and violence.
Mockery is a form of violence. It dehumanizes. It strips dignity away. And it leaves deep wounds.
Christ endured this, too.
- The soldiers clothed Him in a purple robe, pressed a crown of thorns on His head, and mocked Him: “Hail, King of the Jews!” (Mark 15:18–19)
- The crowds sneered at the cross: “He trusts in God; let God deliver Him now.” (Matt. 27:43)
- Even the criminals crucified with Him hurled insults.
And yet, like a lamb before its shearers is silent, He opened not His mouth.
Here is the lesson for us: there will be times, Christian, when you cannot defend yourself against the lies, when the mockery will not stop. In those moments, you are invited to entrust yourself to the God who sees, who knows, and who will vindicate in His time.
D. A Cry for Rescue (v. 17)
“How long, O Lord, will you look on? Rescue me from their destruction, my precious life from the lions!”
This is one of the most honest prayers in all of Scripture. “How long, O Lord?” It is the prayer of the weary, the wounded, the waiting.
David is not accusing God here. He is clinging to God. He is saying, “Lord, I know You see. I know You care. But how long until You act? How long until You rescue?”
The metaphor shifts here to wild beasts—“lions”—ready to devour him. He feels cornered, vulnerable, near the end.
And yet even here, faith clings to God. “Rescue me,” he prays. “Deliver me.”
Beloved, there is room in the life of faith for “how long?” Faith is not pretending everything is fine. Faith is taking your anguish to the only One who can bear it.
E. Anticipation of Worship (v. 18)
“I will thank you in the great congregation; in the mighty throng I will praise you.”
Notice this: even before the answer comes, David anticipates praise. He looks beyond his present anguish to the day when he will stand among God’s people and testify, “The Lord has delivered me. The Lord has been faithful.”
This is the forward-looking posture of faith. It says, “I will praise Him—not just privately but publicly. I will tell the story of His deliverance so that others may join me in saying, ‘Great is the Lord!’”
F. Christ and Application
This lament is not just David’s lament. It is Christ’s lament.
- The falsely accused Savior.
- The betrayed Savior.
- The mocked Savior.
- The suffering Savior who cried, “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?” and yet entrusted Himself to the Father.
And in Christ, this lament becomes our prayer, too.
For the believer under attack: When you are slandered, remember that your Advocate in heaven pleads your case. You do not have to defend your name. Christ will vindicate you.
For the betrayed: When a friend, a spouse, or a loved one wounds you deeply, run to the Man of Sorrows who knows that pain perfectly.
For the weary and waiting: When you pray “How long?” know that you are in good company. Saints through the ages—and even your Savior—have prayed the same prayer. And know this: though He tarries, He will not delay forever.
And while you wait, begin to rehearse the praise of verse 18. Even in the valley, you can say, “One day, I will stand among God’s people and tell of His faithfulness.”
III. Prayer for Vindication and God’s Glory (vv. 19–28)
The psalm now rises from lament into a bold, confident appeal for vindication. If verses 1–10 are David’s plea for help and verses 11–18 are his lament over betrayal, then verses 19–28 are his climactic cry:
“Lord, act. Judge righteously. Silence the mockers. Show that You are great.”
Here we learn that the final word in the believer’s suffering is not despair, not defeat, but praise.
A. Plea for Justice (vv. 19–21)
“Let not those rejoice over me who are wrongfully my foes, and let not those wink the eye who hate me without cause. For they do not speak peace, but against those who are quiet in the land they devise words of deceit. They open wide their mouths against me; they say, ‘Aha, Aha! Our eyes have seen it!’” (vv. 19–21)
David’s enemies are not passive; they are active in their hatred. They gloat over his suffering, speaking lies with smug confidence, as though their accusations were reality.
Notice the phrase “without cause.” David is not claiming sinless perfection, but he is innocent of what they accuse him of. Their hatred is baseless.
How this points to Jesus! He said in John 15:25, “They hated me without a cause,” quoting the Psalms. He was the truly innocent one, hated not for wrongdoing but because light had come into the world and men loved darkness rather than light.
Beloved, when you are wronged without cause, when others assign to you motives or actions you never held, remember this: your Savior walked that same path. And because He did, you have an Advocate in heaven who understands and intercedes.
B. God Sees and Judges (vv. 22–24)
“You have seen, O LORD; be not silent! O Lord, be not far from me! Awake and rouse yourself for my vindication, for my cause, my God and my Lord! Vindicate me, O LORD, my God, according to your righteousness, and let them not rejoice over me!” (vv. 22–24)
There is such comfort in that opening line: “You have seen, O LORD.”
The world may believe the lies. Friends may turn away. But the Lord sees. He sees the injustice. He knows the truth. Nothing is hidden from His gaze.
And notice how David roots his plea not in personal vengeance but in the character of God: “Vindicate me… according to your righteousness.”
This is so important. David is not demanding that God prove him right for his own ego. He longs for God to show Himself righteous. Vindication, for the believer, is never about personal glory—it is about the glory of God.
Christ in View
Again, this draws our eyes to Christ. On the cross, as lies and mockery surrounded Him, the Lord Jesus entrusted Himself to the Father. Peter tells us:
“When He was reviled, He did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but continued entrusting Himself to Him who judges justly.” (1 Pet. 2:23)
The resurrection is the Father’s answer to that prayer. In raising Christ from the dead, God declared to all creation: “This is My righteous Servant. This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
Application
Christian, this is your hope.
- When injustice rises against you and you are powerless to respond, remember: the Lord sees.
- When accusations come that you cannot disprove, remember: the Lord knows.
- When your name is dragged through the mud, rest in this: the Lord will vindicate you, if not in this life, then in the life to come.
This is why Paul can say in Romans 8:33–34:
“Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.”
C. Vindication Leads to Praise (vv. 25–28)
David closes the psalm with a burst of worship.
“Let them not say in their hearts, ‘Aha, our heart’s desire!’ Let them not say, ‘We have swallowed him up.’ Let them be put to shame and disappointed altogether who rejoice at my calamity! Let them be clothed with shame and dishonor who magnify themselves against me! Let those who delight in my righteousness shout for joy and be glad and say evermore, ‘Great is the LORD, who delights in the welfare of his servant!’ Then my tongue shall tell of your righteousness and of your praise all the day long.” (vv. 25–28)
1. The Silence of the Mockers
Verses 25–26 are a plea that the mouths of the wicked would be silenced. This is not David seeking personal revenge but asking that evil not have the final word. That matters: sin should never seem victorious.
And one day, when Christ returns, every lie will be silenced, every false witness put to shame, every slander exposed as hollow. God’s people will shine, and God will be glorified.
2. The Shouts of the Saints
Verse 27 is the high point:
“Let those who delight in my righteousness shout for joy and be glad and say evermore, ‘Great is the LORD, who delights in the welfare of his servant!’”
Do you see where the focus lands? Not on David. Not on us. But on the Lord—His greatness, His care, His delight in His people. Vindication is not about our reputation but about God’s glory.
Christian, your story—every deliverance, every rescue, every answered prayer—exists to magnify this truth: Great is the Lord.
3. A Tongue of Praise
David ends in verse 28 with a vow:
“Then my tongue shall tell of your righteousness and of your praise all the day long.”
The righteous sufferer will not waste his vindication in silence. He will speak. He will testify. He will tell of God’s righteousness and mercy to anyone who will listen.
D. Christ and Application
This final section finds its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ.
The cross looked like defeat. The enemies gloated, the disciples scattered, the world thought evil had won. But then came Sunday morning. The tomb was empty. The Father vindicated the Son. And the risen Christ declared by His victory that God is just, God is faithful, and God is great.
And because you are united to Christ by faith, His vindication is your vindication. The world may speak lies. The accuser may whisper shame. But none of it will stand in the courtroom of heaven. The verdict has already been rendered: justified in Christ, clothed in His righteousness, secure forever.
Application for the Church
- Live with hope.
Injustice is not the end of the story. God will vindicate His people in His time. - Worship with confidence.
Let verse 27 shape your prayers and your songs: “Great is the LORD, who delights in the welfare of his servant.” - Speak of His greatness.
Like David in verse 28, let your tongue tell of His righteousness. Don’t keep quiet about His goodness. Share testimonies of His faithfulness so that others might see and rejoice.
E. The Crescendo of Praise
This psalm that began in anguish ends in adoration. That is the trajectory of the believer’s life.
Yes, there will be valleys of injustice, betrayal, and opposition. But the end of the story is always worship. Always the declaration:
“Great is the LORD, who delights in the welfare of his servant!”
Conclusion
Psalm 35 begins with a desperate cry and ends with confident praise. David starts by pleading, “Contend, O LORD,” and closes by proclaiming, “Great is the LORD, who delights in the welfare of his servant!”
This is the journey of faith: from desperation, to trust, to worship.
It is the path that Christ Himself walked. Falsely accused, betrayed by His friends, mocked by His enemies, and crucified, He entrusted Himself to His Father. And on the third day, the Father vindicated Him, raising Him in glory.
And now, because of Christ, this psalm is our psalm. When the world lies about us, when friends betray us, when trials surround us, we can cry to the same God, confident that He sees, He knows, and He will act according to His righteousness.
And one day, all who belong to Christ will stand in the great congregation—not just in the courts of Israel, but in the assembly of the redeemed around the throne—and we will cry with one voice, “Great is the LORD, who delights in the welfare of His servants.”
Until that day, let us trust Him. Let us wait for Him. And let us worship Him.
Closing Pastoral Prayer
Almighty and gracious God,
We bow before You in the name of Jesus Christ, our risen and exalted Savior.
We thank You that You are our Defender, our Shield, and our Deliverer. You are the God who fights for Your people, the God who sees injustice and hears the cries of Your children. We praise You that You are not silent, that You do not turn away, but that You delight in the welfare of those who are Yours.
Father, some of us come today carrying the wounds of slander, the sting of betrayal, the weight of opposition. Teach us, O Lord, to do what David did: to bring our pain to You, to cry to You for help, and to rest in Your perfect timing. Give us the grace to trust, not in our strength, but in Your steadfast love and Your unfailing justice.
Lord Jesus, our great High Priest, we thank You that You walked this path before us—that You were betrayed, falsely accused, mocked, and condemned for our sake. We thank You that You bore our sins on the cross, that You triumphed over the grave, and that You now intercede for us at the right hand of the Father. Help us to follow Your example, entrusting ourselves to the One who judges justly.
Holy Spirit, our Comforter, speak to our hearts. Say to our souls, “I am your salvation.” Assure the weak. Strengthen the fainthearted. Fill us with the joy of knowing that nothing—no accusation, no injustice, no trial—can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
And as You vindicate Your people, O God, make us quick to praise You. Let our tongues tell of Your righteousness. Let our lives shine with gratitude. And let Your church, gathered here and scattered throughout the world, proclaim together: “Great is the LORD, who delights in the welfare of His servants.”
We pray these things in the matchless name of Jesus Christ, our Redeemer and King.
Amen.