"Plead my cause, O LORD, with them that strive with me: fight against them that fight against me. Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for mine help. Draw out also the spear, and stop the way against them that persecute me: say unto my soul, I am thy salvation. Let them be confounded and put to shame that seek after my soul: let them be turned back and brought to confusion that devise my hurt. Let them be as chaff before the wind: and let the angel of the LORD chase them. Let their way be dark and slippery: and let the angel of the LORD persecute them. For without cause have they hid for me their net in a pit, which without cause they have digged for my soul. Let destruction come upon him at unawares; and let his net that he hath hid catch himself: into that very destruction let him fall. And my soul shall be joyful in the LORD: it shall rejoice in his salvation. All my bones shall say, LORD, who is like unto thee, which deliverest the poor from him that is too strong for him, yea, the poor and the needy from him that spoileth him? False witnesses did rise up; they laid to my charge things that I knew not. They rewarded me evil for good to the spoiling of my soul. But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into mine own bosom. I behaved myself as though he had been my friend or brother: I bowed down heavily, as one that mourneth for his mother. But in mine adversity they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together: yea, the abjects gathered themselves together against me, and I knew it not; they did tear me, and ceased not: With hypocritical mockers in feasts, they gnashed upon me with their teeth. Lord, how long wilt thou look on? rescue my soul from their destructions, my darling from the lions. I will give thee thanks in the great congregation: I will praise thee among much people. Let not them that are mine enemies wrongfully rejoice over me: neither let them wink with the eye that hate me without a cause. For they speak not peace: but they devise deceitful matters against them that are quiet in the land. Yea, they opened their mouth wide against me, and said, Aha, aha, our eye hath seen it. This thou hast seen, O LORD: keep not silence: O Lord, be not far from me. Stir up thyself, and awake to my judgment, even unto my cause, my God and my Lord. Judge me, O LORD my God, according to thy righteousness; and let them not rejoice over me. Let them not say in their hearts, Ah, so would we have it: let them not say, We have swallowed him up. Let them be ashamed and brought to confusion together that rejoice at mine hurt: let them be clothed with shame and dishonour that magnify themselves against me. Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the LORD be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant. And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long." (Psalms 35:1-28)

            Saul and those who supported him constantly and eagerly conspired to destroy David. David was an innocent and a righteous man. The leaders even turned many common people against David. Most of those who opposed David did so out of a desire to please Saul. David does not try to take personal vengeance against them. He called upon God for deliverance and vengeance. In this psalm, like many others, David professed his righteousness and innocence before God. He felt that any punishment or mistreatment that he received was undeserved. Therefore he pleaded with God for deliverance. His desire was that God would give the evil the punishment that they deserved. In Psalm 35 we again observe David's spirit of gratitude. David prayed for God to deliver him from Saul. This is very similar to 1 Samuel 24:15 where we read, "The LORD therefore be judge, and judge between me and thee, and see, and plead my cause, and deliver me out of thine hand." David promised God that after he has been delivered, he would praise Him all of his life. "Let the LORD be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant. And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long." (Psalm 35:27-28) David offered his prayer to God for help. He names the wicked deeds of his adversaries. He promised God praise after his deliverance.

            An entreaty for God to plead his cause -- Psalm 35:1-10: David appealed to God to fight against his enemies. He had such great respect for God as "Lord." Much of the time we want to be lord of our own life, but David was completely willing for God to be Lord. He knew that God was his only shield and help against the wickedness of the world. He prayed to God to disappoint those who were attempting to kill him. David asked God to send His angels to protect him. "Let them be as chaff before the wind: and let the angel of the LORD chase them." (Psalms 35:5) David asked the Lord to allow his angels to chase his enemies down a dark, slippery road. He had not harmed those who were trying to do him harm. He asked God to trap his enemies in their own nets. David promised that he would celebrate and be joyful when the Lord had saved him.

            An appeal to God to be rescued -- Psalm 35:11-18: David said false charges were being made against him by liars who did not know the truth. He felt alone because these people were repaying evil for his good. David's heart was good so he even fasted and prayed on behalf of his enemies. He was concerned about them as he would have been about a friend or family member. These people that David did not even know were trying to destroy him. These evil people maliciously mocked David and gnashed their teeth against him. He felt as if he was under attack by vicious lions and he asked God to rescue him. David promised God that if He would rescue him that he would give Him thanks in the assembly of the people. He promised that he would praise and thank God in front of them all.

            A petition for God's intervention -- Psalm 35:19-28: David made petition to God that He would not allow his enemies to gloat over him. They hated David but he did not want God to allow them to wink their eye behind his back. The desire of David was to live peaceably. Sadly these enemies "Devised false accusations against those who live quietly in the land." Their words brought much hurt to David. They made false charges against David even saying they had seen it with their own eyes. He knew the Lord had seen this and he asked Him not to keep silent nor be far from him. His petition was the God would fight to defend him. David did not want these people thinking that they could just swallow him down. He asked God to cloth those with shame and disgrace who had exalted themselves against him. David promised God that if He would deliver him that he would speak of His righteousness and that he would praises Him all day long. God has been good to us and we should continually praise and serve Him.

            Let us learn the value of a righteous life. We must put our trust in God and be righteous by means of salvation through the blood of Jesus. Please accept God's wonderful good news that Jesus died for your sins. Will you be baptized into Christ to put on Christ so that your sins can be forgiven by His blood? "For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ." (Galatians 3:26-27) Believers contact Christ's saving blood by being baptized into His death. Those who become children of God are then in a position to lift up the excellent name of the Almighty.