Psalms 35:13

Psalms 35:13-14 says, “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.”

Psalms 35 is a Psalms which teaches about persecution against the Christian. The most important truth to remember when battling against the forces of evil and against spiritual wickedness in high places is that Jesus will: plead, strive, and fight for you. It is God that lets and does not let because God is all powerful and therefore God is always in control. Keep the faith and endure. Continue faithfully serving Christ.

Concerning those that persecute the Christian these verses in Psalms 35 tell us how we should respond to them. These verses basically say the same thing that Jesus taught in Matthew 5:44, “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.” Jesus also said in the gospel of Luke 6:35, “But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.”

As Christian one of the hardest thing to do in these last days when there is such great persecution again the believer is to love your enemies. To love your enemies does not mean that you let them walk all over you or take advantage of you. But it does mean that even though you hate the evil that is done unto you, still you pray for them, forgive them when they wrong you, and strive to be a testimony to them by the example of your faith in the promises of God, by praying for them, and by staying separated from the world.

When men do evil unto you, do not do evil in return. To love your enemies means just as it says here in Psalms 35 Psalms 35:13-14, “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.”

Forgive them. Help them when you can. Have compassion on them because you know that they are lost in sin. If they die without Christ they will suffer the eternal judgments of hell.

“I humbled my soul with fasting,” says Psalms 35. The spiritual is always more important than the physical. The Bible says in Second John 2:5-11, “And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another. And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it. For many deceivers area entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. Look to yourselves that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward. Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.”

Regarding the teaching of to love your enemies one of the most important things to remember as a Christian is to stay separated from the world. There is no love in the compromising of the truth. Second John verse 6 says, “And this is love, that we walk after his commandments.”

The only true way to love your enemies is to stay faithful to the teachings of the Bible and to the Gospel of Jesus Christ who loved us and washed from our sins in his own blood.

Psalms 35:14 says, “I behaved myself as though he had been my friend or brother: I bowed down heavily, as one that mourneth for his mother.”

If someone is truly your friend or your brother then you will want to be a good example to them: an example of faith in the promises of God and an example of righteousness by separation from the world.

One of the greatest failures of Christians today is the failure to separate from the world. Because they have failed to separate from the world and the false teachings of the world, they have failed to love their enemies.

Sadly very often even though Christians love their enemies what happens in return is they receive even greater hatred and persecution. Psalms 35:15-17 says, “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.”

Notice the word abjects. This word means a railer or a slanderer. It means, “to smite with the tongue.” Now consider the rest of the language used in these verses. The persecutors are described as hypocritical mockers and lions. They tear and do not cease. They cast their nets in secret against the Christian. They gnash upon with their teeth.

Persecution is a fiery trial. It can be a terrible cross to bare. But the truth must be spoken. The Word of God must be preached. There is a battle being fought for the souls of men. Persecution cannot stop the spread of God’s Word.

Love your enemies. Pray for those that oppose the truth. Stay separated from the world. Endure your fiery trials. And stay faithful to the Word of God.

In these verses which give us detail about persecution the phrase, “they gnashed upon me with their teeth” is a very important phrase. Jesus said something very similar in Luke 13:28 which says, “There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out.”

There is a judgment coming for the wicked because God is Holy. Men will reap what they sow. The wicked of this world whom oppose the truth of God’s Word and refuse to repent, who gnash on the Christian with their teeth, will one day be judged by Christ for the evil which they have done. When they are cast into hell for all eternity they will weep and gnash their teeth.

This is the reason the truth must be spoken. This is the reason the Word of God will be preached regardless of the opposition against it. Oh how wonderful is the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The Bible says in John 3:16-21, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.”

Jesus Christ came to this earth born of a virgin. He died on the cross for the sins of the world. He was buried and He rose again the 3^rd day. There is forgiveness of sins, redemption and eternal life for all those whom repent and trust in Jesus.

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