Psalms 35:18

Psalms 35:18 says, “I will give thee thanks in the great congregation: I will praise thee among much people.”

Psalms 35 is a Psalms about persecution. There is great opposition in this world against Jesus Christ, the Bible, and those who have repent of their sins and trusted in Jesus.

Concerning persecution there are some very important truths to remember. First and most importantly just as it says in Psalms 35:1 it is Jesus himself that will, “plead, strive, and fight” against those that fight against the Bible.

It is Christ the all-powerful and only true living God, the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end, the I am that I am, the eternally existent one, Jehovah, it is Jesus Christ who lets and does not let. God is control.

Even though the wicked of this world are laying their snares and casting their nets and digging pits for the Christian, we have victory in Jesus because there is forgiveness of sins in His name.

Persecution, the fiery trials, and the unimaginable sufferings that come the way of the Christian will cause us to cry out in all of our bones just as it says in Psalms 35:17, “Lord, how long wilt thou look on? Rescue my soul from their destruction, my darling from the lions.”

They slander, they cast nets, they tear at the soul, they gnash upon with their teeth, they are hypocritical mockers that smite with their tongue, that flatter with their lips and cast snares.

Despite all of these things Psalms 35:8 says, “I will give thee thanks in the great congregation: I will praise thee among much people.”

There is always something to be thankful to Jesus Christ for. Even if all other blessings in life are taken away from you because of persecution there is always the gospel of Jesus Christ and the forgiveness of sins, the redemption and eternal life, the inheritance, and all spiritual blessings in heavenly places.

Ephesians 1:18-20 says, “The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places.”

The resurrection from the dead is the great hope of the child of God. When persecution comes your way, if anything it should purify your faith in Christ and in the promises of the Bible and the result will be a greater love for the Gospel of Jesus Christ who washed us from our sins in his own blood. The rapture is coming or more appropriately called the resurrection. These are the last days. The mystery of iniquity is at work in this world. But the mystery of Godliness is at work in this world too. Persecution cannot stop the word of God.

The great temptation for some Christians when persecution comes their way, especially slander is to shy away from it and to hide their Christianity. Psalms 35:18 says, “I will give thee thanks in the great congregation: I will praise thee among much people.”

In other words, do not hide the fact that you are a follower of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Especially do not hide the fact that you are a Christian in times of persecution. There is no greater time to be a witness for the gospel of Jesus Christ than in times of persecution.

Jesus said in Matthew 5:14-16, “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”

Psalms 35:18 says, “I will give thee thanks in the great congregation: I will praise thee among much people.”

Very few people in this world say good things about Jesus Christ and the Bible. It is good to praise God. Praise him among the other believers but also praise him among the lost people of the world. Don’t let slander keep you from serving Jesus. Don’t let slander cause you to hide your light for the gospel of Jesus Christ and His word. Don’t let persecution keep you from telling others that Jesus died for your sins. Praise the name of Christ among the congregation and among the lost people of this world because Jesus died for your sins and rose again. And you have been redeemed.

The Bible goes on to say in Psalms 35:19, “Let not them that are mine enemies wrongfully rejoice over me: neither let them wink with the eye that hate me without a cause.”

This verse gives us more understanding about persecution and those that persecute the Christian because they hate Jesus of Nazareth and the Word of God. The word “wrongful” is a word that means to lie. And the phrase, “wink with the eye” is a phrase that refers to a gesture of malice. It means to cause destruction.

Those who persecute do so to cause destruction. They oppose the will of God. Therefore they will try to destroy the Christian’s testimony. They will try to get the Christian to sin. They will persecute the Christian and make it look like the Christian has sinned when it is them. Their goal is to destroy the truth in any way they can. This is why they are wolves in sheep’s clothing. This is why they are casting their nets in secret.

Notice what the next verse in Psalms has to say about them. Psalms 35:20 says, “For they speak not peace: but they devise deceitful matters against them that are quiet in the land.”

The phrase, “them that are quiet in the land,” tells us something very important. This phrase, “them that are quiet in the land,” helps us to understand the meaning of the word, “let.” The word “let” is used 12 times in Psalms chapter 35.

2 Thessalonians 2:7 says of the Spirit of God, “For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.”

“Them that are quiet in the land,” is a phrase that refers to the Christian. The spirit of God restrains evil. All men are sinners. All men have a sinful nature. But those who have repented of their sins and trusted in Jesus Christ for salvation have the Spirit of God inside of them. They have a new nature. Once dead in sins they are made alive in Christ.

Second Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

The lost people of this world are referred to in Ephesians 2:2-3 as, “children of disobendience, children of wrath.” Without Christ a man is controlled only by his nature and by the forces of evil.

Now consider again the phrase, “Them that are quiet in the land.” The word quiet is a word that means, “restraining the waves when the sea raged.” This word quiet is found in Isaiah 51:15 and is translated divideth. “But I am the LORD thy God, that divideth the sea, whose waves roared: The LORD of hosts is his name.”

Who is it that restrains the waves of the sea of nations and peoples and tongues upon this earth? Who is it that restrains the sea of lost people who are dead in sin, who are the children of wrath. It is Jesus Christ through His Spirit that dwells within the Christian that restrains the waves of the sea.

The devil is the destroyer. The word devil means slanderer. He will use the governments of this world and the lost of this world to persecute the Christian and oppose the Bible.

We can be thankful that peace is found in Jesus Christ the only begotten son of God who died on the cross for the sins of the world, was buried and rose again the 3^rd day. I will give thanks because Jesus died for my sins. I will give thanks because despite persecution it is God that letteth. I will give thanks because in the end there is victory in Jesus.

The wicked of this world are casting their nets against the Christian. But Jesus is the one who pleads, strives, and fights for us. He that letteth will let. When persecution comes your way don’t let it stop you from serving Christ. Rather let it be the fire that fuels your faith in Christ and in His promises.

The Bible says in Ephesians 1:3 and 7, “Blessed be the God and Father of our LORD Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.”

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