"I will give thee thanks in the great congregation: I will praise thee among much people."
Psalm 35:18
In this Psalm, David is undergoing a time of persecution from an unnamed aggressor. We are not told why he is being hounded by his adversary, just that he is under attack and needs the LORD’s help. Where some oppressed individuals lash out and blame God for their troubles, David is still blessing his God. Even while telling the LORD of his plight, he promises God two things upon his deliverance (vv. 18, 28).
“I will give thee thanks.”
David’s guarantee. Unfortunately, a promise is only as good as the word of the one giving it. In David’s case, the commitment can be trusted because he has shown time and again that he is trustworthy, and he keeps his word. All through the psalms, we read of David’s thanks to the LORD for His working in is life.
“Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the heathen, and sing praises unto thy name” (Psalm 18:49).
“In the great congregation:”
David is not ashamed of His God. In fact, he wants everyone in Israel to know who his God is and what God is doing in his life. David will share his thanks to Jehovah without shame, in public. Out in front of the household of Israel, the “great congregation,” David says he will honor his LORD by doing these things.
Public thanksgiving.
“I will give thee thanks,” (Psalm 35:18)
Public declaration of His name.
“I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee” (Psalm 22:22).
Public praise.
“My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation: I will pay my vows before them that fear him” (Psalm 22:25).
Public preaching of righteousness.
“I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O LORD, thou knowest” (Psalm 40:9).
Believers, why should we share what God is doing in our lives publicly?
“All the saints should be informed of the Lord’s goodness. The theme is worthy of the largest assembly; the experience of a believer is a subject fit for an assembled universe to hear of. Most men publish their griefs, good men should proclaim their mercies” [1] (Spurgeon).
“I will praise thee.”
“I will praise thee, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvelous works. I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High” (Psalm 9:1-2).
“And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long” (Psalm 35:28).
“I will praise thee for ever because thou hast done it: and I will wait on thy name; for it is good before thy saints” (Psalm 52:9).
“Among much people.”
“Much” means “mighty, vast, numerous…strong (in number)… countless”[2] (BDB). In other words, a large crowd of people as when Israel gathered to worship together as a nation.
“Praise ye the LORD. Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints” (Psalm 149:1).
A lesson for us today is that David not only offered his praise and thanks to the LORD in his own times with Him, but he was willing to go public and make his personal feelings about God known for others to witness.
Dear Lord, I thank you for your grace and care for me. I will tell others!
[1] C.H. Spurgeon, Treasury of David, the electronic version in eSword.
[2] Brown, Driver, Briggs. Brown-Driver-Briggs’ Hebrew Definitions, the electronic version in eSword.