By Sharon Loomis

Psalm 35:11 “Malicious witnesses testify against me. They accuse me of crimes I know nothing about.” (NLT) (600-500 BC)

Psalm 22:7 “Everyone who sees me mocks me. They sneer and shake their heads, …” (NLT) (600-500 BC)

Matthew 1:18-25 “…Mary… But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. Joseph …  did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly. … ‘Joseph … do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. …But he did not have sexual relations with her until her son was born. …” (NLT)

In today’s world, unwed pregnancy is so common we rarely give it a thought. In Mary and Joseph’s time it was punishable by stoning because of the shame it would bring to the betrothed and their families. Can you imagine the hateful gossip Mary and Joseph must have endured because people did not understand their situation?

Their ancestor, King David, also faced venomous gossip many times in his life, not only from enemies but from friends and family as well. David recorded these difficult days in the psalms he wrote. More than seventy psalms are attributed to his authorship. He also recorded the resolutions of these difficult times with his reliance on the Lord.

The psalms are a prophetic reflection of the life of Jesus. I think, perhaps, God worked in David’s life to produce these writings as a way for people throughout the ages to see what Jesus suffered and endured for our sake. The very people who should have been paying attention to scripture actually became the malicious witnesses mentioned in the Davidic psalms.

Mary and Joseph had to fix their eyes on the Lord and hold fast to His plan, in spite of the disbelief and accusations of others. Their ancestor, King David, flawed with human failings, always focused on the goodness of God, trusting Him for protection and redemption. Jesus left heaven and came to earth trusting and relying on God, the Father. He was willing to endure ‘humanness’ so that we, too, can have an eternal relationship with God.

Food For Thought

Have you harbored malicious thoughts about someone without understanding the whole situation? Do you need to seek forgiveness for those thoughts and words that are not uplifting?