Psalm 69:1-36
To the chief Musician
upon Shoshannim, A Psalm of David.
This psalm was meant to be accompanied by the trumpet.
Save me, O God; for
the waters are come in unto my soul. I
sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters,
where the floods overflow me. I am weary
of my crying: my throat is dried: mine eyes fail while I wait for my God. They that hate me without a cause are more
than the hairs of mine head: they that would destroy me, being mine enemies
wrongfully, are mighty: then I restored that which I took not away.” (Psalm 69:1-4)
Like everyone, David frequently felt discouraged or
depressed, and this Psalm describes one of those times. When he started the song. He felt like a
person sinking in quick sand, with the water constantly getting closer to his
head. He had cried out to God for help
until his throat was raw and his eyes were tired of watching. His enemies were attacking and accusing him,
to the point he was paying things he didn’t owe to eliminate any appearance of
evil.
“O God, thou knowest
my foolishness; and my sins are not hid from thee. Let not them that wait on thee, O Lord GOD of
hosts, be ashamed for my sake: let not those that seek thee be confounded for
my sake, O God of Israel. Because for
thy sake I have borne reproach; shame hath covered my face.” (Psalm 69:5-7)
David was aware that his own actions might have caused some
of his problems, and he asks that others who believed in God not be discouraged
as a result of what was happening to him.
He has taken the blame and disgrace for God’s sake, unable to prove his
innocence.
“I am become a
stranger unto my brethren, and an alien unto my mother's children. For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up;
and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me. When I wept, and chastened my soul with
fasting, that was to my reproach. I made
sackcloth also my garment; and I became a proverb to them. They that sit in the gate speak against me;
and I was the song of the drunkards.” (Psalm 69:8-12)
His desire to please God and his discouragement was
preventing David from being able to spend time with his brothers and sisters,
and those who hated God were accusing him of doing wrong. The harder he tried to please God, the more
they accused him. They were holding him
up as a bad example and a warning against serving God.
“But as for me, my
prayer is unto thee, O LORD, in an acceptable time: O God, in the multitude of
thy mercy hear me, in the truth of thy salvation. Deliver me out of the mire, and let me not
sink: let me be delivered from them that hate me, and out of the deep waters. Let not the waterflood overflow me, neither let
the deep swallow me up, and let not the pit shut her mouth upon me.
Hear me, O LORD; for
thy lovingkindness is good: turn unto me according to the multitude of thy
tender mercies. And hide not thy face
from thy servant; for I am in trouble: hear me speedily. Draw nigh unto my soul, and redeem it: deliver
me because of mine enemies. Ps 69:19 Thou hast known my reproach, and my shame,
and my dishonour: mine adversaries are all before thee.” (Psalm 69:13-19)
Despite his discouragement, David was trusting God to take
care of him. Though it wasn’t happening
when he hoped, David still believed God would rescue him at the proper
time. He wouldn’t allow him to drown in
his despair. He knew God still loved
him, but he would sure appreciate God acting on his behalf soon. After all, God knew everything about
him.
“Reproach hath broken
my heart; and I am full of heaviness: and I looked for some to take pity, but
there was none; and for comforters, but I found none. They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my
thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.” (Psalm 69:20-21)
He was so discouraged by the accusations and kept hoping
somebody would share something that would give relief. Instead it seemed like everyone was out to
push him down even further.
“Let their table
become a snare before them: and that which should have been for their welfare,
let it become a trap. Let their eyes be
darkened, that they see not; and make their loins continually to shake. Pour out thine indignation upon them, and let
thy wrathful anger take hold of them. Let their habitation be desolate; and let none
dwell in their tents. For they persecute
him whom thou hast smitten; and they talk to the grief of those whom thou hast wounded.
Add iniquity unto their iniquity: and
let them not come into thy righteousness. Let them be blotted out of the book of the
living, and not be written with the righteous.” (Psalm 69:22-28)
David asked that those who were so determinedly trying to
destroy him begin to suffer as a result.
He prayed that the things they
were counting as blessings turned out to be curses instead, and that they would
find themselves in the same kind of fear he was experiencing. He prayed they might soon know God’s
judgment, because of what they were doing to a person who tried to serve
God. If they would not change, he asked
that they lose their lives.
“But I am poor and
sorrowful: let thy salvation, O God, set me up on high. I will praise the name of God with a song, and
will magnify him with thanksgiving. This
also shall please the LORD better than an ox or bullock that hath horns and
hoofs.
The humble shall see
this, and be glad: and your heart shall live that seek God. For the LORD heareth the poor, and despiseth
not his prisoners. Let the heaven and
earth praise him, the seas, and every thing that moveth therein. For God will save Zion, and will build the
cities of Judah: that they may dwell there, and have it in possession. The seed also of his servants shall inherit
it: and they that love his name shall dwell therein. ” (Psalm 69:29-36)
He promises to serve and praise God no matter what happens,
and knows that it is what God wants more than any sacrifice he could
offer. He asks that God would set him
free because it would be an encouragement to others who were seeking to please
God. It would result in the entire earth
praising God, not just David, and God’s people would be able to live
there.
No comments:
Post a Comment