Psalm 69 – Living to honor God

Psalm 69 is another song attributed to David who had written it for the choir director. It was to be sung to the tune of Shoshannim. The theme of this Psalm is on unjust suffering. Hence several verses of this Psalm had been quoted by the New Testament to depict how unjustly Jesus was treated. In John 15:25, Jesus quoting verse 4 said that the people hated Him without a cause. In John 2:17 we are told that after Christ had cleansed the temple of Jerusalem the first time, His disciples remembered Psalm 69:9 that said, “…the zeal of the Lord had consumed me.” In Romans 15:3, Paul quoted the second half of verse 9 to encourage the believers to emulate Christ and bear the reproach of their brethren. Romans 11:9-10 Paul also quoted verses 22-23 to show the reticent state of the nation of Israel, and how that led the Lord to consider the plight of the Gentiles. Acts 1:20 the author, in referring to the outcome of Judas Iscariot and his possession, quoted verse 25. So we can see that while David was talking about himself and his experience, there were moments that he seemed to be referring to Christ. And at other times he was referring to Israel and even to Judas Iscariot.  

Broadly speaking, this Psalm can be divided into two broad headings. David’s desperate prayer for help in verses 1-28 and the salvation promised in verses 29-36. David began by describing his dire situation in verses 1-3. He then went on to give what he saw was the possible reason for his affliction and described them in verses 4-12. That led him to petition to God in verses 13-18. In his petition he prayed to God with hope, trusting Him to intervene. In verses 19-21 he then rehearsed the troubles that assailed him. He narrated how his enemies had shamed him and brought dishonor on him. He was so heartbroken and weighed down with heaviness as he was left bereft of all comfort. David then call for vengeance on his enemies in verses 22-28.

Then as David looked forward to the future in verses 29-35, he was confident that God would deliver him. So he praised and thank God. He was certain that all the righteous would be encouraged by his deliverance. David had always trusted the Lord and knew that God had a great plan for His land and people. He was confident that God would save Zion, and the cities of Judah would be rebuilt, and the people would finally stay in those cities.    

In afflictions we must learn to commit ourselves to God so that we will not be overtaken by bitterness and sink into despair and resentment. This Psalm tells us that David was wrongfully hated and the words he used to describe his plight referred more to Christ than to himself. Our Lord was hated by the very people He came to love. He did not retaliate to what was hurled at Him. We must remember what Peter had said in his letter to the early Christians. “He (Christ) has left us an example that we should walk in His steps.” Like Him, let us not allow the unjust treatment we receive at the hand of others to get us down. Especially when we are seeking to honor God in our life. We must stand on the truth and live rightly. Let’s not be afraid of what others may think of us as we stand firm in God. Let’s live to honor Him!