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Psalm 69

From: Short Meditations on the Psalms: Chiefly in Their Prophectic Character By: John Gifford Bellett

Psalm 69 • 3 min. read • grade level: 8

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In this solemn and affecting Psalm, we listen to an utterance of the Son of Man. His soul passes through the sense of His sorrow, and the anticipation of the judgment of His persecutors, up to His resurrection and His kingdom in Zion in the latter day. We have the communion of the soul of Jesus with God, both as the one who was able to save Him from death (Heb. 5), and as the one who judgeth righteously (1 Peter 2). For He cries to the one, and commits the keeping of Himself to the other. And thus this Psalm illustrates those two things taught us by the Apostles in those two passages: so perfectly do the lights that shine in the old and new Scriptures, whether in the Psalms or Prophets, or in the Epistles or Apostles, blend together.

We may distribute it into the following sections or parts—Psa. 69:1-12¹<<To the chief Musician upon Shoshannim, A Psalm of David.>> Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto my soul. ²I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me. ³I am weary of my crying: my throat is dried: mine eyes fail while I wait for my God. ⁴They 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. ⁵O God, thou knowest my foolishness; and my sins are not hid from thee. ⁶Let 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. ⁷Because for thy sake I have borne reproach; shame hath covered my face. ⁸I am become a stranger unto my brethren, and an alien unto my mother's children. ⁹For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me. ¹⁰When I wept, and chastened my soul with fasting, that was to my reproach. ¹¹I made sackcloth also my garment; and I became a proverb to them. ¹²They that sit in the gate speak against me; and I was the song of the drunkards. (Psalm 69:1‑12). Jesus the Son of Man utters His sorrows.

NOTE—Psalm69:5 shows how He identified Himself with His elect (2 Cor. 5:21²¹For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. (2 Corinthians 5:21)), and it is comfort to us to know that our sins have been thus confessed. And God knew the secret of all Jesus’ grief, though man did not. (See Isa. 53:4⁴Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. (Isaiah 53:4).) Psalm 69:6⁶Let 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. (Psalm 69:6): He desires that none may be stumbled or offended because of His shame and sorrow (Matt. 11:6⁶And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me. (Matthew 11:6)), but learn that it was borne for others. For the affliction of the righteous one will be an offense to them who do not understand and value this. His sorrows from the hand of man were for God’s glory in the world; His sorrows from the hand of God were for our atonement and salvation forever. Psalm 69:4⁴They 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 69:4) is quoted by the Lord Himself in John 15.

Psalm 69:13-18¹³But 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. ¹⁴Deliver 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. ¹⁵Let not the waterflood overflow me, neither let the deep swallow me up, and let not the pit shut her mouth upon me. ¹⁶Hear me, O Lord; for thy lovingkindness is good: turn unto me according to the multitude of thy tender mercies. ¹⁷And hide not thy face from thy servant; for I am in trouble: hear me speedily. ¹⁸Draw nigh unto my soul, and redeem it: deliver me because of mine enemies. (Psalm 69:13‑18). He discloses His source of relief and support in these sorrows. As He says in another place, “for My love they are My adversaries; but I give Myself unto prayer.” He committed Himself to God (Psa. 109:4⁴For my love they are my adversaries: but I give myself unto prayer. (Psalm 109:4)).

Psalm 69:19-28¹⁹Thou hast known my reproach, and my shame, and my dishonor: mine adversaries are all before thee. ²⁰Reproach 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. ²¹They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink. ²²Let their table become a snare before them: and that which should have been for their welfare, let it become a trap. ²³Let their eyes be darkened, that they see not; and make their loins continually to shake. ²⁴Pour out thine indignation upon them, and let thy wrathful anger take hold of them. ²⁵Let their habitation be desolate; and let none dwell in their tents. ²⁶For they persecute him whom thou hast smitten; and they talk to the grief of those whom thou hast wounded. ²⁷Add iniquity unto their iniquity: and let them not come into thy righteousness. ²⁸Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous. (Psalm 69:19‑28). He arraigns His Jewish persecutors and calls for judgment.

Note—This is accordingly the occasion of the present state of Israel. (See Rom. 11:8-10⁸(According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day. ⁹And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them: ¹⁰Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway. (Romans 11:8‑10).) Judgment rests on them, their souls, bodies, and estate. Their system, as God’s witness, and God’s nation, is in ruins.

Psalm 69:29-31²⁹But I am poor and sorrowful: let thy salvation, O God, set me up on high. ³⁰I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving. ³¹This also shall please the Lord better than an ox or bullock that hath horns and hoofs. (Psalm 69:29‑31). He pleads for resurrection, making His vow of praise.

Note—“He was heard in that He feared,” or, “for His piety” (Heb. 5:7⁷Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared; (Hebrews 5:7)). He was delivered out of the pit, in one view of the resurrection, by His own virtue and holiness (Psa. 16:10¹⁰For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. (Psalm 16:10)). His people are delivered through His blood (Zech. 9:11¹¹As for thee also, by the blood of thy covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water. (Zechariah 9:11), Heb. 13:20²⁰Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, (Hebrews 13:20)). But the great enemy is bound there (Rev. 20:1-3¹And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. ²And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, ³And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season. (Revelation 20:1‑3)).

He will pay the vows He here makes. (See Psa. 116.) And this praise for resurrection is more grateful to God than sacrifices of oxen and bullocks in remembrance of sin. And it is in fellowship with Jesus in resurrection that the saints now worship. There they lay, as on a new altar, their sacrifices of praise. (Heb. 13:10,15¹⁰We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle. (Hebrews 13:10)
¹⁵By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. (Hebrews 13:15).)

Psalm 69:32-36³²The humble shall see this, and be glad: and your heart shall live that seek God. ³³For the Lord heareth the poor, and despiseth not his prisoners. ³⁴Let the heaven and earth praise him, the seas, and every thing that moveth therein. ³⁵For God will save Zion, and will build the cities of Judah: that they may dwell there, and have it in possession. ³⁶The seed also of his servants shall inherit it: and they that love his name shall dwell therein. (Psalm 69:32‑36). He anticipates Israel’s repentance, and then the kingdom.

NOTE—“His prisoners” is the title for the Remnant (Zech. 9:11-12¹¹As for thee also, by the blood of thy covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water. ¹²Turn you to the strong hold, ye prisoners of hope: even to day do I declare that I will render double unto thee; (Zechariah 9:11‑12)). Compare Psalm 69:32³²The humble shall see this, and be glad: and your heart shall live that seek God. (Psalm 69:32) with Psalm 22:26²⁶The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the Lord that seek him: your heart shall live for ever. (Psalm 22:26), where the Remnant are clearly intended. The common joy of heaven and earth, as attendant on the restoration of Zion to be the dwelling-place of His once poor but now enriched people, is sweetly anticipated.

Thus, in this very blessed Psalm, the spirit of Christ muses onward from His suffering up to the full joy of His expected kingdom.

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Short Meditations on the Psalms: Chiefly in Their Prophectic Character

• Psalm 69