THE SUFFERER’S SONG--PSALM 69
Introduction: There has been some question about the author of this Psalm. Many think that Jeremiah is the author. The reason for this is because the Psalmist suffers because of his zeal for God’s house. The Psalmist is humiliated, scorned and it corresponds with Jeremiah 15:15-18. Then there is the peculiar nature of Jeremiah’s suffering. He was cast into a dungeon, where he sank in the mire. He makes reference to water overflowing him in Lamentations 3:53-58. Then finally, the close of the Psalm in vs. 34-36 is the summary of Jeremiah 30-33. There is a good argument for putting Jeremiah’s signature on this Psalm.
However, the title plainly ascribes the Psalm to David. It is true that these titles of the Psalms are not part of the orignial text, but they are definitely ancient and the jews who wrote the superscriptions knew what they were singing about. The Jews believed that David wrote the Psalm. The key to knowing for sure is found in Romans 11:9. Paul quotes from this Psalm (vs. 22) and clearly states that it is a Psalm of David.
Whatever one chooses to believe about who the author is, we would all agree that the writer is an innocent sufferer. He speaks of deep and difficult affliction.
David penned this psalm when he was in affliction, and in it he complains of the great distress and trouble he was in and earnestly begs of God to relieve and succour him in vs. 1-21. He ask for the judgment of God upon his enemies in vs. 22-29. He concludes with the voice of joy and praise, in assurance that God would help him in vs. 30-36.
I. HIS SITUATION--vs. 1-6
A. Pain - vs. 1-3
1. Here we see the hopelessness and helplessness of the Psalmist.
2. His Trouble was not only from without, but also from within.
3. The Severity of his sufferings is seen in three ways. He gives three figures that express the height of his
troubles.
a. He is in rising water and deep mire.
b. He is in the process of being overwhelmed.
c. He is weary of his crying.
4. The implication here is that if Divine help does not come quickly it will come too late.
5. Here we see:
a. Faith in the midst of Difficulty - “O God”
b. Prayer in the midst of Discouragement - “I am weary”
c. Hope in the midst of Disappointment - “I wait for my God”
B. Persecution - vs. 4
1. Here David speaks of the persecution of his Enemies.
2. He reveals three important facts.
a. Their Multitude - They number more than the hairs of his head.
b. Their Might - They are Mighty
c. Their Madness - They hate him without a cause.
3. They hatred of his enemies was so fierce that they sought his complete destruction.
4. David had done nothing to provoke their anger, but still they compelled him to give up what was rightfully his.
5. Unjustified suffering is the hardest to handle. The tendency is to fight back, but notice what David does in the
next two verses.
C. Prayer - vs. 5-6
1. God’s knowledge is of sin is the best incentive to repent, because it is foolish to try to hide any sin from him
and it is impossible to confess all our sins to him.
2. God’s knowledge of sin is an encouragement to hope for pardon. Because, in the full knowledge of sin, he
has declared himself to be merciful and ready to forgive.
3. In verse 5 we find Confession
a. Although he felt his enemies hated him without a cause, he was not claiming that he was without sin.
b. He may not have sinned against his enemies, but he knew he had sinned against God.
4. In verse 6 we find Concern. He did not want to be the cause of others sin. He did not want to shame God.
II. HIS STATEMENT--vs. 7-12
A. This section he claims there has been a Desertion of Friends and the Delight of Foes.
B. He the Psalmist is:
1. Ridiculed by Drunkards
2. Reviled by his Enemies
3. Renounced by his Relatives
C. To an Honourable man nothing is more bitter and painful than reproach and slander.
1. Notice who is heading the list -- “my mother’s children”
2. His nearest relatives treated him as if he were a stranger and a foreigner
D. Notice why he is suffering reproach
1. It was because of his Faithfulness to God -- vs. 7 “for thy sake”
2. Jesus said in Matthew 5:10-11 “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake...Blessed are
ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.”
3. There are times when our stand for Christ may cause our relatives and friends to shun us.
4. There also may come a time when out stand for Christ may cause us to turn away from our relatives. Matthew
10:34-39
5. If we are not careful, relatives can be the greatest hindrance to our progress in the spiritual realm.
6. Our deepest concern should always be, “is Jesus Christ being glorified in my life?”
III. HIS SUPPLICATION--vs. 13-18
A. Notice the phrase, “in an acceptable time” in verse 13/
1. No time for prayer can be more acceptable to God than when we are suffering persecution for righteousness’
sake.
2. In such a situation God’s grace is sufficient and his mercy is ever extended.
3. Aren’t you glad that we can go to our Father in the time of need.
B. In verse 17 we see
1. Prayer - “Hide not thy face”
2. Person - “Thy Servant”
3. Plea - “For I am in trouble”
4. Pressure - “Here me speedily”
C. The Peril of his situation was one of desperation. He needed help and he needed it quickly. So, he asks God to
hear him, draw near him, and deliver him.
IV. HIS SUFFERING--vs. 19-21
A. God knows all about his people’s suffering.
1. He knows how much, how long, from whom, and for what.
2. Trials are permitted by God, and he will not more on us than we are able to bear. I Cor. 10:13; II Cor. 12:9
B. In verse 5 David said, “thou knowest my foolishness” but now he says, “thou knowest my reproach”
1. It is good to know that God knows.
2. It is a comfort to the saint to realize that God knows not only his sins, but also his sufferings.
C. Notice that David is dejected not only by the presence of his foes, but also by the absence of his friends.
D. THE FAILURE OF OUR FRIENDS IS OFTEN HARDER THAN THE FURY OF OUR FOES!!!
V. HIS SENTENCE--vs. 22-28
A. When the Psalmist thought of himself, he took refuge in God; but when he thinks of his enemies, he breaks out
into fierce denunciation.
B. This is a terrible passage because David curses his enemies and sentences them:
1. That the pleasures of life may become a curse to them.
2. That they may be deprived of understanding and strength.
3. That they and their own should be rooted out of the land.
4. That they be confirmed in their sin.
5. That they may be excluded from the kingdom and the people of God.
6. That God would pour upon them His severest wrath.
7. That God would blot them out of the book of Life.
C. This Passage proves that the best of men get to the point of discouragement of taking a baseball bat to their
enemies head.
D. That Spirit is not the Christlike one, but at times that the way we feel.
E. Pushing those feelings down and praying for your enemies is what would be like Jesus, but it’s good to know
that even the man after God’s own heart felt the same way I do a lot of times.
F. The Christians attitude toward persecution is found in Romans 12:19-21
VI. HIS SECURITY--vs. 29-36
A. Here David passes from Terrible Denunciations to Triumphant Anticipation.
B. All righteous sufferers shall certainly in due time be deliveredd from all their sorrows.
C. The Psalmist expresses his confidence that God will deliver him, and that others will be encouraged because of
his deliverance.
Conclusion: God will protect his people from generation to generation. Empires come and go; heathen religions eventually perish; but the Church shall never pass away. The Church may be threatened and opposed, but is shall not be overcome. The afflicted are not neglected by God. Thus when God delivers, we should give him the glory.
