‘FROM SINKING TO SINGING’
Read Psalm 69
Q: General impressions?
INTRODUCTION
Psalm 22 and Psalm 69 are the two most-quoted psalms in the New Testament.
Both ‘messianic’ psalms
Both psalms of David.
Both psalms of lament.
Psalm 22 more popular with preachers.
Psalm 69 contains curses (imprecations). Psalm 69 contains the longest section of imprecations of any psalm.
Psalm starts with David describing himself as sinking in the mire. Context is being persecuted as a result of zeal for God’s house – see verses 7 and 9.
Psalm finishes with David with a song on his lips, glad, thanking God.
Look at curses (imprecations) in verses 22-28. They're a problem!
Q: HOW DOES DAVID FINISH THESE IMPRECATIONS? (v.28)
Q: IN THESE IMPRECATIONS IS DAVID EXPRESSING A RIGHT THOUGHT OR A WRONG THOUGHT?
Put that to one side, come back to it later.
Long psalm. We will focus on how the New Testament uses it. Five main verses in the psalm that the New Testament picks up on.
~HATRED
PSALM 69:4
More in number than the hairs of my head
are those who hate me without cause…
JOHN 15:23-25
Whoever hates me hates my Father also. If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without a cause.’
Q: Who is speaking?
A: Jesus.
Q: What was Jesus’ experience?
A: Jesus found that people hated him even though he was only doing good.
Q: How did Jesus use the psalm?
A: He applied it directly to himself. He speaks as though the psalm is about him.
Q: In view of the way Jesus used the psalm, is it likely that the thoughts expressed in the psalm are wrong?
A: I don’t think so!
Q: How did the psalm help him?
A: This psalm gave him comfort because it says, basically, ‘This is how it will be for God’s servant’. It may not be fair, but it’s to be expected. People will hate us for no reason. It’s just the way it is. Let’s not let it bother us. We’ve got good things coming our way.
Q: Can the psalm help us in the same way?
[NOTE FOR LEADER
As we progress through the psalm, we find that David:
1. Feels as though he’s sinking
2. Experiences hatred
3. Has a consuming zeal
4. Experiences reproach
5. Experiences persecution
6. Prays for God to judge his persecutors
7. Concludes with praise and singing
Presumably, this was David’s experience. The NT quotes nos. 2-6 in relation to Jesus or his ministry.
And the pattern of the psalm is true for many of us too.]
~CONSUMING ZEAL
PSALM 69:9a
For zeal for your house has consumed me…
JOHN 2:17
His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.”
Q: Who is speaking?
A: Jesus’ disciples.
Q: What is context?
A: Jesus has driven the traders out of the temple.
Q: Why did Jesus’ disciples think this verse was appropriate for what Jesus did?
A: They saw in Jesus a passion for the purity of God’s house. They recognized that it fitted with this psalm. Jesus was fulfilling scripture.
Q: What can we see about the disciples’ knowledge of the psalms?
A: Can’t say generally, but it looks like they knew THIS psalm well.
Q: If the disciples knew THIS psalm well, is it likely that they felt that the thoughts expressed in the psalm were wrong?
A: I don’t think so!
Q: What do you think of the phrase ‘consume me’?
A: Jesus’ passion was so great that it cost him his life.
Q: Should we display that sort of passion for God’s house?
A: Absolutely! We want to be in the image of Christ. We are also called to be living sacrifices.
~REPROACH
PSALM 69:9b
and the reproaches of those who reproach you have fallen on me.
ROMANS 15:1-4
We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbour for his good, to build him up. For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
Q: Who is speaking?
A: Paul
Q: What’s the point he’s making?
A: We should bear with the failings of the weak rather than pleasing ourselves.
Q: How does he make that point?
A: Jesus is a great example of bearing with the failings of the weak. In doing so, Jesus followed the pattern of Psalm 69:9.
Q: Looking at verse 4, Paul makes a more general claim. What is it?
A: Jesus’ following the pattern of Psalm 69:9 indicates the general value of the Old Testament scriptures.
Q: Is it likely that Paul would use Psalm 69 as an example of the value of Old Testament scripture if he felt that the thoughts expressed in the psalm were wrong?
A: I don’t think so!
Q: Psalm 69:9b applies to Jesus. Does it also apply to us? What do we have to do?
A: Yes, of course! We should bear with the failings of the weak.
~PERSECUTION
PSALM 69:21
They gave me poison for food,
and for my thirst they gave me sour wine to drink.
JOHN 19:28-30
After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfil the Scripture), “I thirst.” A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished”, and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
Q: Why does Jesus say, ‘I thirst?’
A1: John says ‘To fulfil the scripture.’ That could mean that he did it in order to fulfil scripture, or that by doing it, he was fulfilling scripture.
A2: Because he was thirsty. Jesus was fully human.
Q: How many times does John use the phrase ‘sour wine’?
A: Three.
Q: Why might John emphasise this phrase so much?
A: It draws our attention to Psalm 69. It shows that Jesus’ death wasn’t a massive mistake. It’s what God planned 1000 years previously. No wonder John likes it!
Q: Let’s suppose that Jesus, dying on the cross, was thinking of Psalm 69. Would he be thinking of Psalm 69 if he felt that the thoughts expressed in the psalm were wrong?
A: Unlikely!
N.B. ALL the gospel writers quote this verse!
~GOD'S JUDGEMENT ON PERSECUTORS
PSALM 69:22-23
Let their own table before them become a snare;
and when they are at peace, let it become a trap.
Let their eyes be darkened, so that they cannot see,
and make their loins tremble continually.
ROMANS 11:9-10
And David says,
“Let their table become a snare and a trap,
a stumbling block and a retribution for them;
let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see,
and bend their backs for ever.”
Q: Who is speaking?
A: Paul.
Q: Who is he applying this psalm to?
A: His own people, the Jews. David’s imprecation was now fulfilled. The Jews had, by and large, rejected Christ, and now their eyes are darkened.
Comment: Paul quotes from the imprecatory part of the psalm.
PSALM 69:25
May their camp be a desolation;
let no one dwell in their tents.
ACTS 1:15-16,20
In those days Peter stood up among the brothers (the company of persons was in all about 120) and said, “Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus…
“For it is written in the Book of Psalms,
“‘May his camp become desolate,
and let there be no one to dwell in it…”
Q: Who is speaking?
A: Peter.
Q: How does Peter start his speech?
A: ‘Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled…’
Q: According to Peter, what or who was the source of the words of this psalm? (v.16)
A: The Holy Spirit.
Q: So does it seem that Peter considered that the thoughts expressed in the psalm were wrong?
A: Not at all! He thinks they were inspired by the Holy Spirit. They are the thoughts of God.
Q: Who does Peter apply this psalm to?
A: Judas. He sees the fact that Judas had committed suicide, leaving a gap in the disciples, as fulfilment of David’s imprecation.
Comment: Peter quotes from the imprecatory part of the psalm.
N.B. There are other parts of this psalm that find an echo in the New Testament. Psalm 69 is the only place in the Old Testament that refers to the Book of Life which is mentioned in Philippians and Revelation.
DEALING WITH THE IMPRECATIONS
Many Christians, theologians and commentators accept that David is expressing what he is feeling, but they cannot accept that it’s what a Christian should feel. Here are some examples:
“…these fearful imprecations cannot have any analogies in Christ’s words … It is impossible to bring such utterances into harmony with the teachings of Jesus”
- Alexander McClaren, a 19th century Scottish Baptist minister
“…the very juxtaposition of David cursing his tormentors and Jesus praying for his, brings out the gulf between … accepted attitudes among saints of the Old Testament and the New”
- Derek Kidner, author of ten books on the Old Testament
“…the problem is how to harmonize cries for vengeance, such as we find in the Psalms, with the Bible’s teaching on love. But if this is the problem, it is wholly insoluble, for the two are totally incompatible.”
- Edward Tesh, author of a commentary on Psalms
“…it represents the dangerous excess of zealotry.”
- The Interpreter’s Bible Commentary
“Christ prayed for his enemies; David cursed his; Christ was not willing that any should perish, but here David actually prayed for his enemies to be blotted out of the Book of Life. We should not judge David too harshly…”
- Coffman, author of a commentary
Q: McLaren, Kidner, Tesh and a large number of other commentators think that the thought contained in this psalm is wrong. Do you agree?
A: No. We’ve seen that Jesus, all the gospel writers, Paul and Peter had huge respect for this Psalm. Paul and Peter quoted the imprecatory parts. Peter noted the psalm as an example of something inspired by the Holy Spirit. Paul held it up as an example of the value of Scripture. It possibly motivated Jesus’ last words on the cross. That means that the psalm expresses right thoughts. And of course, it is not only this psalm that expresses such thoughts. Jesus uttered an imprecation against a fig tree but the fig tree symbolised Israel. Paul made a kind of provisional imprecation when he wrote: ‘But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse!’ (Galatians 1:8).
How can these imprecations be right ?
* God is a god of justice.
* Therefore it’s right for God’s people to want God to act in justice.
* Therefore it’s something we can pray for – as David did, in this psalm. And in Revelation, the saints under the altar cry, ‘O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?’
* We can also participate in God’s acts of justice and God might call us to. For example, James 5:17, “Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years.” After the Israelites worshipped the golden calf, Moses called on the Levites to take up the sword against other Israelites.
* But it is not right to seek vengeance ourselves.
At the start of this study I asked what you thought about the imprecations in the psalm. If you thought the psalm expresses a wrong thought have you changed your mind?
Q: Can you see a practical consequence of this principle?
Q: Suppose you see that something disgraceful and shocking has been done. Is it a godly attitude to be furious at the sin - and want God to judge?
FINAL THOUGHTS
Q: As we approach Easter, does this psalm help us to appreciate what Jesus did for us?
Q: Does the psalm build our faith?
A: There are amazing prophecies that very accurately predict Jesus and his ministry, e.g.:
• Jesus hated for no reason
• His zeal for God’s house
• Reproach
• Sour wine
• God's judgement on Judas and on the Jewish people
This encourages us that Jesus is indeed God’s chosen one, fulfilling God’s plan from long before.
Q: Psalm 69 is a journey from sinking to singing. Do you think this psalm applies not only to Jesus but to all of us?
A: Paul says that Psalm 69 was written for us. It’s a journey many believers follow. It isn’t an easy one but it has a good ending. So let’s take that to heart and have the courage to follow David's and Jesus' path.
Q: Is there a place for indignation?
A: Yes, there is.
Bible study at Rosebery Park Baptist Church, Bournemouth, UK, March 2021.
N.B I have a simple PowerPoint with the verses, quotes etc. If you’d like it, please contact me on simon.bartlett@virtuality.co
