Psalms 69
Chuck Smith on Psalms 69
Verse by verse, the C2000, 1979 to 1985 and C3000, 1985 to 1999 series. Permission granted by The Word For Today.
C2000 · 1979 to 1985
Chapter introduction
The sixty-ninth psalm is a Messianic psalm. That is, it is a psalm of prophecy concerning Jesus Christ. And there are many scriptures within the psalm here that make reference to Jesus Christ.
Verses 1–7
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 God. They that hate me without cause are more than the hairs of my head: they that would destroy me, being my enemies wrongfully, are mighty: then I restore that which I took not away. 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 (69:1-7).
Again, referring to Christ. For God's sake He bore the reproach; shame covered His face.
Verse 8
I am become a stranger unto my brethren, and an alien unto my mother's children (69:8).
It said that His brothers did not believe in Him. They thought that He was crazy, actually.
Verse 9
For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me (69:9).
Remember when Jesus went into the temple and He saw them making merchandise, and He took and He made a scourge, a whip, and He began to drive out the moneychangers and those that were selling doves. And He said, "Get out of here! You've made my Father's house a den of thieves." And then they remembered the scripture that was written of Him that said, "The zeal of Thine house hath eaten Me up." The zeal for the house of God, it just ate Him up when He saw the terrible things that were being done in the house of God in the name of God. I wonder what would be His reaction today if He should come and visit some of the bingo parties and other functions that have been devised to make money for the church.
"The zeal of Mine house hath eaten Me up. The reproaches of them that reproach Thee fall upon Me."
Verses 10–12
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 drunkards (69:10-12).
He is still the song of drunkards. The blasphemy when a person becomes intoxicated so often.
Verse 13
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 (69:13).
Some believe that this is actually the prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane.
Verse 14
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 (69:14).
You remember He said, "If it is possible, let this cup pass from Me."
Verses 15–20
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 loving-kindness 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. For thou hast known my reproach, and my shame, and my dishonor: mine adversaries are all before thee. Reproach hath broken my heart; and I am full of heaviness (69:15-20):
The fact that when Jesus was pierced with a sword there came forth blood and water indicates that actually His death was by a heart rupture. The fact that there was water that came forth with the blood indicates death by heart rupture. They broke, "Reproach," he said, "hath broken my heart. I am full of heaviness." Also there is something to that bloody sweat that indicates much the same.
Verse 20
and I looked for some to take pity (69:20),
You remember in the Garden of Gethsemane, and in great heaviness, He sweat as it were, great drops of blood flowing to the ground. "And I looked for some to take pity." You remember He came back to His disciples, but they were sleeping. "I looked for some to take pity,"
but there was none; for comforters, I found none (69:20).
"Oh Peter, could you not watch with Me one hour? Watch and pray." "I looked for someone to have pity. I looked for comforters, but I found none."
Verse 21
They gave me gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink (69:21).
You remember that when Jesus cried, "I thirst," someone took a sponge and filled it with vinegar and put it to His lips.
Verse 22
Let their table become a snare before them: and that which should have been for their welfare, let it become a trap (69:22).
Paul quotes this in Romans, the eleventh chapter, concerning Israel.
Verse 23
Let their eyes become darkened, that they see not; and make their loins continually to shake (69:23).
The judgment that should come upon the Jews for the rejection of Jesus.
Verses 24–25
Pour out thine indignation upon them, and let thy wrathful anger take hold of them. Let their habitation be desolate (69:24-25);
Now in the first chapter of Acts, Peter quotes this as referring to Judas Iscariot. And he puts it together with another psalm, "Let their habitation be desolate and let another take his bishopric." And so, this is quoted concerning Judas Iscariot by Peter in Acts, chapter 1.
Verses 25–36
and let none dwell in their tents. For they persecute him whom you have smitten; and they talk to the grief of those whom you have 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. 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 I 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 despise not the prisoners. Let the heaven and the earth praise him, the seas, and every thing that moves therein. For God will save Zion, and 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 (69:25-36).
C3000 · 1985 to 1999
Chapter introduction
Psalm sixty-nine is a psalm that is quoted more in the New Testament than any other psalm with the exception of psalm twenty-two. Psalm twenty-two is the most quoted psalm of the New Testament, psalm sixty-nine is the second most quoted psalm and it is again acknowledged to be a Messianic psalm. It is a psalm of prophecy concerning the coming Messiah. It in many places there are references to Jesus Christ which are quoted in the New Testament from this psalm.
Verses 1–2
SAVE me, O God; for the waters are come in unto my soul. I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: (69:1-2).
I’m going down in the quicksand, I am going down in the mud and there is nothing underneath I am being swallowed up in this quicksand.
Verse 2
I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me (69:2).
Verse 14
David begins the psalm with a cry for help because of the circumstances of life are overwhelming. He can’t handle the conditions and is being swallowed up by the problems and sinking in the mire. Notice verse fourteen, “Deliver me out of the mire, don’t let me sink: let me be delivered from those that hate me, and out of the deep waters” (69:14). So he speaks about going through this experience and then of course he cries unto God for help in fourteen, “Don’t let me sink, deliver me out of the deep waters” (69:14).
Verse 3
I am weary of crying: my throat is dried: (69:3).
There is nothing left.
mine eyes fail while I wait for my God (69:3).
Isn’t it interesting how that our timetable so often does not jive with God’s timetable? I have so many times in my life thought that God was too late. He had a tremendous opportunity to have done something.
I, like Martha, many times when Jesus finally arrived at Bethany but her brother had already died four days earlier and she said, “Lord if you would only have been here my brother wouldn’t have died”. I’m so often like Martha say, “Lord if you only have done something last week I wouldn’t be in this mess. You missed the chance to work and now it’s too late”. So many times that you just think God you had your chance and you’re too late now and it’s all over. Martha discovered that it wasn’t too late. In fact, by God waiting he was able to perform even a greater miracle raising Lazarus from the dead, calling him forth out of the grave. It was a even a greater miracle than had he come on time and said, “Okay Lazarus come out of your bed and be well” that would have been marvelous but my by waiting look what he was able to do. He called him forth from the grave.
God is never to late. It’s just that our timetable is so often off. I don’t like those lessons of faith. I find my heart rebelling against them. It would be so much easier on me if God would just run on my schedule. But O the lessons I have learned of the power of God and of the faithfulness of God. When I thought he was too late, it’s all over and what he did was even greater over and over again.
David was crying unto the Lord until his throat was dry. He shed so many tears that his body was dehydrating.
Verses 3–4
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 (69:3-4).
It is thought that perhaps this was written at the rebellion of David’s son Adonijah or perhaps Absalom. They wanted the throne, they wanted the crown and David more or less advocated to Absalom. He didn’t state a fight. Now David didn’t fight to get the crown. God gave the kingdom to David. David didn’t fight Saul to get the kingdom. In fact, David refused to fight Saul though Saul was bent upon killing David, David refused to fight him. So he said, “I didn’t take the crown away”. It was given to him by God, he didn’t take it away nor would he take it away from Saul. Yet I have restored or given that which I did not take away.
Verse 5
O God, thou knowest my foolishness; and my sins are not hid from thee (69:5).
How true that is. God knows our foolishness, our folly, we don’t hide our sins from him.
Verse 6
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 (69:6).
Don’t let my foolishness and my sin Lord stumble others. That is so often the tragic result of the sins of those in leadership is that it does stumble others. When David did sin and Nathan came to rebuke him for it the charge that he made was, “You have caused the enemies of God to blaspheme”. When a leader sins it causes shame among the people of God.
We think of the shame that was brought to Christianity as a result of Jim Baker and Jimmy Swaggart. David is praying, Lord, don’t let this happen. You know my foolishness, you know my sin. Those that are waiting upon you Lord don’t let them be ashamed because of what I have done. Those that are seeking me Lord don’t let them be confused because of what I have done. But then David goes on.
Verse 7
Because for thy sake I have borne reproach; shame hath covered my face (69:7).
He changes completely now and he talks about the reproach that he had suffered for God and the shame that had been brought to him.
Verse 8
I am become a stranger unto my brethren, and an alien unto my mother’s children (69:8).
When David was chosen over his brothers to be the king, God said to the prophet Samuel “Go down to the house of Jesse and anoint one of his sons how long will you morn for Saul. I’ve rejected him. Go down to the house of Jesse and anoint his son as a king”. So he went down to the house of Jesse and said to Jesse and had him bring his sons in one at a time. His first son was a handsome guy with a great physique. Samuel looked at him and said “this must be the one, good looking, strong, well-built” and the Lord said, “No Samuel, he’s not the one. Man looks on the outward appearance, I’m looking at the heart.” So Jesse began to parade his sons before Samuel and after they all paraded by and the Lord didn’t give him the okay Samuel said, “Is that all the sons you have? Do you have anymore?” Jesse said, “There’s one more but he’s just a kid. He’s out there watching the sheep” and he said, “Call him in”. When Samuel saw David the Lord spoke and said, “this is the one” so he took the oil and poured it over him. It made his brothers jealous and so David speaks about that.
I am become a stranger unto my brethren, and an alien unto my mother’s children (69:8).
There was a jealousy that arose in their hearts because of God’s choice of David over them. So “for thy sake I borne reproach” (60:7) reproach from his family.
The reproach of the world is one thing but the reproach of the family is something else again. Reproach from those with in the body of Christ I think is much more difficult to bare than the reproach that comes to us from the world. When I’m reproached by my own brothers it’s more hurtful. David said, “If it were an enemy that reproached me I could handle it. But it was you my own friend, my dear close brother. We went into the house of God together, we had sweet fellowship together”. That’s hard to take when those that are close to turn.
God was the one who chose David and it caused his brothers to become like strangers to him, they became alienated from him but David made a declaration.
Verse 9
For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up; (69:9).
David had a great desire to build a house for God. He had a great desire to bring the nation together in spiritual worship of God. The first thing he did was move the tabernacle to Jerusalem so that Jerusalem could be the center of worship for the people. The tabernacle prior to that was north of Jerusalem in Gilgal. So David had to move the tabernacle to Jerusalem. Then he desired to bring the arc of the covenant and place it in the tabernacle in Jerusalem so that the people would have a place to gather to worship God. It was his heart, the zeal of the house of the Lord was eating him up.
Then he said he wanted to build a magnificent house for God. Here I am in this beautiful palace and here’s God over there in a tent, a tabernacle. That’s not fair. I want to build a glorious house for God. It’s got to be more glorious than any building on the earth. So in expressing his desire to his friend Nathan, “the zeal of the house of the Lord is eating me up” Nathan said, “Splendid. Go for it David”. The Lord said to Nathan, “You spoke out of turn. David can’t build me a house. His hands are bloody. Go back and tell him that he wont be able to build me a house but I’ll build him a house.
The Lord didn’t say David couldn’t prepare for the building of the house. David gathered the gold, the silver and the wood. He drew the plans. When he was dying, he turned over to Solomon the plans and the wealth. Billions of dollars in wealth for the building of the house of God.
As the Lord said, “I will build you a house” and referred to the fact that the Messiah, Jesus Christ, would be of the seed of David and the line of David. The one who came of David, it was later declared of him, “The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up”. When Jesus came into the temple in Jerusalem and saw the corruption and the merchandising, when he drove out the money changers, overturned their tables, drove out those that were selling the doves and oxen then the disciples remember the scripture that said, “The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up”. So that same zeal for the house of God that was in David was in David’s descendant Jesus Christ.
and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me (69:9).
David recognized that the reproaches that he was receiving were actually the attitude that worldly people have who hate God and are against God. As God’s representative, people who hate God pour upon me the venom of their hatred against God. The problem is that we are so prone to take this personally as though they hate me. No, they hate God that I represent. “Blessed are ye” Jesus said, “when men shall revile you and persecute you and say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice and be exceeding glad, great is your reward in heaven”.
The reproaches that we have as a Christian are really the world’s expression of their hatred of Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “they hate me because I testify of them” told them the truth. He called their corrupt practices corrupt and he called their hypocrisy, hypocrisy. He wasn’t going around trying to make men feel good about himself. He was saying you are a sinner and except you repent, you’re going to perish. He was so straight and so direct that they hated him. They hated him so much they crucified him. The world has not changed.
The carnal mind is enmity against God and is not subject to the law of God and neither indeed can be. Men hate God but they take their reproach out on God’s people. So the reproach people had towards God they vented on Jesus who came as God’s representative to man. He was more than that, he was God dwelling amongst us. They finally had their opportunity to do to God what their wicked hearts desired as they sought to destroy him.
There are people today who are seeking to destroy God. There are men today who have signed the Humanist Manifesto. The Humanist Manifesto is their manifesto by which they are declaring their intention of destroying God. They want to destroy God out of the minds and out of the life of our nation. Unfortunately these men have been extremely successful. They are devoting their fortunes and their lives to destroying God. “The reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me” (69:9). If you stand up for God, if you dare speak up for God, if you dare to renounce sin, if you dare to speak out against homosexuality or abortion or the issues then they begin to reproach you. If you just go along and say everything is fine, everybody has a spark of good and I’m just here to make you feel better about yourself the world will pat you on the back and say you’re a fine fellow. If you really start being straight, calling sin, sin then the reproaches will begin to come because the carnal mind is enmity against God, no subject to his law either in deed can be.
Verse 10
When I wept, and chastened my soul with fasting, that was to my reproach (69:10).
They even reproach me for that seeking of God.
Verses 11–12
I made sackcloth also my garment; and I became to them. They that sit in the gate speak against me; (69:11-12).
The gate of the city was a place of public gatherings, it was a place where the courts were held and it was no doubt the place of gossip also.
Verse 12
and I was the song of the drunkards (69:12).
The television comics begin to make fun of you, begin to make fun of your stance for righteousness, the reproach of men against God.
Verses 13–14
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, (69:13-14).
God I’m afraid I’m going down, I’m sinking.
Verses 14–17
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 (69:14-17).
The cry unto God for help. He’s being reproached, the people have turned against him because he dared to stand for God. He had a great zeal for the house of God, the things of God, and it brought the ire of the enemies of God upon him. He’s in trouble, he feels he is sinking.
Verses 18–19
Draw nigh [near] unto my soul, and redeem it: deliver me because of mine enemies. Thou hast known my reproach, and my shame, and my dishonour: mine adversaries are all before thee (69:18-19).
It is comforting for me to realize that the Lord knows what I’m going through.
Verse 20
Reproach has broken my heart; (69:20).
It’s not easy to handle reproach, it’s a difficult thing. In fact I think that’s one of the most difficult things of the Christian walk is the reproach that we bare for the cause of Christ and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. The world hates him and if we dare declare that Jesus is the only way to salvation, that being a Buddhist, being a Hindu, being a Muslim is not going to get you there apart from Christ, you’re not going to make, then the reproach comes heaping upon us as narrow bigoted fundamentalist. They say it with a snare. God knows the reproach, the shame, the dishonor.
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 (69:20).
This is prophetic of Jesus. Imagine what Jesus must have gone through in that last week as the king, as the Messiah to Israel. On the day that God had promised, he came into Jerusalem and he presented himself as their Messiah. Fulfilling the prophecies. As Zachariah had said, “Rejoice greatly, O daughters of Jerusalem, shout for joy for behold thy king cometh unto thee but lowly, he’s sitting on the colt, the fowl of an ass”. There he was riding in on the little donkey. He came into the temple and there he saw again the corrupt practices, the money changes and there again he disrupted that whole commercialism of their religion. They rejected him, they scorned him, they said “who gave you the authority to do this?” and they despised and rejected him. Then they were plotting and looking for a way to kill him. Must have been heavy.
Jesus knew what was going on. He knew that Judas had conspired to betray him. There at the last supper he was in heaviness. He said, “My soul is sorrowful unto death”. He said to Judas, “What you do, do quickly. Go on out and take care of your business”. Then he went over to his disciples in the garden of Gethsemane, heavy, heavy, heavy. The pressures, the battle, the spiritual battle were heavy. He said to his disciples, “Watch and pray”.
He took Peter, James and John a little closer and to them he said, “Teary ye here. Watch and pray”. Then he went away and knelt before God and began to agonize before the Father. The scepter of the cross was in front of him, that bitter cup of taking man’s sins and dying in man’s place. That pure holy Son of God is to have dumped on him the filth and the scum of the world. A horrible cup and his cry “Father is it possible let this cup pass from me”. That spiritual battle that was going on and he came back to his disciples. Why? No doubt to receive some encouragement and some strength. There they were asleep. He woke them and said, “Watch and pray lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing but your flesh is weak. Could you want not watch with me one hour?”
and I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none (69:20).
It was alone my Savior prayed in dark Gethsemane. The disciples failed completely but the Bible says that God sent angels to him to strengthen him and to minister to him. We remember that when they brought him the next day to Golgotha, to Calvary, that they offered him vinegar that was mixed with gall. He did not receive it, he tasted it but would not swallow it. But finally after hanging on the cross for close to six hours he cried, “I thirst” and they filled a sponge with vinegar and put it on hyssop and put it to his lips. The psalmist, a thousand years before, prophesying of this.
Verse 21
They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink (69:21).
Amazing prophecies of scripture.
Verse 22
Let their table become a snare (69:22).
Paul quotes this in Romans eleven, nine and ten. The Jews, their table, let it be a snare before them.
Verses 22–23
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 (69:22-23).
As a result, of course, the rejection of Jesus Christ the Jews suffered tremendously being destroyed by the Roman troops.
Verses 24–25
Pour out thine indignation upon them, and let thy wrathful anger take hold of them. Let their habitation be desolate; (69:24-25).
That’s exactly what happened in seventy AD when the Roman troops came in and ravaged the nation. Those Jews that did survive that holocaust were carried away captives and the place where they once lived became desolate. Their habitation was desolate. It is interesting that this also is spoken of by Peter as referring to Judas Iscariot, his habitation be desolate. So the place that held as an apostle was desolate and they cast lots.
Verse 25
And let none dwell in their tents (69:25).
They were driven out.
Verse 26
For they persecute him whom thou hast smitten; (69:26).
Isaiah fifty-three said, “We did esteem him as smitten, stricken of God”. Jesus was smitten of God for our sins.
and they talk to the grief of those whom thou hast wounded (69:26).
He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities.
Verse 27
Add iniquity unto their iniquity: and let them not come into they righteousness (69:27).
Those who reject Jesus as the Messiah fail to enter into the righteousness of God though the sought the righteousness of the law. Paul said, “they never attain to it yet those who believed did attain to that righteousness that would be accepted by God” those who sought it by the law never did attain it.
Verse 28
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 (69:28).
The Bible says, “Whoever’s name is not found written in the book of life will be cast into the lake that is burning with fire, this is the second death”. Here he is asking God to block their names out of the book of the living and that they not be written with the righteous.
Verse 29
But I am poor and sorrowful: let thy salvation, O God, set me up on high (69:29).
The psalmist in the beginning was speaking of the reproach and the misery that he was going through asking God for help because he was sinking in the mire, set me up on high out of that pit and miry clay.
Verse 30
I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving (69:30).
Tonight we expressed our praise to God in song, we magnified him with songs of thanksgiving.
Verse 31
This also shall please the LORD better than an ox or bullock that hath horns and hoofs (69:31).
In Hebrews it says, “Let us therefore offer unto God the sacrifice of praise, even the fruit of our lips”. God wants that praise, that worship from our hearts more than he wants the sacrifices of the ox or the bullock.
Verse 32
The humble shall see this, and be glad: and your heart shall live that seek God (69:32).
Beautiful promises.
Verses 33–36
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 (69:33-36).
This is being fulfilled right now. God is building up Zion, the cities of Judah and the waste places are being inhabited again. Soon the king shall come and they that love his name shall dwell therein.
May the Lord bless and keep you in His love, fill you with His spirit, guide you with His wisdom and strengthen you for this week. Let the word of God dwell in your hearts richly through faith. May you be able to comprehend just how much God does love you as He unfolds His plan for your life, in Jesus name.