Lesson 15 Psalm 69 An Urgent Plea for
- Slides: 8
Lesson 15: Psalm 69 “An Urgent Plea for Help and Vindication”
Introduction to Psalm 69 • Psalm 69 is a Psalm of David. • It is a Messianic Psalm – Compare 69: 9 with John 2: 16 -17 & Romans 15: 3 – Compare 69: 19 -21 with Matthew 27: 34, 48 • It introduces to our study a type of Psalm known as Imprecatory. – Imprecate means "to ask for a curse" or "to pray for evil. " – There are 18 other Psalms that contain significant imprecations (Psalms 5, 6, 11, 12, 35, 37, 40, 52, 54, 56, 58, 69, 79, 83, 109, 137, 139, 143). – Note the examples of Psalms 58: 6 -8 & 109: 4 -14
Questions about Imprecatory Psalms • Are these Psalms expressions of hatred for enemies, or pleas to God for justice? • Do they violate Jesus’ command to “love your enemies”? (Matthew 5: 44) – Were imprecations lawful under the Old Testament but not under the New Testament? • Could we not understand the imprecatory Psalms to be pleas for God to exact His justice, even as other Psalms plead for Him to show mercy? – The cries of the souls under the altar in Revelation 6: 10 may offer a NT parallel.
A pathetic and urgent cry Psalm 69: 1 -4 • David is like a drowning man (1 -2; Ps. 42: 7) • He tearfully awaits God's help (3; Ps. 6: 6 -7) • Many are unjustly his enemies (4) – Even as many hated Jesus “without a cause. ” (John 15: 25; cf. Psalm 35: 19)
David's Problem: His enemies have used his remorse for sin against him Psalm 69: 5 -12 • God knows David's sins (5) • David prays that his sins will not be a reproach to God’s people or a stumbling block to those who seek Him (6) • The results of David's public penitence: – It has brought him shame (7) – It has separated him from family (8) – It has brought him reproach (9 -12)
David begs for mercy and deliverance Psalm 69: 13 -21 • He appeals to God's mercy to save him from being drowned in reproach. (13 -15) – He has prayed to God in an acceptable time (cf. Psalm 32: 6) • He appeals God for the mercy that none of his adversaries have offered (16 -21) – Mock pity and further humiliation is all that his enemies offer.
David asks God to Curse his Enemies Psalm 69: 22 -28 • He is asking for God's righteous indignation to be poured upon them (24) • He is asking that justice be done to men who have persecuted those whom God disciplined (26) • David desires them to be cursed in many ways! – Let their table become a snare (22) – Let their eyes be darkened (23) – Make their loins shake continually (23) – Let their dwelling place be desolate (25) – Add iniquity to their iniquity (27) – Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous (28)
David praises God for His Salvation and Justice Psalm 69: 29 -36 • The humble will be exalted (29 -31) – David relies on God’s salvation to exalt him – He pledges to praise God in thanksgiving. • This will give hope to the humble and the future inhabitants of Zion (32 -36) – Much like the vindication of the saints under the altar in Revelation 6: 10 would give hope to persecuted saints in the first century.
