Jesus throughout the Scriptures: Psalms 4 (7)
Pray Psalm 69.13-15.
But as for me, my prayer is to You,
O LORD, in the acceptable time;
O God, in the multitude of Your mercy,
Hear me in the truth of Your salvation.
Deliver me out of the mire,
And let me not sink;
Let me be delivered from those who hate me,
And out of the deep waters.
Let not the floodwater overflow me,
Nor let the deep swallow me up;
And let not the pit shut its mouth on me.
Sing Psalm 69.13-15.
(Greensleeves: What Child Is This? )
O LORD, I make my prayer to You; receive my words, O Savior!
Let lovingkindness see me through, and answer me with favor!
LORD, lift me above the mire; deliv’rance is my one desire!
Let not the floods conspire to swallow me forever!
Read Psalm 69.1-21, 29-36; meditate on verses 13-21.
Preparation
1. What was David experiencing as he wrote this psalm?
2. How did David’s experience foreshadow Jesus’ suffering?
Meditation
Like Psalm 22, this psalm reveals David suffering unjustly at the hands of wicked men. He declares His trust in the LORD, relies on Him to deal with his enemies, and looks forward to vindication and blessing from God.
And like Psalm 22, David’s sufferings foreshadow the sufferings of Jesus. Like David, Jesus was persecuted by men who hated Him without a cause (v. 4). He was sinless, yet they sought to destroy Him (v. 4). At the same time, “foolishness” was laid upon Him, though in Jesus’ case, the sins were not His own (v. 5). Like David, Jesus was alone in His sufferings (v. 8), yet He looked faithfully to God (vv. 13-16). He was shamed, dishonored, and reproached by all His adversaries (v. 19) and given gall and vinegar as his food and drink (v. 21). Yet He knew it was for the salvation of God’s people that He endured such suffering (v. 29). Thus, even on the cross, God had set Him up on high (v. 29), He praised God and magnified Him, giving His own body as a sin offering rather than “an ox or bull” (vv. 30, 31). His suffering would open the way to God, so that all who seek Him, all who are humble in heart and poor in spirit, may find their way through Him to God (vv. 32, 33). And, as in Psalm 22.21-31, here the innocent Sufferer could see through to the coming of God’s Kingdom in glory (vv. 34-36).
And if we, weeping for our part in the sufferings of the Lord, seek our heavenly Father through Jesus, loving His Name, we will dwell in the glorious City of God with Him.
Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.16
“…because zeal for Your house has eaten Me up,
and the reproaches of those who reproach You
have fallen on Me” (Ps. 69.9; Jn. 2.17).
Most people don’t have trouble believing in a God, or in angels, or any other “niceties” that go along with religion. Of course, they don’t want to believe in a Law, or in any requirements that this God may have. But to go along to get along, belief in Him is not such a big bugaboo.
However, to believe further, in Jesus, is where it becomes quite problematic. To believe in anything or Anyone Who might require a life-change is the big sticking point. The requirements, let’s say, of an “Innocent Sufferer”?
The prophet Samuel experienced this, when the folks wanted a king instead of him to lead them.
But God, very kindly pointed out to him, “they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them” (1 Sam. 8.7). Obedience was just too doggone difficult.
And then we see that David experienced this, and subsequently, Jesus too: “the reproaches of those who reproach You have fallen on me/Me” (Ps. 69.2). The rejection and reproach were for a God Who required obedience. And toward a God Who sent His Son for the redemption and forgiveness of His people.
Jesus knew this to be the burning question of His ministry.
He asked the Pharisees: “What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?” (Matt. 22.42).
And He questioned His disciples: “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?”
“But who do you say that I am?” (Matt. 16.13, 15).
The astute Pharisees had no workable answer (Matt. 22.42-46), but Peter answered the question correctly:
“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matt. 16.16).
Today the question is the same: Who do you say that Jesus is?
And What are you going to do with Jesus?
“Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ?
He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son.
Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either;
he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also” (1 Jn. 2.22, 23).
“I AM the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (Jn. 14.6).
Beliefs always foster actions. And our belief in Jesus must do the same.
Will we love and obey this Innocent Sufferer? Will we follow Him wholeheartedly to the end?
“If you love Me, keep My commandments.”
“If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love…”
“This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”
“You are My friends if you do whatever I command you” (Jn. 14.15; 15.10, 12, 14).
What will those in our Personal Mission Field do with Jesus?
What if they choose poorly?
Are we willing to let the reproaches of our enemies, the enemies of our beloved Savior, fall on us?
We will be in very good company if we so choose—with those past, present, and future “who love His Name” (Ps. 69.36)—God With Us, Savior, King.
Reflection
1. Whom will you encourage today in their walk with the Lord Jesus?
2. Should we as Christians expect to suffer in our faith? Explain.
3. How would you counsel a new believer to prepare for suffering and to go through it in faith?
The sufferings of Christ were here particularly foretold, which proves the Scripture to be the word of God; and how exactly these predictions were fulfilled in Jesus Christ, which proves him to be the true Messiah. The vinegar and the gall given to him, were a faint emblem of that bitter cup which he drank up, that we might drink the cup of salvation. Matthew Henry (1662-1714), Commentary on Psalm 69.13-21
Pray Psalm 69.1-7, 34-36.
Praise and thank the Lord for the salvation we have received by His grace. Give Jesus thanks and praise for enduring such suffering. Resolve to serve Him faithfully through the day ahead.
Sing Psalm 69.1-7, 34-36.
(Greensleeves: What Child Is This? )
Save me, O God, deep waters rise and threaten to undo me!
No foothold in the mire I find; the floods must soon subdue me.
Hear, Savior, my weary cry; my throat is parched, unclear my eye.
Foes hunger for me to die and without reason hate me.
O God, my folly all You know, my wrongs from You are not hidden.
Let those who in Your mercy go not by my shame be smitten.
Let none dishonored be because, O LORD, because of me!
For You I dishonor see; on me reproach is written.
Let heav’n and earth now praise You, LORD, the seas and all their creatures,
for God will save us by His Word and build His City’s features.
There we and our seed will dwell and know His blessings full and well.
His glorious Name we’ll tell to every man and creature!
T. M. and Susie Moore
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment and give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
For more teaching about the subject of this series, “Jesus throughout the Scriptures”, download our free ReVision study, “We Would See Jesus”, by clicking here.
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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter.
