That is a fairly complicated psalm, which we're going to have some fun with.
I don't know what your first reaction is when you hear that read out.
You might be a little bit uncomfortable, particularly with a few verses in there
where David calls down God's fiery anger on his enemies.
You might be excited.
You might think, finally, I've got biblical evidence that it's okay to call down God's judgment on those who I don't like.
But the question has to be kind of lingering for us.
What do we do with something like that?
It doesn't seem to fit with the message of Christianity that we talk about,
the call to love our enemy, the mercy and grace that God shows.
So what is a psalm like this teaching us?
We can't just kind of skip over those six or seven verses that are a little bit uncomfortable.
We actually have to wrestle with them because they're not the only verses that say something like this in the Bible.
So the question we've got to ask is, what are they doing there?
Are they telling us that it's okay to pray down judgment?
And I'm sure you're sitting there nervously saying, no, it can't be that.
But if it's not that, what is it teaching us?
So for us to wrestle with that, I want to pray and ask God to help us have his mind on his word.
So please join me as we pray.
Father God, I want to thank you for your word and I thank you that you give it to us so that we might know you better.
Lord, I pray that as we wrestle with a difficult passage that you would keep us from bringing our own ideas to the passage,
but that we would come teachable and humble and ready to hear you speak.
Lord, I pray that the result of wrestling with something like this would be that we see you more clearly,
that we have a bigger picture of who you are.
And I pray that by your spirit, you would illuminate your word and shape our hearts,
that we might love you more and honor you more with the lives that you've given us.
Amen.
Okay, Psalm in front of you, Psalm 69.
The first thing that we need to understand and grab from this Psalm is that it's a Psalm of David.
It's there right in the title.
It's of David.
And David is the king.
He's God's anointed leader for the people.
And he is facing some sort of severe persecution.
The Psalm doesn't go into heaps of detail about what that is, but it's severe.
You can see it as he goes through.
He's nearly overwhelmed.
The waters are reaching up to his neck.
The mud's dragging him down.
There's no way out.
He's worn out from crying out for help.
He's exhausted, waiting for God's deliverance.
And more numerous than the hairs on his head are the people who hate him and seek to destroy him.
And three times in the first four verses, in fact, particularly in verse four,
David explains that his suffering, what he's going through, is unjust, is unfair.
It's not his fault.
If you have a look at verse four,
Now, it's not that David is saying,
I'm perfect and anything bad that happens to me is unfair because of all the characters in the Bible,
David's epic failures are probably more documented than others.
But he's saying that this issue here is not to do with him.
This is not a Bathsheba problem.
This is not something that David's done that has brought on the fire upon him.
Because he acknowledges that he's not perfect in verse five.
He says,
You know my folly, O God.
My guilt is not hidden from you.
But he is saying,
But I am innocent of this.
This suffering that I'm facing right now, it's not my fault.
And from that position of despair and being overwhelmed, David cries out to God there in verse one.
That's the point of the whole psalm.
Save me, O God.
And that just builds momentum as we go through all 36 verses.
That is David's heart's desire that he would be saved from this circumstance and opposition that he is facing.
But there's something about that salvation that David wants that we need to wrestle with.
We need to actually understand what is it that is driving his cry for salvation.
Because it might not be what we first think.
Have a look at verse nine with me.
Because in verse nine, David actually expresses what it is that's causing him such anguish.
He articulates his frustration.
And it's there.
It says in verse nine,
Zeal for your house consumes me.
And the insults of those who insult you fall on me.
He's talking to God here.
David says,
I'm consumed with a passion for you and for your name.
It's the relationship that David has with God that is causing people to persecute and oppose him.
That is the basis for the hatred that he receives from his enemies.
See, his enemies hate God.
And David is the person that they can see as representative of God.
So he becomes the object of their hatred.
The insults aimed at David's heavenly father fall squarely on his shoulders.
It's not dissimilar to a story that I was told recently about a man who was found guilty of a crime in Spain.
This man was born in Britain.
He was an American citizen.
But in Spain, he was convicted of a crime that everybody knew he hadn't done.
People were aware that he was innocent.
But he was convicted and sentenced to firing squad.
Now, at this point, the British embassy and the American embassy came out and said,
If you shoot this man, we'll declare war on you.
And when the day came for his firing squad,
the two ambassadors came out and draped the flag of America and the flag of Britain around him
and said, If you fire a shot, we'll declare war.
And sure enough, the firing squad turned around and walked away.
But in the same way that that man was representative of those nations at that particular point,
David here is representative of God.
He is God's king.
He's the leader of God's people.
And so when they see David,
they see an opportunity to vent their hatred and opposition towards God.
And so when David, in verse 13, returns to his quest for salvation,
his cry for rescue and redemption is a cry for God's name to be vindicated.
See, as David gets attacked, he feels this burden,
not because his own character is under fire,
not because his own name is being dragged through the mud.
His fear is that God's name is being shamed.
His fear is that somehow God would be found guilty
or God's people would be found guilty.
And so he eagerly desires that he would be delivered
because these enemies of his are his enemies because they're God's enemies.
And he bears their hatred and their shame for the sake of his God.
David's in anguish not for his own comfort,
but because of God's name and God's reputation.
David is wounded by the rejection that God is facing.
You've got to understand this here,
that David's pain in these verses, and it's significant.
There is this sense that it's almost beyond hope.
And this is because his God is under fire.
This is not a personal protection issue.
This is him carrying the burden for the holy name of his holy God.
And so it's from that context that we come back to these verses
that make us feel a bit uncomfortable and we need to look at them again.
I want you to have a look at verse 22
because we will probably take the rest of the psalm and think,
fantastic, God save your people when they're hurting.
But it's this bit that we need to wrestle with.
And it's David with a deep concern for his father's holy name
who articulates these words.
Speaking of his enemies, he says,
May the table set before them become a snare.
May it become retribution and a trap.
May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see
and their backs be bent forever.
Pour out your wrath on them.
Let your fierce anger overtake them.
May their place be deserted.
Let there be no one to dwell in their tents,
for they persecute those you wound
and talk about the pain of those you hurt.
Charge them with crime upon crime.
Do not let them share in your salvation.
May they be blotted out of the book of life
and not be listed with the righteous.
I don't think that there is a harsher word
that David could have spoken.
I can't even begin to comprehend a circumstance in my life
where I would utter these words
against even my most hated enemy.
David is praying that God would direct his fierce, jealous wrath
on these enemies,
that they might be destroyed,
that they might be blotted out.
But here's the key.
David is not asking for revenge.
David is not asking God to destroy David's enemies
because they have hurt David.
David is asking for justice against God's enemies.
That is his heart's desire.
Not that David would win,
but that God's enemies would receive what they deserve.
See, this psalm is a psalm about God's name.
It's a psalm about God's reputation.
And David is God's representative.
And so as he endures the hatred and scorn
that is directed at his God,
even David's plea for salvation
is actually a plea for God
to vindicate his own character.
In verse 1, when David says,
save me, O God,
his heart's desire,
you can see it as we work through the psalm,
is that God's name,
the result of him being saved,
the point of him being saved
is that people would realize
that God is powerful and just
and mighty and righteous to judge.
Now I know we get nervous
when we talk about the wrath of God.
There's that sense that we need to water it down
with God's love.
But David is simply asking
that those who hate God
get what they deserve.
That's all he's asking for.
David is saying,
I am your chosen representative on the earth, God.
I'm the one you anointed to be king
and leader of your people.
And if they reject me,
they are rejecting you.
And so please give them what they deserve.
What you said you were going to give them.
It's right that those who oppose God
and reject his representative
face judgment.
That's right.
That's fair.
That's correct.
Because if you reject the Savior,
then all that's left
is the wrath
that you could have been saved from.
It's like a man walking by a river
who falls into the river.
The river begins to pick up momentum
and soon enough he realizes
that the momentum
is because there's a waterfall up ahead.
If that man chooses to ignore
the safety rope that is thrown to him,
then the waterfall is a fair enough result
for that individual.
In the same way,
if people choose to reject
the Savior that God offers,
then the destruction
is a fair and right outcome.
The New Testament quotes
this difficult section
in Psalm 69 twice
to show us
just how just it is.
The first one comes in Acts chapter 1.
And verse 25 of Psalm 69 is quoted.
Verse 25 says,
May their place be deserted.
Let there be no one to dwell in their tents.
When that comes into the New Testament,
do you know who it's talking about?
Judas.
The disciple who betrayed Jesus
for 30 pieces of silver.
When we think Judas,
we think that is right.
He deserves to be judged.
He betrayed his Savior
from right under his nose.
From the inner group
who spent time and traveled with Jesus,
God's wrath deserves
to be poured out on Judas.
The second quote of this section
comes in Romans chapter 11
and it's a bigger chunk.
And here Paul quotes the passage
pointing to the Jews
who have rejected Jesus
as God's Savior.
Now Paul's not looking for revenge
on the Jews
because Paul himself is a Jew.
And Paul expresses his desire
that the Jews would come to faith in Jesus.
But he's saying
if you reject God's anointed one,
in this case Jesus,
if you reject the Savior
that he offers you,
then it is right and fair and just
that you receive the wrath
that all creation deserves.
Paul is simply saying
the Jews are in the river
and they are ignoring
the life rope of Jesus
and so it is inevitable
that they will face the judgment.
See, David is not crying out
in this psalm
because of his own suffering.
He is driven by a zeal
for God's house.
By a desire that God's name
would not be trampled by men,
that it would not be okay
for people to ignore him,
pretend like he doesn't matter.
David is grieved by sin
because that's what sin is
at its core.
It's a rejection of God,
a rejection of Jesus
as King and Savior.
And David isn't saying,
God, make me strong
so I can beat my enemies.
He's saying,
God, you're God.
You're my God.
I'm your representative.
These are your enemies.
Pour out your wrath
like you said you would.
And this is really,
really important.
God has already promised
Abraham,
way back in Genesis chapter 12,
that he would judge those
who rejected his people.
I want you to flick back
with me to Genesis chapter 12
really quickly.
Keep your finger in Psalm 69
so that you're there,
ready to go.
But Genesis chapter 12
is the promises
that God makes to Abraham,
who's David's great,
great, great, great, great,
great, great, etc.,
grandfather.
And the promises
that God makes to Abraham
are the basis
for Israel's relationship
with God.
They're the basis
for David's relationship
with God.
They define what
that interaction looks like.
And in verse 3
of Genesis 12,
listen to what God says.
I will bless those
who bless you
and whoever curses you
I will curse.
It was right there
in the beginning.
This shouldn't surprise us.
God said
from the starting point,
those who curse you,
those who reject you,
my people,
my representative,
reject me
and they will face
my curse.
They will face
my judgment.
They will face
my anger.
God had promised this.
Those who oppose
his people
would be cursed
because rejecting
God's people
is the same
as rejecting him
and for that
God promised
his enemies
would face judgment.
David is not asking
for permission
to have revenge
on his enemies.
That is not what
this psalm is about.
He's asking for God
to keep his promises,
to keep his covenant,
to bring justice,
and to save him
and that all
goes together
because in Genesis 12
God promised
that he would
save his people.
That's what the blessing is.
That's why David
can say in verse 13,
I pray to you
in the time of your favor
in your great love,
O God,
answer me with your
sure salvation.
He's confident
because God
has already promised it
and necessary
to that salvation
that God
has promised
is judgment
on the enemies
of God.
See,
there's no separation
of those two things
for King David.
He doesn't see
salvation as one request
and the pouring out
of his wrath
as a second request.
Salvation happens
by God pouring out
his wrath
on his enemies.
The pouring out
of God's wrath
on his enemies
brings salvation
for those who hope
in God.
They are one
and the same action.
Now,
I want to say that again
because this is really
important
and you need
to grasp this.
Without judgment,
there is no salvation.
Without judgment,
there is no salvation.
We get very nervous
about the ideas
of judgment
and wrath,
but biblically,
you need judgment
for salvation.
That is how it works.
That is how it worked
from the beginning.
That is how Israel
was rescued from Egypt
by God bringing judgment
on the Egyptians
for oppressing his people.
That is the pattern
that he builds
throughout Scripture.
Judgment is something
that makes us nervous,
maybe correctly
because it is so horrific,
but it is necessary
for salvation.
In this psalm,
David's deep desire
is God's glory.
That is what he cares about
more than anything else
and we need to ask God
to shape our hearts
so that we desire
his glory
more than anything else.
Our biggest struggle
with this psalm
is when we think enemy,
we think those who hurt me.
The possibility
of being as offended
by what people say
about God
or the way they interact
with God
is just foreign to us
because we are so self-absorbed
in our own world.
It is easy to hate
those who have hurt us,
but only as God
renews our hearts
and teaches us
to love what he loves
can we begin
to be offended by sin
in the way that he is
and that needs to be our prayer
and that is the evidence
of God's work
in David's life
that David is so offended
by those who reject God
that he is grieved
to the point
of being overwhelmed
and crying out
for God to do something.
We need to ask God
to be shaping our hearts
that we might love him
and desire his glory
more than our own.
But that is where
the question of this psalm
gets even more pointed.
As we begin to see
and hate sin
with the same zeal
that God does
and with the same zeal
that David does,
how then do we respond
to that sin?
How then do we respond
to injustice
because in our world
God is still rejected
and hated
by billions of people?
In our world
there is still oppression
and injustice
all around us
so how would God
have us respond?
I mean we've already said
that in this psalm
David is praying
in line with the covenant
and promises
that God made to him
but the question is
as we look at sin around us
is it right for us
to pray the same thing?
Is it okay for us
to call down God's judgment
on the sinners
that we see
in the world around us?
The New Testament
quotes this psalm
quite a lot
and I want to quickly
show you three quotes
in John's Gospel.
You don't need to flick there
if you really fast
go for it
but if you want
just scribble these down
and check them out
later on.
In chapter 2
of John's Gospel
Jesus discovers
that the temple
is being used
as a market
and he is so angry
that he fashions
a whip for himself
and goes through
cracking his whip
and turning over tables
and chasing out
the people
who are in there
and his disciples
are watching him do this
watching his anger
burn
at these people
who have perverted
the use of his
father's house
and suddenly
for the disciples
it clicks.
Jesus is
Psalm 69
verse 9
Zeal
for God's house
is consuming Jesus
that is what's going on
and John 2
says they remember
this psalm
and realise
Jesus is doing it.
Second one
in chapter 15
Jesus is sitting down
with his disciples
and explaining
that they're going
to be persecuted
just like him.
He's explaining
that they're going
to hate you
just like they hated me
and at the end
Jesus says
the world's rejection
and hatred of him
is a fulfilment
of Psalm 69
verse 4
those who hate me
without reason
outnumber the hairs
of my head.
He says
that is me
in that psalm.
He says
I'm experiencing
all those things
that David talked about
and kind of
foreshadowed earlier on
this is about me
and one last one
in John chapter 19
Jesus is on the cross
this is beginning
at verse 28
in John 9
and Jesus has been
whipped and bloodied
he's about to die
but one last thing
he does
so he's not sitting
there thinking
what boxes do
I have to tick
this was about him
from the beginning
and he says
as he's hanging there
so that the scripture
might be fulfilled
I'm thirsty
and he's given a drink
of wine vinegar
Psalm 69
verse 21
they put gall
in my food
and gave me vinegar
for my thirst
it's not a coincidence
this psalm
is about God's
anointed king
and leader
it is about
King David
absolutely
it's first about
King David
but then
it is about Jesus
he fulfills
this psalm
he is the eternal king
David was the temporary king
the word used
to describe
David's role
is the same word
that's used
to describe
Jesus' saviour
in the New Testament
because the king
was like the saviour
but Jesus
is the saviour
of God's people
Jesus lives out
this psalm
but the reaction
that Jesus has
to his enemies
is very different
to David's
it's like Jesus
is saying
amen
the whole way through
and then he gets
to verse 22
and something shifts
because
in Gethsemane
you see
Jesus praying
prayers
that kind of
reflect
what David's
feeling
Jesus
feeling
that anguish
of if there's
another way
God
can you do it
but we get
to verse 22
and it's where
David and Jesus
it becomes obvious
just how different
they are
because Jesus'
prayer is
Father forgive them
for they know
not what they do
see Jesus
actually embodies
the judgment
that David
prays for here
he experiences
the judgment
he takes it
on himself
Jesus wraps up
all of verse 22
through to 28
on himself
Jesus on the cross
is not just about
physical pain
there is significant
physical pain
but it is more
about what this
psalm talks about
it is more about
the fierce
anger
of a holy
God
being poured
out
on his son
Jesus takes
that judgment
in verses 22
to 28
and rolls it up
with the rejoicing
that David has
in verses 29
to the end
he combines
them together
and judgment
and salvation
become
inseparably
connected
Jesus
far surpasses
anything
that David
could have
even begun
to hope
for
we get
excited
when we
glory
in the
forgiveness
that comes
by the
cross
of our
Savior
but we
cannot
fully
understand
the
forgiveness
that we
have
we cannot
fully
understand
the love
that God
has shown
us
unless we
understand
that at
exactly
the same
time
as that
forgiveness
was won
the most
direct
and severe
act of
judgment
that this
world
will ever
know
was being
poured
out
until we
grasp
that all
of God's
wrath
was poured
out on
Jesus
instead of
us
we will
never
begin
to
understand
the love
that God
has shown
us
can we
pray this
prayer
as
forgiven
sinners
wrath
is not
ours
to give
we
have a
covenant
that is
better than
the one
that David
knew
we have
a covenant
that guarantees
our eternal
salvation
through the
blood of
our son
and as
forgiven
sinners
wrath
is not
ours
to give
it is
God's
alone
as
followers
of
Jesus
the
model
that we
are
given
is to
love
our
enemies
love
for our
brothers
and our
enemies
there's a
great set
of verses
in Romans
chapter 12
beginning at
verse 17
it says
do not
repay anyone
evil for
evil
be careful
to do
what is
right
in the
eyes
of
everybody
if
it
is
possible
as
far
as
it
depends
on
you
live
at
peace
with
everyone
and
here's
really
important
do not
take
revenge
my
friends
but leave
room for
God's
wrath
for it
is
written
it
is
mine
to
avenge
I
will
repay
says
the
Lord
on
the
contrary
if
your
enemy
is
hungry
feed
him
if
he
is
thirsty
give
him
something
to
drink
in
doing
this
you
will
heap
burning
coals
on
his
head
do
not
overcome
by
evil
but
overcome
evil
with
good
the
command
to
love
doesn't
remove
the
desire
for
justice
it
just
helps
us
understand
what
justice
really
is
justice
isn't
my
vindication
it's
God's
vindication
it's
those
who have
rejected
him
receiving
what
they
deserve
and
those
who have
trusted
in
the
son
being
given
the
life
that
they
do
not
so
how do
we
respond
to
injustice
and
sin
in
the
world
around
us
as
God
does
shape
our
heart
to
love
him
more
than
us
and
as
we
do
God
willing
become
more
offended
by
the
irreverence
that
we're
surrounded
by
how do
we
respond
like
David
ultimately
did
from
verse
29
he
says
I'm
in
pain
and
distress
may
your
salvation
oh
God
protect
me
I
will
praise
God's
name
in
song
and
glorify
him
with
thanksgiving
this
will
please
the
Lord
more
than
an
ox
more
than
a
bull
with
its
horns
and
its
hoofs
and
he
rejoices
because
even
though
he's
surrounded
by
injustice
back
in
verse
13
he
already
knows
that
salvation
is
sure
that
judgment
will
come
that
God
will
bring
justice
and
judgment
and
salvation
respond
like
David
ultimately
did
but
more
than
that
respond
like
Jesus
did
with
sacrificial
love
even
especially
for those
who persecute
us
because we
are confident
that God
will bring
justice
we are
confident
because in
Jesus
he's already
begun to do
it
and because
he has
promised
that when
Jesus
returns
he will
bring
justice
fully
and
forever
let's
pray
father
god
we
acknowledge
that
it is
our
hearts
first
desire
to
protect
ourselves
but we
ask that
you would
strip
that
away
please
shape our
hearts
that we
would love
you
as you
deserve
that we
would care
more about
your glory
and your
honor and
your name
and your
purpose than
any of our
own ambition
father
as you
shape us
and as we
recognize
just how
sinful
and dark
our world
is
may we
be moved
to love
like you
loved
maybe we
move to
love
sacrificially
humbly
without
judgment
knowing that
it's you
who judges
give us
the ability
to love
and forgive
those who
hurt us
again
knowing that
it's you
who judges
and that
your judgment
is sure
and right
and just
father
be enough
for us
that we
might be
content
in you
that we
might be
released
to love
especially
when it
hurts
father
we thank
you for
your son
we thank
you that
he was
willing to
take
the punishment
that we
deserved
lord
may that
truth
daily
break
our hearts
and excite
us
to share
that love
with others
who don't
deserve it
thank you
god for
your word
amen
so
you
other
who