David's Request To Be Saved

INTRO

After Psalms 22 and 110, Psalm 69 is the third most-recited psalm in the Bible. That doesn’t mean Psalm 69 is more important than other psalms, but it does mean it speaks strongly to what we feel and face. Psalm 69 is a prayer of desperation and is a Messianic psalm. Nelson’s Commentary explains that both Psalms 22 and 69 “begin with the sufferings of David but have their full meaning in the sufferings of Jesus.”¹ Both psalms were written 1,000 years before Christ’s birth, death, and resurrection. However, while Psalm 22 focuses on Jesus’ physical sufferings, Psalm 69 “focuses more on His emotional and spiritual suffering.”²

At the end of this lesson, we’ll look at all of the Messianic psalms throughout the book of Psalms. In a Messianic psalm, David would describe his own experiences and sufferings, but these would also foretell of what Jesus the Messiah would experience. In Acts 2:30–31 is a description of how David did this: “Since [David] was a prophet, he knew that God had sworn an oath to him to seat one of his descendants on his throne. Seeing this in advance, he spoke concerning the resurrection of the Messiah.” David understood he would speak prophetically (2 Samuel 7:12–16), and that the Messiah would come through his own house.

The subtitle states the psalm was to be sung to the tune of “The Lilies.” Four times, David asked to be saved, beginning in verse 1 as well as in verses 14, 16–17, and 18. MacArthur divides the psalm into two sections: “(1) The Prayer of Desperation (vv. 1–28), and (2) The Promise of Salvation (vv. 29–36).”³

TEACHING

Psalm 69;1-3: MacArthur describes verses 1–3 as “the description of [David’s] situation.”⁴ David asked God to save him because he felt like he was drowning (v. 1). He felt mired in deep mud and stranded in flood waters (v. 2). David was physically exhausted from crying and looking for God (v. 3).

Psalm 69:4–12: MacArthur describes verses 4–12 as “the reason for [David’s] situation.”⁵ David stated the people who hated him without cause numbered more than the hairs on his head (v. 4). Jesus quoted David in John 15:25 as the fulfillment of what David said would take place (Matthew 5:17). David knew God understood he was not guilty in this case (v. 5). MacArthur points out David “fears that his dismal situation may be a stumbling block to other believers,” and that David worried they could become ashamed of what he was going through (v. 6).⁶ David had already been shamed by the reproach or insults of others to the point he was a stranger to his brothers (vv. 7–8). This is another Messianic reference. Jesus experienced that as well (Matthew 12:46–50; John 7:3–5). For verse 9, Constable explains, “It was David’s preoccupation with building the temple that had turned popular opinion against him.”⁷ Jesus had the same mentality with God’s house when He cleansed the temple of the money changers (Matthew 21:12–13; Mark 11:15–18). Both John 2:17 and Romans 15:3 speak to the truth in Psalm 69 that foretold what Christ would experience. Paul reminded believers that the insults fell on the Lord, not on us. No matter what David did in his worship, people mocked him (vv. 10–12).

Psalm 69:13–18: MacArthur describes verses 13–18 as “the hope for [David’s] situation.”⁸ David asked God for His favor, His salvation, and His abundant and faithful love (v. 13). He asked for rescue from the mud, the deep waters that could sweep him away, and from those who hated him (v. 14). He begged God not to let the Pit (death) close over him (v. 15). David asked God to answer him because he was in great distress and needed to be ransomed from his enemies (vv. 16–18).

Psalm 69:19–21: MacArthur describes verses 19–21 as “the reproach of [David’s] situation.”⁹ David knew God was already aware of all he was facing (vv. 19–20). In Matthew 26:37, Jesus experienced the loneliness and sorrow in the garden of Gethsemane that was like what David described in these verses. In verse 21, David was given gall to eat and vinegar to drink—a strong Messianic reference, just as Jesus was given on the cross (Matthew 27:34).

Psalm 69:22–28: MacArthur describes verses 22–28 as “the revenge for [David’s] situation.”¹⁰ David asked that his enemies be trapped, and God’s rage poured out on them (vv. 22–24). David asked that their fortification be made desolate and no one be allowed to live in their tents (v. 25). Verse 25 is quoted in Acts 1:20 referring to Judas, showing another Messianic reference.¹¹ The suffering of the Messiah was clearly a part of God’s plan (Isaiah 53:10). David asked God to cut the lives short of those who had attacked him (vv. 26–28).

Psalm 69:29–36: Wiersbe suggests, “David’s original psalm ended at verse 29 and the Holy Spirit directed the prophet Jeremiah to add verses 30–36 after the fall of Judah and Jerusalem to the Babylonians.”¹² The question about these verses is how did David know what was happening in those verses? Verses 30–36 speak to praising God with thanksgiving because the Lord heard them and did not despise them when they were captives. Wiersbe states David “saw a day coming when the land would be united and healed and the cities populated again.”¹³

CLOSING

MacArthur provides an outline of Messianic psalms and their fulfillment. His outline includes 20 psalms. Psalm 69:8 states David became a stranger to his own family because of his passion for building the temple for the Lord (v. 9). The more we become consumed with passion to be in the presence of the Lord, more people will question what you’re doing, throw insults at you, and even disown you. When that happens, you’ll be in good company! You’ll be looking more like David and a whole lot more like Christ.