Psalm 69

Order of Service

• Scripture Reading — Psalm 69
• Sermon

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Sermon Title: Suffering, Zeal, and Imprecation in the Psalter

Scripture: Psalm 69

I. Introduction and Structure of Psalm 69

A. The psalm consists of six sections (prayers)

1. Verses 1–5: Individual cry for rescue
2. Verses 6–12: Prayer that the psalmist's suffering would not cause the righteous to doubt God's faithfulness
3. Verses 13–18: Intense repeated supplication for rescue
4. Verses 14–21: Recounting of intense personal suffering
5. Verses 22–28: Imprecation
6. Verses 29–36: Call for all the faithful to praise God

B. Historical context is uncertain; likely David fleeing Absalom, with former allies now siding against him

C. This is a psalm for those in deep distress, particularly when subjected to unfair ridicule from within the covenant community

II. The Book of the Living — Psalm 69:28

A. The "book of the living" refers to the covenant registry of God's people

1. Exodus 32:33: God threatens to blot out those who sin against him from his book
2. Ezekiel 13:8–9: False prophets shall not be enrolled in the register of the house of Israel
3. Malachi 3:16: A separate book of remembrance is kept of those who fear the Lord — the Lamb's Book of Life (Revelation 13; 17)

B. To be blotted out of the covenant registry is a form of divine judgment in the Old Testament

C. Church membership and discipline reflect this reality: the church's rolls should reflect as closely as possible those whose names are written in heaven

1. The Reformers: no true church without true discipline
2. Matthew 18: Whatever you bind on earth is bound in heaven; whatever you loose is loosed in heaven
3. Removing oneself from a faithful church body without transferring to another is a self-imposed form of judgment — severing oneself from the nourishing head of Christ

III. New Testament Uses of Psalm 69

A. Zeal — John 2:17 quoting Psalm 69:9

1. Christ cleanses the temple; disciples recall the psalm: "Zeal for your house will consume me"
2. Old Testament background: Phinehas in Numbers 25 — zeal for the house of the Lord rewarded with a covenant of perpetual priesthood
3. Contrast with Eli in 1 Samuel — lack of zeal results in his house being cut off
4. Christ as the greater Phinehas and greater David holds his priesthood permanently (Hebrews 7:24); his zeal for God's house is a credential of that perpetual priesthood

B. Thirst — John 19:28–29 fulfilling Psalm 69:21

1. Jesus says "I thirst" to fulfill Scripture; sour wine is offered on a hyssop branch
2. Direct fulfillment of Psalm 69:21 at the cross

C. Mockery — Matthew 27:48–50 echoing Psalm 69:20–21

1. Not a direct quote, but the sour wine and the absence of pity and comforters are fulfilled at the crucifixion
2. Godfrey: "Christ in his suffering fulfills and sanctifies all the suffering of God's people through the ages" — our suffering for Christ is already perfected in his suffering for us

D. Reproaches — Romans 15:1–4 quoting Psalm 69:9

1. Paul quotes: "The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me"
2. Christ bearing reproaches is our instruction as we face our own reproaches and persecution
3. The cross directs how we deal with the weak and those who reproach us — we bear reproaches in line with Christ's bearing of reproaches for us

E. Imprecation — Acts 1:20 quoting Psalm 69:25 and Psalm 109:8; Romans 11:9–10 quoting Psalm 69:22–23

1. Peter applies the imprecation of Psalm 69 to Judas — a New Testament apostle pronouncing curse using an imprecatory psalm
2. Paul applies Psalm 69:22–23 to hardened, non-elect Israelites who rejected Christ as Messiah
3. Additional New Testament imprecations: 1 Corinthians 16:22 and Galatians 1:8

IV. Principles for the Christian Use of Imprecatory Psalms

A. New Testament imprecations are almost exclusively directed at covenant community members confirmed in obstinate rebellion — those who have tasted the grace of God and with eyes wide open rejected the Messiah

B. The church must be longsuffering first

1. We cannot read hearts; discipline proceeds slowly and with repeated pleading for repentance
2. We admonish and exhort tirelessly before pronouncing any kind of curse

C. When someone is confirmed in a reprobate state, Scripture does sanction the use of imprecatory psalms

D. The church's discomfort with imprecatory psalms reflects a deeper problem: insufficient zeal for the honor of God's name

1. Those who are near to the Lord and have tasted his goodness will be rightly offended when his law is openly trampled
2. We are to have the spirit of Phinehas, David, and Christ himself — righteous jealousy for the Lord

E. Balance: we repay evil with good, love our enemies, and are longsuffering; but we are also to be zealous and jealous for the Lord who bought us with the blood of his Son