Psalm 69 Summary - 5 Minute Bible Study

Psalm 69 Short Summary:

In Psalm 69, David shares his depression and weariness in dealing with his enemies. Men hated him because of his close association to God. These haters of God wanted to see him ruined, but David was confident the Lord wouldn’t allow it to happen. He waited patiently for the Lord’s deliverance, worshipping while he waited.

Psalm 69 Summary

AUTHOR:

• David wrote Psalm 69.

NEW TESTAMENT REFERENCES:

• John 2:17 (69:9a), Rom 15:3 (69:9b), Rom 11:9-10, Acts 1:20

THEMES:

• Surrounded by enemies while waiting for God’s salvation.

• God takes us out of the pit of despair and sets us on high.

DEFINITIONS:

• Indignation (69:24) - God’s anger because of sin.

• Mire (69:2) – A swamp or bog in which people get stuck. Figuratively, a sticky and unpleasant situation from which it is difficult to extract oneself.

OUTLINE:

• PERSECUTION FOR ASSOCIATION WITH GOD (69:1-29):

  • In many ways, Psalm 69 is a lengthier version of psalms we’ve already read. Its contents are very similar to some of David’s other psalms, but he uses more text to describe his situation.

  • David was exhausted by enemies and people who hated him. He described his trouble with vivid language.

  • “The waters have come up to my neck. I sink in deep mire… floods sweep over me. I am weary with my crying out; my throat is parched. My eyes grow dim with waiting for God” (69:1-3).

  • David hadn’t wronged these men that hated him, they hated him because of his association with God and God’s people.

  • David was zealous about worshipping God, and there were many who disliked that zeal.

  • Although despised by men, David found comfort and hope in God. He was waiting on God to deliver him from his enemies.

  • He knew that God already knew about all his troubles, he wrote, “You know my reproach, and my shame and my dishonor; my foes are all known to you” (69:19).

  • David was struggling with a state of depression, his heart was broken, and he didn’t have anyone to comfort him (69:20).

  • He asked God to “make haste” to draw near to him and redeem him.

  • He prayed several curses over his enemies, he asked God to darken their eyes, to snare them, to blot them out of the book of the living, and for God to pour out His indignation on them.

  • He asked the Lord to lift him out of the mire of his troubles and set him on high.

• CONFIDENCE IN THE LORD (69:30-36):

  • As David so often did in psalms like these, he concluded the Psalm by expressing confidence that God would come through for him and help others struggling in similar situations.

  • “I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify Him with thanksgiving… For the Lord hears the needy and does not despise His own people who are prisoners” (69:30, 33).

  • David called on every living creature whether in the sea, on the land, or in the sky to praise God!

APPLICATION:

• If you are zealous for the things of God, there are going to be people who dislike you for it, not because you’ve wronged them personally, but simply for your association with God and you taking God’s instructions seriously.

• Psalm 69:9 reads, “The zeal for your house has consumed me.”

• This verse is quoted in John 2:17.

• John 2:16-17 – “And He [Jesus] told those who sold the pigeons, “Take these things away; do not make my Father’s house a house of trade.” His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.”

• In John 2, Jesus was so mad at the salesmen who were taking advantage of the people worshiping at the Temple that He made a whip, flipped over their tables, and drove them out of the Temple grounds.

• Jesus was zealous for God’s honor, and that zeal motivated Him to act the way He did.

• That event made Jesus some enemies. There were people who hated Him because He cared about the things of God.

• For application, don’t be surprised if you encounter people who are hateful and nasty towards you just because you are zealous about honoring God.

• That type of behavior directed towards you doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve done anything wrong.

• There are people who hate God (Rom 1:30), and they will hate you for being associated with Him.