Making 'Psense' of Psalms--Psalm 69: Trampled

 Part of a continuing series on selected psalms.
A recent praise song alludes to Christ as a rose, trampled on the ground.* That image comes to me as I read through Psalm 69 and think first of David’s troubles, then of its amazing prophecies of Christ’s rejection and crucifixion. Living 1,000 years before Christ, David could not have known his words would match the experience of the future Messiah. The Jews were looking for a perfect king, one to end all the corruption and oppression of their times. Christ came instead as a suffering servant:  “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).

GOOD AND ANGRY!

Psalm 69 should be read on two levels. The first is the laments of someone who is literally “good-and-angry,” meaning he considers himself a “good” person but he’s angry over how his enemies mistreat him. The second, prophetic level is of Someone who was perfectly good, but took the punishment of the divine anger over sin, dying on the cross. Psalm 69 is one of fourteen psalms have obvious Messianic references.

DAVID’S TALE OF WOE

David wastes no time asking for God to intervene in his problems.  “Save me!” he cries. He compares his situation to drowning (vv. 1-4) amidst enemies who number more than the hairs on his head (v. 4). He claims his innocence (“I am forced to restore what I did not steal,” v. 4c) and then turns around and admits that God knows about his folly and guilt, too (v. 5).  He essentially says, “I’m not perfect, but I still look to you.”  He details the abuse he goes through: mocking, ridicule, shame, having no sympathizers, unable to get decent food.  In short, he experienced major “pain and distress” (v. 20). Finally, he prayed fiercely (vv. 21-29) for his enemies to get their just due. “Do not let them share in your salvation,” he urged, “May they be blotted out of the book of life and not be listed with the righteous (v. 27). On the other hand, Jesus said He came to seek to lost, and we should rejoice that our names are written in Heaven (Luke 10:20).

JESUS' TALE OF LOVE

In the midst of David’s woes, I see Jesus in these passages:
“Those who hate me without reason…” (v. 4). In His discourse about the vine and branches, Jesus quoted this phrase (also in Psalm 35:19) to show how those who opposed Him were fulfilling prophecies of His rejection ((John 15:25).

“I am a stranger to my brothers, an alien to my own mother’s sons (v. 8). The Bible says Mary bore at least six children (Mark 6:3) and that even his brothers didn’t believe He was the Messiah (John 7:2-5).

“Zeal for your house consumes me, and the insults of those who insult you fall on me” (v. 9). John 2:17 pictured that zeal when Jesus threw the dishonest moneychangers out of the temple. Romans 15:3 says, “For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: ‘The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.’”

 “Do not hide your face from your servant” (v. 17). Shortly before His death, Christ called out from the cross, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matt. 27:46, Mark 15:34).

“You know how I am scorned, disgraced and shamed; all my enemies are before you.  Scorn has broken my heart and has left me helpless; I looked for sympathy but there was none, for comforters, but I found none” (v. 20). Gospel accounts of the crucifixion tell of those who passed under the cross hurling insults at him. Hebrews 12:2 says of Jesus, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Recently I attended a performance of Handel’s “Messiah” in its entirety—nearly three hours of scripture sung by students from two colleges. It all moved me, but probably more than ever before, the tenor’s rendition of Christ’s suffering left me feeling, “These are holy words. This has become a holy place. How He loved me to suffer so!”

“They put gall in my food and gave me vinegar for my thirst” (v. 21). The Gospel accounts of the crucifixion tell how Jesus was offered vinegar with gall (a sedative), then just vinegar for thirst (Matthew 27:34, 48 and John 19:28).

THE BETTER SOLUTION

The psalm concludes David’s tale of woe with a call to praise: “I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving” (v. 30) and concludes, “those who love his name will dwell there” (v. 36). The references to “captive people” (v. 33) and “rebuild the cities of Judah” (v. 35) led commentators to believe that the concluding section wasn’t David’s lyrics, but added many years later, after the nation’s captivity and deportation. Also, David reigned over all Israel, and it wasn’t until his grandson’s reign that troubles erupted and the land was divided into kingships of “Israel” (the northern part) and “Judah” (the southern part). Later came the Assyrian and Babylonian captivities, which left both political entities desolate until a remnant of faithful ones returned.  

 Despite its questioned authorship, the concluding section is still consistent with David’s heart. I only need to turn back a few pages in my Bible to his Psalm 34 to read, “I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips…Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together” (34:1, 3).

Psalm 69 is clearly about “a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief”—and I don’t mean just David. From the other side of history from the crucifixion—from that pure Rose of Sharon trampled on the ground by scorning sinners--we can consider ourselves most blessed…because we have a Savior!

Next: Psalm 73.

*The © 1999 song is “Above All,” by Lenny LcBlanc and Paul Baloche.

Making 'Psense' of Psalms--Psalm 22: Holy Ground

Part of a continuing series on selected Psalms.
When God got Moses’ attention via a strange burning bush, He called out, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are sanding is holy ground” (Exodus 3:5). Psalm 22 is one scripture portion that treats things so holy that it’s a “sandals-off” time, at least in our hearts.  Fourteen psalms have some sort of prophetic reference to Christ, but this one is remarkable—no, amazing—in its prophetic picture of the crucifixion of our Lord.
 

Prophetic?  Wasn’t David just a music-loving warrior king? Did he write of more than he realized? The answer is yes. In his first post-Pentecost sermon, Peter quoted David and declared, “he was a prophet” (Acts 2:30). Unlike many of David’s psalms, which describe in the heading or within the psalm what occasion or difficulty inspired it, this one holds no clues to any particular event. There’s no record of God deserting David, plus he always had friends to help him when difficulties came. Yet the psalm deals with those very woes. It also describes the unique torture associated with Christ’s crucifixion, hundreds of years before that mode of excruciating death came into use. In its prophecy of Christ’s horrible death, it is holy ground to be read in tandem with accounts of the crucifixion.

The thought lines of Psalm 22 seem to divide these ways:

1-21: Prayer of a suffering person.
22-31: Praise for victory.
They parallel the life of Christ in that His unspeakable suffering resulted in His victory over sin and the realm of Satan, making it possible for us to live in fellowship with God.

THE SUFFERING PERSON SPEAKS

There’s no mistaking the prophecy of the first verse: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ The exact same words came from Jesus’ parched lips as His execution progressed (Matt. 27:46, Mark 15:34). Our Lord was forsaken by His Father as He, who knew no sin, took on the penalty for our sins. During that time, the countryside was plunged into an otherworldly darkness—not an eclipse, for it lasted for hours—as a physical manifestation of the holy war going on with Satan’s realm. In verses 3-5 David asks why God came through for the Israelites during the history, but right now, not for him. He’s an object of scorn and derision (vv. 6-9), which had prophetic fulfillment as unbelievers taunted Christ on the cross (Matt. 27:39-44, Mark 15:29-32, Luke 23:35-39). David felt all alone—“there is no one to help” (v. 11)—surely what Christ felt, too.

David felt endangered as one might when faced by raging bulls (Bashan, east of the Jordan, was known for its cattle pastures), roaring lions, wild scavenger dogs, and wild oxen. In describing the wounds of attacks from such animals, he used language that detailed a crucifixion: weakness, disjointed limbs, failing heart, dry mouth, and pierced hands and feet. Then comes the remarkable curtain call: “They divide my clothes among them and cast lots for my garments” (v. 18). The soldiers who gambled for Jesus’ clothes surely didn’t fulfill this on purpose (John 19:23-24)!

PRAISE FOR VICTORY

At verse 22, Psalm 22 changes in tone to a praise for victory. After crying out that God doesn’t see his need, the psalmist changes his tune and declares, “He has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help.” The psalmist describes peace and bounty, even for the poor. As his praise broadens, he envisions a time when “all the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord.” The whole world, rich and poor, will know God and worship Him. Could David, in these verses, be describing the worldwide, Millennial reign of Christ? Sometimes, in realizing what a mess the world has become, we forget that the rest of the story has already been predicted, and it will happen!

 “He has done it!” David declares in conclusion (Psalm 22:31). Essentially, it’s “It is finished!”—the same words Christ choked out as death neared (John 19:30). His task of dying for the sins of the world was done. That’s when I stop and say again, “This is holy ground.” It’s our faith-focus: “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2).

How can we respond to such an amazing act of love?  I like how Jennie Hussey put it in the hymn we’ve come to know as “Lead Me to Calvary.” In contrast to the widely-lauded King David, Hussey was a little-known woman of a hundred years ago who cared for an invalid sister nearly all her life. During all her care-giving she wrote many poems, including this one that shows her understanding of what it means to walk on holy ground, and embrace the call of the cross to obedience and surrender:

            King of my life I crown Thee now, Thine shall the glory be;
            Lest I forget Thy thorn-crowned brow, Lead me to Calvary.

            May I be willing, Lord, to bear daily my cross for Thee;

            Even thy cup of grief to share, Thou hast borne all for me.

            Chorus:

            Lest I forget Gethsemane; lest I forget Thine agony;
            Lest I forget Thy love for me; lead me to Calvary.

 Can you take off your shoes and sing this song to the Lord? If you do, you may find it a humbling experience, your own “burning bush” of a word from God.

Next: Psalm 23 

The other Black Friday

Last week saw “Black Friday,” a day that news sources say 47 million shoppers spent an estimated $40,000,000,000. As I considered this annual $pending $pree,  I couldn’t help but think of another “Black Friday.”  We remember it every year, and this year it will return just 19 weeks from today. Last week’s frenzy got its name because a retailer’s “red ink” balance will supposedly turn “black” with pre-Christmas sales.  But the original “Black Friday” came on a desperate, ugly day of execution for two criminals and One without sin:

“From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land.”—Matthew 27:45

“At the sixth hour darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour.” –Mark 15:33
Shortly after those three black mid-day hours, Jesus died.

Some try to minimize the importance of the mid-day darkness.  They claim it must have been an eclipse. But this was at Passover, which is carefully dated at the time of a full moon, and eclipses cannot occur during a full moon. In addition, eclipses typically last a few minutes, never three hours. There had to be a supernatural intervention, as happened with the ninth plague of darkness in Egypt (Exodus 10:22) before Moses led the Hebrews out of slavery. 

It’s hard to miss the connection between spiritual and physical darkness. In his inimitable 19^th century prose, the great preacher Charles Spurgeon commented: “The sun could no longer look upon his Maker surrounded by those who mock him.  He covered his face, and traveled on in tenfold night, in very shame that the great Sun of righteousness should himself be in such terrible darkness.”

We’ve come to know that day as “Good Friday,” because the completely good and pure Son of God took on our punishment for sin.  But the day was full of blackness: shameful injustice, parades of misguided mockers, the raw and negative side of humanity.

Hmm...as I read of this era’s disorderly crowds and pandemonium over electronics, big-screen televisions , clothing, and toys, I wonder if we’ve made any progress since the day Christ hung on a cross. The crowds shouting “Crucify Him!” were disappointed that this “Messiah” wasn’t a political figure. They sought a leader to overthrow the Roman rule, which had kept them from enjoying life’s nicer things. They wanted comfort and toys, not a Savior from sin.

Perhaps the psalmist can lead us to an answer:  “How can I repay the Lord for all his goodness to me?  I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord.” (Psalm 116:15-16).  There’s no “gift” in all the Black Friday sales that can ever match the gift we have of salvation in Jesus Christ. We should respond by giving, not to those who already have so much, but as the hands of Jesus to those who have so little—in our land and abroad.