Psalm 69--Save Me, O God

Psalm 69
English Standard Version

Save Me, O God
To the choirmaster: according to Lilies. Of David.
69 Save me, O God!
    For the waters have come up to my neck.
2 I sink in deep mire,
    where there is no foothold;
I have come into deep waters,
    and the flood sweeps over me.
3 I am weary with my crying out;
    my throat is parched.
My eyes grow dim
    with waiting for my God.

4 More in number than the hairs of my head
    are those who hate me without cause;
mighty are those who would destroy me,
    those who attack me with lies.
What I did not steal
    must I now restore?
5 O God, you know my folly;
    the wrongs I have done are not hidden from you.

6 Let not those who hope in you be put to shame through me,
    O Lord God of hosts;
let not those who seek you be brought to dishonor through me,
    O God of Israel.
7 For it is for your sake that I have borne reproach,
    that dishonor has covered my face.
8 I have become a stranger to my brothers,
    an alien to my mother's sons.

9 For zeal for your house has consumed me,
    and the reproaches of those who reproach you have fallen on me.
10 When I wept and humbled my soul with fasting,
    it became my reproach.
11 When I made sackcloth my clothing,
    I became a byword to them.
12 I am the talk of those who sit in the gate,
    and the drunkards make songs about me.
13 But as for me, my prayer is to you, O LORD.
    At an acceptable time, O God,
    in the abundance of your steadfast love answer me in your saving faithfulness.
14 Deliver me
    from sinking in the mire;
let me be delivered from my enemies
    and from the deep waters.
15 Let not the flood sweep over me,
    or the deep swallow me up,
    or the pit close its mouth over me.

16 Answer me, O LORD, for your steadfast love is good;
    according to your abundant mercy, turn to me.
17 Hide not your face from your servant,
    for I am in distress; make haste to answer me.
18 Draw near to my soul, redeem me;
    ransom me because of my enemies!

19 You know my reproach,
    and my shame and my dishonor;
    my foes are all known to you.
20 Reproaches have broken my heart,
    so that I am in despair.
I looked for pity, but there was none,
    and for comforters, but I found none.
21 They gave me poison for food,
    and for my thirst they gave me sour wine to drink.

22 Let their own table before them become a snare;
    and when they are at peace, let it become a trap.
23 Let their eyes be darkened, so that they cannot see,
    and make their loins tremble continually.
24 Pour out your indignation upon them,
    and let your burning anger overtake them.
25 May their camp be a desolation;
    let no one dwell in their tents.
26 For they persecute him whom you have struck down,
    and they recount the pain of those you have wounded.
27 Add to them punishment upon punishment;
    may they have no acquittal from you.
28 Let them be blotted out of the book of the living;
    let them not be enrolled among the righteous.

29 But I am afflicted and in pain;
    let your salvation, O God, set me on high!

30 I will praise the name of God with a song;
    I will magnify him with thanksgiving.
31 This will please the LORD more than an ox
    or a bull with horns and hoofs.
32 When the humble see it they will be glad;
    you who seek God, let your hearts revive.
33 For the LORD hears the needy
    and does not despise his own people who are prisoners.

34 Let heaven and earth praise him,
    the seas and everything that moves in them.
35 For God will save Zion
    and build up the cities of Judah,
and people shall dwell there and possess it;
36     the offspring of his servants shall inherit it,
    and those who love his name shall dwell in it.

---

David once again cries out for the LORD's salvation, but he still seems to see his greatest enemy as being without and not within.  David wants to be saved from his enemies that make war with him, but he also wants to receive the rest and refreshment that he knows comes from the LORD.  His soul is "parched" and "weary."  He needs the Bread of Life, the Water of Life, and Prince of Peace.  "Come unto me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."  (Matthew 11:28-30).  Also, these words from Revelation 22:17 are the ultimate answer to David's prayer, "The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price."

​David quickly returns to his issues in the here and now though--his advisories are more in number than the number of hairs on David's head (he must have been young and still had hair to count when he said this).  If you ever feel like this, Jesus assured us that He is also aware of every hair on your head and not one of them becomes gray or falls out without him knowing about it--and nothing we worry about can add one more second to our lives.  God is in control, which is going to be the conclusion that David will come to as well.  Even when it may look like things are out of control, we know we believe in a sovereign God who is always in control.

David asks specifically for the false accusations against him to be shown to be false.  David says he's had integrity and has not hidden his sin from the LORD--there is no "secret sin" in David's heart at this time.  David's enemies had accused him of theft and demanded restitution under the Law (so that they could get some of the wealth that the LORD had blessed David with).  David asks for his reputation to be saved.  "Let me not be ashamed; let not mine enemies triumph over me." (the lyrics in the chorus of the second song I posted today). David prays saying that it is also the LORD's name and reputation that is at stake here, because everyone knows that David belongs to the LORD.  The LORD has done much to save David and establish him as king.   David is willing to become an outcast and an alien (to be excommunicated from his people) for the sake of the Name of the LORD, if that's what it takes to preserve God's honor.

David wishes he could go to the Tabernacle ("The House of the LORD") to worship, but he can't.  He fasts and mourns and wears sackcloth.  It is obvious to everyone that David is mourning and in a time of great sorrow.  David asks the LORD to save him from the depression he's feeling--I don't think there's a better picture than here of being stuck in the muck of a mire or swamp.  You can't get yourself out--someone has to come pull you out.  If someone doesn't pull you out, you will eventually sink into it and die--not quite as bad as quicksand, but it has much the same result, only this stuff also stinks as a swamp has all kinds of junk flow in and has no outlet.  If you've ever gotten stuck in muck in real life, you can probably relate and understand how that's exactly how depression feels.

It is once again the "steadfast love" of the LORD that changes David's perspective and allows David to speak in the imperative, "Answer me!," "Deliver me!"  David wants the LORD to act and act now.  He doesn't think he has much time left as it feels like the floodwaters are up to David's neck.  He feels like he's about to drown.  Now David prays for forgiveness for his soul.  His focus has turned inward starting in verse 16.  He is dealing with his sin and his feelings now.  He pours out his heart to the LORD to tell Him how he's feeling, which the LORD already knows, but it helps David to put it into words.  David has looked for compassion and pity and found only those that wish to give him poison (make his bad situation worse, hoping that he would die).

David then returns to the thought of his enemies and prays that they will have nothing to celebrate, that they would become ensnared in the traps they are laying for him, and that the LORD righteous anger and indignation would be poured out on them.  He wants their camp to become desolate so that no one else will follow in their footsteps.  David also wishes the LORD would act so that everyone would praise the LORD when they see how he has provided salvation to David, and David wants to be the one to lead heaven and earth in the songs of thanksgiving and praise.  David knows that the LORD will eventually give every good thing to those who belong to Him, even if he doesn't receive those "good" things here and now, the LORD is still good and faithful to keep His word and covenant.