Follow Day 9 Whole Surrender: Digging Deeper
Digging Deeper Days
Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!
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The Questions
Psalm 69:1-12
1 Save me, God,
for the water has risen to my neck.
2 I have sunk in deep mud, and there is no footing;
I have come into deep water,
and a flood sweeps over me.
3 I am weary from my crying;
my throat is parched.
My eyes fail, looking for my God.
4 Those who hate me without cause
are more numerous than the hairs of my head;
my deceitful enemies, who would destroy me,
are powerful.
Though I did not steal, I must repay.
5 God, you know my foolishness,
and my guilty acts are not hidden from you.
6 Do not let those who put their hope in you
be disgraced because of me,
Lord God of Armies;
do not let those who seek you
be humiliated because of me,
God of Israel.
7 For I have endured insults because of you,
and shame has covered my face.
8 I have become a stranger to my brothers
and a foreigner to my mother’s sons
9 because zeal for your house has consumed me,
and the insults of those who insult you
have fallen on me.
10 I mourned and fasted,
but it brought me insults.
11 I wore sackcloth as my clothing,
and I was a joke to them.
12 Those who sit at the city gate talk about me,
and drunkards make up songs about me..
Original Intent
1) What literal circumstances did David need saved from? (verse 1)
Psalm 69 was most likely written by David as he fled from murderous King Saul. According to Coffman’s Commentary on the Bible, “It fits that period better than any other with which we are familiar in the life of David. His foes were ‘mighty,’ able to compel him to restore things he had not taken, and who were determined to `cut him off.’ Even the ribald singing against him in the city gates mentioned a little later fits that period better than any other.” When God was displeased with King Saul, He told the prophet Samuel to anoint David, the son of Jesse, to be the next king of Israel. (1 Samuel 16:1-13) It didn’t take long before God’s favor over David resulted in Saul’s fierce jealousy. David was forced to hide from those who hated him though he had done no wrong. Saul wanted him dead because he was a threat to the crown, and Saul’s followers hunted him in support of King Saul. David tried to serve and obey God but was dismayed at the unjust attacks. Author G. Campbell Morgan suggests, “Perhaps in no other psalm is the sense of sorrow profounder or more intense than in this. The soul of the singer pours itself out in unrestrained abandonment to the overwhelming and terrible grief which consumes it.” David felt like he was drowning and mired in despair, and he called on God to save him. Even though serving God had placed him in this situation, he knew his salvation would only come by trusting in God.
2) Why does David say, “Though I did not steal, I must repay?” (verse 4)
In Psalm 69:4, King Saul is trying to kill David. David laments, “those who hate me without cause are more numerous than the hairs of my head; my deceitful enemies, who would destroy me, are powerful. Though I did not steal, I must repay.” David is not talking about theft here, but about being falsely accused and having to pay the penalty. Author Charles Spurgeon explains, “Though David had no share in plots against Saul, yet he was held accountable for them.” This idea of paying a debt not one’s own is also true of Jesus, who quotes Psalm 69:4 in John 15:25, when He tells His followers the world will hate them as it hates Him. He says, “But this happened so the statement written in their law might be fulfilled: They hated me for no reason.” We do know “David was indeed a type of Christ, and many of the things in the life of David find their echo and fulfillment in David’s Greater Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Coffman’s Commentary on the Bible.) David understood what it was like to be treated unfairly, yet he still praised the Lord. He trusted in God’s salvation so much that, while waiting for rescue, he declared, “I will praise God’s name with song and exalt him with thanksgiving” (Psalm 69:30) He could even tell others who seek God to “take heart!”. (Psalm 69:32) Of course, nothing is better than knowing Jesus paid the debt for our sins when He, though blameless, died on the cross to save us. (I Peter 2:24) Even though we are guilty, we do not have to pay the price if we accept the free gift of salvation offered to us by Jesus.
3) How has zeal for God’s house consumed David? (verse 9)
The Greek word for zeal, zelos, and the Hebrew word, qinah, both have the same root meaning, jealousy. (turningtogodsword.com) David uses the word zeal in Psalm 69:8-9 when he is crying out to the Lord, lamenting his situation, “I have become a stranger to my brothers and a foreigner to my mother’s sons because zeal for your house has consumed me. . .” David is being pursued by King Saul, who wants to kill him. David has done nothing to deserve Saul’s wrath, but his life of zeal for God has brought David into favor with God, who chooses David to be the new king. David has a furious passion for the things of God. He is jealous over God’s ways and commands. As author John W. Rittenbaughnotes, “David put his whole heart into obedience to God, into talking about God, into trying to get people to turn to God, setting a right example for God. So, instead of winning people over, they told sarcastic and dirty stories about him. Because of his zeal for God, He became a reproach.” David is consumed by worshipping God and living for God, and this zeal has ostracized him from his family and friends and brought ridicule and attack on himself. It is David’s passion for God’s house that the disciples think of when Jesus is driving out the money changers and overturning their tables in John 2:14-17. Jesus is jealous over God’s house being respected, just as David, Jesus’ human ancestor, was jealous that God’s house be recognized as holy.
Everyday Application
1) What literal circumstances did David need saved from? (verse 1)
The psalmist David used poetic language to describe his deep despair in Psalm 69:1-3. He cried out, “Save me, God, for the water has risen to my neck. I have sunk in deep mud and there is no footing. I have come into deep water and a flood sweeps over me. I am weary from my crying; my throat is parched. My eyes fail, looking for my God.” Although he was not actually being overtaken by water or mired in mud, his words conveyed to God that he felt he was drowning in his desperate circumstances. He was so weary of crying and looking for God to save him that his eyes were giving out. David was hiding out in caves and being hunted by King Saul, who wanted to kill him. David’s need for salvation was paramount. If God didn’t come through, David would die. I have never been in such dire straits as David, but I do recognize that feeling of barely keeping my head above water and the weariness that comes from waiting on rescue. This is such a hard place to be in . . . looking for God while you feel like floods are rolling over you. But David knew the right thing to do. He called out to God for salvation, knowing He “listens to the needy and does not despise his own who are prisoners.” (Psalm 69:33) David believed God could save him as he wrote in Psalm 68:20, “Our God is a God of salvation, and escape from death belongs to the Lord my Lord.” Whenever I feel that sinking sensation of despair, I want to remember what David did in desperate times. He called on God and believed the Lord would prevail in his circumstances.
2) Why does David say, “Though I did not steal, I must repay?” (verse 4)
Anyone who has a younger sibling knows what it means to have to pay for something you did not do. I knew of a child who would bite her own arm and blame her brother for the injury just to get in trouble! This type of injustice plays out in the narrative of David’s life, but on a much grander scale. He is accused of plotting against the King, though he is innocent. Complicating things for David is the fact that God has chosen David to be the new King over His people. David has a heart after God, the zeal to serve God, and he even has God’s anointing to rule as king, but so far, David is on the run, hiding in caves and trying to stay alive. If I were David, I would be tempted to act like a kid being unfairly blamed by his little brother. I would complain and rail and demand justice! Waiting for God’s timing to fulfill His promises can be grueling! David does pour his heart out to God, asking Him to save him and telling Him how unfairly he is being treated while he waits (Psalm 69:4), but he doesn’t pout and wail. He simply tells God he trusts Him while he waits for salvation to come. (Psalm 69:16-18) He does not demand equity, but instead he seeks rescue. He would like to see his accusers come to justice (Psalm 69:22-28), but his focus is on trusting in God’s deliverance, not forcing his own. This is hard to do when someone wrongs you. I want to focus on how God is going to pay others back, but I should take a cue from David and focus on trusting that God will indeed come through in His time and His way.
3) How has zeal for God’s house consumed David? (verse 9)
If you know me for even five minutes, you realize I am generally quiet and reserved. You wouldn’t guess I was a cheerleader in junior high school. Or perhaps you could guess what a woeful cheerleader I was, roped into the deal by my extroverted friends in a tiny school where everyone who signed up made the cut. I did love my team, but you couldn’t tell by my lackluster cheering. It is cheerleaders I think of (the proper ones!) when I hear the word zeal. It is their demonstrative, excited, visceral expression of passion for something they love that helps me define zeal. No one questions their allegiance or opinion about their team. I think David is like that in Psalm 69:9. He writes how he is consumed by zeal for God’s house. He is God’s biggest cheerleader by writing and singing about God’s love and His perfect ways. (Psalm 69:30) He is passionate about sharing his God with everyone. (Psalm 71:7) He believes everything God says, even when it seems impossible. (1 Samuel 17:36-37) That is zeal! Sometimes I feel like I am the same type of Christian that I was a cheerleader. I love God and I want to share Him with others, but my expression of that love falls a bit flat. Author Jon Bloom asserts, “In God’s mind, fervency, zeal, or passion aren’t descriptions of how emotive we are. They’re gauges that display what our heart treasures, and therefore what fuels our lives.” I want to let the love I have for God fuel my everyday life. I want to treasure His Word, His promises, and His ways so I can be consumed by zeal for God’s house like David was. Join me in praying this today!
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Digging Deeper is for Everyone!
1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!
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Why Dig Deeper?
Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.
In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!
Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.
Study Tools
We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.
Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!
Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))
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