Today, Tuesday June 27
“And Those Who Love His Name…”
Psalm 69:29-36
“But I am poor and sorrowful; Let Your salvation, O God, set me up on high. I will praise the name of God with a song, And will magnify Him with thanksgiving. This also shall please the LORD better than an ox or bull, Which has horns and hooves. The humble shall see this and be glad; And you who seek God, your hearts shall live. For the LORD hears the poor, And does not despise His prisoners. Let heaven and earth praise Him, The seas and everything that moves in them. For God will save Zion And build the cities of Judah, That they may dwell there and possess it. Also, the descendants of His servants shall inherit it, And those who love His name shall dwell in it.”
As I have read the Psalms over the years, I have noticed a pattern that is quite evident in many of David’s Psalms. The first verses of the chapter are a plea and cry for help and deliverance from his enemies. In the middle chapters David asks the LORD to vindicate him and punish the wicked and those who are seeking to destroy him. And then it seems, suddenly, out of nowhere, David begins praising the LORD!
You definitely see this in Psalm 69! In verses 1-21, you find David in deep distress and despair pleading for help and deliverance. In verses 22-29, David is praying for God to pour out His wrath on his enemies. Then, right after he cries out, “But I am poor and sorrowful…” (v. 29), David shouts out, “I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify Him with thanksgiving!” (v. 30). Verses 30-36, close the chapter with worship!
Remember, as we close our thoughts on Psalm 69, that it is one of the Messianic Psalms. As in other Messianic and prophetic Psalms there is a similar pattern. In verses 1-21, we see Jesus in His humanity being rejected, scorned and suffering on the cross. In verses 22-29, we jump to the Tribulation where the “wrath of the Lamb” is being poured out on the wicked and unrepentant people and nations. Then in verses 30-36, we enter the Millenium reign of the Messiah, the Christ, where He is magnified, praised and worshipped!
In the last verses of Psalm 69, David is making a promise to the Lord, that he no doubt fulfilled. He wanted the Lord to be glorified in his personal worship, “I will praise the name of God…”, (vv. 30-31). He wanted the Lord to be magnified in his witness to the poor, the needy, and the prisoners (vv. 32-33). He asked the Lord to protect and provide for the poor whom the sinners were abusing and exploiting (v. 33). David wanted all of creation, “heaven and earth, and everything in them to glorify and praise the Lord” (v. 34).
David also wanted “Zion, Judah, and all of Israel and their descendants” to experience and recognized God’s great salvation and deliverance, and to come worship and bring praise and thanksgiving to the LORD (vv. 35-36). David saw a day coming when the land would be united and healed and the cities populated again. "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem" (Psalm 122:6). And that will happen when the last prayer of the Bible is fulfilled, "Even so, come, Lord Jesus!" (Rev. 22:21).
Psalm 9:10 tells us, “And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; For You, LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You.” The names of God reveal His attributes and His character! When you are intimately acquainted with His name and all that it represents, you will not have any problem with putting your trust in Him as you lean on His everlasting arms when you are surrounded by your enemies! “The eternal God is your refuge, And underneath are the everlasting arms; He will thrust out the enemy from before you, And will say, 'Destroy!'” (Deuteronomy 33:27).
Now Psalm 69:36 goes a little deeper! When we have personally experienced the LORD’s salvation and deliverance, we will “love His name and dwell, abide in Him”. Remember Jesus asked Peter three times, “Do you love me?” At the heart of every issue, every problem, every need, every failure, every relationship, every circumstance and situation in our lives, is this question, do we really love Jesus with all of our heart? When we settle that question, we will securely abide in Him and enjoy His joy, His peace and His presence! (Philippians 4:4-9)
God bless!