(Ps 69:7-9, 15, 19-21, 29)
Do you hear the Lord’s voice in these verses? Read them again, this time remember that this is a prophecy about the crucifixion of Jesus and His resurrection and ascension to the right hand of the Father on high. Jesus, the Eternal Son of God, spoke these words prophetically through King David, around 1,000 years before He became a man to die for our sins and rise for our eternal life!
Verse 21 is referred to in all four Gospels. Again, verse 21 says,
“They also gave me gall for my food, and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.”
Matthew tells us, “... they gave Him vinegar mingled with gall to drink. But when He had tasted it, He would not drink. Immediately one of them ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine (vinegar) and put it on a reed, and offered it to Him to drink (Matthew 27:34, 48).”
Mark, Luke and John all record the same event.
Now, David, the writer of Psalm 69, wrote, “they gave me gall... and... vinegar...” Was David speaking of himself? No, he was speaking prophetically, or as Jesus said of him, “For David himself said by the Holy Spirit... (Mark 12:36).” In other words, David was speaking by the Spirit of God. So David was speaking a prophecy by the Holy Spirit, and the voice speaking is non other than Jesus Himself!
So, this paints some of Psalm 69 in another light. Yes, David is, in much of the Psalm, speaking about circumstances in his own life. But, this also is prophetic of the circumstances in Jesus’ life. Jesus even speaks through David about Himself and about elements that only apply to Him!
Let’s look at the Psalm a little closer.
“Because for Your sake...” Jesus did everything in accordance with the Father’s will and for His sake.
“I have borne reproach; shame has covered my face.” In Hebrews 12:2 it says, “looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him (our salvation) endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
“I have become a stranger to my brothers, and an alien to my mother's children;” Jesus was not recognized by his ‘brothers,’ His own people, the nation of Israel. And His own brothers and sisters in His family rejected Him until after the resurrection.
“because zeal for Your house has eaten me up,” John records the following event and quotes this verse: “When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers' money and overturned the tables. And He said to those who sold doves, ‘Take these things away! Do not make My Father's house a house of merchandise!’ Then His disciples remembered that it was written, ‘Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up (John 2:15-17).’”
“and the reproaches of those who reproach You have fallen on me.” Paul the Apostle identifies this statement as a statement of Jesus, not David! He said, “For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, ‘The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me (Romans 15:3).’”
“and let not the pit (the grave, death) shut its mouth on me.” This prayer was answered, the grave could not hold Him! Jesus was “declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead (Romans 1:4).” And an angel told the women at the empty tomb early resurrection morning, “He is not here; for He is risen, as He said (Matthew 28:6).”
“let Your salvation, O God, set me up on high.”
“No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven (John 3:13).”
“Jesus said to her, "Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, 'I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God (John 20:17).'”
“Therefore He says: "When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men (Ephesians 4:8).”
“He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things (Ephesians 4:10).”
“Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven (Luke 24:51).”
“Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight (Acts 1:9).”
“A Psalm of David. The LORD said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool (Psalm 110:1).”
Jesus has ascended and been “set up on high,” “Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us (Romans 8:34).” He will be there until the Father “makes His enemies His footstool,” which is apparantly about to unfold shortly on planet earth!
