Psalms 69:1-18 - Homilies By C. Short

Suffering and prayer.

"The psalm is a prayer and complaint of one suffering severely from men for the sake of God."

I. GREAT SUFFERING . ( Psalms 69:1-4 .)

1 . Exposing him to great danger. ( Psalms 69:1 , Psalms 69:2 .) He is in peril of his life. "The floods overwhelm him."

2 . Entailing great bodily exhaustion. ( Psalms 69:3 .) Weary of crying, parched throat, failing eyes.

3 . Arising from the unjust hatred of his enemies, who are numerous and strong. ( Psalms 69:4 .) They that hate him without a just cause and wrongfully, are numberless and mighty.

II. GREAT SUFFERING FOR THE SAKE OF GOD AND THE RIGHTEOUS CAUSE , ( Psalms 69:5-12 .)

1 . Awakens a sense of personal unworthiness. ( Psalms 69:5 .) All suffering tends to this.

2 . The sin of his enemies was sin against God. ( Psalms 69:7-9 .)

3 . Intimate relatives and friends as well as strangers join in the persecution of his enemies. ( Psalms 69:8-12 .)

III. THE GROUNDS OF HIS PRAYER FOR DELIVERANCE . ( Psalms 69:13-18 .)

1 . Others who trust in God will be put to shame if he is left to perish. Go back to Psalms 69:6 for this. Faith in God is at stake.

2 . His great misery is his argument for salvation. ( Psalms 69:14 , Psalms 69:15-17 .) We may well use this plea.

3 . The greatness of the Divine loving kindness and mercy. ( Psalms 69:13-16 .) This is the argument which is fullest of hope to those who have known God in all ages, but especially to those who have known God in Christ.—S.