The Life of Christ in Psalm 69
We are going to focus on one Psalm that has an important nuance. Next to Psalm 22, it is the most quoted Psalm in the New Testament. Psalm 22 deals with the death of Christ and Psalm 69 deals with the life of Christ.
Psalm 69 is quoted in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and in Acts and Romans. There are also many references to it other than direct quotes. In Psalm 69 there is an allusion to the early years. This Psalm gives us a glimpse into “the silent years,” as they are often called, of Christ’s childhood and his young manhood of which the Gospels tell us practically nothing.
Dr. Luke records an incident in the life of our Lord when He was twelve years old and in the Temple (Luke 2:41-49). Other than that, we know very little about his childhood. This Psalm fills in some details. We will gain insight into some of His dark days in Nazareth and His dark hours on the cross in this Psalm. This Psalm is classified as an imprecatory psalm because of the imprecatory prayer in it (Psalm 69:22-28). It is from that section that most of the New Testament quotes are taken. His cry for justice is a psalm of early humiliation and rejection.
We begin in the north of Israel, in Nazareth. We hear the heart sob of a small boy, a teenager, and a young man.
Let not them that wait on thee, O Lord GOD of hosts, be ashamed for my sake: let not those that seek thee be confounded for my sake, O God of Israel. Because for thy sake I have borne reproach; shame hath covered my face. I am become a stranger unto my brethren, and an alien unto my mother’s children.
Psalm 69:6-8
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Christmas Presence
Inspiration
In the lead up to Christmas 2018 I felt the Lord was showing me another side to the festive season. Illness within my family combined with watching friends go through various different trials made me aware that sometimes this can be a very difficult time of year for people.
There’s also so much pressure put on us through television and adverts to have our lives live up to the “Christmas dream” and meet the “ideal image” of what Christmas time should be like. Scenes of carefree, happy families gathered around the table for a wonderful feast are projected from every screen for weeks leading up to Christmas Day! For so many reasons, though, this may not be the case for many people, and this can lead to feelings such as depression, stress, inadequacy and isolation.
During this time, I remember walking up towards Regent Street with my husband, Jan, one evening. We were going to see the incredible angels that light up that part of London at Christmas time. They normally bring so much joy and excitement to my heart, but after a bad diagnosis from the doctor was given to someone very close to me, I found myself remarking to Jan,
“I’m looking at all the same, amazing twinkling lights as yesterday but now they’ve completely lost their sparkle for me.”
By God’s grace and mercy, Christmas 2018 was still a wonderful one in spite of the challenges we faced. His incredible ability to heal had my family singing His praises on Christmas Eve! I felt inspired to write a poem, however, that might address this subject and hopefully bring comfort and encouragement to someone who may not be feeling the festive spirit like everyone else around them seems to be.
If you feel the festive lights have lost their appealing twinkle, or you’re facing this Christmas with a heavy heart, I pray this poem can bring the focus back onto the real meaning of Christmas and encourage your soul today. In the midst of all the glitter and the bustle of the season, let’s remember the miracle of that first Christmas when God humbled Himself and came in the form of man. Well are the words sung each year,
“Veiled in flesh the Godhead see, hail the incarnate Deity!”
No matter what’s going on in your life today, remember you have a Saviour. I pray that you’d be filled with His peace and enveloped by His loving presence as you draw close to Him this Christmas.
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