Psalm 69: Lamentation and Hope

READING THE BOOK OF PSALMS

PART L

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Psalm 69

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Psalm 69 uses the metaphor of drowning in the hatred of other people, including relatives.  The psalm may be either an individual lament from the context of reproach or a lament for the destruction of the First Temple in 587/586 B.C.E.  The Jewish Study Bible, Second Edition (2014) argues that the themes of exile and mourning pervade Psalm 69.  So, perhaps the singular voice in the psalm is the personification of the people of Judah.  Support for this interpretation comes from the confidence at the end that

God will deliver Zion and rebuild the cities of Judah.

I break my train of thought to make a note of something I would ignore otherwise.  If I do not get off-topic, someone may criticize me for the omission.  Yes, I recognize the traditional Christian interpretation related to Jesus, in the context of Holy Week and the Passion narrative–bearing reproach for others, having to drink vinegar, et cetera.  Yet I also insist that the psalmist had something quite different in mind.  So, now I return to my main topic.

Retaining hope in God in grim circumstances can be difficult for both individuals and groups.  The historical record of Jews alone contains many dark times and a plethora of oppression.  Judaism continues to grapple with the Holocaust, understandably.  Despite the difficulty of hanging onto hope in God in the midst of legitimate lament, retaining that hope is essential.

A story from the Holocaust indicates such hope during dark times:

A Nazi guard in a concentration camp mocked a Jew, assigned to clean the disgusting toilets.  The guard asked:

Where is your God now?

The Jew replied:

Here, beside me in the muck.

The lives of the faithful are not all prosperity, kittens, and success.  Trials and tribulations are par for the course, as many psalms understand.  God remains present constantly.  If we cannot “see” God, we need to look in the right place, where God is near.

KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR

JANUARY 24, 2023 COMMON ERA

THE FEAST OF THE ORDINATION OF FLORENCE LI-TIM-OI, FIRST FEMALE PRIEST IN THE ANGLICAN COMMUNION

THE FEAST OF BOB KEESHAN, CAPTAIN KANGAROO

THE FEAST OF LINDSAY BARTHOLOMEW LONGACRE, U.S. METHODIST MINISTER, BIBLICAL SCHOLAR, AND HYMN TUNE COMPOSER

THE FEAST OF SAINT MARIE POUSSEPIN, FOUNDER OF THE DOMINICAN SISTERS OF CHARITY OF THE PRESENTATION OF THE VIRGIN

THE FEAST OF THE MARTYRS OF PODLASIE, 1874

THE FEAST OF SAINT SURANUS OF SORA, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBOT AND MARTYR, 580

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