Psalm 69:8–12 8I am become a stranger unto my brethren, And an alien unto my mother’s children. 9For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up; And the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me. 10When I wept, and chastened my soul with fasting, That was to my reproach. 11I made sackcloth also my garment; And I became a proverb to them. 12They that sit in the gate speak against me; And I was the song of the drunkards.
Misunderstood and mocked, that was David’s plight in this passage.
Haven’t we all been there?
Haven’t we all been the butt of the joke? I certainly have and most of the time I deserve it. I do silly things and am prone to make myself a fool. I don’t mind at all, when I deserve it, but when I am mocked for things that I take very seriously then it hurts.
Why is David misunderstood and mocked?
He is isolated, reproached and ridiculed and for what reason?
Psalm 69:9 For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up; And the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me.
David’s passion for the house of God and his worship is behind all the bashing. To David, the corporate worship of God isn’t an obligation but a favorite pastime. David doesn’t have to go to worship, he considers it a privilege.
Look at how they make his spiritual fervor the object of their scorn.
Psalm 69:10 When I wept, and chastened my soul with fasting, that was to my reproach.
David was touched by the worship service. He wept tears of joy and cried because of conviction of sin. He was so invested in worship that his emotions were stirred.
There is a joyful release that happens to a believer whose heart is squeezed by the Holy Ghost until the juice comes from his or her eyes.
The problem for David was that his tears were a reproach. I wonder if it was the sincerity of of emotions that were questioned or was it their very presence they mocked?
Who Misunderstood and Mocked David?
Psalm 69:8 I am become a stranger unto my brethren, And an alien unto my mother’s children.
David was mocked by his own family. His brothers, his sisters and from the Biblical record we learn that his worship was even scorned by his spouse. We see from verse 12 that folks everywhere were talking about him, making jokes in conversation and even songs, but I am sure the family fun at his expense made the most damage.
I know from experience the pain of being ridiculed for your religion, but also know the heartache well of being hurt in such fashion by family. When those that are supposed to be closest question your motives and misunderstand your heart, that leaves an especially deep wound in your soul.
Thankfully, David didn’t allow the critical crowd to sway his heart. Thankfully, we have his Psalms today despite their scorn.
What Might We Learn from David Being Misunderstood and Mocked?
First, we should know that although David was the original writer, he was pointing to more than himself.
John explained that this passage looked past David to Jesus Christ.
John 2:17 And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.
The disciples realized this passage pointed to Jesus when he cleansed the temple of those that had turned his house into a profit center instead of a place of prayer. He was passionate about public worship to such a point that he fought for it!
Second, we should understand that if Jesus took corporate worship seriously as well as David then we certainly should!
I want those things said about Jesus to be said about me, so bring it on. Let it be said, the zeal for his house and his worship has eaten the Bald Believer up!
Third, we should expect to be misunderstood and mocked.
David was mocked by his family for his passion for God.
Jesus was mocked and misunderstood by his family too.
John 7:5 For neither did his brethren believe in him.
So will you, if you love him and serve him with zeal. Look at what our Lord said,
Matthew 10:34–36 34Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. 35For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. 36And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household.
If David and our Lord were mocked for religious devotion, if their zeal caused separation from family and friends then we shouldn’t we expect it too?
Jesus warned us.
John 15:18–19 18If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. 19If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
We will be misunderstood and mocked for loving our Lord, but I promise you this, he is worth it!
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