Zeal for your house

Psalm 69:1-36

Psalm 69 is not written about Jesus but the situation David describes certainly resonates with Jesus’ experience. If you read the Psalm while considering Jesus you will find a number of direct and indirect references to His suffering, crucifixion and death.

These include:
‘Save me, O God, for the waters have threatened my life’ (v1)

‘I am weary with my crying; my throat is parched’ (v3)

‘Those who hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head; Those who would destroy me are powerful, being wrongfully my enemies’ (v4)

‘Because for Your sake I have borne reproach’ (v7)

‘I have become estranged from my brothers, And an alien to my mothers’ sons’ (v8)

Most clear is verse 21, ‘They also gave me gall for my food and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink’ which is referred to in all four of the gospel accounts (see Matthew 27: 34,48; Mark 15:23,36; Luke 23:36; John 19:28-30).

This could easily be enough to meditate on from this Psalm but there is also the fascinating statement which the Psalmist makes in verse 9: ‘For zeal for Your house has consumed me.’ This is quoted in John 2:17 in his account of Jesus visiting the Temple in Jerusalem. As He entered the courts of the Temple, Jesus found Himself surrounded by traders selling animals which the people required for the sacrifices. These animals could only be purchased with temple money meaning that people had use Temple money-changers in order to be able to buy their sacrifices. The money-changers were able to fix their own exchange rates in order to take advantage of the captive market. These practices were exploitative, and affected the ability of everyday people to worship God. Jesus saw exactly what was happening. He was seized with a consuming zeal for the sanctity of the Temple and for the supreme importance of the Temple as a space for God’s people to meet with God.

Jesus wanted to restore people back to God and in His actions here He was highlighting how worship had been hijacked by profiteers. But there is no doubt that such zeal-fuelled actions did not play well with the authorities. From this incident early on in His ministry He was a marked man and His uncompromising zeal for the things of God no doubt contributed to His suffering and death as the Psalmist described.

Further reading:      John 2:13-25

Worship Video:

To think about:
Are you consumed with zeal for the worship of God? What do you think zeal for God’s house looks like? What things are there which hinder people worshipping God and how can you make it easier for you and others to come to worship?

Creative response:

Photo by Bernice

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