What is the meaning of Psalm 69:28? Setting and Context Psalm 69 is David’s heartfelt cry during intense persecution. Earlier verses reveal relentless mockery and false accusation (vv. 4, 12). By verse 28 the king petitions God to act against enemies who persist in wickedness, echoing other imprecatory pleas (e.g., Psalm 109:13). The request springs from: • A zeal for God’s honor, not personal revenge (Psalm 69:9; John 2:17). • Confidence that the Lord judges righteously (Psalm 7:11). • The covenant reality that persistent rebels cannot dwell among God’s people (Psalm 1:5–6). May they be blotted out To be “blotted out” pictures permanent removal, like erasing ink from a scroll. Scripture shows the Lord alone has authority to erase or retain names: • Exodus 32:32–33—God tells Moses, “Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot out of My book.” • Revelation 3:5—Jesus promises, “I will never blot out his name from the Book of Life.” David therefore asks God to exercise this prerogative because these persecutors refuse repentance (Psalm 69:22–27). The petition is consistent with Romans 12:19, where vengeance belongs to the Lord, not to us. of the Book of Life The Book of Life is a heavenly register of all who belong to God and inherit eternal salvation: • Daniel 12:1—“Everyone found written in the book will be delivered.” • Philippians 4:3—Certain coworkers’ names “are in the Book of Life.” • Revelation 20:12,15—Only those written in it escape the lake of fire. David’s plea implies that those warring against God’s anointed show they never truly belonged among His people (1 John 2:19). Blotting them out affirms God’s justice and preserves the purity of the redeemed community (Malachi 3:16–18). and not listed with the righteous “Listed” portrays final enrollment among God’s covenant people. Scripture contrasts two destinies: • Malachi 3:18—distinguishing “the righteous and the wicked.” • Matthew 25:32–34,41—sheep separated from goats. The unrighteous forfeit fellowship, blessing, and eternal life (Revelation 21:27). David’s words anticipate the end-time separation Jesus will carry out, assuring believers that evil will not share their inheritance (Psalm 37:9). Application for Believers • Rejoice that your name is written in heaven (Luke 10:20). • Hold fast to Christ in faith and obedience; perseverance evidences genuine enrollment (Hebrews 3:6). • Leave judgment to God, praying for repentance yet trusting His justice when opposition persists (Romans 12:14–21). • Maintain holiness, knowing the assembly of the righteous is to be distinct from the world (2 Corinthians 6:17–18). summary Psalm 69:28 asks God to remove unrepentant enemies from the Book of Life, excluding them from the company of the righteous. The verse underscores divine justice, the reality of a heavenly registry of God’s people, and the final separation between those who belong to Him and those who do not. It invites believers to rest in God’s righteous judgment, cherish their secure place in Christ, and pursue holy living as those whose names are eternally recorded. |
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