The Good Man's Foes
Psalm 69:1-12
Save me, O God; for the waters are come in to my soul.


I. THE GOOD MAN HAS FOES.

1. The devil.

2. Wicked men readily learn the craft of their master.

II. THE GOOD MAN'S FOES ARE PERTINACIOUS.

1. They act in concert — take counsel how they may best succeed in their designs; encourage one another, to make their plans most effective.

2. They are never satisfied. Satan, not content to rob Job of his property, must needs seek to destroy his children. The trouble of the Christian, so far from moving his enemies to compassion, do but instigate to fresh deeds of iniquity.

III. THE GOOD MAN'S ENEMIES ARE COWARDLY.

1. Slander is one of the commonest weapons by which they seek to destroy. It is referred to several times by David. It is the sharp "sword," the poisoned "arrow," the "bitter words."

2. Misrepresentation is another very common mode of attacking the godly. "They Search out iniquities." This seems to suggest that when faults cannot readily be found, they are sought diligently, until some trivial defect is discovered that may be magnified into a deadly sin. Instead of setting a watch upon themselves, they watch others, and looking for faults they will invent them rather than be disappointed.

IV. THE GOOD MAN'S ENEMIES ARE LABORIOUS. They are "workers of iniquity." Men who are too idle to do any good thing will toil at an evil one. Many men work far harder to go to hell than would suffice, humanly speaking, to carry them to heaven. If half the diligence devoted to works of evil were but given to the service of God, how greatly would the aspect of the world be changed.

(Joseph S. Exell, M. A.)



Parallel Verses
KJV: {To the chief Musician upon Shoshannim, A Psalm of David.} Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto my soul.

WEB: Save me, God, for the waters have come up to my neck!




Suffering and Prayer
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