Psalm 69:6-8

Surrounded and oppressed by hostile enemies, probably his or her own fellow-believers who have wicked hearts, the author of Psalm 69 is concerned about the effect his or her response to this adverse situation will have on his or her fellow-believers who remain faithful to Yahweh. Thus the psalmist prays to Yahweh in verses 6-8:

"Do not let those who hope in you be put to shame because of me,
O Lord God of hosts;
do not let those who seek you be dishonored because of me,
O God of Israel.
It is for your sake that I have borne reproach,
that shame has covered my face.
I have become a stranger to my kindred,
an alien to my mother's children."

1. God's faithful followers are deeply concerned about how their response to difficult situations will affect others who are genuinely trying to serve God. No true believer in God wants to cause others to reject God and turn away from him.
2. Being faithful to God often causes a person to suffer shame, dishonor, and reproach in the eyes of fellow human beings. However, unfortunately, this is to be expected, because this is what happened to Jesus while he was one earth. Jesus said to his disciples in John 15:18, 20b, 23, 24b-25: "If the world hates you, be aware that it hated me before it hated you. . . . If they persecuted me, they will persecute you. . . . Whoever hates me hates my Father also. . . . But now they have hated both me and my Father. It was to fulfill the word that is written in their law, 'They hated me without a cause'."
3. Committed disciples of God are happy to bear reproach "for God's sake." Times come and situations arise when true followers of God must decide whether they will yield to the political pressures of society or religion, or whether they will remain faithful to God. If they remain faithful to God, some "fellow-believers" will castigate them and reproach them; but they are willing to bear this reproach "for God's sake."
4. Often a person's own family and close friends turn against her or him for being faithful to God. This happened to Job (Job 19:13-15), Jeremiah (Jeremiah 12:5-6), several psalmists (Psalms 38:11; 41:9; 88:8, 18), and Jesus (John 6:66). Many followers of God in Christ in our own time have experienced this. While it hurts and is very disappointing, we must remain faithful.

John Willis