“O God, thou knowest my foolishness; and my sins are not hid from thee” (Ps. 69:5).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A thoughtful reader poses an intriguing question regarding the identity of the confessor of sins and foolishness in verse 5 of Psalm 69. Could it possibly be an acknowledgment of the imputed sin of Christ’s chosen people?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This inquiry delves into the profound messianic nature of the Psalms. Traditional scholars of the Psalms often differentiate between the general Psalms and the messianic Psalms\u2014the latter being those that explicitly pertain to Christ. These messianic Psalms encompass passages like Psalms 2, 22, 69, 72, and 100, among others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Indeed, there exists a sense in which all the Psalms can be considered messianic, for they were divinely inspired by the Holy Spirit of Christ. Christ Himself speaks through the Psalms, though He may do so through the voices of David, Asaph, or Ethan. This reality is evident in the scriptures of 1 Peter 1:10-12, where it is revealed that the prophets of the Old Testament, including the Psalmists, were moved by the Spirit of Christ to foretell His sufferings and subsequent glory. Consequently, their writings were intended not only for their contemporaries but also for future generations, including us, who have received the gospel by the power of the Holy Spirit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The uniqueness of the Psalms lies in the fact that they testify of Christ and His work, which is carried out in, through, and for His redeemed people. This aspect is of utmost significance. When David composed many of the Psalms, he was divinely inspired by the Spirit of Christ, speaking as Christ’s mouthpiece. As a result, Christ’s redemptive work for David is intricately woven into David’s consciousness, intimately connected to his life journey with all its trials, victories, sufferings, and experiences, as determined by God’s eternal plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In essence, the Psalms can be regarded as David’s (and Asaph’s, and Ethan’s) spiritual biography, expressing how Christ, the Savior of His people, brings about their salvation through their lives. Christ speaks through the Psalms concerning His own accomplishments. David, in turn, speaks as Christ’s vessel. Consequently, every believer speaks through the Psalms as Christ works salvation within them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For instance, Christ proclaimed, “The Lord is my shepherd” (Psalm 23:1). In all His suffering, the Triune God acted as Christ’s shepherd. Christ is the good shepherd who calls His sheep by name (John 10). He leads His people to green pastures. In the same way, the believer declares, “The Lord is my shepherd.” As Christ dwells within the believer and speaks through them, they also articulate the Word of Christ as it applies to their lives, even amidst the darkest valleys of existence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the psalmist exclaimed, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Psalm 22:1), Christ uttered these very words on the cross as part of His prophetic communication through David. Yet, David himself spoke these words during a time of chastisement when it seemed that God had abandoned him. Nevertheless, it was Christ speaking through David, expressing David’s life experiences. Thus, at some point in their lives, every believer can identify with the plaintive cry of this Psalm. The rich spiritual character of the Psalms lies in this profound connection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Certain Psalms explicitly foretell the sufferings of Christ, such as Psalm 69. However, Christ speaks through David in such a way that it is David who is articulating the Word of Christ, and yet he does so in the context of his own experiences and circumstances. When enemies divided Christ’s garments among them (Psalm 22:18; John 19:34), they performed a similar act with David’s clothes\u2014perhaps during Absalom’s rebellion. Thus, this pattern resonates throughout the Psalms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Psalm 69:5, as quoted earlier, Christ speaks through David, enabling the believer, through the Spirit of Christ, to confess their sins as David does. Furthermore, Christ also proclaims this truth, as the sins of all His people were imputed to Him, and He, who knew no sin, became sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21). The questioner’s insight is accurate\u2014Christ declares in Psalm 69 that the sins of His people, imputed to Him, were fully known to God. This declaration resonated when Christ bore the weight of God’s wrath against sin on the cross. And now, as Christ speaks through us, we too can echo these words, finding forgiveness in the precious blood of Christ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n