For the music director, a psalm of David.
David wrote this song for the music director of the Levites. This song would be sung by the Levites at the appointed Jewish festivals. According to Acts, this was a prophetic song about Judas Iscariot. Judas betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver, which was the price of a gored slave. The Jewish religious leaders valued their Messianic King as less than that of a dead slave!
109:1 O God whom I praise, do not ignore me!
Theologians often comment that there is no biblical recording of this instance in David’s life. The reason is that this is a prophetic Messianic song. It looks forward into the future mind of King Messiah Himself. King Messiah is asking God the Father not to ignore Him.
109:2 For they say cruel and deceptive things to me; they lie to me.
The Jewish leaders were saying cruel and deceptive things about King Messiah. They were claiming that He was not the Messiah, but He was demon-possessed by Beelzebub. Beelzebub was one of the most disgusting demons of the literature of Judaism.
109:3 They surround me and say hateful things; they attack me for no reason.
Both the Jews and Gentiles surrounded King Messiah. They verbally and physically attacked Him. The Jewish religious leaders constantly attacked Him verbally, both privately an publicly. The Gentiles mocked Him, spit upon Him, and physically tortured Him on the cross.
109:4 They repay my love with accusations, but I continue to pray.
Jesus gave a message of love. His message was on how to have peace with God. Instead of listening to the truth of this message, the Jewish religious accused Him of being demon-possessed, Jesus continued to pray for His accusers.
109:5 They repay me evil for good, and hate for love.
Jesus gave the Jewish religious leaders the truth of the gospel. The Jewish religious leaders responded by calling Him demon-possessed and crucifying Him.
109:6 Appoint an evil man to testify against him! May an accuser stand at his right side!
The Jewish religious leaders appointed an evil man to falsely testify against the Messiah. This evil man would be Judas Iscariot.
109:7 When he is judged, he will be found guilty! Then his prayer will be regarded as sinful.
Pilate could find no sin in Jesus. Pilate crucified Him for claiming to be “the King of the Jews.” The Jewish religious leaders claimed that they had “no king but Caesar.”
109:8 May his days be few! May another take his job!
Judas hung himself the very next day. Matthias would later be chosen to take his job as an apostle.
It is important to note that Judas could have been one of the great apostles who took the good news to millions. Instead, he traded in this great privilege for 30 pieces of silver. Modern Christians will often turn down eternal rewards in heaven for temporary rewards on earth.
109:9 May his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow!
When Judas committed suicide, then his wife became a widow and his children lost their father.
109:10 May his children roam around begging, asking for handouts as they leave their ruined home!
The family of Judas would be reduced to poverty.
109:11 May the creditor seize all he owns! May strangers loot his property!
Creditors would take all of the property of Judas. Strangers would plunder his property.
109:12 May no one show him kindness! May no one have compassion on his fatherless children!
No one will show kindness to his children.
109:13 May his descendants be cut off! May the memory of them be wiped out by the time the next generation arrives!
The descendants of Judah will all die. They will not be remembered in future generations.
109:14 May his ancestors’ sins be remembered by the Lord! May his mother’s sin not be forgotten!
David asked God to remember the sins of Judas’s ancestors and of his mother as well. It was the responsibility of Jewish mothers to bring up their children in a godly manner. Apparently, the mother of Judah failed her calling. It is a terrible thing for a mother not to bring up her child in the Lord. She will end up bringing another Judas into the world.
109:15 May the Lord be constantly aware of them, and cut off the memory of his children from the earth!
David prayed that the Judas' genealogical line would be cut off from the earth.
109:16 For he never bothered to show kindness; he harassed the oppressed and needy, and killed the disheartened.
Judas stole money from the treasury.
109:17 He loved to curse others, so those curses have come upon him. He had no desire to bless anyone, so he has experienced no blessings.
Judas even cursed Jesus for allowing Mary to pour expensive perfume on Him.
109:18 He made cursing a way of life, so curses poured into his stomach like water and seeped into his bones like oil.
Judas cursed God and cursed the Messianic King.
109:19 May a curse attach itself to him, like a garment one puts on, or a belt one wears continually!
David prayed that Judas would be cursed.
109:20 May the Lord repay my accusers in this way, those who say evil things about me!
David prayed that all of the accusers of the Messianic King would be cursed as well.
109:21 O sovereign Lord, intervene on my behalf for the sake of your reputation! Because your loyal love is good, deliver me!
Jesus asked to be delivered from His enemies. This prayer would be answered at the resurrection of Christ.
109:22 For I am oppressed and needy, and my heart beats violently within me.
Jesus was being oppressed by both Jewish and Roman leadership.
109:23 I am fading away like a shadow at the end of the day; I am shaken off like a locust.
The Messianic King was about to physically die on the cross.
109:24 I am so starved my knees shake; I have turned into skin and bones.
Jesus needed more energy. He began to thirst and hunger on the cross.
109:25 I am disdained by them. When they see me, they shake their heads.
The physical appearance of Jesus on the cross was so marred and bloodied, that people shook their heads at Him in disbelief.
109:26 Help me, O Lord my God! Because you are faithful to me, deliver me!
Jesus was not asking to be delivered from His physical death on the cross. He came to the earth joyfully to die on the cross for the sins of these men.
109:27 Then they will realize this is your work, and that you, Lord, have accomplished it.
After Jesus was resurrected from the dead, then the Jewish leaders and the Roman government knew that He was God and this was the work of God.
109:28 They curse, but you will bless. When they attack, they will be humiliated, but your servant will rejoice.
The Jewish and Roman leaders cursed the Messianic King. They did not feel that He was fit to live on this world. They crucified Him like a Roman criminal.
Even though the leaders of the Roman satanic world cursed Jesus by execution, the Son of God blessed them by dying for their sins.
109:29 My accusers will be covered with shame, and draped in humiliation as if it were a robe.
The accusers of Jesus will be put to shame, because their evil deeds will cause the salvation of so many.
109:30 I will thank the Lord profusely, in the middle of a crowd I will praise him,
Jesus will thank and praise God the Father for giving Him the opportunity to die for the sins of the world.
109:31 because he stands at the right hand of the needy, to deliver him from those who threaten his life.
Those who threatened the physical life of the Messianic King will be delivered from their sin. It is important to note that King David knew that King Messiah would be betrayed and killed.