Psalm 69 is highly Messianic. Verses 4, 9, 22, 23, and 25 are quoted in several New Testament books. In addition, there are many other references to the Messiah, especially His great suffering. Verse 21 predicted the gall and vinegar he was given on the cross. Verse 20 speaks of His inner feelings: “Reproach has broken my heart; and I am full of heaviness.”
Such texts as Luke 12:50 picture Jesus’ tremendous suffering as a baptism. Ps. 69:1, 2, 14, 15 clearly foretold this symbolic spiritual immersion: “Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto my soul… I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me… let me not sink… neither let the deep swallow me up.”
Psalm 69 predicted that Mary, Jesus’ mother, would give birth to other children and they would not believe in Him. Verse 8 says, “I am become a stranger to my brethren, and an alien unto my mother’s children.” The fulfillment of this prophecy is found in John 7:5: “neither did his brethren believe in him.” Since the prophecy says, “my mother’s children,” these “brethren” of Jesus were sons of Mary; she was not a perpetual virgin.
An interesting but sad prophecy is found in 69:12: “I was the song of the drunkards.” Have we not heard such songs? Have we not known men who “get religion” only when they are drunk?
However, in the midst of all these Messianic verses is verse 5: “O God, you know my foolishness; and my sins are not hid from you.” In light of the Psalm being so heavily Messianic, we should also search for Messianic meaning in verse 5. For “foolishness,” consider 1 Cor. 1:18-25, which tells of the foolishness of the cross. For “sins” consider 2 Cor. 5:21, which proclaims that Jesus was made sin for us that we might be made righteous.