Romans 15:1-7 NKJV

Bearing Others’ Burdens

1We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification. 3 For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me.” 4 For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. 5 Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, 6 that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Glorify God Together

7 Therefore receive one another, just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God.

NOTE:  vs. 1-3 tells us that the strong and enlightened ones must tolerate and bear with the weaker and less enlightened brethren, until they too become strong in faith and knowledge.

In vs. 3, Christ is telling people that He is taking the Reproach of others on Himself, meaning where others express disappointment or displeasure in another person’s behavior.  In other words, do not condemn, look down on or reject others for their immaturity or sins. Christ took the Reproach of others onto Himself so we don’t reject or condemn them.

Psalms 69:9-28 NKJV

9 Because zeal for Your house has eaten me up,
And the reproaches of those who reproach You have fallen on me.
10 When I wept and chastened my soul with fasting,
That became my reproach.
11 I also made sackcloth my garment;
I became a byword to them.
12 Those who sit in the gate speak against me,
And I am the song of the drunkards.

NOTE:  Psalms 69:9 is saying that all desires are absorbed by the person desiring to promote God’s glory of His temple.

John 2:17 NKJV

17 Then His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up.”

Romans 15:3 NKJV

3 For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me.”

NOTE:  vs. 10-12 of Psalms 69, could have a double fulfillment in both David and Christ, but perhaps refers more particularly to David in his fasting due to overwhelming troubles which almost swallowed him and he became the song of drunkards.

The song of drunkards has a tenfold meaning:

  1. Forsaken by friends. vs. 7
  2. Forsaken by brethren. vs. 8
  3. Scorned by enemies. vs. 9, 18
  4. Insulted by inferiors. vs. 9-10
  5. Chastened by fasting. vs. 10
  6. Scoffed by libertines.  vs. 11 A person who is morally or sexually unrestrained; free thinker, desolate man.
  7. Reproached by the songs of drunkards. vs. 12
  8. Hated by own countrymen. vs. 14
  9. Swallowed up by troubles. vs. 14-15
  10. Heart broken by heaviness. vs. 20

13 But as for me, my prayer is to You,
O Lord, in the acceptable time;
O God, in the multitude of Your mercy,
Hear me in the truth of Your salvation.
14 Deliver me out of the mire,And let me not sink;
Let me be delivered from those who hate me,
And out of the deep waters.
15 Let not the floodwater overflow me,
Nor let the deep swallow me up;
And let not the pit shut its mouth on me

NOTE:  Psalms 69:13-15 David is crying out to God, calling upon His mercies that the Bible says are new every morning. Men’s mercy might have limits, but not God's. That's why we all want God’s mercy for our weaknesses, but sometimes we are not passing on that same mercy to others in their times of trouble.

David is not only calling upon God to extend him mercy from his enemies, but also for himself in his own emotional instability and depression, because all his problems are overcoming him.

16 Hear me, O Lord, for Your lovingkindness is good;
Turn to me according to the multitude of Your tender mercies.
17 And do not hide Your face from Your servant,
For I am in trouble;
Hear me speedily.
18 Draw near to my soul, and redeem it;
Deliver me because of my enemies.

NOTE:  Psalms 69:16-18, David is calling again on God’s loving-kindness to deliver him from his troubles.  The Hebrew word translates loving-kindness as grace and tender mercies which signifies the same tender affection that mothers show their children.

19 You know my reproach, my shame, and my dishonor;
My adversaries are all before You.
20 Reproach has broken my heart,
And I am full of heaviness;
I looked for someone to take pity, but there was none;
And for comforters, but I found none.
21 They also gave me gall for my food,
And for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.

NOTE:  Psalms 69:19-21, as I mentioned earlier, these verses are interchangeable with David and the Messiah.  In vs. 19, God knew both David and Jesus' shame and reproach.

10-fold suffering of Messiah

  1. Reproach vs. 19
  2. Shame vs. 19
  3. Dishonor vs. 19
  4. Adversaries vs. 19
  5. Broken heartedness vs. 20
  6. Full of heaviness vs. 20
  7. No one to pity vs. 20
  8. No one to comfort vs. 20
  9. Gall for meat vs. 21
  10. Vinegar for drink vs. 21

NOTE:  Now let's look closer at Psalms 69:22-28.

22 Let their table become a snare before them,
And their well-being a trap.
23 Let their eyes be darkened, so that they do not see;
And make their loins shake continually.
24 Pour out Your indignation upon them,
And let Your wrathful anger take hold of them.
25 Let their dwelling place be desolate;
Let no one live in their tents.

26 For they persecute the ones You have struck,
And talk of the grief of those You have wounded.
27 Add iniquity to their iniquity,
And let them not come into Your righteousness.
28 Let them be blotted out of the book of the living,
And not be written with the righteous.

NOTE:  vs. 22 was fulfilled upon Judas and the crucifiers of Christ.

12-fold curse on Judas and the priests in vs. 22-28.

  1. Their table shall become a snare.
  2. Their benefits shall become a trap.
  3. Their eyes shall be darkened.
  4. They shall be made blind.
  5. Their loins shake continually.
  6. Wrath shall be poured upon them.
  7. Their habitation shall be desolate.
  8. Their tents will remain empty.
  9. Iniquity shall be added to iniquity.
  10. Shall not know righteousness.
  11. Their name shall be blotted out of the book of life. Judas' name was once in the book of life. Because of sin, his name was removed.
  12. Their name shall not be written with the righteous.

Exodus 32:32-33 NKJV

32 Yet now, if You will forgive their sin—but if not, I pray, blot me out of Your book which You have written.”

33 And the Lord said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book.

Revelation 3:5 NKJV

5 "He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels."

Revelation 22:18-19 NKJV

A Warning

18 For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

Acts 1:25 NKJV

25 to take part in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place.”

Romans 15:4-7 NKJV

4 For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. 5 Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, 6 that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Glorify God Together

7 Therefore receive one another, just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God.

NOTE:  It is only by accepting and agreeing with what is written that men can be like minded with unity and peace. 

If saints would learn to avoid all doubtful disputations and become unified on a point, without judging each other regarding things not written, there would be perfect unity in doctrine.

Christians are to receive each other in spite of their faults and scruples, just as Christ received them.  This is the only way for unity and total peace.  We should be as Christ, forgiving and loving each other.  Aggressively resist all temptation to bring up someone's past, but rather live in the present and experience unity and total peace.

 

Jonathan Hansen