The companion passage to our text in Ps 69:2 is Jer 46:7-8.  We’ll read both passages.

In Jer 46:7-8 we see Egypt depicted as a flood determined to flood the earth.  This flood represents the armies of Egypt that have attacked Nebuchadnezzar, trying to destroy Babylon.  Oftentimes in the Bible you will see nations attacking other countries described as a flood.  The armies of the antichrist attacking Israel in Rev 12 are pictured as a flood [v.15-16].  The typology of a flood is a vivid picture of the sweeping attack of these armies.  

But for us, there is a great spiritual application in Jer 46:7-8 and Ps 69:2.  In the Bible, Egypt is a type of the world.  The world, under Satan, the god of this world [2 Cor 4:4], is opposed to God.  The earth is the Lord’s. Yet the world’s influence is sweeping over the earth to carry away sinners to destruction.  David said, “I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me.”  That’s exactly how it is for a sinner when he gets swept up by the flood of sin in the world.

The flood of sin in the world looks like this.  Imagine little quiet streams and pools of water, in which people like to swim, that feed into rivers, like the beautiful Frio River, on which people like to float in tubes.  These feed into larger, faster rivers, that are deeper and broader.  And these eventually lead to more dangerous waters with rapids and undercurrents in which people drown.  All of these rivers empty out into the sea.  

Children and teens see other children playing in the seemingly quiet streams of sin and they want to play with them.  So, they jump in the water and become part of the fun, not realizing that they are all being carried along into rougher, deeper, more turbulent and dangerous waters.  

Children growing up in church see and hear their lost family and friends playing in the water, having what appears to be a great time.  And they want to jump in and play.  But their parents keep telling them not to swim in that water and their pastors keep warning against what’s downstream.  Nevertheless, the kids keep hanging around the bank of the water, watching all the fun.  Their friends keep hollering, “Jump in, the water’s fine.”  

Eventually, in high school or college, they decide to jump in and swim.  Of course, they always take a change of clothes with them so that when they get home they can pretend that they haven’t been swimming with their friends.  I knew a pastor’s daughter whose parents always made her wear skirts and dresses to school.  She would hide in the bushes and change into jeans after leaving the house.  Then she would change back into her dress or skirt after she left school and  before she got home.

At first, they have never had so much fun.  They’re splashing and carrying on.  They are “in” with the crowd now.  They are no longer the lonely, separated Christian sitting up on the bank. They’re cool.  They’re swimming now.  They’re having the time of their life in the current sin.

But here are the problems:

Each time you jump in you get a little braver and stay a little longer.  You find that you are little further down the river.  The trouble is that the bank is slipperier and steeper further down the river.  After a while you can’t get out.  

Your parents find out you’re swimming in the river.  But they don’t want anybody to know and they don’t get help.  They just tie a rope to a tree so that you can get out whenever you are through playing.  Maybe they put a ladder on the bank.  It gives them satisfaction that, though you aren’t supposed to be swimming in that river, at least you won’t drown.  They have provided a way to protect you, they think.  Yet, they have enabled you.  The river eventually carries you past the rope or the ladder and you’re too far down river to get out like you used to.

One day, you don’t come out of the river.  Your parents find you down stream and throw you a rope.  They want you out, but you don’t want to come out of the river.  You’ve gotten used to the water.  Here the current is swift and the bank is slippery.  They can’t stop you and so they are getting dragged further down the bank of the river holding on to you.  They are getting dragged further from the people at home trying to save you from drowning.  In other words, they’re caught up in the sin, too, though they are fighting to save you.

Your parent(s) get drug into the water with you and now you are both fighting the current.  They look back and see people who can help on the bank.  But the people aren’t jumping in to help.  They are hollering for your parent(s) to swim closer to the bank.  But your parent(s) can’t swim closer to the bank and hold on to you at the same time.  They have to decide whether to go downstream with you or let go to save themselves.  They won’t make that decision.  So, your parent(s) start blaming those on the bank for all this trouble.  Of course, the people on the bank know better than to jump in.  They’ll get drowned with y’all.  

Note: if you don’t want to come out of the river, no one can save you.  If you decide to come out of the river, your parents must be safely on shore, not drowning in the river with you.  The only person who can jump in that river of sin and save you is the Lord [Pd 69:1].  There are no human heroes in this flood.  Just human casualties.

And here are the solutions:

Don’t go near the river.  Stay out.  It always leads to destruction… broad is the way that leadeth to destruction.  There is a way… but the end thereof are the ways of death.  

If you are in the river get out, now.  Ps 69:1 Save. me, O God… Those waters will come in to your soul.

If your child is near the river, get help.  This is serious.  You can only help them get out and stay out before they go down the river.  Don’t hide from those who can help you.

If your child is drowning in the river and doesn’t want to come out… let ‘em go until they realize that they want to be saved.  But you say, “They might drown.” Yes, they might; but they won’t drown you and the rest of the family with them.  You must remember that the Lord is the only one who can save them.  That’s why David cried, “Save me, O God.”  God is just waiting until they cry to get out.

Conclusion: The invitation is very simple.  Get out and get saved or stay out and stay safe.