May 28, 2014
Tom Lowe
Psalm 25 (KJV)
Title: The Way, the Truth and the Life
A psalm of David.
Psalm 25 (KJV)
1 Unto thee, O LORD, do I lift up my soul.
2 O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me.
3 Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed: let them be ashamed which transgress without cause.
4 Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths.
5 Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.
6 Remember, O LORD, thy tender mercies and thy lovingkindnesses; for they have been ever of old.
7 Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness' sake, O LORD.
8 Good and upright is the LORD: therefore will he teach sinners in the way.
9 The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way.
10 All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies.
11 For thy name's sake, O LORD, pardon mine iniquity; for it is great.
12 What man is he that feareth the LORD? him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose .
13 His soul shall dwell at ease; and his seed shall inherit the earth.
14 The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.
15 Mine eyes are ever toward the LORD; for he shall pluck my feet out of the net.
16 Turn thee unto me, and have mercy upon me; for I am desolate and afflicted.
17 The troubles of my heart are enlarged: O bring thou me out of my distresses.
18 Look upon mine affliction and my pain; and forgive all my sins.
19 Consider mine enemies; for they are many; and they hate me with cruel hatred.
20 O keep my soul, and deliver me: let me not be ashamed; for I put my trust in thee.
21 Let integrity and uprightness preserve me; for I wait on thee.
22 Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his troubles.
Introduction
This psalm brings us to a new section. It begins a new series of fifteen psalms—25-39—which primarily record David’s personal experience, but look also to the future when the godly remnant of Israel is in trouble. These psalms are more personal, quiet, and intimate. They have a wonderful message and impact on our lives today. They are applicable to the past, the present, and the future. Some of these psalms may not be familiar, but they have much to say to us.
Psalm 25 is similar to Psalm 34, therefore it may be assumed that they have the same author; Israel’s great king, David. The psalm contains a short fervent prayer for the liberation of his people Israel from its distress.
We do not know when this psalm was written, but the best conjecture is that it was written sometime during the Absalom rebellion. It is a psalm which belongs as much in the prayer book as in the hymnal.
The underlying theme of this psalm is guidance. David’s circumstances are dire, he hardly knows which way to turn, so he turns to God. Was it not Abraham Lincoln who said, “I have often been driven to God by the overwhelming sense that I had nowhere else to go.”
Commentary
1 Unto thee, O LORD, do I lift up my soul.
“Unto thee, O LORD!”—Lift up your soul, so that its darkness can be penetrated by His light, its disorders healed by His saving health.
In verses 1-3, the psalmist appeals to Jehovah and to Elohim—to the God of covenant and to the God of creation. He wants to make sure that the God of promise and of power is on his side. This reminds me of Martin Luther’s clash with the Roman church. While on his way to the city of Worms where the great debate was to take place, his friends feared for his life because all the power of the holy Roman emperor was arrayed against him. He was condemned already, if he entered the city he would never leave it alive. “I trust in God Almighty!” was the bold warrior’s reply. Thus David prayed: “I want you to protect me! Never let me or any of your friends be ashamed.”
2 O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me.
This is a psalm that reveals David’s great dependence upon God. One day Israel will also reveal this. The time will come when that remnant of Israel will find themselves in a position where there is no one upon whom they can depend but God. And it is good for us to come to that place also.
When David said, “Unto thee, O LORD, do I lift up my soul,” he is getting right down to business. This is not just his voice talking, it is his soul speaking. The soul is, of course, the whole personality, body, soul and spirit. He continues, “O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me.” Have you ever been in a place where it seemed that everything was failure and there was nothing and no one to whom you could turn for help? You didn’t want to go down in crushing defeat, either in your personal life, or your business life, or your home or church life. “Let not mine enemies triumph over me.” What a prayer! Do you pray like that?
3 Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed: let them be ashamed which transgress without cause.
David pleads with God, “Let me not be ashamed,” because the idea of his enemies triumphing over him is so terrible that he turns rather to pray for others beside himself:
a) “Let none that wait on thee be ashamed”—that is, let nobody’s prayer go unanswered.
b) “Let them be ashamed which transgress without cause”—that is, let them who are “wantonly treacherous (RSV)” come to their senses and admit their wickedness in shame. We believe that today we are living in an age of unusual violence. We hear constantly of dope-dealing, mugging, hi-jacking, kidnapping, arson, and the great dread of our day, Muslim terrorism. What should our Christian response be to those things? Our psalmist does here what Jesus too has told us to do—pray for our enemies.
The next two verses give us three basic principles of guidance:
a) He was wanting to be led (v. 4)
b) He was willing to be led (v. 5a)
c) He was waiting to be led (v. 5b)
4 Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths.
There are two ways a man can go. He can go God’s way or his own way. God gives us a choice. We can walk down the path of our choosing. “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death” (Prov. 14:12). What a glorious thing it is to be able to call out to God and ask Him to show us the way we should go.
Many of us say we want to be led but we really don’t want God to show us His will; we simply want Him to confirm our will.
David was wanting to be led. David’s prayer here echoes a prayer of Moses in a like hour of bewilderment. Moses had ascended the mountain of God where he received the Ten Commandments and instructions from God. Then Moses had come down from the mount only to find that the people had lapsed into idolatry and were dancing naked around a golden calf. God told Moses to stand aside so that He could pour out His wrath upon this faithless people but Moses played the part of a mediator and God’s wrath was turned aside. It was a time of great bewilderment for Moses. He took the tent of testimony, the place where God met with him and carried it outside the sinful camp. There God, in grace, talked to him. “The Lord spoke unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh with his friend.” Moses poured out his bewilderment to the Lord: “Show me now Thy way” (Ex. 33:13). He did not dare make a move without God. No angel, no matter who that angel might be, not Gabriel the messenger angel, nor Michael, the battle-hardened angel, would do. It had to be God guiding and leading or there was no point in going on. Thus David prayed. He was wanting to be led. When God sees that we really want to be led, then He will lead.
5 Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.
The psalmist is calling on God to show him the way, to teach him the way. This leads me to say that this is what is known as an acrostic psalm. That is, it is built upon the Hebrew alphabet. Each verse begins with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Unfortunately, in English we miss it.
Lead me! . . . and teach me! (vs. 4, 5)—If you utter this prayer in all sincerity, wait for the answer; be sure that it will come, and if you are not yet told what to do, wait until you know for certain, for the answer will surely come.
David was willing to be led. I like to read travel brochures about places which are remote and that I believe would be interesting to visit. Travel agencies have many such brochures, but actually going there is expensive and doesn’t fit into my budget, but it is still fun to read them. But God does not hand out brochures. God does not say, “Follow me and I will give you an exotic and an exciting experience; follow me and I will guarantee you good health and money in the bank.” God says: “Follow me no matter what!”—until we are willing to be guided God will not reveal His will to us. And notice, David says, “Lead me in thy truth, and teach me.” Guidance begins with the Word of God: “You see this book? Get into it and I will lead you.” David was wanting to be led and he was willing to be led.
David was waiting to be Led. “On thee do I wait all the day.” An important principle of guidance is that God is never in a hurry. Often he will make us wait and wait before finally making the path clear. That is where most of us break down; we are impatient so we act without God’s guidance, and then complain when things go wrong. Often when facing an important decision we will find that everything is cloudy at first. Guidance will come only as we wait. It is Satan who says: “Hurry; act now!” It’s now or never! If you miss this you’ll miss God’s will.” Satan guides by impulse. God guides while we wait. God cannot lead us if we are rushed and hurried, dashing here, there, and everywhere—always reacting to pressure. David was wanting, willing, and waiting to be led. “Lord, protect me, guide me.”
6 Remember, O LORD, thy tender mercies and thy lovingkindnesses; for they have been ever of old.
The psalmist speaks not only of the kindness of God but also of His loving-kindness. It is difficult for me to distinguish between the two, but I think what a little girl once said in Sunday school is a good definition. She said, “When you ask your mother for a piece of bread with butter on it, and she gives it to you that is kindness. But when she puts jam on it without you asking her, that is loving-kindness.” I don’t know of a better way to describe the difference. David could say this during a time of trouble, as will the remnant of Israel during their time of trouble. And this speaks to our hearts today. What was good for the saints of the past and will be good for the saints of the future is also good for us. I do not see how anyone could read the psalms, or study the Epistle to the Romans, without seeing that God has a plan and purpose for the nation of Israel in the future. He is not yet through with His people.
David was not the first to experience the Lord’s “loving-kindness,” for he says, “they have been ever of old”—that is, “remember your covenant love that has been there from the beginning.” Isaiah 15:16 likewise makes a tremendous statement: “And I have put my words in your mouth, and hid you in the shadow of my hand, stretching out the heavens and laying the foundations of the earth, and saying to Zion, ‘You are my people.’”
7 Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness' sake, O LORD.
The psalmist burdened by the sins of his youth, lifts up his soul to the Lord in earnest petitions. His distress of spirit is deepened by the scornful laugh of deceitful enemies, and he prays for vindication before them. There is a great depth of soul in this man. He pleads that God will deal with his life, not on the basis of what he deserves, but out of His loving-kindness and loyalty to him, and out of His compassionate goodness, which he has already richly experienced. How gracious of Him that he doesn’t treat us like we deserve, but instead shows us loving-kindness. The psalmist’s eyes looks up to the Lord as he acknowledges the Lord as the great Teacher, Leader, and Savior of his life. His mood of trust and expectancy is felt in the opening words: “O my God, I trust in thee.”
David knew better than most that sin in the life makes it impossible for God to lead and direct, so he asked God not only to remember his tender mercies and loving kindnesses, but now he asks him to forget something. He says, “Remember not the sins of my youth”—forget them. God knows how virtually all young people want to “try everything once.” How else could they discover what they should not do, so they argue? I don’t know about you, but as a teen and young adult I was rebellious and sinful. But I have confessed those sins to Him, and I am confident that they are not only forgiven, but forgotten. Then he prays to God for goodness and mercy. God is rich in both of these. He has enough for you today, and there will be some left over for me. I don’t know about you, but I am going to need a whole lot of mercy; and I would like to have a lot of goodness, too. “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life . . .” (Psalm 23).
Verses 8 and 9 are not part of David’s prayer, but a meditation on the great subject of guidance. David was an authority. In his early days he knew how to follow God’s leading in his life. All down those fugitive years, David had learned just how and when God guides. There are few people better fitted to instruct us in this subject than David.
8 Good and upright is the LORD: therefore will he teach sinners in the way.
God’s goodness is no mere abstract quality; it is no barrier, but an encouragement to repentant sinners (Matt. 9:13{1]; Luke 15:1{2]). Not only the meek, but sinners as well can claim His teaching. God’s goodness means His being good for me. “ . . . The hand of our God is for good upon all that seek him. . . " (Ezra 8:22). God’s goodness, His love, and His righteousness are revealed in His provision for salvation for you and me.
Knowledge begins with a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. David is occupied here with God’s goodness. Paul tells us that “the goodness of God leads to repentance.” So a person must be saved if he is going to be guided by God. Therefore the first thing God reveals is the need for salvation.
9 The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way.
If we have our minds made up there is no point in asking God to guide us. We will rebel when God’s will is made known. “A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still.” If we are to be guided we must be submissive, or as David puts it, we must be meek.
So David sets forth the priorities of guidance: a person must be saved by the Lord and submissive to the Word of God if he is to know anything at all of God’s leading. God refuses to play games with us in this area, and He is much too wise ever to be conned.
10 All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies.
Here the mood changes from one of distress to that of exultation, as the psalmist praises God as the righteous Lord of all those who are faithful to His covenant. By the faithful, he means His loyal congregation of the good and upright in character—those who “keep his covenant and his testimonies”—who are also in the estimation of the world, humble and needy.
All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth for all those who keep His covenant and His testimonies. Unless one is committed to keeping God’s commandments there is little point in asking for guidance. When we think of finding out God’s will we tend to think primarily in terms of a career or of some complication which has arisen; God thinks primarily in terms of character. He has given us many specifics along this line. If we get our characters in line with God’s Word then our questions regarding careers and our complications will soon be resolved.
11 For thy name's sake, O LORD, pardon mine iniquity; for it is great.
Here in the very center of the psalm (v.11) there is a simple, yet profound confession of sin [the first confession of sin in Psalms] and petition for pardon which is grounded in the very nature of God. Conscious of how great is his sin and pleading, as in verse 7, no virtue of his own, in true Protestant fashion, the psalmist throws himself upon the mercy of God. No suggestion is made in this psalm that the speaker feels himself to be pure by nature. Rather he would regard himself a forgiven sinner. He appeals to what God is in His innermost being, what God feels in terms of responsibility to His own covenant people.
David’s whole life came apart after his sin with Bathsheba. God says He will not even hear the person who cherishes iniquity in his heart. If we want God to lead us, confession is of prime importance. If we don’t get unconfessed sin out of the way, it will be impossible for us to hear what God is saying.
God forgives us for Christ’s sake, never for our sake. You and I do not deserve forgiveness. We know that God forgave David; and if we trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, He will forgive us, too. An old blasphemer came to a pastor one day with a sneer on his face, and asked, “Why did God choose a man like David, who was such a great sinner?” The pastor said to him, “You and I ought to take great comfort in that. If God would save David, there just might be a chance that He would save you and me.” Concerning His people in the future, God says of Israel in Jeremiah 31:24, “. . . I will forgive their inequity, and I will remember their sin no more.”
“For thy name’s sake” is a reminder of how much the Old Testament writers count on God’s Name! It is His character, His truth, Himself (Josh. 7:9{3]; Isa. 63:14, 16; Eze. 36:22-23).
12 What man is he that feareth the LORD? him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose .
The influence of the literature of Hebrew wisdom, with its method of question and answer and its emphasis upon God’s retribution is apparent in verses 12-14. God rewards the man who reverences Him by teaching him to choose the right way, by permitting him to experience throughout his own life the goodness of God and by granting to his descendents what the Palestinian peasant most desired, permanent ownership of the land. Intimacy with God is the reward for reverencing Him and opens the way for the Lord to impart the meaning and blessings of His covenant.
The Bible says that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” A right attitude toward the Lord is essential. This was the great prerequisite of Israel’s guidance in the wilderness. God led His people by means of the Shekinah glory cloud. Any Israelite could know he was exactly in God’s will simply by looking toward the cloud. When it moved, he moved; when it halted, he halted. The stops as well as the steps of the people of God were daily and divinely directed. Their guidance was conscious, conspicuous, and continuous. The Lord is willing to lead us, too, just as clearly if we get our eyes firmly fixed upon Him. That is the first great prerequisite.
There are so many people today who are just question marks as far as their Christian lives are concerned. They don’t understand this or that verse of Scripture, and they don’t understand why God does certain things. Their lack of understanding is almost a dead giveaway. They are constantly in a questioning state. But “the secret of the LORD is with them that fear him.” When we walk with the Lord, many times we do not need to ask a question; we just put our hand in His hand and walk along. My daughter Mary and I often used to go for walks. She was a regular question-box. She had to ask questions about everything along the way. Finally she would grow tired, I would pick her up, and she would put her arms around my neck. Question time was over. She just accepted everything from then on. I think many of us should forget about the questions we have and simply put our hand in His and walk with Him.
13 His soul shall dwell at ease; and his seed shall inherit the earth.
We should note the true sense of verse 13. It would be more accurate to read, “His whole being shall abide in what is good for him,” that is, in the goodness of God aimed at him; “thus his descendents will find that the whole world belongs to them.” In fact, Jesus quoted this verse as we have rendered it when He said at Matthew 5:5: “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” That is what God’s goodness does for His covenant people.
“His soul shall dwell at ease” indicates that in the darkest, saddest hour we may find a home in the goodness of God.
14 The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.
God’s covenant with Israel, of course, was contained on the tablets of stone laid up within the ark. God’s covenant with us is likewise contained in His Word. Nobody can hope to have any real guidance unless they are willing to spend time with the Word of God, seeking out the great secrets of the Lord which are contained in Scripture. There is no situation we can face in life which is not covered by some specific Word of God.
I can’t even imagine the secrets of the Lord that are waiting to be revealed to His own (1 Co. 2:9-10{4]).
When David was writing this psalm He was in trouble, in desperate need of help from God. His whole world had collapsed. This discussion of the priorities, principles, and prerequisites of guidance was no mere achedemic exercise. David needed help. In the closing verses he made that clear.
15 Mine eyes are ever toward the LORD; for he shall pluck my feet out of the net.
Absalom’s plots were cleverly and cunningly laid. He had succeeded in winning the hearts of the men of Israel and David’s plight was real, yet he could say, “Mine eyes are ever toward the LORD”—do not look down at your feet, but up to His face.
16 Turn thee unto me, and have mercy upon me; for I am desolate and afflicted.
The psalmist now returns to the predominant mood of grief that began the psalm. In loneliness and need, still surrounded by many enemies who are hating him without cause, he turns the eyes of His soul to the Lord, who alone can deliver him from his stress.
One translator renders that last phrase as, “lonely and humbled.” David, long used to being the national hero, had discovered in the Absalom rebellion just how much his sin with Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah had alienated the goodwill of his people. He had lost the respect of the youth of the country.
I need you, Lord is something we all find ourselves saying at times. Unless God turns (His face) to us in grace we remain unable to keep our eyes toward the Lord, and so we feel as lonely as a lost sheep. As any psychologist can tell us, all kinds of trouble, mental, social, marital, whatever, can set in as a result of egotism and self-centeredness. It is a sin that corrupts health, marriage, social justice, workable economics, and even the life of the church. For, of course, it is sin that raised the barrier between God and ourselves and is able to withstand the pressure of His grace upon us. The symbol of the flaming sword which turned every way guarding the way back into the Garden (Ge. 3:24), explains how it must be God alone who can bring us home to Himself. And God does indeed take the initiative when He forgives all our sins. And so, in the face of all his foes our poet waits for God to take the initiative and act to save him.
17 The troubles of my heart are enlarged: O bring thou me out of my distresses.
Adultery and murder had stocked his steps, breaking out again and again in his family circle. The rebellion of his beloved and favorite Absalom broke his heart. It was as Shakespeare would have said, “The most unkindest cut of all.” The troubles of David’s heart was enlarged. He had sinned with his heart and now he must pay with his heart.
What a prayer this will be for the faithful remnant of Israel during the time of trouble that is coming. Also it is a good prayer for you and me when we experience times of trouble.
18 Look upon mine affliction and my pain; and forgive all my sins.
David cannot get the troubled terrible past out of his mind. Although he was long sense forgiven by God, yet his guilt still haunts his mind. When we are in trouble we are more likely to confess our sins! When we confess our sins, God forgives and He forgets; but we do not forget. We must wait until we are with Him and are made perfect in Him.
19 Consider mine enemies; for they are many; and they hate me with cruel hatred.
The whole nation, except for Joab and a handful of loyalists had joined the rebellion. David must have felt like the Shaw of Iran when, almost overnight, subversive forces ran him out of the country and would have lynched him had they been able to.
That is how David evaluated his plight. It was serious. But not for a moment does he lose sight of God. That helps him keep his sanity and his soul.
20 O keep my soul, and deliver me: let me not be ashamed; for I put my trust in thee.
“O Keep my soul!”—When we are unable to keep ourselves for God, let us trust Him to keep us for Himself. He is able to do this; and it is best to transfer the entire responsibility to Him: “and therefore I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am sure that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me (2 Tim. 1:12). We cannot be ashamed (Isa 45:17{5]; 49:23; 50:7).
No matter how dark and desperate his situation, no matter, even, that its roots could be found in his own sin—he would trust God. God had forgiven his sin, so God’s integrity and uprightness would now be his preservation as once it had been his peril. The very attributes of God which seem to frown upon us when we are in our sins actually fortify us when we are standing upon salvation ground, so David planned to evade his plight, as a person, simply by taking refuge in the integrity and uprightness of God.
But David was more than an ordinary citizen. David was a king, so his plight involved not only himself but his kingdom. He tells us in closing how he planned to evade his plight.
21 Let integrity and uprightness preserve me; for I wait on thee.
In petitions which breathe the spirit of trust he prays for God to pay heed to him, to take note of the nature and extent of his trouble. Then comes the major request of his distressed soul, his petition for forgiveness, his innermost spiritual need. Although the deepest, it is not his sole need. While still facing danger from his enemies, he prays for rescue and protection. Thinking in the mood of personification, of two noble character qualities of which he now stands in need, “integrity and uprightness,” he prays for their protecting presence in his life.
22 Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his troubles.
There are two Hebrew words translated “redeem” in the English Bible. There is the word which means to redeem from bondage by purchase—the way Boaz redeemed Ruth.
There is the word which means to redeem from bondage by power—to release, to liberate. That is the word David uses here. The kingdom had fallen into the hands of a rebel. The popular movement against the establishment had been swift and strong. God would have to redeem Israel by Power.
Thus David finds himself driven back on God as the only solutions to his embarrassments and to the nation’s embroilments. On this note he closes the psalm. There are times when the consequences of our own behavior involve other people, those given to us as a sacred trust. There are times when we fail miserably in this trust and the disobedience in our own lives is reproduced in theirs—often in an arrogant and aggressive way.
Then what are we to do? Fly back to God and weep out our confession in His ears and ask Him to redeem those enslaved because of our failures—to redeem them by His power.
As the Psalmist, in a sense, “signs off,” he hides his personal signature in a fervent prayer for the redemption of his people as a whole from their distress. Through this prayer, the individual lament with which he began the psalm becomes a prayer for the nation of Israel and for the day of trouble that is coming upon the earth.
Years ago, down south, a black deacon got up and gave a testimony about a verse of Scripture that was meaningful to him. He said the verse was, “It came to pass.” Everyone looked puzzled, so the preacher said to him, “How is it that that particular verse means so much to you?” “Well,” the deacon said, “when I am in trouble, I always get my Bible and read ‘It came to pass,’ and I thank God my troubles came to pass, and they did not come to stay.” That may not be the exact interpretation of those words, but it expresses the truth of Scripture, and that is exactly what psalm 25 is saying, “Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his troubles.” I am sure that you can see that the primary interpretation is for the nation Israel, but we certainly can also pray this prayer for ourselves.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCE AND SPECIAL NOTES
{1] (Matt. 9:13) Go and learn what this means, 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.' For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.
{2] (Luke 15:1) Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him.
{3] (Josh. 7:9) For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear of it, and will surround us, and cut off our name from the earth; and what wilt thou do for thy great name?"
{4] (1 Co. 2:9-10) But, as it is written, "What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him," God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.
{5] (Isa. 49:17) But Israel is saved by the LORD with everlasting salvation; you shall not be put to shame or confounded to all eternity.
