July 5th Psalm 25
A Psalm of David
A
prayer for guidance
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.
Psalm 26
A Psalm of David
1: Judge me, O LORD; for I have walked
in mine integrity: I have trusted also in the LORD; therefore I shall not
slide. 2: Examine me, O LORD,
and prove me; try my reins and my heart. 3:
For thy lovingkindness is before mine eyes: and I have walked in thy truth. 4: I have not sat with vain persons,
neither will I go in with dissemblers. 5:
I have hated the congregation of evil doers; and will not sit with the wicked. 6: I will wash mine hands in
innocency: so will I compass thine altar, O LORD: 7: That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell
of all thy wondrous works. 8:
LORD, I have loved the habitation of thy house, and the place where thine
honour dwelleth. 9: Gather not
my soul with sinners, nor my life with bloody men: 10: In whose hands is mischief, and their right hand is full of
bribes. 11: But as for me, I
will walk in mine integrity: redeem me, and be merciful unto me. 12: My foot standeth in an even
place: in the congregations will I bless the LORD.
In Psalm 25 we have a very insightful revelation of OT
Theology. David lived before the Lord under the Mosaic Law and he begins
saying, I lift up my soul to you, O LORD my God. I am trusting in you, so do
not let me be ashamed in front of my enemies and do not let them triumph over
me. Don’t allow any of us that are trusting in you be ashamed of you in front
of those who are careless sinners. Show me your ways O LORD and teach me your paths.
Lead me in your truth and teach me because you are the God who saves me in the
day of my troubles. I will wait for your salvation all day long. Remember O
LORD your tender mercies and your loving kindnesses. They have always been with
me from old times. Remember not the sins of my youth. David did not know the
forgiveness of sins, as we enjoy it, in the age of Grace. We do not need to
plead that God will not remember our sins. Christ has said to us, ‘your sins
and iniquities I will remember no more’. David had no forgiveness of sins as a
permanent reality and so he pleads that the LORD will not bring up his sins
again nor his transgressions but that according to the mercy of the Lord he
will remember him for the sake of his goodness. David lived under Mercy not
Grace. In mercy the Lord withheld judgment because the blood sacrifices pointed
forward to the atoning work of Christ. Then David says that the LORD is good
and upright and therefore he will teach sinners in the way that they should go.
Those who are humbled by the Lord will be guided in meekness. Those who keep
the commandments of the Lord will find that the path of life for them is
characterised by mercy and truth. How different it is for us under Grace. First
we do not keep the commandments of the Mosaic Law because we are ‘in Christ’
dead to the law, that we might live unto God. Christians are not saved by
keeping the law nor do they live by law. They are saved by Grace through faith
and live according to the Spirit. What we learn here is the contrast between
living under the Law David as did and living by the Spirit under Grace. So
because David does not have complete forgiveness of sins, he therefore
constantly has to request forgiveness. He says; pardon my iniquity, because it
is great. Then he says, whoever fears the Lord – the Lord will teach him the
way that he is to live his life. The man who lives righteously according to the
law, will have peace in his soul and his children will inherit the earth. This
secret knowledge comes to only those who fear the Lord and the Lord will reveal
his covenant to them. David says my eyes are constantly fixed on the Lord
because he knows that the LORD will deliver him out of the snare of his
enemies. David pleads turn to me and have mercy on me because I have been
deserted and afflicted. The troubles of my mind are greatly increased. So,
bring me out of my distresses. Look on my affliction and pain and forgive my
sins. The LORD in OT times used troubles and distress to discipline his
servants. It was by these means that the LORD drew them closer to himself; the
troubles came to them as a direct result of their backslidings. And so David
brings a direct link between his troubles and his sins and therefore he pleads
for forgiveness. David lived righteously in order that he might be forgiven and
when he found that he had sinned, he went to the Tabernacle and offered a sin
offering, to cover his sin. We on the other hand are completely forgiven of all
our sins and live righteously, because we are already forgiven. Then David says
to the Lord, Think about my enemies, those that hate me with a cruel hatred.
Keep my soul safe and deliver me from them. Do not let me be ashamed because I
am trusting in you. May my integrity and uprightness preserve me because I am
waiting for you to save me (from my enemies).
In Psalm 26 David speaks to the Lord and again we have a clear
declaration of what it was like to live righteously under the Law in Israel. To
Christians this might sound like boasting but David simply expresses as a
matter of fact the uprightness of his life and the determination to live
faithfully under the Mosaic Law. He is very bold in asking the Lord to judge
him. He says I have lived in mine integrity, I have trusted in the LORD and so
therefore I will not backslide. He says, examine me O LORD and test me, try my
motives and my mind. If ever a man spoke plainly to the Lord it was David.
David says, your loving kindness to me is always clear for me to see. And I
have walked in the truth. David says, I have not sat with the foolish men, nor
with those who are rebellious. I hate the company of evil sinners. And I will
not sit with the wicked. I will wash my hands and come before the LORD with
clean hands. I want to publish to everyone my thanksgivings and tell everyone
about all your wonderful works. Then he says, I have loved the Tabernacle – the
place where your honour lives. Do not allow my life to be destroyed by sinners
or by men of blood. Men who are up to no good and whose hearts are full of
betrayal. LORD I will walk before you in my integrity so redeem me and be
merciful to me. This is in stark contrast to NT believers. We do not know Gods
salvation or blessing because of our righteous living under the Law but we come
as hell deserving sinners and receive by grace and through faith, the
righteousness of Christ.
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