PM July 5th Psalm 25

July 5^th 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.

• What do we learn about Davids Theology from Psa 25?
• Why did David find such cruel hatred?
• How does David call on the Lord to justify his religious life in Psa 26?