Blog Journeys of a Lifelong Learner

The following comments are from my journal entry for June 25. They were written during a period of approximately 2.5 hours in which no cross-references or other materials of any kind were used. The thoughts are by no means intended to be comprehensive; the intent was only to compile some initial thoughts in an endeavor to properly understand Psalm 25.

I used Psalm 25 from the English Standard Version for the reading in which these observations were written.

Psalm 25

Verse 1. David the psalmist lifts up his soul to God. He, the wise saint whose heart is "after God's own heart," gives his soul to the One who created it. He does not attempt to manage it on his own. We would do well to follow this example. The psalmist knows who owns all things, and he goes directly to Him. The godly man does not experiment with alternative sources of spiritual insight. He turns to the Creator, the One who has revealed Himself in His Word. The submission he demonstrates is proactive, for he "lifts up" his soul to God. Beware false piety which serves merely as a cloak for laziness and apathy. The psalmist knows that God has full dominion over his soul, yet he makes personal efforts in submission.

Verse 2. The psalmist declares his complete trust in God, and appeals for God not to disappoint that trust. God is fully trustworthy. His character is beyond reproach. That which is entrusted to Him is securely deposited. The psalmist requests that God would not permit him to be put to shame and that his enemies would not exult over him. The disgracing of saints brings a stain (in the eyes of the world) upon the reputation of their Lord. While the godly man may have concern for his own well-being, his full confidence is vested in his Lord. He longs for the glory of God. The glory of God is his enduring zeal, and he therefore shuns everything that hinders the proclamation of God's glory. That which serves to reduce the renown of God in the eyes of men is detestable to him, so he petitions God to be faithful to His people, as He has promised to be.

Verse 3. The psalmist derives comfort in the promise of God. None who trust in God will be put to shame; rather, those who stand in opposition to God will be put to eternal shame. The godly man takes refuge in the proclamations of God, but in order to do this he must know them. The psalmist is so familiar with God's Word that it readily comes to mind in troubling times. Difficult situations can exacerbate desperation, and they can reduce thoughtfulness and caution. Emergencies will draw out the true nature of a person. Piety does not suddenly appear in disaster if it has not already been cultivated in past times of comparative ease. It is a great tragedy to neglect the means of grace provided by God. Do not think that it will always be available at your leisure. God's people receive guidance by the Holy Spirit, but they do not arrogantly assume that the Holy Spirit will provide for them in trouble an understanding of Scripture that they have failed to learn. The wicked are treacherous, for they are engaged in treason against their Creator. All men are born rebels against God and His created order. They stand condemned in sin, and can only oppose God and His people. How blessed are those then, who have their hiding place in God! Christ's provision for His own transcends all possible alternative securities. Do you wait for God? Is He your hiding place?

Verse 4. The psalmist recognizes his responsibility to trust in God alone. His full confidence is in the work and provision of God, not anything of his own doing. Furthermore, he recognizes that he is insufficient for that to which God calls him. He is honest about his inadequacy and cries out to God for direction because of it. God is the teacher of His people. They are in the blessed position of learning from their Creator, the source of wisdom and knowledge. The godly man earnestly desires an understanding of God's dealings, and he longs for instruction in the ways of God. Godliness is the mark of the godly man, and he knows himself to be woefully deficient both in knowledge and practice of godly conduct, so he looks to the One who alone can provide that which he is lacking. He acknowledges his inferiority and God's superiority, because he asks for God to make him to know His ways. The pslamist's plea is such because he cannot make himself know God's ways. If God does not teach him, he will not learn. Those who do not have God for their teacher cannot learn anything of God's truth. The truth which sets men free is forever kept from them, for they have no acquaintance with Truth Himself.

Verse 5. The psalmist asks God to lead him in His truth and to teach him. Men need an example to follow, and God has provided the supreme example to His people in Christ. The psalmist's appeal for God to teach him continues with increased intensity. He is desperate for God's instruction; he relishes everything God gives him. He is able to make his request with confidence because of his position before God. He appeals to God on the basis of the relation God has to those of His Salvation. The psalmist is crying out to the God of his salvation, and the God who authored his faith has promised to maintain and perfect it. As the psalmist was not the cause of his entrance into salvation, he is not the cause of his continuing in it. God is abundantly merciful to His people. Those who come to Him are not turned away. Can you say that you wait on God all the day long? Many will scarcely spend five minutes in prayer, yet they expect the blessings God promises those who wait upon Him. God is not a machine that can be used for the instantaneous gratification of desires.

Verse 6. The psalmist continues his appeal based on the character of God. God does not deny Himself, and the psalmist makes his request to God in a way that references God's own nature as the reason why it should be granted. God's mercies to the psalmist have been "from of old" and He is not subject to change. God loved the psalmist before the psalmist could love at all. The steadfast love of God is a great comfort to God's people, for they know the great blessing it is to be an object of His love. The One who has called the godly man to salvation is the One who establishes him in it. The mercies of God are new every morning, and he who has received God's mercy can confidently hope in it. He continues to plead with God on the basis of the nature of God Himself; he does not begin to discuss his own merit, for he knows that has none.

Verse 7. The psalmist knows that he deserves none of God's kindnesses. If God were to deal with him on the basis of his own actions, he would be forever condemned. The wise man will turn to his Creator and humbly acknowledge his position. God gives grace to the humble, and this godly man has precious humility. The goodness of God is his hope, for it far surpasses the kindness of men. The godly man knows that God is love. His knowledge is experiential, not merely theoretical. His rhetoric exudes humility and worship. He does not deny the existence of his transgressions. He knows that those who claim to have no sin are merely lying and demonstrating that God's truth does not reside in them. The godly man does not make any attempts to conceal his sin, for they are readily apparent to him and to his Creator. Rather, he references the one thing that will preserve him — the love of God.

Verse 8. The psalmist praises his God with boldness and joy. Sinners are shown great kindness in that God provides instruction in the way of life. No evil can ever be attributed to God, for He is good. The divine nature is directly contrasted to all else in this, for men are neither good nor capable of doing good. All that God has purposed shall come to pass, including the redemption of sinners and the molding of them into the likeness of Christ. God has made provision for the instruction of the heathen in His command for His people to preach His gospel throughout the world to all people. The wisdom and power of God are demonstrated in that He uses sinful human beings who were formerly enemies of everything good and true to bring His Word to others who are by nature no different than those who formerly walked in the way of sin.

Verse 9. The humble are the recipients of incalculable blessings. God resists the proud, but He gives grace to the humble. The grace of God is precious. His dealings with the humble involve providing a perfect example for them. Christ calls men to Himself, declaring his meekness and lowliness of heart. The godly man hates every false way and is committed to full obedience to the Truth of God. The humble are given instruction by God and they receive it. What a blessing it is to be acquainted with the Way, the Truth, and the Life! Most never know this blessing. Pride dominates, and it always proves itself to be a deadly poison. Beware lest pride hinder your spiritual progress. God resists the proud, and those who find themselves resisted by God find themselves to be in an unmodifiable position. There is nothing a man can do to overcome the resistance of God, for God is all-powerful.

Verse 10. Though the wrath of God against sin is strong, God's people are shown none of His wrath. His wrath was poured out upon His Son, Jesus Christ, on their behalf. God is love and faithfulness to His people. What a joy this is! They enjoy innumerable spiritual blessings because of their position before God. God's covenant people experience His goodness. Obedience is the mark of ownership; the sheep in Christ's fold hear His voice and heed it. Do not despise the blessing of having access to God's Word. He rewards those who are obedient to Him. Do not expect to receive any blessings while you live in rebellion to God's revealed Word. Do you obey that which God has permitted you to understand? Do you truly serve God, or are expressions of submission mere rhetorical tools you use in order to seem more sanctified than you are? Sanctimonious declarations of piety are worse than nothing. Here we see those who experience the love and faithfulness of God: those who are obedient to Him.

Verse 11. The psalmist has already asked God not to remember his transgressions. Now he asks God to pardon his guilt. Again, he appeals to the nature and reputation of God. This godly man leads a God-centered life; his self-abasing attitude is evident, for he readily acknowledges his own weakness and God's superiority. Christ's work is the hope of the believer; nothing can compare to it. He acknowledges his guilt and recognizes that it is great. It is only pardon that can be granted; the sinner has nothing to offer, so the forgiveness of his sins must be all of God. The one who has been pardoned by God enjoys the richest blessing possible. God is faithful to His Word. He is mighty to save. He is greatly glorified in His transformation of wicked men into saints. The transformation of vile persons into disciples of Christ brings God great glory. The glory of God is the ultimate purpose for all things.

Verse 12. The psalmist declares that the one who fears God will be instructed by God according to His determination. Men naturally wish to be in control; they prefer to determine agendas themselves and are reluctant to submit to the will of another. God's determination is perfect, however. Those who are taught by Him benefit because He teaches them according to His purpose. The heart of man is deceptive and wicked. Men are incapable of choosing the correct way, but God is gracious in that He instructs those who fear Him according to His design.

Verse 13. The soul of the godly man dwells in safety. His inheritance is sure. Much could be said of the blessedness of this. The health of the soul is the most important concern in life.

Verse 14. God is a friend to those who fear Him. It is truly incomprehensible that the Creator could be a friend of His creation, yet He has made it to be so. God's people enjoy personal guidance from God. He reveals His covenant to them. While God uses human instruments in the proclamation of His Word, His people enjoy communion with Him.

Verse 15. The psalmist is always thinking of God. This separates him from the fool, for it is said of him that "God is not in all his thoughts." The thoughts of a man are revealing. How is your thought life? Can you honestly claim to serve God in light of your mental pursuits? The following of God is something that requires consistent application and diligence. Passivity is by no means related to piety.

Verse 16. The psalmist is lonely and afflicted, but he has the company of God. As Christ is meek and suffered great things, so He is a comforter of His suffering people. Christ has faced and conquered death; therefore, His people can face life. The healthy need not a physician, but the sick do, and the psalmist is willing to acknowledge his affliction and look to the One who will help him in it.

Verse 17. The psalmist is honest to God about the scope of his trouble. Nothing is too insignificant for prayer. The psalmist's example to us in prayer is one of truthfulness and desperation. Are your affections invoked in prayer? Do you truly communicate your heart to God? Prayer is rare. Most never pray. Beware the great tragedy of insincere and fake prayer! God's people sometimes offer frustrated prayers of petition to God.

Verse 18. The psalmist longs for God to think of him in his trouble and to forgive all of his sins. He is not pleased to be forgiven of some of his sins, for he recognizes the serious of all of them. There are no small transgressions of God's Law. Every violation is deserving of death, yet God mercifully forgives His people. The godly man despises sin, for he views sin as God views it. His own sin is detestable in his sight, and he does the one thing he can do about it: he asks for forgiveness. Christ is a comforter to the afflicted. Are you afflicted by your sinfulness?

Verse 19. The psalmist treasures his friendship with God, for he has many enemies in this world. The world has little tolerance for those who are not its friends, and as the world hated Christ, so it hates His people. The godly man is not afraid to acknowledge his troubles to God. Christ has promised His presence to His people, and they are not afraid to request it.

Verse 20. The godly man wastes no time in attempts at self deliverance and preservation. He knows his own frailty and recognizes that he would miserably fail in the guarding of his soul. He does not despair in this, however, for he knows that God guards and delivers His people. He is faithful to complete the work He begins. He knows the trustworthiness of God and appeals to God on the basis of it. The honor of God's name is prominent on the lips of the psalmist. Is it prominent in your consideration?

Verse 21. The psalmist yearns for the integrity and uprightness demonstrated by God to be characteristic of himself. He desires and seeks godliness. By God's grace, he is granted it.

Verse 22. The psalmist closes with a prayer for the people of God collectively. He is concerned with his own troubles, but even great trouble does not cause him to be consumed with self. The kingdom of God is always upon his heart. He prays for it and does all he can to strengthen it.