A Confessional Prayer for Help. Psalm 25:1-22

Transcription

1 1 Commentary by Clyde M. Miller Questions by John C. Sewell A Confessional Prayer for Help Psalm 25:1-22

2 2 A Confessional Prayer For Help Commentary by Clyde M. Miller Text: Psalm 25:1-22, 1. To you, 0 LORD, I lift up my soul; 2. in you I trust, 0 my God. Do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me. 3. No one whose hope is in you will ever be put to shame, but they will be put to shame who are treacherous without excuse. 4. Show me your ways, 0 LORD, teach me your paths; 5. guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. 6. Remember, 0 LORD, your great mercy and love, for they are from of old. 7. Remember not the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to your love remember me, for you are good, 0 LORD. 8. Good and upright is the LORD; therefore he instructs sinners in his ways. 9. He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way. 10. All the ways of the LORD are loving and faithful for those who keep the demands of his covenant. 11. For the sake of your name, 0 LORD, forgive my iniquity, though

3 3 it is great. 12. Who, then, is the man that fears the LORD? He will instruct him in the way chosen for him. 13. He will spend his days in prosperity, and his descendants will inherit the land. 14. The LORD confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them. 15. My eyes are ever on the LORD, for only he will release my feet from the snare. 16. Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. 17. The troubles of my heart have multiplied; free me from my anguish. 18. Look upon my affliction and my distress and take away all my sins. 19. See how my enemies have increased and how fiercely they hate me! 20. Guard my life and rescue me; let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you. 21. May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope is in you. 22. Redeem Israel, 0 God, from all their troubles! (NIV) Introduction: I. This psalm is an incomplete acrostic (alphabetic arrangement). A. This means that succeeding lines of poetry begin with the next letter in the Hebrew alphabet.

4 This form, however, is difficult in places in Psalm 25, since it is incomplete. 2. Verse 22 was apparently added later by the author or a later editor to make the psalm more useful for worship. 3. It reaches beyond the acrostic pattern. II. The names for deity in Psalm 25 are interesting. A. In the main body of the psalm (1-21), the word "God" ('elohini) is used twice (2a, 5b), while LORD (Yah-weh/Jehovah) is used ten times (1,4,6,7,8,10,11,12,14,15). 1. The former refers to the might and power of God, and the second indicates the covenant God of Israel. 2. Here, as often, no appreciable difference in meaning seems to be intended. III. The form of Psalm 25 is difficult to discern. A. The acrostic pattern perhaps hinders the flow of thought. B. Generally, however, verses 1-7 are in the form of lament and petition, verses 8-15 are in the form of wisdom psalms, and verses revert to lament and petition.

5 5 Psalm 25:1-7, To you, 0 LORD, I lift up my soul; in you I trust, 0 my God. Do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me. No one whose hope is in you will ever be put to shame, but they will be put to shame who are treacherous without excuse. Show me your ways, 0 LORD, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. Remember, 0 LORD, your great mercy and love, for they are from of old. Remember not the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to your love remember me, for you are good, 0 LORD. (NIV) I. It is usual for lamentation, prayer, and declarations of trust to intermingle in psalms of lament and petition. A. These elements are frequently juxtaposed as here. 1. His opening declaration of prayer (v. 1) is vitally connected with his undying trust in the LORD his God (v. 2a). a. The English verse division is poorly placed here. 2. He fears that his enemies might put him to shame by triumphing over him, so he takes it to God in prayer (v. 2b,c). 3. He then immediately expresses his confidence in the form of antithetic parallelism, stating that God is a righteous God

6 6 who will not allow the trusting person to be overwhelmed by treacherous enemies (v. 3). 4. Rather, the latter are those who will be put to shame. 5. The context implies that they will be defeated. 6. "Hope" (3a, cf. 5c) is here a synonym for "trust". II. His prayer now changes in tone to a plea for teaching and guidance (4-5). A. "Show" (4a), "teach" (4b, 5a) and "guide" (5a) form word pairs that indicate words demonstrated in action. B. "Your ways" and "your paths" (4a,b) suggest lessons that could be learned from God's dealings with his forefathers. C. Verse 5 is structured in a climactic triplet with three lines forming a unit. 1. The petition (5 a) is based on his hope in God as Savior, not in himself (5b,c). 2. Significantly, the abstract yet real content of God's paths and ways is found in His revealed "truth" (5a). III. The word "remember" in verses 6-7 connotes more than memory

7 7 recall. A. It indicates appropriate action that stems from the memory recall. 1. Since God's character is unchanging (cf. Mal. 3:6), His love "of old" (6b) will surely be extended to him as well. a. Malachi 3:6, "I the LORD do not change. So you, 0 descedants of Jacob, are not destroyed. (NIV) 2. This knowledge prompts him to muster the necessary confidence to express his faith in prayer. B. The paragraph begins and ends with an elaboration of God's compassionate nature (6a,b and 7c,d). 1. Sandwiched in between is his recognition of the sins of his youth that still haunt him (7a,b). 2. This prepares the reader for his later confessions of his present sins and his pleas for forgiveness. Psalm 25:8-15, Good and upright is the LORD; therefore he instructs sinners in his ways. He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way. All the ways of the LORD are loving and faithful for those who keep the demands of his covenant. For the sake of your name, 0 LORD, forgive my iniquity, though it is great.

8 8 Who, then, is the man that fears the LORD? He will instruct him in the way chosen for him. He will spend his days in prosperity, and his descendants will inherit the land. The LORD confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them. My eyes are ever on the LORD, for only he will release my feet from the snare. (NIV) I. The wisdom motif is less oriented toward worship and more directed toward didactic impartation of knowledge. A. Verse 11, however, intersperses a petition for forgiveness. 1. This feature is frequently found in wisdom psalms. 2. The prayer does double duty; it is directed to God and is as well an object lesson for the reader. II. Two main features are characteristic of this paragraph. A. First, the varied personality of God is set forth, beginning in verses 6-7, and is being extended in "Mercy" (rachamim, 6a) is his compassion on the undeserving. 2. "Love" {chesed (6a, 7c) is his steadfast, loyal covenant love. 3. "Good" (tobh, 7d, 8a) is an adjective with a broad meaning

9 9 including that which is excellent, kind and right. 4. "Upright" (yashar, 8 a) is an adjective with a broad spectrum of meaning as well, ranging all the way from that which is straight or level, to that which is just or righteous, to that which is pleasing and agreeing. 5. The LORD is "loving" (literally "steadfast love" chesedh (RSV) and "faithful" (literally "faithfulness" 'emeth, (RSV, loa). 6. The word for faithfulness derives from the same root (Aamen) from which came the word "truth" (5a). Note: These are all terms used hundreds of times in the Hebrew Bible to describe God. It is because of who and what God is that the psalmist can confidently make his plea for forgiveness (7a,b, lla,b, 18a,b). B. Second, the characteristics required of man in order to be recipients of God's blessings are set forth. 1. He must be "humble" (9a), obedient (lob), and a Godfearer (14a). 2. The latter term refers to one who reveres God enough to submit to Him. Psalm 25:16-21, Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely

10 10 and afflicted. The troubles of my heart have multiplied; free me from my anguish. Look upon my affliction and my distress and take away all my sins. See how my enemies have increased and how fiercely they hate me! Guard my life and rescue me; let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you. May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope is in you. (NIV) I. "Be gracious" (16a) renders channeni that derives from the noun chen, "grace". A. This is another word with broad varied meanings (favor, kindness, loveliness, charm, preciousness, etc.). 1. In a salvation context, such as we have in Psalm 25, it is a close synonym for rachamim, "mercies" (cf. 6a). II. Verses reveal the nature and cause of his being "lonely and afflicted" (16b). A. The troubles of his heart (17a) have brought on him "anguish" (17b), "affliction and distress" (18a). 1. All of this is the result of his guilt because of his unforgiven sins (18b). 2. He has earlier said that the threats of his treacherous enemies also cause him distress (2-3).

11 Sometimes one's own sins cause God to discipline the sinner in an effort to convert one from his evil ways. a. Is this what the psalmist is implying in verse 19? b. Possibly, but not necessarily so. c. If so, he believes that his trust in God (taking refuge, 20b), "integrity and uprightness" (2la) and his "hope" in God (21b) will cause God to "protect" him (2la) in answer to his petition. B. The tenor of the psalm as a whole indicates that the psalmist only claims relative "integrity and uprightness" for himself. 1. The psalmists recognized the fact that no human being is absolutely righteous before God (Ps. 143:2; cf. Eccl. 7:20). a. Psalm 143:2, Do not bring your servant into judgment, for no one living is righteous before you. (NIV) b. Ecclesiastes 7:20, There is not a righteous man on earth who does what is right and never sins. (NIV) 2. Embedded within his pleas for forgiveness, however, are silent confessions of his sins.

12 12 a. Biblical confession includes penitence, a requirement for forgiveness (Ps. 38:18). i. Psalm 38:18, I confess my iniquity; I am troubled by my sin. (NIV) Psalm 25:22, Redeem Israel, 0 God, from all their troubles! (NIV) I. As indicated in the introduction, verse 22 is apparently an addition made by the author or a later editor to make the psalm more suitable for public worship. A. The subject matter changes drastically from that in verses In 1-21, his personal concerns totally consume the psalmist, but here national considerations are the subject. 2. Apparently, the author of this verse hopes that each individual worshiper will make the personal psalm his very own. B. The word "redeem" (22a) in the context of the psalm, could refer to deliverance from enemies and/or forgiveness of sins. C. Contrary to the thinking of some interpreters, sins were forgiven in Old Testament days (Ex. 34:6,7; Num. 14:17-20; Ps. 32; Isa. 6:5-7; 43:25).

13 Exodus 34:6, 7, And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, "The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, 7 maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation." (NIV) 2. Numbers 14:17-20, "Now may the Lord's strength be displayed, just as you have declared: 'The LORD is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation.' In accordance with your great love, forgive the sin of these people, just as you have pardoned them from the time they left Egypt until now." The LORD replied, "I have forgiven them, as you asked. (NIV) 3. Psalm 32:1-11, Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit. When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Selah Then I

14 14 acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD " and you forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to you while you may be found; surely when the mighty waters rise, they will not reach him. You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you. Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you. Many are the woes of the wicked, but the LORD'S unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in him. Rejoice in the LORD and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart! (NIV) 4. Isaiah 6:5-7, "Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty." Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, "See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for." (NIV) 5. Isaiah 43:25, "I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more. (NIV)

15 15 Application: I. God does not finally judge a person by his individual sins confessed and forsaken, for those do not define the person. II. God judges a person by whether he denies or confesses his sins, and by the fact whether he is walking in the light of God or in the darkness of the devil (1 John 1:5-10). A. 1 John 1:5-10, This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.

16 16 Questions Psalm 25:1-23 (Questions based on NIV text.) 1. What is an acrostic? Be specific. 2. How does the word acrostic apply to Psalm 25? 3. What two words for God are used in Psalm 35, how many times is each used and what is the meaning of each as foundin this psalm? 4. Generally, as to form, Psalm 25 is in the form of and

17 17 (verses ), (verses ) and and (verses 16-21). 5. It is for,, and of to intermingle in psalms of and. These are frequently as here. 6. The psalmist's of is vitally connected with his in the his. 7. The psalmist that his might put him to by over him, so he takes it to in. 8. What is meant by antithetic parallelism? 9. The psalmist stated his that is a who will not allow the to be by.

18 is a synonym for as used in verse 3 a. 11. In verses 4 and 5 the psalmist s prayer in to a for and. 12. How are show, teach and guide associated in verses 4 and 5? 13. What is suggested by your ways and your paths in verse 4? 14. How is verse 5 structured? Explain in detail.

19 What does remember connote in verses 6, 7? 16. How does Malachi 3:6 relate to what the psalmist is saying here? 17. How does the paragraph end? (See verses 6 & 7). 18. The psalmist recognized the of his that still him. This prepares the for his of his and his for.

20 To you,, I my ; in you I, O my. 20. Do we have total trust in God? How do we evidence this trust? 21. For what did the psalmist pray? 22. Who will and will not be put to shame? 23. The psalmist prayed, me your, O Lord, me you ; me in your and me, for you are

21 21 my, and my is in you all. 24. How does God show, teach, guide us in his ways, paths, truths? 25. For what youthful sins and rebellious ways did the psalmist pray for God's forgiveness? 26. What caused the psalmist to believe God would forgive him? 27. Explain didactic importation of knowledge.

22 What words are used to describe God? (Consider this entire chapter.) 29. What characteristics must men possess if they are to obtain God's forgiveness? 30. Are all the ways of the Lord loving and faithful to everyone or only to those who keep his covenant? Give examples to support your answer. 31. "For the of your, 0 Lord,

23 23 my, though it is great." 32. Describe the person who fears the Lord. 33. What does God do for those who fear him? 34. Will those who fear the Lord spend their days in prosperity? What about Job? 35. The psalmist wrote, "My are on the, for only he will my from the.

24 For what did the psalmist pray in verses 16-21? Make a complete list. 37. What had brought on the psalmist's anguish, affliction and distress? What has brought anguish, affliction and distress to you in your life? 38. Who wrote verse 22? Give proof for your answer. 39. How does verse 22 differ from verses 1-21?

25 What does redeem mean? In your own words tell what verse 22 means? Write a paraphrase. 41. Were sins forgiven in the Old Testaments? Give proof for your answer. 42. On what bases does God judge mankind? 43. " is ; in him there is no at all. If we claim to have with him yet in the, we

26 26 and do not the." 44. "...if we claim to be without, we and the is not in us. If we our he is and and will us our and us from all. If we we have not, we made him out to be a and his has no place in our."