Psalm 25
Introduction
The Prophet touched with the consideration of his sins, and also grieved with the cruel malice of his enemies. He prayeth to God most fervently to have his sins forgiven, especially such as he had committed in his youth. He beginneth every verse according to the Hebrew letters, two or three except.
A Psalm of David
- Unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.
- O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me.
- Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed: let them be ashamed which transgress without cause.
- Shew me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths.
- Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.
- Remember, O Lord, thy tender mercies and thy lovingkindnesses; for they have been ever of old.
- Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness’ sake, O Lord.
- Gracious and righteous is the Lord: therefore will he teach sinners in the way.
- The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way.
- All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies.
- For thy name’s sake, O Lord, pardon mine iniquity; for it is great.
- What man is he that feareth the Lord? him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose.
- His soul shall dwell at ease; and his seed shall inherit the earth.
- The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.
- Mine eyes are ever toward the Lord; for he shall pluck my feet out of the net.
- Turn thee unto me, and have mercy upon me; for I am desolate and afflicted.
- The troubles of my heart are enlarged: O bring thou me out of my distresses.
- Look upon mine affliction and my pain; and forgive all my sins.
- Consider mine enemies; for they are many; and they hate me with cruel hatred.
- O keep my soul, and deliver me: let me not be ashamed; for I trust in thee.
- Let integrity and uprightness preserve me; for I wait on thee.
- Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his troubles.
Exposition
We saw previously the behavior of the Christian and the origin of his seeking after truth. For we cannot even begin to desire holy knowledge unless a relish thereof has already been instilled within us by the Holy Spirit. Truly all our understanding, all our inclinations towards good, all our holy aspirations are from God. We cannot know truth apart from the word, and we cannot know His word apart from His grace towards us. Therefore the beginning of grace is not us seeking, but God’s own free gift of grace, to set us upon seeking. As it is written, “You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you that you should bear fruit.” and again, “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us.” and again, “He which hath begun a good work in you shall complete it.”
Therefore, though it may be said truly that the Christian seeks after God, delights in God, chooses God, and follows after God, he does none of these things by his own power or after his own imagination, but purely by the grace of God. We also ought to note the doctrinal necessity laid here by the prophet, for unlike the mad and deranged dogma of the world, the Christian is ruled by truth, not by lies or uncertainty. The Christian gathers all his strength from the Lord His God upon whom He waits, and through His truth (or doctrine) he is kept from evil, both inward and outward. Therefore, if we take away this doctrine (of salvation) the Christian is left with nothing but darkness, doubt, and uncertainty. A strong Christian, therefore, is a Christian grounded in the truth, who is fully persuaded of his inability to perform righteousness, and God’s power, faithfulness, goodness, wisdom, and justice to perform the promises of the covenant made to the fathers. God is only known by the truth of His word, and when men defile that truth with lies and error, all hope of everlasting life vanishes away. This David held as certain and therefore begs for God to lead Him by His truth.
Calvin’s Observations
At the same time, we ought to observe the argument which David here employs to enforce his prayer. By calling God the God of his salvation, he does so in order to strengthen his hope in God for the future, from a consideration of the benefits which he had already received from him; and then he repeats the testimony of his confidence towards God. Thus the first part of the argument is taken from the nature of God himself, and the duty which, as it were, belongs to him; that is to say, because he engages to maintain the welfare of the godly, and aids them in their necessities, on this ground, that he will continue to manifest the same favor towards them even to the end.
But as it is necessary that our confidence in God should correspond to his great goodness towards us, David alleges it, at the same time, in connection with a declaration of his perseverance. For, by the expression all the day, or every day, he signifies that with a fixed and untiring constancy he depended upon God alone. And, doubtless, it is the property of faith always to look to God, even in the most trying circumstances, and patiently to wait for the aid which he has promised. That the recollection of the divine blessings may nourish and sustain our hope, let us learn to reflect upon the goodness which God has already manifested towards us, as we see that David did in making this the ground of his confidence, that he had found in his own personal experience God to be the author of salvation.
Henry’s Insights
He professes his dependence upon God and begs for the benefit and comfort of that dependence (Psalms 25:2): O my God! I trust in thee. His conscience witnessed for him that he had no confidence in himself nor in any creature, and that he had no diffidence of God or of his power or promise. He pleases himself with this profession of faith in God. Having put his trust in God, he is easy, is well satisfied, and quiet from the fear of evil; and he pleads it with God whose honour it is to help those that honour him by trusting in him.
What men put a confidence in is either their joy or their shame, according as it proves. Now David here, under the direction of faith, prays earnestly, 1. That shame might not be his lot: “Let me not be ashamed of my confidence in thee; let me not be shaken from it by any prevailing fears, and let me not be, in the issue, disappointed of what I depend upon thee for; but, Lord, keep what I have committed unto thee.” Note, If we make our confidence in God our stay, it shall not be our shame; and, if we triumph in him, our enemies shall not triumph over us, as they would if we should now sink under our fears, or should, in the issue, come short of our hopes.
- That it might not be the lot of any that trusted in God. All the saints have obtained a like precious faith; and therefore, doubtless, it will be alike successful in the issue. Thus the communion of saints is kept up, even by their praying one for another. It is certain that none who, by a believing attendance, wait on God, and, by a believing hope, wait for him, shall be made ashamed of it.
- That it might be the lot of the transgressors; Let those be ashamed that transgress without cause, or vainly, as the word is. (1.) Upon no provocation. They revolt from God and their duty, from David and his government (so some), without any occasion given them, not being able to pretend any iniquity they have found in God, or that in any thing he has wearied them. The weaker the temptation is by which men are drawn to sin the stronger the corruption is by which they are driven by it. Those are the worst transgressors that sin for sinning-sake. (2.) To no purpose. They know their attempts against God are fruitless; they imagine a vain thing, and therefore they will soon be ashamed of it.
Lesson 25: The Centrality of the Word of God as the Means of Grace
Opening Prayer
Introduction
William Gurnall. The Christian in Complete Armor. This evil day is unavoidable.
Lesson
1. The Word of God as the Chief Means of Grace
a. Regeneration. Denied by the masses as being the product of the word.
b. Sound doctrine and the necessity of faith.
i. Belief that we will indeed benefit from the means.
c. The Reformed Confessions.
d. Reformed material.
e. Zeal for the truth.
“If ye know these things happy are you if you do them.”
“To him that knoweth to do good and doeth it not, it is sin.”
“Be ye doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”
2. Contrast with the Church Today
- I. Giving to the Poor / Charity Work
- Roman Catholic, secular
- Romans 4:4 (KJV) – “Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.”
- II. Moral Living and Avoiding Big Sins
- Denominational, evangelical
- Isaiah 64:6 (KJV) – “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags.”
- III. Religious Rituals or Sacraments
- Roman Catholicism teaches that baptism, penance, the Eucharist, and other sacraments infuse grace and are necessary for salvation.
- But some protestant denominations have followed suit and teach their own rituals as necessary for salvation. If we are bound to their rituals, how are we so abundantly blessed in grace, wisdom, and the peace of God?
- Galatians 5:2 (KJV) – “If ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.”
- IV. Church Membership or Denominational Loyalty
- Scottish Presbyterian, PRC
- John 14:6 (KJV) – “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
- V. Decisionism / “Accepting Jesus” as a Work
- “Praying the sinner’s prayer,” “walking an aisle,” “accepting Jesus,” “making Jesus Lord,” “giving life to Christ,” or “making a decision” is treated as the meritorious act that brings salvation.
- Evangelicals
- John 1:13 (KJV) – “Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”
- VI. Obedience to the Law / Sanctification as Justification
- Modern “Puritan”, Neonomian
- Galatians 3:3 (KJV) – “Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?”
- VII. Mystical Experiences or Inner Light
- Quakers, New Age groups, and some Charismatics teach inner revelation, dreams, or ecstatic experiences.
- Objective truth vs subjective emotion.
- 2 Corinthians 11:14 (KJV) – “And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.”
- VIII. Social Justice or Activism
- Fighting racism, caring for the planet, or advocating for equality.
- Some of the most racist things ever spoken are found in the Bible.
- Colossians 2:23 (KJV) – “Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom… but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.”
- “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.”
- IX. Suffering, Poverty, or Martyrdom
- This includes monastic traditions, asceticism, missions sent to foreign parts of the world.
- 1 Corinthians 13:3 (KJV) – “And though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.”
- X. Zeal and Evangelistic Labor
- Evangelism, missions, and zeal for church work.
- Baptist, Arminian, Calvinist
- Romans 10:2-3 (KJV) – “For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge… seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.”
Conclusion
Closing Prayer
Youtube Audio: https://youtu.be/qpuyaCPS4Uc
Fearless Puritan: 