EXPOSITION OF PSALM 25 (2)
A Psalm of David

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III. Prayer for Pardon (v.11)

25:11 "For Your name's sake, O LORD, / Pardon my iniquity, for it is great." The self-righteous belittle their iniquity. Some say to others, "I am holier than you!" (Isaiah 65:5). The Pharisee boasts, "I am not like other men," and then boasts of all the good things he has done (Luke 18:11f). Some boast of having attained "sinless perfection". But this is not true of the man who sees himself as he truly is. Paul the apostle acknowledged himself to be the " chief of sinners" (1 Timothy 1:15). The tax collector opposite the above-cited Pharisee cried out, "God, be merciful to me the sinner!" (Luke 18:13 - the definite article is in the Greek text). David lamented, "... my iniquity ... is great." Our evil "is great", because it is against the "Great God" (Psalm 95:3), and because it is comprised of many sins of the worst sort. He who by God's grace staggers under its weight will pray for "pardon", to be forgiven of it. He will seek this pardon from the "God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, abundant in kindness" (Nehemiah 9:17). He will pray to be pardoned "for Your name's sake", in order that God in pardoning him will glorify Himself and make His glorious name and perfections known to others, who also are in need of others.

IV. Meditation on God's Blessings to the Pardoned (vv.12-15)

25:12 "Who is the man that fears the LORD? ..." This is not dread fear of Him; that is reserved for those who refuse to properly fear Him. Rather, this is reverential fear of God, that which loves and worships Him. He who here thusly fears Jehovah is the one who received the pardon for which he just prayed (v.11).

"... Him shall He teach in the way He chooses." All who refuse to fear Jehovah go in the ways they choose for themselves, and therefore always go astray (Isaiah 53:6). But he who fears Jehovah will desire the way Jehovah chooses, knowing His choice is best. Christ is the Way chosen by God. The Father tells us that Christ is "My Elect One in whom My soul delights!" (Isaiah 42:1). This Chosen One then tells us that He is the only Way to the Father (John 14:6). He invites those who are weary of the way they now traverse to "Come to Me ... and learn from Me" (Matthew 11:28f). All who obey will be taught in the Way Jehovah has chosen.

25:13 "He himself shall dwell in prosperity, ..." He shall in bliss enjoy blessings of every kind. "The LORD will give grace and glory; no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly" (Psalm 84:11). Note well this promise - and its condition! To "walk uprightly" is to walk in the Way Jehovah has chosen, and to walk in the righteousness of Christ.

"... And his descendants shall inherit the earth." This promise is for all who walk after their godly fathers. These are "the humble", those meek enough to submit to Jehovah's guidance and instruction in His way (v.9). These are the ones who are promised, "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth" (Matthew 5:5). On the other hand, the stubborn shall inherit the Lake of Fire along with their father (Revelation 20:10, 14, 15).

25:14 "The secret of the LORD is with those who fear Him, ..." This "secret of Jehovah" includes the "deep things of God" cited in 1 Corinthians 2:6-16. These deep things of God are revealed by Him through His Holy Spirit to those who fear Him (v.10). These are "the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory" (vv.7f). These are truths that to unbelievers are unseen by their eye, unheard by their ear, and absent in their heart (v.9). The natural man cannot receive or understand such deep things, this secret of Jehovah, and even considers them to be foolishness (v.14), because he is devoid of the Holy Spirit who reveals them (v.10). One must have the "mind of Christ" in order to understand Him (v.16).

It is no wonder that the man who does not fear Jehovah scoffs at "the unsearchable riches of Christ" and "the mystery" regarding "the eternal purpose which [God] accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Ephesians 3:8-12). It therefore is no wonder that he scoffs at God's sovereign and gracious election of certain sinners unto salvation in Christ before the foundation of the world, having predestined them in eternity past to be His adopted sons, and having before the foundation of the world accepted them in Christ as justified and sanctified and glorified (Ephesians 1:4-6; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; Romans 8:28-30). These truths are revealed only to those who will rejoice in them, those who fear Jehovah.

"... And He will show them His covenant." This is that eternal covenant into which the triune Godhead entered into before the foundation of the world for the salvation of God's elect. God shows to His people what His covenant is. It is the "Covenant of Peace" promising peace and reconciliation from God to men (Isaiah 54:10; Ezekiel 34:25, 26; Malachi 2:5). It is the "Covenant of Life" promising spiritual and eternal life from God to men (Malachi 2:5). It is the " New Covenant" in contrast to the Old Covenant (which it has abrogated), so named because it is newly revealed in the gospel, and because it is constantly new and never grows old (Jeremiah 31:31; Matthew 26:27f / Mark 14:24 / Luke 22:20 / 1 Corinthians 11:25; 2 Corinthians 3:6; also Hebrews 8:7-13; 9:15; 12:24). It is the " Everlasting Covenant" because of its eternity, having been made in eternity regarding eternal matters and enduring throughout eternity, never to be amended or broken (2 Samuel 23:5; Isaiah 55:3; 61:8; Jeremiah 32:40; Ezekiel 16:60; 37:26; Hebrews 13:20f). It therefore is the " Holy Covenant" (Luke 1:72) and the "Covenant of Grace" -emphasizing the covenanted blessings of grace flowing to God's elect (as in Ephesians 1:3-14). Let us pray, "Lord, show me Your covenant, and deliver me from the 'covenant with death'" (see Isaiah 28:15).

25:15 "My eyes are ever toward the LORD, ..." These are the eyes of faith and of understanding (Ephesians 1:18). These ever look to Jehovah alone for this reason:

"... For He shall pluck my feet out of the net." He who ever looks upward to Christ need not worry about falling into the net Satan and men spread below for his feet (see 1 Corinthians 10:13).

V. Prayer in Benediction (vv.16-22)

25:16 "Turn Yourself to me, and have mercy on me, ..." God will in justice turn away from those who turn away from Him in rebellion; but He will in mercy turn to those who turn to Him in repentance (James 4:8; Isaiah 55:6f).

"... For I am desolate and afflicted." This is the state of every man before Jehovah turns to him in mercy and grace: "desolate", or isolated and lonely; "afflicted", suffering disability and distress (see Job 33:19-24).

25:17 "The troubles of my heart have enlarged; ..." How blessed is the man who is more considered about the troubles of his heart than those of his body and earthly life!

"... Bring me out of my distresses!" How blessed is the man who looks to Jehovah for deliverance from distresses rather than to self or some man-made self-help recovery program!

25:18 "Look on my affliction and my pain, ..." The saint does not direct Jehovah as to how to deal with his affliction and pain. He knows his Savior to be the Great Physician, and knows that if He will but look at the infirmity and ailment, He will know how to heal it.

"... And forgive all my sins." These include all my sins of commission and of omission, whether done in secret or in public. Let not one single sin ever rise to condemn me before God! Let me be numbered among those who confess that "the blood of Jesus Christ [God's] Son cleanses us from all sin" (1 John v.7), and that none who have been by Him cleansed shall ever be condemned (Romans 8:1, 34ff). Once forgiven, forever forgiven!

25:19 "Consider my enemies, for they are many; / And they hate me with cruel hatred." The psalmist does not direct God as to how to deal with them. Rather, he asks only that God consider them and their violence, and deal with them as He sees fit.

25:20 "Keep my soul, and deliver me; / Let me not be ashamed, for I put my trust in You." Here is the prayer of the man who can say, "I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day" (2 Timothy 1:12).

25:21 "Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, / For I wait for You." All who wait for salvation from Jehovah will be preserved by His integrity and righteousness, and then in grace preserved by their own (Psalm 7:8; 26:1).

25:22 "Redeem Israel, O God, / Out of all their troubles!" Again (as in vv.1-3), the psalmist prays not only for himself, but for all who lift up their souls to Jehovah and trust in Him.

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