THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION

Psalms: God's Nurture Of The Inner Man In The Life Of Faith

XXV. David's Exemplifying Prayer For Spiritual Maturity And Its Blessings

(Psalm 25:1-22)

I. Introduction

A. Spiritually immature people suffer from the sins they have committed in their past immaturity and ignorance coupled with complications in relationships with others due to those sins and mistakes.

B. Mindful of this problem, David exampled for us a prayer regarding his own struggle for growth out of his past sins and their relational complications in Psalm 25:1-22, and we view this psalm for our insight and help:

II. David's Exemplifying Prayer For Spiritual Maturity And Its Blessings, Psalm 25:1-22.

A. Part of verse one in this psalm comprises the introductory notes in the English Bible (Kittel, Bib. Heb., p. 994), so we stay with the numbering system in the English Bible.

B. We thus translate Psalm 25:1-22 as follows:

1. "To You, O Jahweh, do I lift up (nasa', "lift up; here, direct the desire toward," B. D. B., A Heb.-Eng. Lex. of the O. T., p. 669-672) my life principle [in prayer]," Psalm 25:1.

2. "In You I rely, O Elohim; do not let me be put to shame; do not let my enemies exult over me," Psa. 25:2.

3. "Yea, all who wait for (qawah, Ibid., p. 875) You will not be put to shame, but they will be put to shame who are traitors without cause (reyqam, Ibid., p. 938; "in vain; here, without cause")," Psalm 25:3.

4. "Make known to me Your ways, O Jahweh; teach me Your paths," Psalm 25:4.

5. "Cause me to tread (darak, Ibid., p. 201f; Hiphil = causative) in Your truth and teach me, for You (em. pr.) are my Elohim, Savior; in You is my expectant hope (qawah, cf. v. 3, here in the Piel intensive) all day long," Psalm 25:5.

6. "Remember Your great compassion and loyal love, Jahweh, for they (em. pr.) are from old time," Ps. 25:6.

7. "Do not remember the sins of my youth nor my rebellious ways; according to Your loyal love You (em. pr.) remember me for the sake of Your goodness, O Jahweh," Psalm 25:7.

8. "Wholesome and upright is Jahweh; because of this He instructs sinners in the way," Psalm 25:8.

9. "He causes the afflicted to tread (darak, cf. v. 5) in right decisions and teaches them His way," Psalm 25:9.

10. "All Jahweh's paths are loyal love and truth for those who heed His covenant and testimonies," Psa. 25:10.

11. "For the sake of Your Name, O Jahweh, pardon my iniquity, for it (emph. pron.) is great," Psalm 25:11.

12. "Who is the nobleman who reveres Jahweh? He will instruct him in the way he should go," Psalm 25:12.

13. "His life principle will abide in prosperity, and his seed will inherit the land," Psalm 25:13.

14. "Those who revere Him have secret counsel, intimacy (sod, Ibid., p. 691) with Jahweh, and He makes His covenant known to them," Psalm 25:14.

15. "My eyes are ever on Jahweh, for it is He (em. pr.) Who will release my feet from the snare," Psa. 25:15.

16. "Turn unto me and be gracious unto me, for I myself am alone and afflicted," Psalm 25:16.

17. "The narrow straits of my heart have enlarged to bigger straits! Bring me out from my stresses," Ps. 25:17.

18. "Look upon my affliction and my trouble and take away all of my sins," Psalm 25:18.

19. "See how my enemies have increased and how fiercely they hate me!" (Psalm 25:19)

20. "Preserve my life principle and snatch me away; do not let me be put to shame, for I seek refuge in You," Psalm 25:20.

21. "May integrity and uprightness guard me, because my expectant hope (qawah, cf. v. 5; here in the Piel intensive stem - "expectant hope") is in You," Psalm 25:21.

22. "Redeem Israel, O Elohim, from all of his narrow straits!" (Psalm 25:22)

Lesson: (1) David looked expectantly to God to deliver him from trials caused by his past sins committed in immaturity, and (2) he trusted God graciously to CAUSE him to walk in the right way in light of his immature ignorance, and (3) he kept himself in a TEACHABLE frame of mind so he could learn and thus mature. (4) David then applied this prayer to the entire nation, that Israel be redeemed from its narrow straits due to past immaturity.

Application: (1) Realizing that one's many trials arise largely due to his own past immature sins and errors is the first step toward maturing in the Lord. (2) One must then use these trials as motivation to (a) trust God's goodness and grace to (b) CAUSE him to go in the right path (c) as he also stays teachable and open to God's instruction so he can mature and experience an increasingly higher level of blessing.