Psalm 25
1. The psalm is 22 verses in length, equaling the number of characters in the Hebrew alphabet. Not surprisingly, then, the psalm follows an acrostic outline.
2. Parts of this psalm (including verses 2 and 3) are sung by our young people in the song “Unto Thee, O Lord,” the first verse coming from, well, the first verse!
3. I have always been struck by the phrase, “Do not let me be ashamed” in verse 2. When we are with God, we have nothing to be ashamed of.
4. In contrast to the “no shame” of the follower of God, those who do not follow Him do (or will) feel shame (verse 3).
5. Verse 4 seems to be a verse written out of impatience (“make” and “teach” are both imperative), but, then, at the conclusion of verse 5, David says, “For You I wait all the day.” While we may have a great desire to learn all there is to know about immediately, we need to learn to wait on Him. He will teach us if we are willing to learn. And, may we never forget…His timing is always perfect.
6. Verses 6 and 7 are not written because God might forget. Rather, they are written to remind the reader (and, presumably, the psalmist himself) that God will not forget.
7. Verse 9 gives two verbs that describe what God does today through the pages of the Bible. God both “leads” and “teaches.” Am I listening?
8. God can pardon because of who He is, not because of anything I have done or will do (verse 11, “Your name’s sake”).
9. Verse 13 could be misunderstood. David is not saying that the one who follows God will be prosperous in an earthly sense; rather, the follower dwells in “good.” In other words, God takes care of His own.
10. Verse 14 in the NASB is rendered “secret of the Lord.” It is better translated “counsel.” Again, through the pages of the Bible, God still counsels us. Do I follow His counsel?
11. Verse 15 represents what God can do for His people. When we keep our eyes firmly fixed on Him, we are far more likely to avoid snares (sins).
12. Verses 16-22 contain a prayer from a very dark place. David is obviously feeling isolated and alone, so, to use a song, “Where could he go but to the Lord?” In this series of posts, we have mentioned this several times, but it is a constant theme of Psalms: many are written out of desperation and call for God to act. Nowhere is the writer condemned for doing so. When I am in despair, I need to feel as though I can reach out to God.
