Big Idea: As students in the school of faith, we have the Lord as our Teacher, and his ways (and will) are our curriculum.
Understanding the Text
This psalm is another example of reflective prayer (see Ps. 16), in which the suppliant talks to God and then reflects on the subject of the prayer (see “Outline/Structure” below), either alone or in company with others. Goldingay proposes that it has an instructional purpose, to teach people to pray.[1] Generically, Psalm 25 is generally typed as an individual lament, while Craigie insists that the language is more descriptive of a psalm of confidence (psalm of trust).[2] Its connections with wisdom poetry have also been noted, especially the use of the terms “way(s)” (25:4, 8, 9, 10, and 12; the noun is turned into a verb, “guide,” in 25:5 and 9), “fear” (25:12, 14), and “good” (25:8, 13 [NIV: “prosperity”]), as well as the acrostic form of the psalm (see the sidebar).
The psalmist puts his trust in God (25:1), in contrast to those who put their trust in that which is false (24:4). Put in reference to the question of Psalm 24:3, Psalm 25 translates the content of that question into spiritual relationship (25:12) and answers it in covenantal, rather than liturgical, terms (25:14).
Outline/Structure
1. Prayer (25:1–7)
2. Reflection (25:8–10)
3. Prayer (25:11)
4. Reflection (25:12–15)
5. Prayer (25:16–22)
Historical and Cultural Background
The title “to/for David,” for the most part, fits the psalm into a Davidic frame. David’s enemies preoccupy his thoughts in many psalms. The enemies of Psalm 25 (25:2, 19) have not yet gotten the upper hand in the psalmist’s life, and David prays that their increased numbers and augmented hatred would not triumph, nor give any semblance that he has been rejected.
Interpretive Insights
25:1 I put my trust. This expression (lit., “I lift up my soul”) suggests hope or desire (Pss. 86:4; 143:8).[3] The physical gesture of lifting up the hands or lifting up the evening sacrifice may be the liturgical derivative.[4] In light of Deuteronomy 24:15 (NIV: “counting on it”) and Jeremiah 22:27 (NIV: “long to”), where lifting up the “soul” occurs also, the idea here as there is that of hope and desire, which is in harmony with the stress on hope (25:3, 21) and trust (25:2).
25:2 do not let me be put to shame. This verb occurs here and in 25:3 and 20, framing the psalm. For one to be “put to shame” involved a sense of rejection socially or the experience of being forgotten by God.[5] In view of this, the trifold prayer that God would remember him (25:6, 7) makes all the more sense.
25:3 No one who hopes in you will ever be put to shame. Literally, “Let all who hope in you not be ashamed.” The verb “hope” carries the basic idea of “wait,” suggesting the nature of hope, which has its eye on the future (see “Theological Insights”). In fact, hope has been called “faith on tiptoe,” a metaphor that beautifully expresses the relationship of faith and hope.[6]
25:4 Show me your ways . . . your paths. “Ways” and “paths” are synonymous terms for God’s will. “Show me your ways” uses the causative inflection (Hiphil) of that verb, “make me know your ways,” as does verse 14: “he makes his covenant known” (infinitive construct Hiphil). The fact that the poem is an alphabetic acrostic (see the sidebar) may suggest that the poet ran the scope of the whole alphabet to explore the subject of his need for divine guidance and God’s gracious answer to that prayer.
25:5 Guide me. The verb “guide” is a denominative verb (derives from the noun “way,” derek) that suggests the mapping out of a path, a prayer for guidance in the way forward. It occurs again in verse 9.
25:6 Remember. The psalmist prays that God will recall his covenant “mercy [raham] and love [hesed; both nouns are plural here, possibly to imply their abundance] from of old,” most likely a reference to the Mosaic covenant.
25:7 Do not remember the sins of my youth . . . for you, Lord, are good. The psalmist’s “youth” is in contrast to the antiquity of Yahweh’s mercy and love.[7] Delitzsch equates God’s goodness with his love, suggesting that it is an equivalent of “God is love” (1 John 4:8).[8]
25:8 therefore he instructs sinners in his ways. The verb “instruct” (Hiphil of yrh, from which the word torah also derives) gives the picture of Yahweh as Teacher, and Israel as students (also Ps. 32:8; Prov. 4:11). See verse 12 for a similar statement (“He will instruct them in the ways”).
25:10 loving and faithful . . . toward those who keep the demands of his covenant. The covenant context is critical for understanding this psalm. The Lord’s ways are a reflection of his “loving” (hesed) and “faithful” (’emet) nature, and this divine character shapes the covenant he has made with Israel and the relationship he has with the keepers of the covenant. The same two terms are also found in the second revelation to Moses on Mount Sinai, describing God’s “abounding in love and faithfulness” (Exod. 34:6). This echo of the Mosaic covenant implies that the psalmist was familiar with this important text.
25:11 For the sake of your name, Lord, forgive my iniquity. Regarding the phrase “for the sake of your name,” see “Theological Insights” and the sidebar “For His Name’s Sake” in the unit on Psalm 23. The character description of Yahweh noted in 25:10 is also associated with forgiveness in the second Sinai revelation (Exod. 34:7), where the more common verb for “forgive” (ns’) occurs; it occurs for the first time with this meaning in the Psalter in 25:18. The word in this verse (slh) is, according to Goldingay, the closest word the Hebrew language has for a technical term for forgiveness, since it is only used with Yahweh as subject.[9] Rashi comments: “It is appropriate for the Great [God] to pardon Great Iniquity.”[10] This verse may be considered the core verse of the psalm.[11]
25:12 Who, then, are those who fear the Lord? This question is another version of the question of 24:3, stated in terms of spiritual piety. The Hebrew is literally, “Who is this man who fears the Lord?” obviously pointing to “David” as the immediate answer.
25:14 The Lord confides in those who fear him. The Hebrew word for “confides” is a noun (sod), meaning “secret” (KJV) or perhaps “counsel” (see HCSB). The Septuagint’s “strength” and the ESV’s “friendship” both show the difficulty it poses for translators. In any case, this verse is a restatement of the thought of 25:12, the fear of the Lord being the link. Perhaps Abraham is a good illustration of this thought (Gen. 18:17–19; cf. Amos 3:7).
25:15 My eyes. Note the resumption of the first person, which is also the grammatical person of 25:1–7, suggesting the personal nature of the psalm.
25:18 my affliction and my distress. The terms “affliction” (‘oni) and “distress” or “suffering” (‘amal) were used in the response the Israelites made when they brought the firstfruits to the sanctuary (Deut. 26:7): “and the Lord . . . saw our affliction and our suffering, and our oppression” (author’s trans.). Here David personalizes the “affliction” and “distress,” as the psalmists often do of national experiences. The reference is more likely to emotional problems associated with the psalmist’s unforgiven sins, rather than to physical illness.
25:19 how numerous are my enemies. This verse, along with 25:2, highlights the problem the suppliant’s enemies have caused him. Their hatred, as hatred directed toward any person’s life, has contributed to David’s sense of alienation and elevated his consciousness of sin, which only God can alleviate.
25:21 May integrity and uprightness protect me. The psalmist’s faultless and upright character is the source, even the instrument, of his well-being. These character attributes, in a personified way, have become the sentinels of the psalmist’s life (see also the personification of attributes in Pss. 23:6; 43:3).
25:22 Deliver Israel, O God, from all their troubles! Note that here a personal psalm turns toward Israel’s corporate well-being. It is possible that this grows out of the suppliant’s love for his nation, which ought certainly to be part of a king’s passion for his people. If so, it contributes an excellent balance to the psalm’s personal orientation. It is also possible, as suggested by Delitzsch[12] and others, that it is a virtual gloss in the form of a congregational response, used in worship by later generations. That is, a later generation applied this psalm to their own situation, much like David applied the ancient words of the Mosaic covenant to his personal life. Other psalms that add the communal aspect at the end of the psalm are Psalms 3:8; 31:23, 24; 130:7, 8; and 131:3.
The initial letter of verse 22 (pe) falls outside the alphabetic acrostic. Goldingay sees a code word formed by the initial letters of the first, middle, and final verses (25:1, 11, 22), forming a Hebrew word that means “to learn” or “teach” (’lp, used in Prov. 22:25; Job 15:5, etc.), suggesting that this psalm was designed to “teach” one to pray.[13]
Theological Insights
With reference to our “Key Themes,” Psalm 25 outlines two modes of prayer as the psalmist seeks God’s guidance. The first employs four different verbs to convey the idea of seeking God’s instruction and guidance: “show” / “make known,” “teach,” “guide,” and “instruct” (see table 1). While these are not strict synonyms, their common thread is God’s instruction in his ways, which sums up his will, and this he has imparted to Israel in his covenant. Instruction and guidance are intertwined, a good principle for us to keep in mind.
The second mode of prayer employs the verb “remember,” used twice to make a positive request and once to implore God negatively (see table 1). In light of the psalmist’s earnest desire to know God’s ways, that is, his will, it is not surprising to hear him plead that the Lord will remember his “mercy” and “love” (25:6, 7b), two covenant terms flowing out of God’s character of goodness (25:7, 8). The negative side of that coin is to ask the Lord not to remember the sins of his youth (25:7a), a plea that he will forgive the suppliant as he forgave the ancient recipients of his covenant grace.
David’s “enemies,” who are never far from his mind, are connected with the prayer that Yahweh not allow him to be put to shame (25:2, 19–20). The covenantal language of the psalm would imply that the suppliant is putting his relationship with his enemies in the covenant context. Twice the noun “covenant” occurs (25:10, 14), and once “testimonies” (25:10; NIV: “demands”), along with what is perhaps the innermost covenantal term, “love,” or “loving-kindness” (hesed, 25:6, 7, 10; see the sidebar in the unit on Ps. 36). The central thrust of the psalm is covenant faithfulness, conveyed by Yahweh’s faithfulness to his own name (25:11), and the suppliant’s authentic hope in God (25:3, 5, 21). This hope, virtually acting as bookends for the psalm (25:3 and 21), is the Hebrew word for “wait,” conveying the essence of hope, for it anticipates its reality in the future. It is not inert, however, for hoping is an active waiting. Isaiah affirmed that waiting on the Lord would bring renewal of strength (Isa. 40:31). David affirms his faith in the covenant God by waiting for him, and God reveals his covenant love by sparing him from shame (25:14). The question raised in 24:3 has been answered in terms of who: David is the man who may ascend the mountain of the Lord and stand in his holy place.[14]
Teaching the Text
Based on the fact that this is a teaching psalm, we may build an effective sermon/lesson on the ideas of Yahweh as Teacher, his ways as the curriculum, and the psalmist and all who fear the Lord as his students. As we have pointed out (see “Theological Insights”), there are four verbs that deliver the message of this relationship: “show,” “teach,” “guide,” and “instruct.” All four occur two or more times in the poem, and this accumulation of virtual synonyms is a literary device to indicate how intense David’s search for guidance and understanding is and, by application, how powerful ours ought to be.
First, the Teacher is obviously Yahweh, and the psalm gives us a “bio” that informs us of his character: he is good (25:7, 8) and loving (25:6). So we should expect his instruction to reflect his character (25:10), and with this exemplary character, there should be no reluctance to listen to and follow his instruction. This imagery of the good Teacher who designs his curriculum by his gracious and merciful character provides the kind of “classroom” experience every student needs.
Second, the Teacher’s curriculum is to “instruct sinners in his ways” (25:8; see also 25:9). His “ways” (25:4, 8, 9, 10, 12), most likely a designation of his laws in the specific sense, and his covenant in the more general sense (25:10, 14), suggest a journey, and the Lord’s instructions are designed to “instruct them in the ways they should choose” (25:12; lit., “instruct him [David] in the way he should choose”). The idea of the journey is further suggested by the promise that his offspring would inherit the land, recalling the land of Canaan (25:13), and the sojourner is well aware of his untutored life, alluded to as “the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways” (25:7; see also 25:18).
Third, there is no evidence in the psalm of a sophomoric mentality, for the psalmist recognizes his sins. This is a state of mind to which we must come as students in the school of faith. The psalmist was, as we must be, open to instruction. His circumstances, described as “affliction” and “distress” (25:18), have driven him into the classroom of faith as he has prayed for God’s forgiveness, as sometimes our life circumstances drive us. But the learning experience, with the Master Teacher and his well-crafted curriculum of truth and love (25:5, 7) and his character-reflecting pedagogy, generates a life of hope (25:3, 5, 21). And the psalmist can say—and we can join his affirmation—“my hope, Lord, is in you” (25:21).
Illustrating the Text
Learning for a lifetime
Cultural Institution: In the United States, one function of government is education, which is administered through the public school system by the Department of Education. Although the federal government has an interest in education, the states have primary responsibility for the maintenance and operation of public schools through the twelfth grade. There is such great value placed on education in the United States that the Equal Education Opportunities Act of 1974 provides that no state shall deny equal educational opportunity to an individual on the basis of race, color, sex, or national origin.[15] However, once a student has satisfied the requirements of a twelfth-grade education, the government tends to stop emphasizing the importance of education. Sadly, many Christians carry this notion into their Christian experience. Instead of realizing their need for spiritual continuing education until the day they die, many Christians wrongly believe that all they need to know can be gained through a half-hour sermon once a week. Psalm 25 shows David’s realization of his need to continue to learn and grow as he repeatedly asks the Lord to teach him.
Pride can prevent us from trusting in the Lord.
Psychology: Dr. Mark Goulston wrote a self-analysis on why men stereotypically prefer to be lost rather than ask for directions. His list of eight explanations boils down to insecurity and pride. For example, his first two points are “to ask for directions is to admit I am lost” and “to admit I am lost is to feel both anxious and incompetent.”16Many of us deal with issues of pride and insecurity that keep us from admitting our inadequacies and human need. What a contrast to Psalm 25, where David openly acknowledges his need for direction and confesses his sin (25:11).
Shame and guilt
Psychology: Shame and guilt are related but different experiences. Donald R. Hands says shame hits people at the core of their being and is a constant reminder of their failure, whereas guilt is an item-by-item experience and can be expunged from their psychological portfolio more readily than shame. Shame is less therapeutic than guilt.[17] The Psalms frequently speak of shame as a condition of moral breakdown, as in 25:2–3, where it is the near opposite of trust. Indeed, “no one who hopes” in God will ever be the victim of shame. If guilt is more therapeutic than shame, it may be a spiritual malady that has resulted from our blasé attitude toward sin. Our politically correct society insists that we should not be condemnatory toward human behavior that transgresses God’s moral commandments, so we have developed an immunity to shame. And the more impervious we are to shame, which is a consequence of our sin, the less we feel our need of grace.
