Series

Have you ever been in a situation where somebody was acting like your enemy? Maybe they were attacking your reputation, or harshly criticizing you for something? Or have you ever been sued? Have you been unjustly fired from a job, or had someone spread lies about you? If you have ever experienced anything like that, you can identify with King David in this psalm.

Open your Bible to Psalm 25 and follow along with me. This psalm is an alphabet acrostic. That means that each verse starts with successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet[2]. That doesn’t really affect the interpretation of the psalm (and there are several others that do the same thing), but it does help to increase our appreciation for the literary skill of the author.

The overall theme of the psalm is David’s response to the distress he feels because of his enemies. (Notice the mention of enemies in verses 2, 3, and 19.) He begins in verses 1-3 with a statement of trust and hope in God in the face of treacherous enemies who would discredit him or defeat him. He says, I lift up my soul to you; I trust in you; I trust that because my hope is in you, I will not be put to shame, like my enemies will.

Because of their attacks, he feels the need to ask God for His guidance and direction (v.4ff.) When we are under attack, we often feel like we don’t know what to do, so it is natural to run to God and ask for His guidance. Verses 4-12 are mostly about the kind of person God guides/teaches, instructs, confides in. So he’s reminding himself of his responsibilities if he wants God to direct him.

Verses 13-15 are his confidence that God will bless him because he fears the Lord. So he expects prosperity for himself and his descendants; he anticipates the blessings of God’s counsel; he is confident God will release him from the snare set by his enemies.

Verses 16-17 are a poignant description of how he feels under this attack—lonely, afflicted, the troubles of his heart have multiplied; he’s in anguish and distress. Have you ever felt like that? Maybe you can identify with him.

So then in vss.18-21, he pleads for God’s intervention: Pay attention to my plight, O Lord; forgive my sins; guard my life and rescue me; may my integrity protect me; my hope is in you.

I think that’s the organizing principle of the psalm—he’s under attack, and this is how he handles it: by running to God for guidance and protection. Now let’s look at some of the themes.

First, we need to consider this whole notion of our enemies. In David’s case, we don’t know exactly what historical situation he was in, we don’t know exactly who these enemies were, but we do know they were humans. In the course of his life, David faced opposition from King Saul, and from any number of neighboring peoples. Enemies are mentioned 92 times in the book of Psalms, and they always refer to other people who are opposed to the psalm writers.

But in the New Testament, we have a radical re-interpretation of who our enemies are. The Apostle Paul faced plenty of opposition from very real, human enemies. His own description of that included imprisonment, beatings, including 39 lashes with a whip five different times and three times with rods, stoning, facing enemies in cities and in the countryside, enemies who were Jews and Gentiles and false Christian brothers (2 Cor 11:23ff).

And yet, in spite of all that, Paul said, Ephesians 6:12, “…our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

Our struggle is not against flesh and blood. Our enemies are not the people who are so fiercely opposed to us. There may be some people who despise and ridicule us for our faith. In other countries, believers are physically attacked; their churches are burned; their homes destroyed. I’ve mentioned other situations where we feel attacked. It certainly looks like those people are the enemy! But Paul, who suffered beatings and stoning, said No. Those people are not the enemies. Our struggle is not against anyone who has flesh and blood. Our real struggle is against spiritual forces of evil.

We don’t think much about that unseen realm of evil spiritual forces, but it is very real, and Jesus encountered it all the time. These evil forces are demons: what he calls here, “rulers, authorities, powers of this dark world, and spiritual forces of evil.” They may manifest themselves as demons, like the ones Jesus cast out of people. They may be the driving forces behind violence and injustice and terrorism; they may be built into godless structures of society that enslave people in poverty and other ways. But the key thing for us to realize is that no matter how pointed the attack, no matter who, specifically, is against us, they are not the enemy.

I think this clip from The Passion of the Christ illustrates very nicely the role Satan plays in what looks for all the world like a purely human attack on Jesus. Watch for the Satan-figure in the background. CLIP FROM “THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST” SHOWING SATAN IN THE BACKGROUND AT JESUS’ BEATING. The soldiers, and the priests, and the Roman officer appear to be the enemies, but they are not. The real enemy is in the background, working through those people.
This is hard to get through our heads so that we respond to the truth of the situation rather than to the appearances. But when someone attacks you, criticizes you unfairly, slanders your reputation or turns your friends against you with gossip, sues you, or undermines you at work, they are not the enemy. When a government official in another country refuses to grant a visa to a Christian missionary, that official is not the enemy. When the city building inspector made us rip out the risers on the platform we had already built because the other building inspector said to build them that way, he was not the enemy. If we can remember that, we won’t attack these people back; we will know that they are being used by forces they do not even realize, and we will resist the devil rather than trying to hurt those who hurt us.

Paul instructed us to “put on the whole armor of God” so that we could stand our ground in these attacks. Very briefly, here are the main pieces of armor God provides for us, and how they might help when we are under spiritual attack.

· truth—the truth that our real enemies are not the people who are hurting us, and that God is for us, and is greater than any other spiritual forces.

· righteousness—both the righteousness that Christ gives us, so that we refuse to believe the lie that we are terrible sinners, a disappointment to God, etc. AND the righteousness of a godly life that responds to hatred with love, to deceit with openness, to lies with honesty, etc.

· the gospel of peace—we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, and then His Spirit pours into us that peace that surpasses all understanding, as we trust and rest in Him.

· faith—that God is for us, will never leave us, and is going to use this time of testing for good in our lives.

· salvation—the confidence that we are saved through our faith in Christ, no matter what anyone else says, no matter how the devil may try to make us doubt that.

· sword of the Spirit, the Word of God—this is where we find all the truth we need to combat the spiritual enemies of our souls

· prayer. Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. The Word of God and prayer are our two offensive weapons, so we can not only resist the devil, but go on the attack ourselves to decisively win the battle.

So when we read about David’s enemies in the psalms, I think we need to transpose those lines into a New Testament key. We need to understand that behind the people who are acting like our enemies, are spiritual forces of evil, and we need to approach them that way. Thank God for the wonderful promise in 1 John 4:4, “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” In a contest between the Holy Spirit and the demons or Satan himself, there is no contest. Do not ever think that somehow the fate of the world was in doubt as Jesus wrestled with Satan in the desert, or agonized over the cross in the Garden of Gethsemane. On the one hand, we must never minimize the physical suffering and the terrible spiritual toll it took on Jesus, but on the other hand, we also must not exaggerate the devil’s power. If you belong to Jesus Christ by faith, then His Spirit lives in you, and He is far greater than any spiritual forces you will ever encounter.

So in this psalm, David is under the gun from some people who are opposed to him and making his life difficult. He runs to God and asks for deliverance, for protection, and for guidance to know how to proceed in the face of their attacks.

Verse 4 says, “Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths.” God’s guidance always starts with our knowing what the Scripture says as general principles, and being able to apply those principles to the situation at hand. For example, if you are working on your family budget, you will pay careful attention to the biblical teaching on tithing. Another example: As you read the Scripture, you will not even consider marriage to someone who does not love Christ with all their heart, because then you would be unequally yoked into a relationship where you cannot share the most important part of your life with the most important person in your life. When we ask God for guidance, we are asking for the ability to rightly apply His Word to our lives.

But this prayer goes beyond that. The first phrase in v.4 literally says, “make me to know” your ways. And this is not mere head knowledge. He’s not just asking for instruction in the Torah, though that is included in v.5. He’s not just looking for more biblical knowledge. The word “know” here means an intimate personal knowledge, as when it says, “Adam knew Eve.” He’s praying, “help me get it.” Help me see the implications of your ways and your paths for my life. Make my Sunday School lesson and my Quiet Time and the sermon come alive!

This is really what most of us need, isn’t it? We have a very biblically literate congregation; you folks know your Bibles. What we don’t always “know” is how the truths of Scripture relate to our lives. For example, we read in Romans 12 that we should be transformed by the renewing of our minds. This prayer in Psalm 25 is asking that God would hit us over the head with the realization that if our minds are going to be renewed, we are going to have to set much more serious limits on what we allow to enter our minds. Or take another example: we all know that Jesus taught us to love one another as He had loved us, and in John 15, He spelled it out—He said He laid down His life for us. But how many of us do that?[3]. We “know this”, but do we get it? Lord! Make me know your ways, so that I will not only see what I ought to do, but will be motivated to do it. If I’m not seeing the right principle, or if there isn’t one that applies directly, I’m still asking you to guide me, to lead me, as you would one of your little sheep. I’m asking for your Holy Spirit to speak to me directly, and lead me step by step.

          The context here is that David is distressed by the people who are opposed to him, so he runs to God for direction. “What do I do now? Help!” I’m sure we’ve all been there. But in the process, he gives some general principles of what we have to do in order to receive His guidance, so let’s look at those.
          B.       Conditions for receiving God’s guidance
                    1.       Dependence   v.5b

Ps 25:5b, “guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.” You are God my Savior. I am completely dependent on You. I need you to save me in every sense of that word; I need your guidance and teaching, because you are all wise, and I am ignorant. I am a stupid sheep, wandering off on my own way, and I need you to lead me in paths of righteousness. You lead; I’ll follow. There is no sense asking God to lead us if we are not going to acknowledge our dependence on Him.
2. Repentance v.6-9, 11

Psalm 25:6-9, “Remember, O Lord, your great mercy and love, for they are from of old. Remember not the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to your love remember me, for you are good, O Lord. Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in his ways. He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way…11 For the sake of your name, O Lord, forgive my iniquity, though it is great.”

          We need to recognize that we are sinners, in need of God’s grace and forgiveness. I love the way he puts it in v. 6: remember your love; don’t remember my sins. God instructs sinners—i.e. those who acknowledge themselves to be sinners. He guides the humble person, not the proud, arrogant person who won’t even ask for guidance.
          Speaking of repentance, I’d like to comment on the public apology Tiger Woods made this week. Many people have criticized him for it, and found fault with one aspect or another of what he said, but there were some things that I thought were right on. Overlooking the fact that he has returned to his Buddhist roots, consider these aspects of his apology.[4] He said his behavior was irresponsible and selfish and foolish. He recognized that true repentance means a change of behavior. He acknowledged that his behavior had disappointed and hurt a lot of people, not just his wife. He said he was embarrassed, and sorry for what he had done (not just that he had gotten caught). He called his behavior what it was: “I was unfaithful. I had affairs. I cheated. What I did is not acceptable. And I am the only person to blame….I never thought about who I was hurting. Instead, I thought only about myself…I was wrong. … I know above all I am the one who needs to change.” I find it refreshing that a public figure like Tiger Woods would be that honest and take that much responsibility for his own failures. That’s the kind of attitude the psalmist is talking about when he says what he does here in vss. 6-9, 11. [5]
          A third condition we should meet if we want God’s guidance in life is obedience.
                    3.       Obedience   v. 10

Psalm 25:10, “All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful for those who keep the demands of his covenant.” We’re asking God to guide us, and we will discover that His ways are full of His love and faithfulness if we are obedient to Him. The great problem of mankind from the very beginning has been that we tend to think we know better than God what is good for us. We read in the Scripture that we should not steal, but students routinely steal other people’s work (often on the internet, now) and present it as their own. God tells us He hates divorce because of what it does to us, but we think we know better than He does what will make us happy.

The attitude we must have if we want God’s guidance is one of humble obedience. Humble enough to admit that we really don’t know what we ought to do. Humble enough to ask for His direction. And humble enough to do what He says. Why should God guide a person who doesn’t care enough about Him to even try to keep His commandments? As Jesus said, Luke 6:46, “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord’ and do not do what I say?”

The fourth condition David sees for getting God’s guidance is an attitude of reverence.
4. Reverence v.12, 14; Deut 6:2-5; Josh 24:14; Ps 22:23; Ps 2:11; Is 6:3; Ex 20:7

Psalm 25:12, “Who, then, is the man that fears the Lord? He will instruct him in the way chosen for him…14 The Lord confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them.” The fear of the Lord is a concept all through the Bible, both in the Old and New Testaments. It has a range of meanings[i]. Most often, it means to obey His commands out of respect and love (cf. Deut 6:2-5). It also means to serve Him exclusively, putting away all other gods and idols that vie for our affection and loyalty (e.g. Josh 24:14). There is the thought of praise, and honor and reverence (e.g. Ps 22:23). And always in the background is the idea that God is so awesome, so terrible, so unlike us, that we can only stand in dread of Him and tremble before Him. Psalm 2:11, “Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling.” We dare not take God casually. He is not “the big Guy in the sky”. He is not to be trifled with. I like that phrase, “rejoice with trembling”; it neatly captures the tension we have to live in with God. We rejoice in Him and His love and His protection and guidance and forgiveness and all the other things this psalm talks about, but we do it all with trembling, because He is beyond comprehension; He is “holy cubed” (Is 6:3); He is terrifying in His greatness.

David says, when we understand that, when we have a proper appreciation for who God is, and who we are in comparison with Him, then we will receive His guidance. When we assume our proper position in relation to Him—as it says here in Psalm 25, dependent, repentant, obedient, and reverent—then He will pour out His blessings.

We often say, It’s not what you know, but who you know. Who is the most important friend you have? Not necessarily the one who is closest to you, but the one who is most important in the world? I have a cousin who was the president of the State University of New York at Stonybrook, and then was the science advisor to President Bush.

This psalm hints at something that is even better than knowing important people. It says that we can have a friendship with God.

Psalm 25:14, “The Lord confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them.” The word translated “confides in” means secret counsel, intimate conversation, so several translations (e.g. ESV, NLT, RSV) translate it as “the friendship of the Lord is for those who fear Him.” Intimate, almost secret companionship with God is available to those who fear Him. David experienced what Jesus said was true for His followers: John 15:15, “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.”

We have this wonderful dynamic in our relationship with God: we are His servants, no question about it. He is the Lord and Master, and we are His servants. But in Jesus Christ, we have also been elevated to the status of “friends.” We sing a song in the second service that says, “I am a friend of God,”—incredibly, that’s true. The Lord Jesus Christ calls us His friends. “The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear Him.” That might be the best thing in this psalm.

[1] See song by Graham Kendrick based on this psalm, “To You, O Lord”.

[2] Except that the last verse does not fit the pattern. And v.19 starts with the same (word and ) letter as v.18. Scholars have suggested a word not found in the text that begins with the appropriate letter that is missing. If they are right, v.19 would read, “Confront my enemies, for they are many.” (George A. F. Knight, Psalms, Vol 1 (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1982), p.127.)

[3] He also shared with His men all that the Father had taught Him, and He initiated a relationship with each of them in order to make them spiritually fruitful. These three things are Jesus’ definition of what it means to love others as He has loved us.

[5] It says, “Good and upright is the Lord; therefore He instructs sinners in His ways.” What’s the connection here, between God’s goodness and righteousness, and His guidance of us? I think v.11 is the key: “For the sake of your name, O Lord, forgive my iniquity, though it is great.” God forgives us and instructs us, even though we are sinners, because it is to His glory to do so. God is good, and He demonstrates His goodness by leading us and forgiving us, even though we do not deserve it. He could say, “Well, why should I guide you?—you’re always running off on your own way like a stupid sheep,” but that would be no better than you and I are. God glorifies Himself, and expresses His goodness and uprightness by guiding us, even when we don’t deserve it. Thank You, Lord!

[i] Some pertinent verses for “Fear of the Lord”

OBEDIENCE TO HIS COMMANDS (written or verbal), LIVING THE WAY GOD WANTS US TO

Genesis 22:12 "Do not lay a hand on the boy," he said. "Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son."

Deuteronomy 6:2 so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the Lord your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life.

Deuteronomy 31:12 Assemble the people--men, women and children, and the aliens living in your towns--so they can listen and learn to fear the Lord your God and follow carefully all the words of this law.

1 Samuel 12:14 If you fear the Lord and serve and obey him and do not rebel against his commands, and if both you and the king who reigns over you follow the Lord your God--good!

Psalms 111:10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise.

Ecclesiastes 12:13 Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole [duty] of man.

Exodus 18:21 But select capable men from all the people--men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain--and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens.

Leviticus 25:17 Do not take advantage of each other, but fear your God. I am the Lord your God.

Leviticus 25:43 Do not rule over them ruthlessly, but fear your God.

2 Chronicles 19:7 Now let the fear of the Lord be upon you. Judge carefully, for with the Lord our God there is no injustice or partiality or bribery."

Nehemiah 5:9 So I continued, "What you are doing is not right. Shouldn't you walk in the fear of our God to avoid the reproach of our Gentile enemies?

Psalms 128:1 Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in his ways.

Proverbs 3:7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil.

Proverbs 8:13 To fear the Lord is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech.

Proverbs 16:6 Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for; through the fear of the Lord a man avoids evil.

Malachi 3:5 "So I will come near to you for judgment. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive aliens of justice, but do not fear me," says the Lord Almighty.

2 Corinthians 5:11 Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience.

cf. the connection between obedience and love in the following:
Deuteronomy 11:1 Love the Lord your God and keep his requirements, his decrees, his laws and his commands always.

Deuteronomy 11:13 So if you faithfully obey the commands I am giving you today--to love the Lord your God and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul--

Deuteronomy 11:22 If you carefully observe all these commands I am giving you to follow--to love the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways and to hold fast to him--

Deuteronomy 19:9 because you carefully follow all these laws I command you today--to love the Lord your God and to walk always in his ways--then you are to set aside three more cities.

Deuteronomy 30:16 For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.

SERVE GOD EXCLUSIVELY

Deuteronomy 6:13 Fear the Lord your God, serve him only and take your oaths in his name.

Deuteronomy 10:12 And now, O Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul,

Joshua 24:14 "Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord.

1 Samuel 12:24 But be sure to fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you.

2 Chronicles 19:9 He gave them these orders: "You must serve faithfully and wholeheartedly in the fear of the Lord.

DREAD, TREMBLE, AWE

Job 31:23 For I dreaded destruction from God, and for fear of his splendor I could not do such things.

Psalms 2:11 Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling.

Psalms 119:120 My flesh trembles in fear of you; I stand in awe of your laws.

Isaiah 8:13 The Lord Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread,

Jeremiah 5:22 Should you not fear me?" declares the Lord. "Should you not tremble in my presence? I made the sand a boundary for the sea, an everlasting barrier it cannot cross. The waves may roll, but they cannot prevail; they may roar, but they cannot cross it.

1 Samuel 12:18 Then Samuel called upon the Lord, and that same day the Lord sent thunder and rain. So all the people stood in awe of the Lord and of Samuel.

Ecclesiastes 5:7 Much dreaming and many words are meaningless. Therefore stand in awe of God.

Isaiah 29:23 When they see among them their children, the work of my hands, they will keep my name holy; they will acknowledge the holiness of the Holy One of Jacob, and will stand in awe of the God of Israel.

Jeremiah 2:19 Your wickedness will punish you; your backsliding will rebuke you. Consider then and realize how evil and bitter it is for you when you forsake the Lord your God and have no awe of me," declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty.

PRAISE, HONOR, REVERE

Psalms 22:23 You who fear the Lord, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob, honor him! Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!

Psalms 33:8 Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the people of the world revere him.

Psalms 102:15 The nations will fear the name of the Lord, all the kings of the earth will revere your glory.

Isaiah 59:19 From the west, men will fear the name of the Lord, and from the rising of the sun, they will revere his glory. For he will come like a pent-up flood that the breath of the Lord drives along.

Daniel 6:26 "I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel. "For he is the living God and he endures forever; his kingdom will not be destroyed, his dominion will never end.

TRUST

Psalms 40:3 He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord.

Psalms 115:11 You who fear him, trust in the Lord-- he is their help and shield.

WORSHIP, GIVE GLORY

Revelation 14:7 He said in a loud voice, "Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water."

Revelation 15:4 Who will not fear you, O Lord, and bring glory to your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed."

MISCELLANEOUS

Psalms 64:9 All mankind will fear; they will proclaim the works of God and ponder what he has done.

Psalms 147:11 the Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.

Proverbs 23:17 Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always be zealous for the fear of the Lord.

Jeremiah 26:19 "Did Hezekiah king of Judah or anyone else in Judah put him to death? Did not Hezekiah fear the Lord and seek his favor? And did not the Lord relent, so that he did not bring the disaster he pronounced against them? We are about to bring a terrible disaster on ourselves!"

Proverbs 9:10 "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.