Psalm 25 is a psalm of trust, confession and forgiveness. David cries out to God for forgiveness and trusts that God will answer.
Structure
This psalm is an almost perfect example of an acrostic psalm. Each verse begins with the consecutive letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Although this is very difficult to capture in English, The Voice attempts to capture this in their translation as you can see in these first few verses:
1 ALWAYS I will lift up my soul to You, Eternal One,
2 BECAUSE You are my God and I put my trust in You.
Do not let me be humiliated.
Do not let my enemies celebrate at my expense.
3 CERTAINLY none of the people who rely on You will be shamed,
but those who are unfaithful, who intentionally deceive,
they are the ones who will be disgraced.
As is so common in the psalms, the center of the psalm highlights the main theme. Verse 11 is the focus point and summary of the psalm.
For your name's sake, O Lord,
pardon my guilt, for it is great.
Please Remember
Psalm 25:1-7
The first section of this psalm is addressed to God and is a mixture of trust, confession and petition for forgiveness.
- In You I Trust - David starts by declaring his trust and asking for God's protection. He declares that God will never fail those who trust in Him.
Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame;
- Teach Me - David then pleads for God to teach him the truth. David isn't just seeking for forgiveness in this psalm but also guidance to choose the right path in the future.
- Remember - He then asks God to remember, forget and remember again. God's forgiveness is not based on our goodness but on God's love.
- Remember Your mercy
- Forget my sins
- Remember Your love for me
Please Forgive
Psalm 25:8-11
The second section begins with a change of address. The psalmist is now talking about God rather than to Him.
David explains that God can be trusted to even teach a sinner because God is good, upright, loving and faithful. It is in this context that David can confidently bring up His request:
For your name's sake, O Lord,
pardon my guilt, for it is great.
Notice how this key verse is set apart:
- It is the center of the psalm
- It is addressed to God while the verses on both sides of it are addressed to people about God.
Fear God
Psalm 25:12-15
The psalmist explains that those who fear God will be blessed. They will:
- Be instructed by God
- Have prosperity and inherit the earth
- Receive God's friendship
Therefore,
My eyes are ever toward the Lord,
for he will pluck my feet out of the net.
Turn to Me
Psalm 25:16-22
The psalm ends with David laying his plea before God. "Please take away my sin and rescue me from my affliction." David has placed all of his hope in God.
Application
David has given us a clear approach to seeking God's forgiveness:
- Trust in God's goodness and love.
- Ask God to teach you how to change. Don't just seek forgiveness but seek life change.
- Seek forgiveness.
- Fear God. Seek to follow Him.
- Place all your hope in God. He is worthy of it.
This post is part of a series on the Psalms.
by Jerry Wyrick, President of Worship Arts Conservatory